Only Picture Books’ 23 Favorites of 2023

Well, we’re now fully into 2024, which means I now have 100% of the picture book options from 2023 available to read and rave about. In no particular order (save alphabetical!), here are OPB’s 23 favorite picture books from 2023.

People sometimes ask how I pick these books. I have the following listed on the SUBMIT PBs tab above as my overall criteria for including a book on the blog:

  • Books that have heart.
  • Books that resonate.
  • Books that are skillfully done.
  • Books that matter.

To be a Best of 2023, though? I’m looking for even more, such as:

  • Engagement of the Imagination: Books that spark creativity and wonder, inviting young minds to explore new worlds and ideas.
  • Emotional Detail and Complexity: Stories that navigate a spectrum of feelings with nuance and depth, resonating with both young hearts and mature minds.
  • Exceptional, Vivid Writing: Narratives that are not only beautifully penned but also vibrant and evocative, creating lasting impressions.
  • Interplay Between Text and Image: A harmonious and enriching balance where words and illustrations enhance and echo each other, creating a unified storytelling experience.
  • Relevance and Timelessness: Something that speaks to the present moment while holding enduring appeal for future generations.
  • Re-​readability: Titles that invite repeated enjoyment, revealing new layers and joys with each reading.
  • Visual Storytelling: Illustrations that don’t just accompany the text but enrich the narrative, adding dimensions of meaning and engagement.

Yeah, that’s a tall order. I quite agree. But doing so many good things at once is how you get on a Best of list.

Now, any list like this is wildly subjective despite my lists above, so plenty of worthy books won’t appear here. If I missed your favorite, my apologies! Feel free to note those in the comments on this post. Perhaps I’ll be able to work them into a future roundup or list of one type or another.

Since this is running in OPB’s usual monthly Picture Book Review slot, I’m including my own 5‑word reviews for each title along with a link to the appropriates Goodreads page.

Here we go!


Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Bridget George (19 September 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Tidal wave of change inspires.

Goodreads Reviews


Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld (17 January 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Hidden depths, revealed with love.

Goodreads Reviews


The Book from Far Away by Bruce Handy, illustrated by Julie Benbassat (15 August 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Wordless wonder: cosmic book connection.

Goodreads Reviews


Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle (11 July 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Guessing game with cheeky charm.

Goodreads Reviews


Cape by Kevin Johnson, illustrated by Kitt Thomas (20 June 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Grief, memories, and hope entwined.

Goodreads Reviews


Friends Beyond Measure by Lalena Fisher (28 February 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Friendship visualized through graphic design.

Goodreads Reviews


Grief Is an Elephant by Tamara Ellis Smith, illustrated by Nancy Whitesides (23 October 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Metaphorical, empathetic exploration of grief.

Goodreads Reviews


Hidden Gem by Linda Liu (11 July 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Rock’s reflections, profound self-​acceptance lesson.

Goodreads Reviews


How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Jennifer Harney (18 April 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: “Safety Guide,” dino style. UpROARious!

Goodreads Reviews


How to Write a Poem, by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (4 April 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Poetry’s dance in everyday moments.

Goodreads Reviews


Invisible Things by Andy J. Pizza, illustrated by Sophie Miller (18 July 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Unveiling life’s unseen wonders…poetically.

Goodreads Reviews


Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider by Jessica Lanan (11 April 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Arachnid adventure–jumping into action.

Goodreads Reviews


Mae and Gerty and the Matter with Matter by Elaine Vickers, illustrated by Erica Salcedo (17 October 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Sibling scientists bond through chemistry.

Goodreads Reviews


Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar by Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani, illustrated by Maya Fidwai (19 July 202)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Under chador, a world unfolds.


Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Márquez, illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz (30 May 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Shark magic fuels STEAM dreams.


Our Pool by Lucy Ruth Cummins (13 June 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: City pool: splashtastic summer delight.

Goodreads Reviews


Paula’s Patches by Gabriella Aldeman, illustrated by Rocío Arreola Mendoza (11 July 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Heartwarming tale of mending friendships.

Goodreads Reviews


Remember by Joy Harjo, illustrated by Michaela Goade (21 March 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Nature’s wisdom in poetic embrace.

Goodreads Reviews


The Skull by Jon Klassen (11 July 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Cozy chills: eerie, tender, captivating.

Goodreads Reviews


Spicy Spicy Hot! by Lenny Wen (19 July 2022)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Cultural connection through fiery sambal.

Goodreads Reviews


The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage (5 October 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Enchanting storytelling reveals hidden marvel.

Goodreads Reviews


A Vaccine Is Like a Memory by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Kathleen Marcotte (20 June 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Inoculating minds with vaccine knowledge.

Goodreads Reviews


A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney (12 September 2023)

OPB Five-​Word Review: Grief’s path leads to treasure.

Goodreads Reviews


Picture Book Review: The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

 

The Rabbit Listened
Author: Cori Doerrfeld
Illustrator: Cori Doerrfeld
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
20 February 2018
40 pages

 


This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Top Rabbit at Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor (and OPB champion) John Herzog.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

While this is a quiet book in many ways, the story starts with a disaster–birds knock down Taylor’s super-​tall, super-​cool block tower. In response, animal after animal arrives, with each acting in ways that match their animal nature. The chicken? It clucks away endlessly. The bear? It wants to roar and be mad. The snake? Revenge! But none of these interactions prove useful to Taylor, so each animal eventually wanders off. They all are more or less well-​intentioned, but they are more concerned with their solutions than thinking about what–if anything–Taylor needs.

It’s only the rabbit that doesn’t try to impose its natural response to the situation. It simply listens and is present, moving closer until “Taylor could feel its warm body.” This allows the child–half of the reviewers claim it’s a he, and half say Taylor is 100% gender neutral–to have their own range of reactions. Given the chance to respond as Taylor chooses, Taylor’s able to move past the many emotions (laughing, shouting, etc.) and can finally build once again.

Some readers will surely want to play up the animal voices to good effect when reading The Rabbit Listened to a child. The pacing of this story, too, lends itself well to reading aloud.

Will some readers find the message too straightforward or didactic? Perhaps. But it’s a sweet, simple story that teaches empathy, and that’s a lesson parents like myself wish were included in more picture books.

4 out of 5 pencils

–John’s Review of the Illustrations–

I’m really torn when it comes to The Rabbit Listened. No doubt Cori Doerrfeld has crafted an interesting take on what is essentially the five stages of grief. From an illustration standpoint, however, I feel there were a few missed opportunities.

For example, Taylor–our protagonist–is visited by all kinds of animals. We see them with Taylor in various spot illustrations that are organized just so on the page. On the far side of one spread, we see the animals walking away from Taylor, who’s on the opposite side. It’s adequate, I suppose, but we never truly get a sense of the crowd. We never get an image of all the animals overshadowing Taylor, enhancing and illustrating that overwhelming feeling of isolation. We get a great image of the bear doing that, but it would’ve felt much more powerful if all of the animals were there looking down at us.

Honestly, a little disorganization would’ve tremendously helped the first half of this book. Animals! Animals everywhere! Spouting advice and nonsense! It would’ve made the quieter scenes with the rabbit during the second half all the more endearing, providing some much-​needed contrast from the animal madness. Instead, the illustrations just feel a bit flat and somewhat sparse.

The strongest aspect of this book is the design of the main character. It’s very clear that Taylor is who we should be rooting for with their fun, messy hair and rounded features. The rabbit is fluffy and cute, of course, but feels a bit stock. The rest of the animals are designed somewhat grotesquely to emphasize Taylor’s ambivalence and aversion to their advice, I imagine. Yet from my perspective, these animals were only trying to help. Yes, they went about it in a bombastic way, but that doesn’t make them monsters. I wish they were softened up a bit, if anything to reinforce the idea that loved ones who suggest action in times of turmoil are only trying to help.

Perhaps I’m reading a bit too much into it.

I definitely like that we don’t have much of a sense of place and time, and I absolutely love the final image where we see Taylor’s vision of their next big building venture. And please don’t get me wrong–it’s important to listen in a situation like this. And Taylor eventually accepts what happened and moves on, which is nice and quite appropriate. For me, however, The Rabbit Listened perhaps aspires to be greater and deeper than it actually is.

3 out of 5 crayons


John Herzog is an illustrator and educator. His clients include Hasbro, James Patterson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Highlights for Children. He also teaches illustration classes at Ringling College of Art and Design. He lives in Florida with his wife, two kids, a pair of tarantulas, a bearded dragon, and a fish.