2020 has been a crazy year with coronavirus and lockdowns and everything else going on. One silver lining of the pandemic is the opportunity to read more. Our family was able to discover plenty of wonderful new books that we otherwise might not have had the time to read.
Did you know that children’s book company Scholastic publishes over 600 new titles each year? And that’s just one publisher! It can be intimidating to wade through all the new books available, so in this post, I’ve gathered some of our family favorites from the past year. Our picks include a household name best-selling author, several Caldecott award and honor winning authors and illustrators, and a brand new author/illustrator whose debut book became a big hit.
The best picture books of 2020 combine both lighthearted fun, and books with slightly deeper meanings. They could become teachable moments if you like, or just good stories if you don’t! Here are some of the best picture books of 2020 in the eyes of a three-year-old and a 30-something-year-old mom.
The Best Picture Books of 2020
The Box Turtle
Written & Illustrated by Vanessa Roeder
The Box Turtle is about a turtle who was born with no shell. He wears a cardboard box in its place, but as he grows older he needs a more suitable shell. The story centers around the little turtle going in search of a better shell. Our favorite part of the book is the illustrations. Multiple small scenes are drawn out on each page so there is lots to look at. Regarding illustrations, this review from BCCB made me laugh:
“Shelled or not, though, Terrance is an appealing figure, with gentle lines, a soft green color, and a cute little booty.”
And if you’re in the mood for some deeper meaning, this book does have a great message of body acceptance and how everyone is a little different. The Box Turtle is recommended for children ages 3-5.
Jack At Bat
Written by Mac Barnett
Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
My mother-in-law mentioned once that she was searching for some early readers similar to the classic Dick and Jane books. Easy words and fun stories to help her oldest grandson learn to read. As soon as I came across the Jack series I knew that these books were just what she was looking for! Jack at Bat is book three of the early reader series, Jack. The books use limited and repetitive vocabulary. It’s good for early readers, while still being able to tell an engaging story. The story is about an edge-of-your-seat baseball game between the Lady Town Ladies and Big City Brats.
The author/illustrator duo has many awards under their belt. Author Mac Barnett has won two Caldecott Honors awards, in addition to multiple other awards, while illustrator Greg Pizzoli won the Geisel Award for his first picture book, The Watermelon Seed. Jack at Bat is recommended for children ages 4-8.
There’s an Alien in Your Book
Written by Tom Fletcher
Illustrated by Greg Abbott
There’s an Alien in Your Book follows the popular trend of the reader interacting with the story. Ava loves these types of books and is delighted to shake the book, push the button, not push the button, turn the book upside down, etc. The premise of this book is that an alien has crash-landed into YOUR book and you have to help him get back to space. Author Tom Fletcher also wrote the similar interactive books There’s a Monster in Your Book, and There’s a Dragon in Your Book. If you like this style of book I would also recommend Press Here, Can You Make a Scary Face?, and Don’t Push the Button. There’s an Alien in Your Book is recommended for kids ages 2-5.
Animals in the Sky
Written & Illustrated by Sara Gillingham
My newborn has a sky/stars theme to his nursery (at least he will when I get around to it) so I was instantly taken with this beautiful book about constellations. It features the six most popular animal constellations. A picture of the stars is shown, then several clues let readers guess what the animal shape is. A trifold page reveals the answers with some more info about the constellation. Author and illustrator Sara Gillingham also wrote the best-selling book Seeing Stars: A Complete Guide to the 88 Constellations, which is a children’s introduction to the constellations. Whereas Animals in the Sky is a board book appropriate for young kids ages 2-4, Seeing Stars is aimed at kids ages 7-10, and would make a wonderful keepsake gift for a space lover or stargazer.
Wild Symphony
Written by Dan Brown
Illustrated by Susan Batori
Have you heard of a little book called The Da Vinci Code? The myster/thriller has sold over 80 million copies, which is pretty impressive. Author Dan Brown is the master of fast-paced adventure, wonderful storytelling, clues, puzzles, and treasure hunts. In his debut children’s book, Wild Symphony, he has branched out and aimed his wonderful storytelling towards children, while also sharing his talent for music. Both of Brown’s parents were musicians and he himself plays the piano and composes.
The story is about Maestro Mouse going on a journey to meet other musical animals. The fun part about this book is that you can download an app that plays music corresponding to each picture. You hold the app over each picture and it will play the music that goes with that page. The music and story combo reminds me of Peter and the Wolf by continuing the trend of interactive books in a new and exciting way. This book is recommended for children ages 3-7.
Gustavo, the Shy Ghost
Written & Illustrated by Flavia Z. Drago
Right now we’re fans of ‘good’ scary creatures, like funny monsters, silly aliens, nice bad guys, and so on. My daughter is going through a phase where the scary monsters are out to get her, so I try to introduce nice monsters, or in this case, shy ghosts, to show her that monsters and such don’t have to be scary. Gustavo, the Shy Ghost is about friendly but shy ghost Gustavo, who has trouble making friends because no one can see him! The story takes place during the Day of the Dead, and the illustrations follow that style with iconic scenes of Mexican culture. This book is my personal favorite picture book from 2020, and I’m excited to see more from this author. Gustavo, the Shy Ghost is recommended for children ages 3-7.
Swashby and the Sea
Written by Beth Ferry
Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Swashby and the Sea tells a story through words and pictures about a salty old sea captain and the friendly little girl who moves in next door. Old Swashby is grumpy about his new neighbors and sends messages to the little girl telling her “no trespassing!” and to “please go away!” However, the tricky ocean washes away some of the letters in the sand to instead tell the girl to sing and play! And if you’ve read any book, ever, you’ll know that eventually, the cranky old man’s heart softens and he and the little girl become friends. This is a happy book that will make you smile and feel good. My only gripe with Swashby is that if you’re prone to lisping or garbling your words (as I have been known to do) ‘Swashby’ is not the easiest name to read out loud. Although if you mess it up, just pretend you’re saying it with a grizzly pirate accent?
The illustrations really make the story come to life. I love how illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal paints the ocean as one of the characters. Martinez-Neal is already a Caldecott award-winning illustrator, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she is nominated for another award. While the American Library Association (ALA) does not announce which books it is considering for its prestigious Caldecott and Newberry awards, they do share books considered for the Children’s Notable Book award, of which Swashby is on the list to be considered. You can see that list on the ALA website for more new book recommendations. Swashby and the Sea is recommended for children ages 4-7.
The very best picture books of 2020 are enlightening and colorful. They tell stories worth listening to and provide meaningful interaction with your children, but most of all they are entertaining! I hope you enjoy these books as much as my family and I do. For more wonderful picture books, check out The Best Caldecott Award-Winning Books for Young Children.
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