Top Picture Books of 2008

I’ve decided to do a retrospective this year.  I found that I have to take it in easily digestible pieces, so here are my picks for top picture book listed by the month of the year that I reviewed them.  The links are to my original reviews.

January

Blue Goose by Nancy Tafuri

Previously by Allan Ahlberg

February

Nature’s Paintbox by Patricia Thomas

Jazzmatazz by Stephanie Calmenson

March

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker

Red Truck by Kersten Hamilton

April

My Friend the Starfinder by George Ella Lyon

Ladybug Girl by David Soman

May

Skunkdog by Emily Jenkins

Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire A. Nivola

June

The Apple-Pip Princess by Jane Ray

Manfish by Jennifer Berne

Trout Are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre

July

In a Blue Room by Jim Averbeck

Beware of the Frog by William Bee

Jumpy Jack and Googily by Meg Rosoff

August

The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg

Winter Trees by Carole Gerber

September

The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin

Wonder Bear by Tao Nyeu

October

Wave by Suzy Lee

Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein

Dinosaur vs Bedtime by Bob Shea

November

Lincoln and Douglass by Nikki Giovanni

December

Snow by Cynthia Rylant

Peter and the Wolf by Chris Raschka

 

So what did I miss?  What picture books were your favorites this year?

8 thoughts on “Top Picture Books of 2008

  1. I agree with so many of your choices already (especially your July picks), but I’d add Abe Lincoln Crosses A Creek (A Tall, Thin Tale) by Deborah Hopkinson, The Robot And The Bluebird by David Lucas, Monkey With A Toolbelt by Chris Monroe and Big Plans by Bob Shea.
    And thanks for the nice review of my book this year, too! I couldn’t figure out your comment form before to thank you at the time, but I think I’ve got it now (at least I hope I do…)

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  2. I have no complaints about your choices. Loved ’em. Since I do toddler storytimes, I have to add Mem Fox’s Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. Not sure if Mo Willems’s I Will Surprise My Friend counts as a picture book or beginning reader, but the kids and I adored it in preschool storytime.

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  3. I was going to say Angel Girl but as that “memoir” has come out as a fraud….still–Friedman and the illustrator did a POWERFUL job with the story they were told.

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  4. I haven’t read the Robot and the Bluebird or Big Plans. Big Plans has been on my list but no library in the area has it yet. And I’ve completely missed Robot and Bluebird. Adding it to my list immediately!
    Monkey with a Toolbelt was wonderful as was Abe Lincoln.

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  5. Yes, that one just missed my list because I had too many in that month. I was trying so very hard to be selective! It’s a joy of a picture book.

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