Sandy's Picks 2012 - Picture Books

It's that time of year again!  Time to look back on what I read in 2012 and pick out the titles that I think were the best of the best.  I'm not simply looking for literary quality or books that are award-worthy as I make this list (though such qualities certainly don't hurt a book's chances as making the cut).  I'm just looking back at the books that made me happiest when I read them, and the books that have stuck with me as the year progressed. 

According to Goodreads.com, I have read a total of 109 books this year.  Of course, this number does is not entirely accurate.  This count does not include a wide range of picture books and non-fiction that I paged through and didn't record, nor does it include each volume of several manga series that I plowed through this year, where I reviewed the series as a whole instead of each individual volume. 

Today we'll start out by taking a look at picture books, plus one early reader.

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by John Klassen
Annabelle finds a box with yarn inside and decides to dress up her cold, colorless town by knitting herself a sweater. Then she knits one for her dog. Since the yarn seems to be never-ending, soon the entire town is covered with Annabelle's colorful creations. Then a wicket Archduke offers to buy the box of yarn, but when Annabelle refuses he tries to take matters into his own hands. I love the illustrations in this story. The way that the knitting pops off the page with its texture and color really makes this one stand out visually. Extra Yarn is my top hopeful for this year's Caldecott Medal.

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
A boy and a robot meet and begin to play together.  But when Bot is accidentally switched off, Boy think that he is sick!  Boy takes Bot home and tries to care for his friend with applesauce and a story, but none of the usual remedies work.  After Boy tucks his friend in and goes to sleep his parents accidentally switch Bot back on.  When Bot sees that Boy is asleep he thinks that he is malfunctioning, he takes Boy back to his home and tries all of the usual robot remedies...  This is a super sweet friendship story and a fun robot story all rolled up into one, and I just love Yaccarino's appealing illustrations.

Oh, No! by Candace Flemming, illustrated by Eric Rohman
One by one several animals fall down a deep hole. Oh no! Will Tiger find himself an easy lunch, or will the trapped animals escape? This book would be a great read-aloud for storytime, and the illustrations are just lovely.

Penny and Her Song by Kevin Henkes
I love Kevin Henkes to bits, and I was thrilled when I learned that he was going to be making another mouse book.  Then I learned that this book was an early reader, and I was even more intrigued.  Then I learned that Penny was going to be featured in a whole series of books.  Even better!  In her first book, Penny has a song that she wants to share, but the babies are sleeping and her parents do not want Penny's song to wake them up.  But after dinner when she finally does share her song, it is wonderful and the whole family joins in. 

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Saliemeri
Dragons love tacos of all kinds, but they do not love spicy salsa. If a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa at your taco party, you will find yourself in BIG trouble. This book came to my attention thanks to my lovely friend and it combines my favorite food with my favorite mythical creature. Add in some solid writing and fun illustrations and you can't loose!

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
Once upon a time there were three hungry dinosaurs.  One day for no particular reason they decided to tidy up their house, make their beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures.  Then they decided, for no particular reason, to go someplace else.  They were definitely NOT setting a trap for an unsupervised little girl.  This version of the classic story is laugh out loud funny.  It's also a blast looking for details illustrations.  Willems' Pigeon makes a few appearances, and even the endpapers are a favorite at my library.

Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff
A baby bear spends the day exploring the world with his mother and discovers a number of wonderful things:  Green leaves, brown trout, red strawberries.  Love the linoleum block illustrations and their clean lines and bold colors.  Love the sweetness of the storytelling. 



What were your favorite picture books of 2012?  Tell me your favorites in the comments.