Every year I read hundreds of books. I love children’s books and we are living in a time of amazing books for kids. Every year so many new, wonderful, creative, inspiring, heartwarming titles are released. This is my list of just my absolute favorites from the year. I will never read them all, I will never love them all, so this is just one book reading lady’s opinion – but to me, these are the best of the year. The ones worthy of your bookshelf. The ones you should search for at the library or encourage your librarian to order. Some made me laugh out loud. Some made me cry. Some made me think. They are, to me, the best of the year 2022.
Note: when this post was published it was only June. I will continue adding to this list throughout the year as I read more new releases!
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Best Board Books of 2022
Odd Birds: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Flock
by Laura Gehl
illustrated by Gareth Lucas
One of the best nonfiction board books I have read. It’s simple in a board book appropriate was – short lines of rhyming text, small amount of information about each bird – but it’s also so clever, fascinating, a little funny and offers extra information in the back of the board book including photographs of each bird. The gorgeous, eye catching illustrations are just icing on the cake.
Peekaboo Chick
by Camilla Reid
illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius
Adorable spring time board book for little ones. Cheerful illustrations, rhyming text and interactive features. I love how sturdy this board book is. The moveable parts are great for fine motor development and engaging young bookworms. This is a great addition to a quality board book series.
Little Seed
By Benson Shum
LITTLE SEED is an adorable board book. On it’s surface, this looks like an Earth day or Spring time book, but really it is a book about how everyone needs to be loved in different ways. Little Seed goes off to love everyone from a quiet and shy lion to a curious elephant to an armadillo who just wants to be left alone. Everyone needs something unique. The illustrations are simply darling. The text has one or two sentences per page and a nice repetitive structure in the middle that’s great for toddlers and young preschoolers. This is a really sweet board book for any day of the year.
Best Picture Books of 2022
When the Sky Glows
by Nell Cross Beckerman
illustrated by David Litchfield
WHEN THE SKY GLOWS An absolutely breathtaking book. On the surface this is a gorgeous picture book with stunning artwork that glows from the page and simple poetic text that is wonderful for reading aloud. Each sentence of the poem that carry us through several pages also refers to a specific kind of sky “glow” and this is described in a few short additional sentences before the poetic language continues. Together they draw connections between weather events and other natural phenomena and then compare them to light pollution in the backmatter. An ingenious structure to communicate a quiet message to the next generation, brilliantly executed.
BIG TRUCK LITTLE ISLAND
by Chris Van Dusen
I love this beautifully simple story about cooperation and community. Chris Van Dusen (he’s a favorite author/illustrator in my house) wrote this based on a real story. Dusen’s trademark rhyming text and bold illustrations make the kids are the heroes who problem solve when a truck blocks traffic on a tiny island.
Spellbound
by Jess Townes
illustrated by Jennifer Harney
SPELLBOUND is adorable. It’s the story of a little witch whose adoring parents are suddenly bewitched by the arrival of a new baby brother. It’s a story any older sibling can relate to couched in a whimsically playful story about magic. I love the well chosen, well paced, brief text that works so well for reading aloud. I love the illustrations that shimmer with purples and yellows in a bright, but muted palate. SPELLBOUND is full of heart and humor. A great story for the arrival of new siblings and for a non-frightening Halloween read aloud.
by Alicia D. Williams
illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu
THE TALK In a world of goofy read alouds and glittery fairy tales, some topics seem like such a stretch for a picture book. It takes a truly remarkable author to make a topic like The Talk gentle, honest and age appropriate enough for this young audience, but that is just what Alicia D. Williams has accomplished. THE TALK is about Jay who loves to play with his friends and looks forward to growing BIG. At some point he gets to the age where his adoring parents and grandparents sit him down to talk about the racism that exists in the world. It is powerful and sensitive and bursting with emotion. Jay’s youthful exuberance and the worry and love his parents have for their child flows through the vibrant illustrations and Jay’s voice as he tells his story. An important conversation starter and beautiful picture book.
On This Airplane
by Lourdes Heuer
illustrated by Sara Palacios
I’m in love with this gorgeous picture book. The story is a simple one – a family gets on a plane full of people to fly to their new home. It is the interplay between the lovely, lyrical text and the detailed illustrations that makes it picture book magic. Kids will love spotting the different people mentioned in the text and reliving all of the familiar parts of flying. It is quietly powerful, gently illustrated and one you can read again and again.
Wondering Around
by Meg Flemming
illustrated by Richard Jones
I love so much about this book. I love the title – isn’t “wondering around” a delightful phrase? The language is snappy, rhyming, and poetic. The illustrations are lush and full of energy. The message is about wondering wherever you are and asks the lovely questions that seem to pop from a child’s mind. As all truly poetic pictures books are – this is a great choice for reading aloud.
Big Bear and Little Fish
by Sandra Nickel
illustrated by Il Sung Na
BIG BEAR AND LITTLE FISH is a make your heart swell, give you all the warm feelings kind of book. It’s the story of a bear that brings home a fish from a fair and doesn’t really think the small fish fits into his big bear life. The fish is just too different. This is a story about differences and how they often aren’t as important as they might seem initially. It questions what big and small really mean. It encourages us all to look past first impressions. Nickel’s writing is pulsing with simple wisdom and is perfectly paired with Il Sung Na’s lovely rich, layered illustrations. A read aloud story with fantastic layers couched in a simple, sweet story.
Luli and the Language of Tea
by Andrea Wang
pictures by Hyewon Yum
LULI AND THE LANGUAGE OF TEA what will students from all different cultures and countries connect to? Tea. This is such a sweet book about how some things transcend language and bring us together – tea in this case. Darling illustrations, wonderful inclusion of cultures, brief readable text. A warm picture book with such depth and heart.
The Great Zapfino
by Mac Barnett & Marla Frazee
THE GREAT ZAPFINO is a magical pairing of Mac Barnett’s inventive story writing and Marla Frazee’s brilliant illustrating. I love the circus announcer voice. Such a fun dramatic character for a read aloud. I love the black and white illustrations. They really draw you in and make you look at the details. And I love the Great Zapfino. He feels like someone to root for. However Barnett and Frazee got paired together, I am grateful.
A Day for Sandcastles
by JonArno Lawson
illustrated by Qin Leng
Every now and then you read a book and you just feel seen. Your experience is so perfectly captured. A DAY FOR SANDCASTLES does that for me about a childhood day at the beach. The story is essentially just siblings trying to build a sand castle. All the things that you expect to go wrong with that go wrong. For me it’s the details. The way wind plays such a factor in so many of the illustrations. The seagulls trying to take their lunch. This is a wordless book and the illustrations manage all on their own to make you feel, experience, remember. A beautiful picture book for summer.
John’s Turn
by Mac Barnett
illustrated by Kate Berube
At a performance called “Sharing Gifts” kids take turns doing different things. John is very nervous about sharing his gift of ballet. This is not just a gender bending book, although I suppose a boy dancing ballet in a book feels more rare and is definitely something to celebrate, but it is at it’s heart a book about being who you are and celebrating all of the wonderful gifts we each have. Another gem of a book by the brilliant Mac Barnett – I’m aware this is the second on just this list, but both are so different and so worthy of being here. The illustrations by Kate Berube are simply wonderful. Together the create a warm, heart-filled book that makes you feel all the feels.
A History of Me
by Adrea Theodore
illustrations by Erin K. Robinson
What a piece of pure art. The story is so well told. Heart thumping from the page blended with history and generations. Stunning, layered artwork. A girl shares what it is like to be the only black kid in her class when they’re learning about the history of slavery and the civil rights and how what we teach about black history impacts black children and how they see themselves today. Graceful, powerful and beautiful. This was the first “wow” book for me of 2022 and the first one I added to this list.
Books Aren’t For Eating
by Carlie Sorosiak
illustrated by Manu Montoya
This is a cozy book about sharing a love of reading. Set in a bookstore run by Leopold, a goat, this has all the cuddle up with a mug and read a book vibes. Leopold is great at matching the right book to the right customer but then enters another goat who just wants to eat all the books. This book makes me smile. As the goat in the story says “These stories fill me up.” – this is one such story.
Best Nonfiction Picture Books of 2022
Do Bears Poop in the Woods?
by Huw Lewis Jones
illustrated by Sam Caldwell
Fantastic nonfiction for kids who love bears. The author has included so many interesting facts on a huge range of topics related to bears. It covers a lot of common bears, like pandas and polar bears, but it also talks about extinct bears and less known bears. Curious kids will enjoy the question and answer format and walking away with a lot of new information. The soft, beautiful illustrations are a bonus.
Anglerfish: The Seadevil of the Deep
by Elaine M. Alexander
illustrated by Fiona Fogg
I absolutely LOVE the illustrations and the backmatter is stuffed with additional information. If you have a kid who loves learning about the ocean, this is an interesting book about Anglerfish. It’s a rare look at life deep in the ocean. For me, the illustrations really steal the show but the writing is full of engaging action and solid facts.
Good Eating: The Short Life of Krill
by Matt Lilley
illustrated by Dan Tavis
It is well known that blue whales, the largest creatures on earth, eat krill, one of the tiniest. But what else do you really know about krill. My answer was basically nothing and this didn’t bother me until I read this book. It answers all the questions I never even knew I had and it is fascinating. Well paced, just enough humor and drama, great information.
Harriet’s Ruffled Feathers: The Woman Who Saved Millions of Birds
by Joy McCullough
illustrated by Romina Galotta
This book is everything nonfiction should be; well written, well paced, interesting story, and informative. I had never heard of Harriet or how the Audubon Society was formed. To learn this impressive story while being tickled by bird puns was a delight.
Let’s Tell a Story: Jungle Adventure
by Lily Murray
illustrated by Essi Kimpimaki
This is an absolutely fantastically creative book for kids. It is part of a series of interactive storytelling books from QUARTO BOOKS. On the first page you pick which hero or heroine you want to be. Then on the next page you pick their costume or outfit. As you turn each page you make more decisions deciding what will happen to your character. The front of the book encourages you to be elaborate in your descriptions and with your imagination. As you make up your story you are developing language skills, storytelling skills, learning about the parts of a good story and best of all every time you read the book it can be different. Another one in the series is PIRATE ADVENTURE.
Be Thankful for Trees
by Harriet Ziefert & Brian Fitzgerald
BE THANKFUL FOR TREES is nonfiction but it is highly readable. Slightly more thick than many picture books, this is divided into “chapters” but I use that word lightly. The text is brief and the vibrant illustrations pair perfectly to capture a young reader’s attention. BE THANKFUL FOR TREES lovingly catalogs the many gifts that trees bestow on the world. The author includes the food it produces, a variety of things we craft wood into, the homes it provides and more.
Best Early Readers and Early Chapter Books of 2022
Esme’s Birthday Conga Line
by Lourdes Heuer
illustrated by Marissa Valdez
This is the first in what I hope will be a long series of adorable Early Chapter books about Esme. This heroine shines with her confidence, pluck and friendly leadership. She lives with her grandparents who are wonderful, but didn’t realize that little girls like to have parties on their birthday. No problem! Esme is going to throw one for herself and along the way she gets her entire apartment building involved. This is written and illustrated with vibrant energy. A great books for kids who are building confidence in their reading.
Best Middle Grade Books of 2022
A Duet for Home
by Karina Yan Glaser
Written by the author that brought you the bestselling series about the Vanderbeeker family. This is a stand alone book inspired by Glaser’s experiences working in a homeless shelter. The story goes back and forth between two children’s perspectives; one who has lived at the center for three years and one who has just arrived. The realistic hardships, disappointments, and uncertainties of the life of a homeless child are not ignored. Glaser manages to balance presenting the hard truths of homelessness with heart, humor and hope. The result is a warm story that will broaden understandings about the truths and complexities of this issue, while offering a fast paced, inspiring story full of wonderfully layered characters. In short, it is a delight. Incredibly well written, this is a must read.
And We Rise
by Erica Martin
Impressive account of the civil rights movement through poetry. This well documents the historical events of the civil rights movement while emphasizing the powerful emotions. The spare verse has a way of putting you heart pounding, heart aching in the middle of these crucial moments in history the way a text book never could. A poignant, evocative collection.
HardCourt
by Fred Bowen
illustrated by James E. Ransome
HARDCOURT is impressive. It catalogs the past 75 years of the NBA with gorgeous illustrations and thorough information. It’s essentially an illustrated chapter book for upper elementary schoolers and even middle schoolers who love basketball. The history is fascinating and well written. The illustrations are stunning. This book would make a great gift for any basketballers in your life.
Sort of Super
by Eric Gapstur
SORT OF SUPER is a debut graphic novel about a middle schoolers who accidentally obtains super powers. Wyatt wants to be a superhero but his dad says he’s too young. Together Wyatt and his brilliant younger sister, Adeline, become a crime fighting duo despite their dad’s reservations. Their story has humor, friendship, a great sibling relationship and fast paced adventure. Wyatt is a completely relatable, realistic kid – aside from the whole flying, speedy, invisible stuff and Adeline is smart and endearingly mischievous. This graphic novel is fantastic fun for the middle grade crowd.
Isla to Island
by Alexis Castellanos
Powerful heart filled graphic novel that tells the story of a girl immigrating from Cuba to America on her own to live with foster parents. The lush illustrations help you feel all of the emotions as this easy to love main character mourns her losses, explores her new world, and ultimately finds her place.
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
by A. F. Steadman
This is an impressive debut. SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF sends you to an imagined world where there are unicorns, and not of the dainty, glittery variety. These unicorns can be vicious but a chosen few can bond with a unicorn and harness magical qualities. The world building here is vivid and fantastic fun. The characters, especially the sibling relationship and the quartet of friends, are layered and interesting. This is a well plotted, adventure filled, interesting book for kids. Fantasy fans will want to put this one on their summer reading list!
New From Here
by Kelly Yang
NEW FROM HERE made me laugh, cry, and reflect – all the things the best novels do. Set in the early days of the pandemic, this follows a family as they move back to the states from China in an effort to stay safe from the coronavirus. In some ways it felt too soon to pick up a pandemic story, but despite cases still picking up steam as new strains appear, these early days of the pandemic felt so different and brought back so many memories. More than a pandemic story, this is a story about family and how we survive hard things with love. Being Asian American was especially hard as Covid19 first struck in the US and Kelly Yang’s (author of the Front Desk series) story doesn’t shy away from the hatred and racism present in so many ways. As this family tries to stay safe, stand up to racism, integrate themselves into their new community, and deal with being separated from the dad of their family who is still in China they come together. The main character is Knox, the middle child with ADHD who finds a teacher who believes in him and a true best friend for the first time. Readers will root for Knox as he tries to problem solve ways to support and unite his family. This novel is full of heart. It is full of hard truths and hard moments and complex characters. More than anything, this novel leaves you with a swell of hope that feels like the biggest gift because that’s what this book is, a gift.
My Nest of Silence
by Matt Faulkner
A girl living in the internment camps with her family takes a vow of silence when her brother enlists. Her story is told it emotional prose that demonstrates the hard toll life in the internment camps took on the Japanese families. Running through it are letters from her brother on the front lines of World War II that are told in graphic novel form. The talk about a little known troop of Japanese soldiers who made a huge, but undiscussed role in the war. A well paced, interesting perspective on the war, the internment camps, and the time period.
