It continues to astound me that there are new picture books be written that are so good! How have authors not run out of ideas yet?!

Back in April I shared our favorite books that had been published in 2018 that we had read up until then and we already have even more favorites!

I also shared a number of our favorite picture books from 2017, some of those are still some of my favorite picture books to date.

I have previously shared that I prefer picture books without a lot of text on the page, just a quirk of mine, in my opinion, if they want to write a lot of words it may as well be a chapter book. I also really appreciate good illustrations though there isn’t one particular style I enjoy more than others.

 

 

When reading/picking out picture books I have the most respect for books that have characters with positive qualities that can be a role model to my children, or characters that start with somewhat negative characteristics but show growth throughout the book.

 

OTHER POSTS YOU MAY ENJOY:

• Eight Picture Books for Little Builders and Engineers
• The Ten Best Wordless Picture Books
• Ten Funny Picture Books That Will Have Kids Laughing Out Loud

 

 

THE BEST PICTURE BOOKS OF 2018 – PART TWO

 

 

Who doesn’t love a story about a porcupine who has troubles making friends? Just look at how cute he is!

Elmore

Elmore is a porcupine desperate to make friends. But it is hard to seek closeness with others when you’re covered with spikes that shoot off your back every so often. Elmore suffers rejection and heartbreak, but the goodness of his forest community ultimately shines through as the animals find a way to connect with this prickly bundle of love.

 

 

I will be honest and admit that I was originally drawn to this book because of the photo of an African girl on the cover, as an adoptive mother I feel hyper aware of books that include diversity and this is one of them!

I am Enough

This is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another.

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.

 

 

Love

“In the beginning there is light 
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed 
and the sound of their voices is love.
…
A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life.”

 

 

Bravery is one of the character traits I want my children to learn and this sweet story shows how we can be brave enough to help our friends.

Brave Enough for Two

Olive is a little girl who likes the types of adventures that exist in books. Her best friend Hoot, a stuffed-animal owl, prefers the ones that take place in the real world. Today, Hoot gets to pick the adventures. At first, Olive isn’t sure if she’s brave enough for the activities Hoot has picked: flying a makeshift hot-air balloon and navigating raging rivers. But when her dearest friend gets hurt, Olive discovers that she’s not only brave, she’s brave enough for two.

 

I hope to have a book list on here soon about women and science and this book will definitely be going on that list!

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good.

They participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America’s first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

 

 

What kid doesn’t dream of having an awesome treehouse?! This book reminded me of the days of having that childhood dream.

Everything You Need for a Treehouse

Treehouses are for wonder.
Treehouses are for snacks.
Treehouses are for whispers and snickers and echoes.
Treehouses are for everyone.

 

 

I love all of  Jo Witek’s books (if you haven’t read any you need to!) and this one is no exception.

With My Daddy: A Book of Love and Family

Our spunky heroine loves spending time with her dad. They ride bikes and swim in the pool! They can imagine exciting adventures, or just lounge around on a hot day. Being with her dad makes her feel safe and comforted, strong and powerful. She can confront the neighbor’s dog and get thrown up in the air! And when she gets too scared, or too angry, nothing calms her down better than a big hug from dad

 

 

You know those books that you feel the need to touch every page? This is one of those books! The inner cut-outs are so fun but it was actually the artwork that made me want to touch it to see if it was popping up.

A Walk Through the Woods

Listen: the forest is calling. Take a quiet walk through the woods, where shadows fall in the darkness, eyes peek out, and some animals sleep while others run and leap. Simple, poetic text and intricate papercut illustrations introduce children to a deer, black rook, fox, rabbit, and many more beautiful creatures as they wait for morning—and spring—to come.

 

 

I am trying to include a few coding activities in our homeschool every now and then, this book was a fun one!

How to Code a Sandcastle

All summer, Pearl has been trying to build the perfect sandcastle, but out-of-control Frisbees and mischievous puppies keep getting in the way! Pearl and her robot friend Pascal have one last chance, and this time, they’re going to use code to get the job done. Using fundamental computer coding concepts like sequences and loops, Pearl and Pascal are able to break down their sandcastle problem into small, manageable steps. If they can create working code, this could turn out to be the best beach day ever!

 

 

Who Says Women Can’t Be Computer Programmers?

In the early nineteenth century lived Ada Byron: a young girl with a wild and wonderful imagination. The daughter of internationally acclaimed poet Lord Byron, Ada was tutored in science and mathematics from a very early age. But Ada’s imagination was never meant to be tamed and, armed with the fundamentals of math and engineering, she came into her own as a woman of ideas―equal parts mathematician and philosopher.

From her whimsical beginnings as a gifted child to her most sophisticated notes on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, this book celebrates the woman recognized today as the first computer programmer.

 

 

This book is based on a true story from one of the participants in bombing in the Boston Marathon.

Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship

Rescue thought he’d grow up to be a Seeing Eye dog — it’s the family business, after all. When he gets the news that he’s better suited to being a service dog, he’s worried that he’s not up to the task. Then he meets Jessica, a girl whose life is turning out differently than the way she’d imagined it, too. Now Jessica needs Rescue by her side to help her accomplish everyday tasks. And it turns out that Rescue can help Jessica see after all: a way forward, together, one step at a time.

 

 

Whale in a Fishbowl

Wednesday is a whale who lives in a fishbowl smack dab in the middle of a city–it’s the only home she’s ever known. Cars whizz around her and people hurry past; even the sun and moon circle above. But if she leaps high enough out of her bowl, Wednesday can see it: a calm bit of blue off in the distance. When a girl in a paisley dress tells Wednesday “You belong in the sea,” the whale starts to wonder, what is the sea? Readers will cheer–and get all choked up– when, one day, Wednesday leaps higher than ever before and sets in motion a breathtaking chain of events that will carry her to her rightful home. Touching, and ultimately uplifting, here is a story about a lonely creature longing to be free–and longing to find someone just like her.

 

 

I love books that are all about imagination, and seriously, this is another stellar book by the Fan Brothers.

Ocean Meets Sky

Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out his window it’s a constant reminder of the stories his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float.

Finn’s grandfather is gone now but Finn knows the perfect way to honor him. He’ll build his own ship and sail out to find this magical place himself!

And when he arrives, maybe, just maybe, he’ll find something he didn’t know he was looking for.

 

What have been your favorite picture books you’ve read so far this year?