There's just a few weeks to go until Christmas, and if you're wondering which Lego set to get the kids, or whether to buy a Furby instead, [helpful hint: don't] I'm offering my choices of the best picture books released this year, in case, y'know, you think they'd like a nice book too. My criteria - as a library ninja, and above all as a Dad - is that it looks good, it reads well, it's fun, and um, it's not overly long. (You know the sinking feeling you get at the kids' bedtime, when you're dying for a cup of tea, and they get out a rubbish, over-wordy picture book tome!) Oh, and they must be ones that stands up to re-reads, obviously. And preferably ones you can do good voices to!
My stand-out favourite is Cheese Belongs to You, by Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwartz. It's a really simple book, that explains that This is Rat Law: CHEESE BELONGS TO YOU. But what if there's a bigger rat? Or a stronger rat? Or a faster rat? Then the cheese belongs to them. The calibre of rat keeps on escalating - but who will get the cheese in the end?
The text and pictures combine to make an erratic, messy marvel of a picture book. It's quirky. It's bonkers. And it's pitch perfect.
A close second is Very little Red Riding Hood, by Teresa Heapy and Sue Heap. Traditional retellings of fairy tales have gone out of fashion, but as this story shows, a twist done well is a good tale indeed! The major change here is Very little Red Riding Hood herself. No longer a meek, rather stupid girl, she is transformed into a bold, charismatic, irrepressible little girl, aged two or three. Foxy - I mean, the Big Bad Wolf - doesn't stand a chance. Great fun, and definitely one to read aloud.You may think that my five year old boy liked Cheese Belongs to You with the squabbling rats, and my two year old girl liked Very Little Red Riding Hood, and not the other way round. But both children were really taken by both kids, and enthusiastically chose them multiple times.
Here are some other really good books from this year...If you're looking for something charming, try these three:
The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara. If it's 'charming' you want, then you can't get better than Kazuno Kohara, whose books are ridiculously lovely. It features a library that's open every night for the woodland animals. The little librarian and her three owls will do whatever it takes to serve their borrowers. Sweet, and perfect for library lovers of all ages!
The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat by Julia Donaldson and Charlotte Voake. As the title suggests, this story continues the tale of the Owl and the Pussycat, told in the same verse structure as in Edward Lear's original. Julia Donaldson is a master of verse and rhyme, and takes Lear's mantle seamlessly. In my opinion, Charlotte Voake is at her best when illustrating animals, and the result of this collaboration is a really lovely book.
Abigail, by Catherine Rayner. Abigail the giraffe loves counting, but everything keeps moving! Will she ever be able to get her friends to do some counting with her? This is a really nice story - counting 1267 stars made my son go "Woh!" - but with Catherine Rayner, her gorgeous animal artwork is the true star.
If you're looking for something a bit raucous and anarchic, try these four:
Aunt Amelia, by Rebecca Cobb. Mum and Dad are away for the night, and the children are dismayed that Aunt Amelia is looking after them. She even has a list left by the parents: don't let the children get muddy, don't let them play by the pond. Only, Aunt Amelia is a crocodile, and the lists of Don'ts make good inspiration for a fun day out! Rebecca Cobb is a fairly new author/illustrator, but has already worked with some big names, such as Helen Dunmore, Richard Curtis, and Julia Donaldson, for last year's The Paper Dolls. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of her.
Ding Dong Gorilla, by Michelle Robinson and Leonie Lord. This absolute hoot of a story is a boy's explanation to his parents of the bad news about the pizza they ordered for dinner. Because when the doorbell ding-donged, the boy answered it, but it wasn't the pizza - it was a gorilla! The gorilla causes chaos in the house, making mess after mess. The story builds up to the punch line about the bad news. The fun-filled pictures are a perfect match for the text, written very much in the boy's voice. Read it, but eat your pizza first.
Too Noisy! by Malachy Doyle and Ed Vere. Sam and his family are Bungles, and are always making loads of noise. But Sam, the middle child prefers to sit quietly and daydream and rhyme. So he wanders off into the woods. But when he can't find his way back, he realises that a bit of noise is a good thing! The text of the story is full of good noises for reading aloud, and Ed Vere's artwork is, as ever, great fun.
Primrose, by Alex T Smith. Primrose is a princess who wants to have fun; climb trees, play dressing-up, and bake cakes. But she's always told that "Princesses don't act like that!" The King and Queen don't know what to do with her, so they ask the prim, bossy Grandmama to help. Grandmama knows just how to fix things - but not in the way the King and Queen expect! This book has proven very popular with my daughter, in particular.
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