What a year it has been for picture books!
Back in June, we shared our 10 favourite picture books of the year (so far.)
The second half of 2018 did not disappoint.
Here are 9 more of the best picture books of 2018.
* And let’s just point out that writing a post like this is FRAUGHT!
As soon as I wrote it, I kept seeing books and thinking “Oh! That shoulda been on THE LIST.”
So the books on this list are ones that have been LOVED here by children and parents alike. I have also used many of these in the classroom to the delight of many a student.
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This gorgeous board book celebrates the small everyday acts of love that take place within a family home.
The vibrant illustrations depict families in all their glorious, diverse forms.
What makes a family a family? Love.
Monster Party by Alison Lester and Jane Godwin
Alison Lester and Jane Godwin collaborated with the students of remote Rawa Community School, located on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert, to produce this book with students’ artworks and stories based around life in the Punmu community. Any book that uses the word “gallumphing” will always have my heart.
A gaggle of adorable children show us how they can make shapes and lines with their bodies.
My kids were intrigued by seeing other kids in print and ADORED the idea of using their bodies to imitate shapes.
When I first read this book, my first instinct was to rush out and find a Kindy class to share it with. But my rational brain kicked in and I figured that the authorities would NOT APPROVE of me rushing into a random classroom AT ALL. I want to teach Infants forevermore just so I can use this book repeatedly in all Shape and Geometry lessons.
I bought this book after comments like “Pink is for girls!” started popping up at our place.
This book challenges the gender stereotype of pink for girls vs blue for boys.
Colours are for everybody.
A beautifully diverse cast of characters celebrate colour and encourage readers to simply enjoy whatever it is that they enjoy.
“Smart is not just ticks and crosses, smart is building boats from boxes.”
This book needs to be in the hands of every policy-maker in the sphere of Education, in every classroom, in every library, and in every home.
I intend on reading it every NAPLAN season to gently let my students know that what makes you unique can’t be shown in the data from a standardised test. *excuse my creaky knees as I get off my soap box*
This book is an utterly glorious call to celebrate your strengths and your own unique smarts.
Davina Bell and Alison Colpoys are a dream team of picture book creators.
Just look at those two names on the cover there! What a dream team!
Giraffe suffers from a very human problem- he feels self-conscious and compares himself to others.
He notices something about himself that he feels is a negative and can’t see the positive in it.
The negative? His long neck.
Sometimes we just need somebody else to point out the positives.
In this case, Turtle shows Giraffe just why his long neck is so special.
Do you know somebody raising a creative kid?
A spunky, sparky kid with a vivid imagination who is itching to move on from picture books?
This is the book for them.
Tiggy has a magic paintbrush that she uses to create imaginative solutions to the problems she faces.
The content and colourful illustrations of these books are exquisitely perfect for the early reader looking to move out of picture books into short novels.
This is an exquisite book for the 8 – 12 year old reader.
The old tin hat has always been a part of family life in Michael’s home.
Michael then discovers that it belonged to his great-great-grandfather, “Our Jacko.”
His ancestor was killed at Ypres in 1915 and Michael uncovers the young soldier’s diary.
A powerful and moving story on the importance of remembrance and carrying on the legacy of those who served.
At 64 pages, this is a perfect mix of text and emotional illustrations for the independent reader. However, it is really a text to be shared and pondered.
If you’re looking for a Christmas book present for a young chick in your life, you’d best make it this one.
Heck, I reckon all Aussie chicks, no matter their age, would benefit from having this inspirational and powerful manifesto on their bookshelf.
It features an incredible array of Aussie women who have stood up, stood out, been seen and taken up their rightful space.
The images and titles of each book will take you to Book Depository. As a Book Depository Affiliate, purchases clicked through from my blog result in a small commission. You do not pay any extra for your books! Commission is used to maintain Oh Creative Day. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy here.
Ummmm…. can somebody please hit the pause button on 2018?
I’m still here trying to figure out my New Year’s resolutions and apparently it is already June?
At this halfway point, I thought it’d be an opportune time to share some of the best picture books of 2018 (so far.)
Because, unlike me, you may actually be organised and have your New Year’s resolutions sorted.
Heck, you may be even starting to think about the picture books that will be appearing under the Christmas tree.
THERE! I SAID IT! THE C-WORD! AND IT’S ONLY JUNE!
What I’m really trying to say, is that you might want to pin some (OR ALL) of the books in this post.
Perfect for presents or for your own bookshelves- these are our favourite picture books of 2018 so far.
I’ll start with some of our fave board books before working up to picture books for older, more mature readers.
Although, I abide by the life philosophy that you should never stick too closely to age recommendations on books.
My 4-year-old still adores toddler books whilst also wanting to explore chapter books.
It is beneficial for young readers to be exposed to a diversity of books.
Books with more mature content may need adult guidance and scaffolding, but HELLO TEACHABLE MOMENTS!
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This is a large format board book that has my kids in hysterics every time they read it.
It is cleverly constructed to maximise wordplay fun.
One side of the spread contains a phrase. The right side contains a bold and bright illustration.
You open out the fold to reveal a rhyming phrase.
Fresh orange juice….. fresh orange goose Cheese on toast… sneeze on toast
Suit case… fruit case
My 3-year-old and 4.5-year-old believe they can “read” this book.
They are not decoding the words and reading per se, they are reciting from memory, using picture clues and playing with the sounds in words.
Why is this important? Because in this pre-reading stage, they are building strong self-concepts that they ARE confident readers.
I will forever love this book for that very reason.
2018 will go down as the year that my children discovered Little Fish.
These books are brilliantly engaging with their simple text and vibrant illustrations.
You can find Little Fish books in the lift-the-flap format, with finger puppets, that explore counting…..
It feels like there is one for every occasion!
When this book arrived, it was ON REPEAT FOR WEEKS.
It tells the tale of Terry, a plain-looking little fish. He yearns to be flashy and fancy-like like the tropical fish.
With a little help from his friends, he manages to turn himself into a dolled-up tropical fish. Which proves problematic when faced with a dangerous predator.
I love this book’s message of playing to your strengths. Sure, those tropical fish may look all fancy-like and flashy, but embracing what makes you unique is where it’s at, right? I also love that it reminds us of how good friends will stick by you (even if you forget your seaweed roots and try to swim with the cool school fish.)
The illustrations are a kaleidoscope of vibrant colour and we’ve spent much quality time poring over them.
A duck frantically races through the farmyard shouting “Duck!” at other farm animals.
The other animals figure that he is confused and rude and reprimand him for calling them ducks.
The duck is actually trying to warn the other animals of impending disaster.
It’s not until the final spread that he realises he probably should have shouted “Run!” instead.
This is a hilarious book that is excellent for exploring the role of predicting when reading. It is also a great text for exploring the relationship between image and text and how they work together to convey a story.
I started spotting this book on social media a few months before it was released.
And I coveted it.
When it arrived, I was not disappointed. Like our children, we should love all our books equally. Truth be told, this is probably my fave book of the year.
A child’s enthusiasm for birthdays knows no bounds. This is the tale of Albert’s birthday.
Unfortunately, his parents aren’t very enthusiastic people and Albert’s birthday is just like any other ordinary day.
Until Grandma Z arrives and they celebrate together on a most extraordinary adventure.
It’s an adventure that involved teaching Icelandic horses how to can-can, robot pinatas and discovering a new species of beetle.
I love this book for the way it explores the power of the imagination. I have loved sharing it in the classroom and at home.
What child doesn’t love talking about birthdays?!
It’s a book about edamame beans who play ping pong. Need I say any more?
Rhetorical question. Of course imma gonna say more.
Ping and Pong are beans with lofty ambitions- they dream of being world champions in their noble sport.
They persevere with their training, becoming the best of the best.
But the world wants to know which bean is THE best. So friend must face friend.
Does the joy come from winning or does it come from taking part?
Mauro Gatti’s illustrations are gloriously playful and amusing. The message of participation and perseverance over winning is delivered in a manner that is soy entertaining.
The kids’ verdict? “It’s funny and the illustrations are awesome.”
Mr Shaha is the Science teacher you wish you had at school.
This brilliant text shows you how Science is all about embracing wonder, getting excited about the “I-Don’t-Knows” and seeing failures as super opportunities for learning.
Mr Shaha leads you through a series of excellent experiments based on household items.
His words are accompanied by the seriously rad illustrations of Emily Robertson.
One of the best procedural texts for kids that I’ve seen in aaaages.
Wren yearns for some peace and quiet. A newborn sister means that his noisy, inner-city family home is even noisier.
He tries everything to block out her wailing. To no avail.
So he decides to move to his grandparent’s country home.
He enjoys the peace and quiet. For a week. The grass is always greener, isn’t it?
I adore how this book explores how being a part of a family also sometimes requires space and time alone.
This is a joyous debut from Katrina Lehman that, teamed with the gloriously busy and colourful illustrations from Sophie Beer, celebrates the sweet chaos of family life.
As I flipped through Waves for the first time, I could feel the weight of the book’s message in my hands and in my heart.
Waves is a narrative non-fiction that charts the waves of migrants that have arrived on Australia’s shores across history.
Each spread features the story of a child migrant.
We begin with Anak who traveled on rafts with his family and dog, 50,000 years before the present from what we now know as Indonesia.
Nianzu migrates in the late 1850s, off to find his fortune on the goldfields to pay back the big debt owed to the agent that gave him passage.
Karim comes in the 1870s from Afghanistan accompanying his cameleer uncle to help open Australia’s interior.
We see how world events influence the waves of refugees, the Industrial Revolution, World Wars, the Holocaust, the war in Vietnam.
We end with the story of Abdul, excited about going to school and in disbelief that he will be able to walk safely on the streets without fear of being shot.
This is a text-heavy book. The experiences of the character and the reasons for their migration are detailed.
An amazing book to explore Australia’s immigration history and to open discussions about refugees. It’s also extremely thought-provoking. How will History judge us?
The images and titles of each book will take you to Book Depository. As a Book Depository Affiliate, purchases clicked through from my blog result in a small commission. You do not pay any extra for your books! Commission is used to maintain Oh Creative Day. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy here.
Not Australian? The Amazon links will take you to Amazon. I am also an affiliate with Amazon and will receive a small commission. You do not pay any extra for your books.
If you prefer, you can order from Australian based online bookstore Booktopia.
Thanks for your support. Happy reading!
Some of the books in this post were provided free for review purposes. I always post my honest opinions and never post books that I do not rate.
I kinda never want my 3-year-old’s transport obsession to end.
The passion and intensity with which he discusses all things transport is the cutest thing ever.
Here are 11 of our favourite picture books about transport.
And I’ll be completely honest- I purchased some of these for study purposes. Because I don’t know the names of all the construction vehicles that he questions me about. Every. Single. Day.
What are the favourite picture books about transport at your place?
This post contains affiliate links.Thanks for your support.
We bought this book for Mr 3’s birthday. The book’s design alone had me shouting “TAKE ALL MY MONEY!”
It is an accordion-style book. The pages fold out to reveal each carriage and the passengers traveling in each carriage.
Amusing details abound in the illustrations so the young reader has plenty to examine.
There is also a look and find aspect to the book- readers are encouraged to look for a lost hat.
The reverse side of the book unfolds to show the landscape that the train is traveling through. An absolute hit here.
This is a fun, fast-paced read aloud from the team that brought us Roadworks, Demolition and Construction.
A crash has just been called through and we follow the ambulance crew as they attend the accident scene.
The teacher in me loves the onomatopoeia in this read. As do my kids as they love to noisily engage with the text.
This book is PERFECT for the digger-obsessed child.
Little Digger is the hardest-working vehicle on the construction site. Then Big Digger arrives. Size doesn’t count, right?
A fun read-aloud that gently explores the themes of perseverance, teamwork and working to our strengths.
I especially love the endpapers that feature a labelled diagram of all the parts of a digger. I may have been secretly studying these diagrams so that I REALLY sound like an expert when Mr 3 and I have our 49 in-depth daily discussions about diggers.
This is a colourfully illustrated catalogue of standard cars and vehicles, alongside wacky, imaginary vehicles.
One spread shows the standard vehicles one might find on a farm. Another spread shows rescue vehicles.
Other spreads feature zany creations like the Hip-Hop Car or the Chewing-Gum Car. Doughnut Car, anybody?
At our place, the favourite is the Poo Car. Because potty humour never gets old.
This is a book guaranteed to make Bigs and Smalls giggle.
We’re looking forward to getting our hands on the recently published companion book, All Kinds of Planes.
I’ll admit to groaning inwardly when this book is brought to me for bedtime stories.
It is long.
But Mr 3 ADORES it, so who am I to deny him his bookish delights?
Plus I do appreciate the way it explores the themes of teamwork and friendship.
All the construction vehicles must work together to get the job done.
The roles of different vehicles are shown and explained in rhyming text.
We initially borrowed this book from the library. It was so adored that we purchased a copy for our home library.
We bought this book for Mr 3’s first Christmas.
So we’ve clearly been cultivating his transport infatuation for awhile now.
One of my random life goals is to own all of Alain Grée‘s books. His vintage illustrations are just so charming.
This book takes the format of informative text. The illustrations are rich in detail and pored over in this household.
This is an informative text meets boxed play set meets craft project.
A 32-page soft cover book is packed with facts about life at the airport and the processes that enable air travel.
The book is housed within a box that opens up to form an airport terminal and runway.
Also contained within the box are punch-out models that you can assemble to create your own fleet of planes, complete with ground crew and accessories.
I love any activity that extends the reading of a book and this is book-based play at its finest.
This is one of my favourite non-fiction texts of 2017.
The search for life on Mars is told from the perspective of Curiosity, the Mars Rover.
The informative text is paired with rad retro-style illustrations and fantastic diagrams.
If you have a little one obsessed with space travel, they need this book.
This beautifully designed board book not only explores forms of transport but is great for positional language.
The rhyming text details the position of each person in the traffic jam.
Removable puzzle pieces then create a 6-piece traffic jam.
The author/illustrator is a designer for Marimmeko and the illustrations are wonderfully bright and engaging.
We are such huge fans of this partnership and series of chunky board books.
There is a lot of construction happening in our local area.
Mr 3 is frequently testing my knowledge of construction vehicles.
So I treat this book as my textbook to improve my knowledge on the topic.
It features more than 24 different types of construction vehicles.
These books are renowned for their awesome die-cut shapes. This one does not fail to amaze and engage.
Every spread has something to lift or open. You can check out my video here.
Pin for later:
The images and titles of each book will take you to the Australian based online bookstore Booktopia. As a Booktopia Affiliate, purchases clicked through from my blog result in a small commission. You do not pay any extra for your books! Commission is used to maintain Oh Creative Day. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy here.
Not Australian? The Amazon links will take you to Amazon. I am also an affiliate with Amazon and will receive a small commission. You do not pay any extra for your books.
This post contains affiliate links for Booktopia and Amazon.
Clicking on the book title and image
will take you to Booktopia. Thanks ever so much for your support.
There has been a glorious influx of picture books celebrating women and featuring strong female characters of late.
A study of 5,000 children’s books found that 25% had no female characters. Less than a fifth featured females with a job.
Gender disparity is alive and well in picture books. (Read more about it here.) As a mother to 2 daughters and a son, I want to have bookshelves overflowing with books that celebrate females and picture books filled with independent, strong female characters.
You too?
Here are our 9 favourite picture books celebrating women.
The stories of over 70 determined and amazing women are told in comic-strip style.
Each woman is given a double page spread and facts about each woman pepper the borders.
Learn about historical figures like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc and Marie Curie.
Feminists. Athletes. Astronauts.
This book is packed with quotes, jokes and facts.
Do you know a STEM-loving little person? This is the book for them.
Featuring 50 profiles of female scientists from the ancient to modern world, coupled with these insanely rad portraits, this is a fabulous celebration of some fierce females.
This books features portraits by Grace Lee of 21 fierce females, spanning different generations and cultures.
Malala. Aung Sang Suu Kyi. Frida. Shami.
I find myself flipping through my own copy regularly just to remind myself of all the strong women who have gone before me and walk alongside me.
This book features an incredible array of Aussie women who have stood up, stood out, been seen and taken up their rightful space. From Sia to Cate Blanchett to Julia Gillard to Stella Young.
Women from all walks of life.
This is a powerful and inspirational manifesto for any young woman’s bookshelf.
The brains behind this book launched a crowdfunding campaign to see it published.
It has since become the most highly funded original book in the history of crowdfunding.
Over 100 stories about some of the most inspiring females across all fields are paired with portraits from a variety of illustrators.
There is space at the end of the book for young rebels to write their own story and draw their own portrait.
Check out the video in this article for the inspiration behind the book’s development.
I adore the following books because they feature strong female protagonists.
Sunday Chutney is one of my Girl Lit Heroes.
Self-proclaimed as unusual, her dad’s job sees her move frequently so she is always the New Girl.
Sunday owns and flaunts her quirkiness like nobody’s business.
She enjoys crumpets, drum solos and marine biology.
Sunday doesn’t like creamed corn or sand in her swimmers.
But doesn’t she get lonely? She responds to this question in the most Sunday Chutney of ways.
Ruby Lee is a sassy young lady with the BEST imagination.
She desperately wants to be the class messenger.
However Mrs Majestic-Jones always gives the role to Siena and Viena. Until one Monday when they are absent.
Ruby Lee gets her chance to step up into the role.
However it is a difficult responsibility to undertake when you have a vivid imagination.
How are you meant to run messages when you also have to contend with the Spockled Frocklewockle/ Squinker/ Shlurgle?
One of my favourite picture books from 2017.
Erin Pike is the daughter of a fisherwoman. 2 fierce females in one book- how excellent is that?!
The people of Erin’s fishing village tell fearful tales about Black Rock.
Every day, Erin tries to hide on her mum’s boat in an effort to get out to see Black Rock.
One day, she is successful and learns something very important about Black Rock that must be shared with her fellow villagers.
This book has a subtle environmental message about caring for all living things. The reader is shown, in a non-didactic way, that the actions and convictions of one person can change the world.
I also adore that the illustrations remind me of a Wes Anderson film.
The images and titles of each book will take you to the Australian based online bookstore Booktopia. As a Booktopia Affiliate, purchases clicked through from my blog result in a small commission. You do not pay any extra for your books! Commission is used to maintain Oh Creative Day. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy here.
Not Australian? The Amazon links will take you to Amazon. I am also an affiliate with Amazon and will receive a small commission. You do not pay any extra for your books. Thanks for your support. Happy reading!
Some of the books in this post were provided free for review purposes. I always post my honest opinions and never post books that I do not rate.
This post contains affiliate links.
Clicking on the book title and image
will take you to Booktopia. Thanks ever so much for your support.
Our gift-giving style revolves around the saying, “Something you wear, something you read, Something you want, something you need.”
If you’re looking to give picture books for Christmas, here are 8 picture books perfect for the Christmas stocking.
I really struggled to photograph this book and I have struggled to find the right words to describe it.
It really is a beauty to behold. This is the kind of book that I imagine being passed down from my children to their children.
6 three-dimensional peep-through spreads are used in this edition of Cinderella.
The side panels fold out to retell this classic tale.
Perfect for: Fans of fairy tales and paper-engineering enthusiasts
Ruby Lee is my fave character of 2017.
She DESPERATELY wants to be the class messenger. However, Mrs Majestic-Jones always gives the role to Siena and Vienna, the quieter students.
Until one Monday, when they are absent.
Ruby Lee gets her chance to step up into the coveted role.
However, it is a difficult responsibility to undertake when you have a vivid imagination.
How are you meant to run messages when you also have to contend with the Spockled Frocklewockle/ Squinker/ Shurgle?
Perfect for: Fierce, little females in your life or any child starting school next year (lots of opportunities to discuss classroom expectations!)
I have to admit that my attention span and I struggle with non-fiction.
I did not struggle with this exquisitely designed piece of non-fiction that details the search for life on Mars.
What I love most about it, is that it is told from the perspective of Curiosity, a Mars Rover.
It really is a fascinating read that romanticises the Space Race.
Perfect for: Budding astronauts or any young readers with a Space obsession
My Color is Rainbow by Agnes Hsu and Yuliya Gwilym
My friend Agnes is a powerhouse. She emailed to tell me about this idea she had for a picture book.
Within a few months, I was holding that very idea in my hands.
Little White Arch is trying to find his place in the world. He wonders what his colour could be.
He meets many characters along the way who try to convince him of the merits of being their colour.
This is a lovely tale about not needing to be defined by any one single thing. An ode to diversity, acceptance and kindness.
Befitting the title, the illustrations are a riot of colours.
Perfect for: Anybody needing a reminder that you are perfect exactly as you are.
It feels wrong to describe this as a book. It is more of a tome.
Animals of the Southern Hemisphere are illustrated in Dieter Braun’s inimitable style.
Each illustration is accompanied by a weird and wonderful fact about the relevant animal.
We’ve spent many minutes poring over this book.
One look at the names on the cover of this book should be enough to tell you that this is going to be gooooood.
The Barnett/Klassen combination is gold.
A duck and a mouse are swallowed by a wolf. Woe is them, right? Wrong.
Life inside the wolf’s belly is actually pretty luxe. The pair dress impeccably for sit-down dinners complete with wine.
They play records and have a riot of a time. The duck explains that living in a wolf’s tummy, eliminates the pervasive fear of bring swallowed by wolves.
Life is peachy until a hunter tries to shoot the wolf. The duck and mouse team up to defend their home.
Watch Jon and Mac talk about their book here.
Perfect for: Anybody who loves a twisted fairytale or any young reader with a wry sense of humour.
Bob Graham’s books have this magical quality about them.
Poesy rings can be traced back ot the Middle Ages and were given for friendship and love.
A ring inscribed with “Love never dies” is flung into the wind by a tragic, tear-stained woman on horseback.
It is Ireland, 1830.
The seasons turn and we follow the ring’s adventure until we arrive in New York City in 1967.
Will love prevail and the ring find the finger of the rightful woman?
Perfect for: True romantics and lovers of beautiful prose
This is more of a kit than a book. Included are all the cardboard pieces needed to create a spinning globe, with adult assistance.
An explorer’s guide is included that is highly illustrated, featuring facts from all the corners of the globe.
Perfect for: Little people fascinated by the world and geography
The images and titles of each book will take you to the Australian based online bookstore Booktopia. As a Booktopia Affiliate, purchases clicked through from my blog result in a small commission. You do not pay any extra for your books! Commission is used to maintain Oh Creative Day. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy here.
Not Australian? The Amazon links will take you to Amazon. I am also an affiliate with Amazon and will receive a small commission. You do not pay any extra for your books. Thanks for your support. Happy reading!
All of the books in this post were provided free for review purposes. I always post my honest opinions and never post books that I do not rate.
What a year it has been for picture books!
I bought this book after comments like “Pink is for girls!” started popping up at our place.
“Smart is not just ticks and crosses, smart is building boats from boxes.”
This is an exquisite book for the 8 – 12 year old reader.
If you’re looking for a Christmas book present for a young chick in your life, you’d best make it this one.
The images and titles of each book will take you to the Australian based online bookstore 
