Stephanie, Associate Editor

It can be tempting to consume picture books quickly, flipping through their pages and lingering no longer than necessary to get a sense of the illustrator’s style and the gist of the story. “Wasn’t that nice?” we say to ourselves, then open another book. Far be it for me to dictate to anyone what to read or how (although it could be argued that is literally my job here at BookPage), but should you wish to pick up one of the 10 best picture books of 2019 listed and linked below, I’d encourage you to slow down a little.

Sit with the book awhile. Feel the paper under your fingers. Look under the dust jacket; did the illustrator hide a surprise for you under there? Consider the endpapers, a paper curtain you’ll pull back yourself to unveil the stage of the title page. Try thinking of the book like a 32-course tasting meal, each spread of a dish prepared meticulously for your nourishment and delight. Ask yourself about the line breaks, the typography, why the author chose this word and not that word, why the illustrator chose a green coat, a pink dress, watercolors instead of acrylics, a sequence of images here but a two-page spread there.

A picture book is a symphony of artistic choices that rewards deep engagement. It’s not quite a poem with images, not quite a sequential visual narrative with explanatory text. It’s something else, and its magic is singular and life-changing.

These are 10 of the year’s best enchantments. Let yourself fall under the spells they cast.

10. My Heart by Corinna Luyken

Author-illustrator Corinna Luyken’s atmospheric and sensitive My Heart explores the fears, joys and emotional vulnerabilities of children through spare rhymes and softly rendered illustrations.
 

9. Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler

Eliza Wheeler’s lush and detailed picture book, based on her own grandmother’s personal experiences, follows a Depression-era family who make the most of having little.
 

8. The Bell Rang by James E. Ransome

Author-illustrator James E. Ransome explores a week in the life of a young girl who is a slave in this strikingly illustrated story that centers on the endurance and humanity of enslaved people.
 

7. Home Is a Window by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard, illustrated by Chris Sasaki

In simple yet lyrical prose full of understated perceptiveness, Stephanie Parsley Ledyard reflects on what, exactly, it is that turns a house into a home as a young girl prepares to move.
 

6. Saturday by Oge Mora

Caldecott Honor illustrator Oge Mora’s Saturday is a bighearted ode to parent-child bonding, accompanied by Mora’s signature collage illustrations.
 

5. Small in the City by Sydney Smith

Small in the City is a parable as hushed as falling winter snow, offering hope and reassurance in the face of uncertainty and fear.
 

4. Another by Christian Robinson

Caldecott Honor illustrator Christian Robinson makes his authorial debut with this wordless tale of a multilayered, mind-blowing and truly out-of-this-world adventure.
 

3. What Is Given From the Heart by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by April Harrison

Patricia C. McKissack’s contributions to children’s literature cannot be understated, and her final picture book shines with the generosity of spirit that defined her as a writer.
 

2. The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Sarah Jacoby

This picture book biography of Goodnight Moon author Margaret Wise Brown captures the respect Brown had for her young readers as well as the essence of her legacy, and is full of refreshing and important truths.
 

1. Music for Mister Moon by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

The award-winning team of Philip C. and Erin E. Stead triumph again in this understatedly surreal tale of unexpected friendship, imagination and courage.

The best young adult books of 2019 may seem a disparate bunch, but they’re united by their fundamental belief in possibility: the possibility of the fantastical, the terrifying, the romantic and, above all, the possibility of hope.

10. The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Julia Drake’s enthralling debut explores themes of identity, mental health, romance and family with grace and gravitas.
 

9. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Bestselling author Margaret Rogerson presents a unique twist on a magical fantasy plot in this chillingly good gothic-inspired read.
 

8. Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Debut novelist David Yoon grapples with questions of race, identity, family and romance in relatable, courageous and clever ways.
 

7. Internment by Samira Ahmed

Samira Ahmed channeled fears and concerns about the contemporary political climate into a terrifying work of speculative fiction set “15 seconds in the future.”
 

6. The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

The Downstairs Girl is rich in historical detail and anchored by Stacey Lee’s buoyant prose and a heroine whose voice leaps off the page.
 

5. We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra

Sarah Henstra’s young adult debut is a heartbreakingly gorgeous story of how love and poetry are sometimes enough to carry the day.
 

4. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell

Mariko Tamaki’s emotionally swirling story is perfectly paired with Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s lithe illustrations in this graphic novel about a girl who learns to put her own emotional oxygen mask on first.
 

3. Lovely War by Julie Berry

Julie Berry’s superb research and attention to detail are perfectly suited to the layers of this moving, unflinching and, yes, romantic story of love in wartime.
 

2. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Awkaeke Emezi conceptualizes social ills such as sexual violence, physical abuse and drug use as literal monsters in this bold and surreal young adult debut.
 

1. Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby

Capturing the struggles, heartaches, and joys of two girls—one alive, one a ghost—during the early 1940s, Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All is a beautiful and lyrical read that pushes against the boundaries of what we often believe a young adult novel can contain.

The winter holidays are a time when traditions feel especially significant. The days, short and cold, keep us indoors. We’re surrounded by people we may not see other times during the year. As another year winds to a close, our thoughts turn to reflections on the past and hopes for the future.

Although my family has its share of holiday traditions, the one I appreciate most now that I’m an adult is one that didn’t last very long. My little sister is five years younger than me, so my mom had a golden window of just a few years when she could read aloud to us both. Each winter, we’d go to the library and check out a big stack of holiday books, and she would read one each night before we went to bed. I suspect some of the appeal to kid-Stephanie was the postponement of bedtime, but now that I’m grown, I look back on those nightly occasions and feel all the things literacy experts say reading together with children should instill: Pleasure in the act of discovering a story together, affirmation that time spent together was valued, and a love of books and reading.

But also? A belief that there is something deeply powerful about gathering together on the shortest, coldest, darkest nights of the year to share stories.

There’s no time like the present to start a new tradition in your family. Below I’ve gathered some of my favorite winter holiday picture books, with input from my fellow editors on their treasured titles.

The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie dePaola

This tender tale provides a bird’s-eye view of the Nativity tale with a distinct sense of quiet drama, accompanied by dePaola’s rich illustrations.

The Nutcracker in Harlem by T.E. McMorrow, illustrated by James E. Ransome

An inspired reenvisioning of E.T.A. Hoffman’s beloved story, The Nutcracker in Harlem is illustrated by James E. Ransome in vibrant watercolors that brim with the mystery of Christmas.

Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera

My mother had an entire box of Christmas picture books, and I remembered exactly none of them until I saw the jacket of Auntie Claus recently and had a full-on Proustian moment. I loved this book as a child, even while being faintly frightened by it, most likely because of how impossibly fabulous the title character is. The mysterious Auntie Claus, who disappears on a “business trip” every year from Halloween to Valentine’s Day, is old Hollywood glam by way of Dr. Seuss. Sophie, her little brat of a niece, doesn’t know how good she has it—which is, of course, the point of this cheeky, whimsically illustrated tale. —Savanna, Assistant Editor

Red & Lulu by Matt Tavares

This story of two cardinals who live together in a evergreen tree until they are suddenly separated is illustrated with detailed, epic spreads that convey the scope of their quest to be reunited.

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard Simon and Tanya Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel

Oskar, a refugee from Nazi Germany, must walk nearly the length of Manhattan to get to his aunt’s house but is helped on his way by eight acts of kindness from strangers in this gorgeous and moving historical tale.

The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry, illustrated by J.P. Miller

My favorite part of Christmas is bringing out all the cherished keepsakes I haven’t seen since the previous year—the mug with a ceramic teddy bear hiding inside, whose head pokes out once you drink enough hot chocolate; the glass kitten ornament my Grandma gave me. But my favorite keepsake of all is The Sweet Smell of Christmas, about a young bear taking in the season’s sights and smells on Christmas Eve. As Little Bear inhales the aroma of his mother’s apple pie, their crisp pine tree, the bright orange in his stocking, I scratch and sniff each treat with him—a ritual I performed as a child until the stickers were scraped and faded. Luckily, you can order replacements for these beloved scented stickers, and as an adult I have—twice. —Christy, Associate Editor

Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht, illustrated by Jarvis

In buoyant rhyming stanzas, Toht recounts one family’s tree’s journey from selection at the tree farm to being crowned with a star. Jarvis’ bright illustrations capture the merriment of the occasion.

Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter by Eugenie Doyle, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

Imagine Donald Hall’s classic Ox-Cart Man crossed with the ritualized refrain of Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon and you’ll come close to the quiet appeal of this tale of a farm family preparing for winter.

Who Built the Stable? by Ashley Bryan

Ashley Bryan’s lushly illustrated poem explores its titular question in simple text that will encourage young readers to imagine some of the unseen players in the nativity story.

Hanukkah Hamster by Michelle Markel, illustrated by André Ceolin

When a cab driver discovers a little hamster left behind in his cab, he tries to find its owner but, in the meantime, begins his no-longer-solitary Hanukkah celebrations in this heartwarming tale of unexpected friendship. Did I mention he names the hamster Chickpea?

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

There is a reason Chris Van Allsburg’s wintry tale is widely considered a classic: It’s absolutely perfect, from its large-scale, expressive images to its gently nostalgic narrative voice. It is the only book on this list to have won a Caldecott Medal, and you'll see why when you read it.

The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

This list could very easily be composed of about 50% Jan Brett titles, but I’m limiting myself to just one, because it was far and away my favorite as a child. The Wild Christmas Reindeer is the story of a girl who has one of the most enviable jobs ever: She gets to take care of Santa’s reindeer. But none of her preparations for the big night are going the way she planned, and her frustration only seems to make everything worse. This fable about slowing down and listening to what’s really important is accompanied by Brett’s characteristically detailed illustrations. I never did get a pet reindeer for Christmas, but this book was the next-best thing.

The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy, illustrated by Emily Sutton

This distinctive story of a homeless boy who rescues a forlorn little fir tree fated for the trash is a testament to the way Christmas can create a sense of community.

Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

This masterful fable of compassion and, yes, joy from Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo features exquisite and luminous illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline that capture both the chill of snowy nights and the warmth we find when we open our hearts to others.

Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck, illustrated by Karl James Mountford

Featuring dazzling illustrations, interactive elements and a plucky heroine, this story of a girl determined to deliver a special card to her grandfather in time for Christmas is a thrilling holiday adventure.

Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington, illustrated by Shane W. Evans

This touching story is a warm and wonderful introduction to the Nguzo Saba (the seven principles of Kwanzaa). Readers join Li’l Rabbit on his quest to find a special treat for Granna Rabbit so she can celebrate the Karamu feast.

Before Morning by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes

This contemplative, evocative poem is illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Beth Krommes with spellbinding images full of texture and pattern. It’s a sweet but never saccharine tale of family and the wish for snow.

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman by Michelle Edwards, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Sophie’s neighbor, Mrs. Goldman, is always knitting hats for others and never keeps any for herself, so Sophie sets out to knit her a hat all by herself in this charming story that will delight anyone who has ever tried to make something special for a friend.

Christmas Is Here by Lauren Castillo

This warm and artful story follows a young family as they walk through a live nativity and imagine the story for themselves. Lauren Castillo’s ink and watercolor illustrations are fresh, simple and accessible, making this a wonderful introduction to the nativity narrative.

The Little Reindeer by Nicola Killen

This jolly tale delivers a sleighful of Christmas charm as little Ollie goes for a ride on the back of a reindeer through a sky full of stars. Nicola Killen’s illustrations feature fun cutouts that give readers a peek of what’s on the next page.

All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Based on Sydney Taylor’s classic tales of Jewish life on the Lower East Side, this heartfelt family story features illustrations by Caldecott-winning illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky and brims with old-fashioned warmth.

The Story of Holly & Ivy by Rumer Godden, illustrated by Barbara Cooney

A few years ago, The Atlantic published an article about illustrator Barbara Cooney, and I think it was shared with me by close to 10 people. “Have you seen this?” they’d say, or, “I just read the most interesting thing about a picture book illustrator.” To all of them I wanted to say, “Welcome to the Barbara Cooney Fan Club. I’m Steph, and I’ll be your membership liason.” During her long career, Cooney won two Caldecott Medals (for Chanticleer and the Fox and Ox-Cart Man) and a National Book Award (for Miss Rumphius), and her deceptively simple and painterly illustrations have been among my favorites since my elementary school librarian, Mrs. Arnold, read Ox-Cart Man to my kindergarten class during storytime. The Story of Holly and Ivy is too long to read aloud in one sitting, so you’ll want to spread it out over a couple of nights, depending on attention spans and your own vocal endurance. Don’t blame me, though, if you don’t want to stop reading this classic story of unforeseen gifts once you start.

In the spring of 2014, I attended a book tour event in which Ann Patchett interviewed her friend and fellow critically acclaimed writer Elizabeth McCracken. (If Ann Patchett ever tires of writing books and championing independent bookstores, I would be the first person to subscribe to her longform interview podcast, by the way. She’s a brilliant interviewer, warm and witty and full of insight.) I don’t recall the question posed by the audience member, but I’ll never forget part of McCracken’s response.

She said that a writer spends their entire life writing their first book, and unless they take an exceptionally long time to write their second, they’ll never have that much time to spend on a single manuscript ever again. It’s that build-up, that special kind of anticipation, that lends debut novels their unique shine. A debut novel is truly something new, from a voice we’ve never heard before, a gift someone has spent years crafting just for us. Here are 15 YA debuts I can’t wait to unwrap in 2020.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
Wednesday | January 21

When I worked at Mike’s Movies, the last independent video store in downtown Boston, my favorite movie to play on the big wall of TV screens on a Saturday morning was You’ve Got Mail. It has a great soundtrack (important for when you can’t really watch the movie because you’re helping customers), wonderful dialogue (not to mention Tom Hanks’ Godfather impersonations) and features one of the best (if extremely rose-tinted) representations of working retail ever committed to film. So when I came across Emma Lord’s Tweet Cute and realized it was a YA homage to You’ve Got Mail (which, yes, sticklers, I know is itself a remake of Ernst Lubitsch’s 1940 The Shop Around the Corner; I worked in a video store, remember?), I promptly added it to my TBR.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace
Imprint | February 4

It’s been hard to miss the buzz around All the Stars and Teeth. From its jaw-dropping cover to its endorsements from some of the biggest names in YA fantasy, Adalyn Grace’s swashbuckling debut novel has been everywhere. Promising a flawed but ambitious heroine, dark magic, mysterious pirates and a unique seafaring setting, only time will tell if All the Stars and Teeth will become one of the biggest books of the year—but if the buzz surrounding it gets any louder, it’ll be deafening.

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
Bloomsbury | February 4

Okay, full disclosure: I’ve already read this one, and I think it’s one of the best books I’m going to read all year, and I’m putting it on this list because I want you to anticipate it and I hope that you’ll agree with my opinion when you read it. Phil Stamper’s The Gravity of Us is everything I want from a contemporary realistic YA novel. Stamper tells a complex, unpredictable story with a unique hook (Cal’s dad gets picked to join the first manned mission to Mars, but the astronauts and their families have to agree to be part of a reality show that NASA relies on to garner public support and funding for the mission); populates the book with a cast of characters all as nuanced and flawed as the protagonist; adds a romance that feels emotionally grounded but also totally swoon-worthy; and tells the whole thing through an authentic and memorable first-person narrative voice. It was quietly, un-ostentatiously wonderful, and I catch myself smiling every time I think about it.

Can’t get enough YA? Check out our lists of the most anticipated YA releases of 2020, as well as our guide to all the YA sequels and series titles coming in 2020.

If These Wings Could Fly by Kyrie McCauley
Katherine Tegen | March 3

I love a good metaphor-made-literal. See: Rory Power’s Wilder Girls, which takes the concept of the physical changes we all undergo during adolescence to terrifying new extremes. See also: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the central conceit of which is, “What if high school were actually hell?” Promising to take a similar approach, Kyrie McCauley’s If These Wings Could Fly tells the story of a girl dealing with domestic violence while her small Pennsylvania town is invaded by thousands of crows.

Witches of Ash & Ruin by E. Latimer
Freeform | March 3

From “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” to Lily Anderson’s Undead Girl Gang to Amy Rose Capetta’s The Lost Coast, not to mention younger millennials and Gen Z’s rediscovery of Hocus Pocus, it’s safe to say that witches are back—if they ever really went anywhere. E. Latimer’s Witches of Ash & Ruin is an enticing new addition to the YA witch canon with an Irish setting, magic informed by Celtic mythology and a cover that’s giving me distinctly 1980s-era Stephen King vibes.

Anna K by Jenny Lee
Flatiron | March 3

Since it launched in the spring of 2016 with Meredith Russo’s If I Was Your Girl, Flatiron has quickly made a name for itself by publishing some of the best and most boundary-pushing YA around, from fantasy blockbusters including Caraval and The Hazel Wood to achingly authentic contemporary novels like Aftercare Instructions and I’m Not Missing, all shepherded to shelves under the steady and savvy hand of editor Sarah Barley. With Jenny Lee’s Anna K, Flatiron is trying something new: A sprawling, dishy YA retelling of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, set in the glittering world of Manhattan’s wealthy elite. I’ve gotten an early peek at this one, and I have to tell you: What I read was utterly delicious.

Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost
Disney-Hyperion | April 14

The reason we like genre, the prevailing wisdom goes, is that what we actually want from a story is predictability. We like—we even crave—formula and stability from our narratives, and genre conventions provide this. That’s all well and good, but sometimes what I actually want is something like Elysium Girls. Is it a Western? There’s a horse on the cover, but it’s made of metal, so is it science fiction, maybe steampunk? Possibly, but the description on the back of my advance copy mentions goddesses and magic (fantasy?), Oklahoma and the Dust Bowl (Western again? maybe dystopia?). Regardless of genre, I’m fascinated by an author who would combine all of these seemingly disparate elements in one book, and eager to discover how they all come together.

The Silence of Bones by June Hur
Feiwel & Friends | April 21

I love historical fiction that makes me rethink moments in history I think I know well—World War II, for example—but I also love historical fiction set in times and places about which I know very little that leaves me hungry to learn even more. Ruta Sepetys’s most recent book, The Fountains of Silence, set during the reign of Franco in Spain, was a book like this, and June Hur’s The Silence of Bones promises to be another. Set in Korea in 1800, it’s the story of a teen girl who’s been indentured to the police department, who gets caught up in the investigation into the murder of a noblewoman when the inspector she assists is accused of having committed the crime. Historical fiction and a twisty mystery? Sign me up.

Don’t Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross
HarperTeen | April 28

Do you ever think about what books you would read again for the first time if you could wipe them from your memory, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-style? High on my list would be Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, a book I inhaled four years ago on the beach and have spent years hoping other books might live up to. Hope springs eternal, and Aleksandra Ross’s Eastern European-inspired Don’t Call the Wolf (the title comes from the Polish expression, “don’t call the wolf out of the woods”—a version of the English “let sleeping dogs lie”) looks promising. It’s the story of a shapeshifting forest queen who teams up with a washed-up dragon slayer to save her kingdom from an evil horde, and a number of early reviews have commented on Ross’ exquisite prose.

The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton
Page Street | May 5

A heroine who works at a Medieval Times-esque themed restaurant in which only men are allowed to be knights (and of course knights are paid more), so she swaps roles with her brother, hides her gender, performs in the show, reveals herself at the end of the show, goes unanticipatedly viral and Trouble Ensues? This is everything I didn’t know I wanted from a contemporary YA novel in 2020, full stop.

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
Page Street | May 12

Two girls enter an entrepreneurship contest; both start henna businesses and the competition is fierce—until the sparks between them turn to romance. Adiba Jaigirdar’s The Henna Wars was apparently pitched as Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets When Dimple Met Rishi, and tells its story through the intersectional lens of a lesbian Muslim protagonist. Is it May yet?

I Kissed Alice by Anna Birch
Imprint | May 26

Rhodes and Iliana are competing against each other for a scholarship at their exclusive prep school, unaware that online, they’re collaborators on a popular fan fiction graphic novel—and they’re beginning to fall for each other. You’ve Got Mail meets Fangirl? Yes, a thousand times, yes.

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith
HarperTeen | May 26

Confession: I’ve never read The Outsiders or seen the 1983 Francis Ford Coppola film adaptation. But even I know that the phrase “stay gold” is an allusion to the book widely considered to be among the earliest and most influential YA novels ever written. Titling your YA novel Stay Gold is akin to titling your comedy of manners A Truth Universally Acknowledged or your picture book The Wild Rumpus: It’s making a very big promise to the reader on which your book needs to deliver to succeed. I, for one, admire that kind of nerve, and look forward to discovering whether Stay Gold measures up.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
Wednesday | June 2

You need to know three things in order to understand why Where Dreams Descend appears on this list. First, you need to know that it was pitched to publishing editors as The Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge. Second, you need to know that I know every single word of every single song in both of those musicals. Third, you need to know that I am not even a little bit sorry about the space that knowledge takes up in my brain, space that perhaps might be more usefully occupied with knowledge of, say, how to parallel park, how to make a roux without burning it or where I put my keys (the phantom of the opera is, indeed, there inside my mind). If you, like me, enjoy singing along with silly love songs and the music of the night regardless of actual musical ability, Janella Angeles’ Where Dreams Descend looks like it’s going to be exactly our kind of book.

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
Tor Teen | June 2

Sirens might be my favorite underutilized mythological entity in YA, but Bethany C. Morrow’s A Song Below Water looks like it’s going make big strides in remedying that. Set in an alternate Portland, Oregon, where sirens are real, the book’s heroine is a siren who struggles to keep her identity a secret amid rising tensions between sirens and humans following a high-profile siren murder trial. I can’t wait to dive in (pun intended).

A new year means 365 new days to spend reading—and in 2020, we even get an extra day because it’s a Leap Year! We could read a new book every day and still not read all of the wonderful books for young readers that will be published this year, but we’ve managed to narrow down this list to the 20 titles we’re the most excited for.

The Old Truck by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey
Norton | January 7

W.W. Norton launched its first books for young readers just last year, entering the arena with thoughtful offerings such as Rex Ogle’s Free Lunch and a picture book from No, David! author/illustrator David Shannon. Now they’re starting 2020 with a bold, distinctive debut picture book from the sibling duo of Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey. I have to say, if The Old Truck is a herald of what awaits picture book readers this year, it’s going to be a very good year indeed.

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
Crown | January 7

Blockbuster YA author Nic Stone (Dear Martin, Jackpot) makes her pitch-perfect middle grade debut with Clean Getaway, and it’s a road trip story! Eleven-year-old Scoob and his grandmother travel through the South in G’ma’s new RV and uncover lost pieces of the past.

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illustrated by Oge Mora
Schwartz & Wade | January 7

The pairing of critically acclaimed children’s biographer Rita Lorraine Hubbard (Hammering for Freedom) and Caldecott Honor illustrator Oge Mora (Thank You, Omu! and Saturday) is a match made in picture book heaven, and the resulting book is simply divine. As imagined by Hubbard, the life of Mary Walker—born into slavery and lived through more than 20 presidencies—is a testament to the human spirit and the power of the written word.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
Katherine Tegen | January 14

A family story wrapped up in a mystery, Janae Marks’ first book kicks off a year that promises to be full of great debuts. Zoe Washington’s dad has been incarcerated for her whole life, but on her 12th birthday, she receives a letter from him in which he asserts his innocence—and asks her to help prove it.

Story Boat by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh
Tundra | February 4

There’s a kind of picture book where the text reads a bit like a poem, and the illustrations create a new narrative that’s more than just a literal interpretation of the words on the page. I love books like this, because they remind me of the tremendous potential of the picture book as an artistic form. Kyo Maclear’s gorgeous, meditative text, paired with Rashin Kheiriyeh’s deceptively simple illustrations does exactly this in The Story Boat, and the result is not to be missed.

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callendar
Scholastic | February 4

Kacen Callendar’s 2018 debut novel, Hurricane Child, was one of the most exquisitely crafted middle grade novels I’ve ever read. Sensitive, lyrical and fearless in its exploration of emotional authenticity, it left me eager for Callendar’s next book. King and the Dragonflies will tell the story of 12-year-old Kingston, who is convinced that his brother, Khalid, isn’t dead but has instead turned into a dragonfly.

Chirp by Kate Messner
Bloomsbury | February 4

At this point, I’ve lost count of the number of bookseller and librarian friends who’ve told me I cannot miss Kate Messner’s latest middle grade novel, Chirp. The story of 12-year-old Mia, who’s trying to help save her grandmother’s cricket farm while grappling with the aftermath of a secret she’d rather forget, Chirp is a timely and nuanced depiction of a girl finding her voice over the course of one life-changing summer.

Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker
Balzer + Bray | February 4

I’m not often left speechless by a book, but four years after reading it, I still find articulating my love for Sara Pennypacker’s Pax difficult. Regardless, I’ve been eagerly waiting to see what Pennypacker would write next, and with the February publication of Here in the Real World, my wait is finally over. The book follows two misfits who find friendship in an abandoned lot and then must fight to save it.

The Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Pascal Campion
Random House | February 18

A little boy joins his parents at their job as the night janitors in an empty office building, and their imagination transforms the mundane into a magnificent and magical adventure. Thanks to debut author Helene Ku Rhee’s masterful characterizations, brought to life by illustrator Pascal Campion, The Paper Kingdom shines with the power of creativity—but also with the love shared between parents and their child.

A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner
FSG | February 25

I love novels that interweave the past and the present, and Phil Bildner’s latest looks downright excellent. Sixth grader Silas is doing a report on Glenn Burke, who was the first major league baseball player to publicly acknowledge being gay, and is struggling to keep his own truth a secret from his teammates. Bildner’s Rip and Red series has established him as a master of kid-friendly heart and humor, so I’m looking forward to seeing him dive into deeper waters in A High Five for Glenn Burke.

My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Francesca Sanna
Chronicle | February 25

We’re going to see a lot of children’s books addressing global climate change and themes of environmentalism this year, from biographies of figures working to address the issue to encyclopedias of endangered wildlife to guides for young people about steps within their power to enact change. One of the most enticing offerings is My Friend Earth, from Newbery Medalist Patricia MacLachlan and illustrator Francesca Sanna, who has quickly made a name for herself with exquisite and distinctive titles including The Journey and Me and My Fear. A celebration of Earth and all the ways she supports the lives of the plants, animals and people who call her home, My Friend Earth features kid-friendly production elements like die-cuts that are sure to make it a storytime hit.

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Little, Brown | March 3

Jewell Parker Rhodes is one of the most vital voices writing for young readers today, period. She returns to shelves this spring with Black Brother, Black Brother, her first novel since 2018’s devastating masterpiece, Ghost Boys. The book will explore the relationship between two brothers, one who presents as black, the other as white, as they navigate the complex world of a private prep school.

My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
Atheneum | March 3

I think most readers have authors (and illustrators, if they’re into picture books or graphic novels) whose name on the spine of a new book is all it takes for them to pick up the book off the shelf at the bookstore or library. In the realm of picture books, Julie Fogliano is one of those writers for me, and has been since her 2012 debut, And Then It’s Spring. She’s been on an absolute roll of late, including 2018’s wistful A House That Once Was and two titles in 2019, If I Was the Sunshine and Just in Case You Want to Fly, that both exemplified the dizzying heights of her abilities. She continues her streak into a new year with the sweet, playful My Best Friend, an ode to the marvel and wonder of a child’s first friendship, with pitch-perfect illustrations by Caldecott Honor illustrator Jillian Tamaki. I’m grinning just thinking about it.

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
Clarion | March 3

The day that the bookstore I worked at hosted Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park for school visits and a public author event in the evening is one of my most treasured memories from the nearly six years I spent there. Listening to her explain her creative process to auditoriums full of middle school students who hung on her every word filled me with such respect for the challenging, invigorating work of writing for children. Park’s latest finds her in a kind of conversation with one of the most beloved children’s authors of all time, Laura Ingalls Wilder, pushing back against the racism in her books and writing characters who Wilder either ignored or misrepresented back into the story of the American frontier. It’s an ambitious project, but in Park’s skillful hands, it soars.

How to Be a Pirate by Isaac Fitzgerald, illustrated by Brigette Barrager
Bloomsbury | March 3

I’ll be honest: I was surprised when I saw that Buzzfeed Books founding editor Isaac Fitzgerald was making his literary debut by writing a picture book. And then my phone started to buzz: Kidlit friends (booksellers, librarians and plain old enthusiasts) all over the country were reaching out to ask, “Have you seen How to Be a Pirate yet? I LOVED IT.” And then my advance copy came in the mail, and suddenly, I understood. Charming, spirited and with a heart even bigger than the giant red heart on its cover, How to Be a Pirate is a picture book kid-me would have begged to read over and over.

Coo by Kaela Noel
Greenwillow | March 3

Here’s a middle grade debut with a premise I find utterly irresistible: A human baby is raised by a flock of pigeons. As she grows up, her flock is threatened, and she must enter the human world in order to save them. Erin Entrada Kelly, the Newbery Medalist who wrote my favorite middle grade novel of 2019 (Lalani of the Distant Sea), wrote in her blurb that Coo “made my spirit soar.” I can’t wait to take flight with this quirky debut novel.

Two Little Trains by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
HarperCollins | March 3

I’m fascinated by picture book re-illustrations for the same reason that I’m fascinated by song covers and movie remakes: I’m always curious to see how distinctive creative personalities will make me see something familiar in a new light. HarperCollins’ recent project of re-illustrating well-known picture books by children’s literature titan Margaret Wise Brown has been fruitful indeed, from Christian Robinson’s take on The Dead Bird to Loren Long’s version of Good Day, Good Night. When I was a youth services librarian, I once built an entire storytime around the Leo and Diane Dillon-illustrated edition of Two Little Trains, so it should come as no surprise that I’m eager to see what Greg Pizzoli brings to the table. Puff puff puff, chug chug chug!

Rick by Alex Gino
Scholastic | April 21

It’s hard to think of a recent debut middle grade novel more groundbreaking or influential than Alex Gino’s George—and hard to believe it’s been half a decade since it was published! At long last, the wait for Gino’s next book comes to an end with the publication of Rick. Middle schooler Rick is struggling to figure out what he believes and who he wants to be, in the face of pressure from family and friends, including his best friend, who Rick has noticed can sometimes be a real jerk. But how do you find your own voice when you can’t hear it over the voices of others?

The Big Book of Blooms by Yuval Zommer
Thames & Hudson | May 5

I’m not quite sure when Yuval Zommer’s illustrations first caught my eye, but I now firmly consider myself a fan. Oversized catalog-style books for young readers are having quite a moment right now, but the combination of Zommer’s exuberant art and the floral focus of The Big Book of Blooms is sure to set this one apart. I look forward to exclaiming, “Ooh!” and “Ahh!” with each turn of the page.

Hello Neighbor! The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers by Matthew Cordell
Neal Porter | May 5

Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell (Wolf in the Snow) turns to nonfiction with a biography of Mister Rogers. The question isn’t, “Will this book make me cry?” but rather, “How hard will this book make me cry?” I’ll make sure to have tissues nearby in May.