Paolo the dachshund wants to see every part of Rome, his busy, beautiful city. The crowds, the noises and the smells of Rome call to him like they do to the eager tourists. But there’s always a door and his owner’s foot blocking his way . . . until, one glorious day, there isn’t.

While it is impossible for Paolo to see all of Rome, author Mac Barnett and illustrator Claire Keane capture the city’s essence dazzlingly, from the Colosseum to Caravaggio, the Pantheon to the Pope’s Swiss Guard. Cultural references and clever historical nods (including Paolo’s wry and ironic triumph over a gang of cats in the very spot where Caesar died) give readers a true sense of place and past that’s both reverential and humorous.

Illustrator Claire Keane’s inspired images feel familiar and timeless; as they do in the great city itself, the old and new merge companionably in her spreads. Thick, bold strokes, like energetic sketches in an artist’s notebook, outline the streets, ruins and characters. Colors collide pleasantly over a background textured like a brick wall, giving the pictures a lush yet gritty appearance. Italian words and names impart authenticity, and Barnett’s remarkable and sophisticated narration enriches the narrative and readers alike.

For anyone who knows and loves Rome (and who could know Rome without loving it?), Paolo’s tale is a captivating love letter to the city and its adventurous spirit. And for those who’ve never been to the Eternal City, Paolo, Emperor of Rome is an enchanting introduction and an invitation to fall under its spell. Once you’ve visited, you’ll long to return.

Selina Alko (Why Am I Me?, Can I Touch Your Hair?) introduces readers to Roberta Joan Anderson “before the songs” in Joni: The Lyrical Life of Joni Mitchell, the first picture book biography of the folk music icon.

Living in a small town in Canada, young Joni felt like “an upside-down bird on a wire” in a family who didn’t share her creative ambitions. The book chronicles her bout with polio at age 10; her interest in painting and poetry; her discovery of music and songwriting in art school; her marriage to and subsequent divorce from folk singer Chuck Mitchell; and the launch of her career in Greenwich Village. Alko sketches brief stories of the inspirations behind several of Mitchell’s most beloved songs and albums, including “Big Yellow Taxi” and Blue. She also includes portraits of the handful of musical luminaries who were contemporaries to Mitchell—Bob Dylan, Mama Cass, Leonard Cohen and more.

The illustrations, rendered with acrylics, collage, found objects and even wildflowers, are busy with occasional skewed angles, but Alko always keeps Joni their focus. Vivacious colors swirl in melodies, music notes and lyrics that undulate across the pages in banner-like waves. A wing motif dominates with birds, butterflies and winged insects. The final spread notes that the truth Joni shared in her music gives us freedom, and “freedom gives us wings to fly”—here, Joni herself is painted in flight. The color blue dominates, perhaps a nod to Joni’s most iconic album.

Alko, who in the backmatter relates a personal anecdote of having first heard Joni’s music at age 9, shares Joni’s life story with affection and drive.

It’s hard for Daniel to leave his warm bed and cozy apartment, but without a babysitter, he must accompany his parents to their nighttime janitorial job. While they work, they make up stories, transforming the empty conference rooms, messy kitchen and echoing hallways into a magical realm. Welcome to The Paper Kingdom. 

Author Helena Ku Rhee writes from her own personal experience, having also gone with her parents to their night custodial jobs. Her narration rings with honesty as Daniel’s voice changes from sleepy and surly to curious but frustrated as he sees how hard his parents work to clean up the messes created by the office workers. 

Illustrator Pascal Campion expertly uses colors to build a sense of atmosphere on every page. Readers will feel the warm glow of a lamp, hear the squeaky shine of newly mopped floors and see the blur of the city through bleary eyes. The facial expressions of Daniel and his parents are simple but convey their emotions (especially their exhaustion) clearly and unmistakably. Campion’s digital brushstrokes vary from soft and vague to finely detailed. Plants become bold strokes of color, while bathroom-stall doors are sharp and precise. This variety—along with a few magical touches—brings readers into Daniel’s sleepy, dreamlike state and makes every page feel like a slightly hazy memory.

The Paper Kingdom salutes the sacrifices that parents make for their children and movingly acknowledges the work of those who toil while the city sleeps. It’s an affectionate tribute to the bonds of family and the unexpected memories we form when we perform seemingly mundane tasks together. It’s also an homage to the way imagination sometimes works when we are young, and how reality and the possibility of dragons can mingle.

Mimicking the classic cumulative nursery rhyme “This Is the House That Jack Built,” The Nest That Wren Built is the first picture book by author Randi Sonenshine. It tells the story of how Papa Wren constructs a nest for his growing family. After building the nest, Papa guards it while “chirping a mirthful song to the sky.” Once the eggs have been laid, he hunts for food. At 14 days old, the fledgling birds are ready to fly from their remarkably crafted home, high up in a tree. 

Sonenshine’s text is full of vivid, sensory images (“This is the moss, softer than suede”), and her seemingly simple narrative subtly works on multiple levels. The Nest That Wren Built may be a book about wrens, but it’s also about the patient, tender care that parents take when they provide for their offspring. Illustrator Anne Hunter (Possum and the Summer Storm, Cricket Song, Where’s Baby?) makes the warm, cozy nest the consistent focus of these illustrations, which are laid out on cream-colored pages. The ink and colored pencil illustrations appropriately feature a muted, earth-tone palette, and there’s a distinct sense that Hunter has constructed her drawings as carefully as Papa constructs his nest. Make sure to look closely to see Hunter’s crosshatching, which creates effective texture and shading. 

Nothing about the wrens and their work is anthropomorphized or made cute. Instead, Sonenshine’s bouncy text is filled with facts about how wrens construct nests. Young readers will enjoy spotting the other wild animals that pop up to watch the wrens, as well as the creature who repurposes the nest to serve as his own home at the close of this endearing and informative story.

When Snail spots “a field of plump, crisp cabbage just across the road,” he’s jubilant, knowing it’s his lucky day. Proclaiming himself “cabbage bound,” he sets off on a slow but steady journey toward an eventual feast in Corey R. Tabor’s sparkling picture book, Snail Crossing.

Every sluggish step of Snail’s quest is filled with humor. While making his way across the asphalt, Snail encounters a variety of dangers (vehicles!) and characters that keep the tempo moving. Meanwhile, Snail’s single-minded determination and utter obliviousness to obstacles is utterly endearing. Tabor’s dialogue (“Well, you won’t stop me!”) and word choice add to the fun, with Snail shouting “Evasive maneuvers! Evasive maneuvers” and traveling in spiraling circles when he spots a ravenous crow.

Who knew that a gastropod’s facial expression could be so doggone cute? Or that the silhouettes of “a troop of rowdy ants” could be so animated? Tabor’s mixed media illustrations add color and texture to everything from a flower stem to the slimy path that Snail leaves in his wake. Scenes illustrated from Snail’s lowly perspective will charm and amuse readers. Tabor adds delightful touches everywhere, especially when Snail welcomes those raucous ants into his cozy shell, which turns out to be replete with armchairs, teacups and a kitchen range.

As Snail marches toward his cabbage destiny, he encounters many twists, turns and a major setback, but that’s when those rollicking ants come to the rescue, turning Snail’s single-minded adventure into a story about kindness and cooperation.

Snails may be notoriously slow, but Corey R. Tabor’s Snail Crossing is one lively tale.

Story Boat begins very simply, with the words, “Here we are.” An unnamed young girl and her little brother have been forced to leave their home in search of safety. They travel with a group of refugees through rain and cold, in a landscape that is sometimes somber, other times hopeful. As the group journeys from place to place, “here” constantly changes. The young girl attempts to explain and comfort her little brother by pointing out what doesn’t change: the cups they hold, the blanket that keeps them cozy, a bright lamp, a flower and, of course, the stories they tell and the pictures they draw. Both solid and magical, these elements help sustain the children until their arrival in a new, promising here—a new home.

Acclaimed illustrator Rashin Kheiriyeh employs grays, blues and varyingly soft and fiery shades of coral to create their world as well as their flights of fancy. Her images have a timeless, folktale quality that illuminates Maclear’s prose, which meditates poetically on the meanings of here and home and explores the power of imagination and empathy. Luminous and thought-provoking, Story Boat contains deep layers of meaning that are sure to spark conversations from young readers.

There is a moment of magic in every good book when the book’s heart and the reader meet exquisitely. In the best books—the very best ones—that moment lasts from front cover to back. Deborah Marcero’s In a Jar is that kind of book. 

Little bunny Llewellyn carries jars everywhere he goes; in them, he collects objects that remind him of special moments. When Llewellyn makes a new friend, he finds that his jars hold not just moments but also friendship itself. After all, the best collections—whether seashells, stamps or books—are made with someone you love.

Marcero’s prose has an openness and simplicity that masks its literary prowess. She employs similes, vibrant descriptions, rhymes and alliteration with ease, turning anyone who reads this aloud into a master storyteller. 

This is writing that needs no artwork, but Marcero is an equally gifted illustrator, filling every page with color and movement. Washes of paint and hashed pencil lines give texture and atmosphere to even the smallest sketch. From a field bursting with bluebell flowers to a particularly charming image of the bunny slipper-clad Llewellyn, every inch of every spread is worth examining. In a surreal touch, the jars themselves become frames containing rainbows, cups of hot chocolate, lightning strikes, a family of ducks, ski slopes and the tight squeeze of a subway car. Enchanting, indeed.

In a Jar does what all the best picture books do: It captivates, entertains and leaves you with a reminder of magic still shimmering around the edges. 

Where’s Baby? puts a fresh twist on the concept behind the classic picture book Are You My Mother? Rather than a fledgling baby bird wandering far and wide, mistaking all manner of animals and objects for its mother, in Anne Hunter’s fanciful world, a hapless father fox sets out to find his cheeky baby pup.

Unable to find Baby Fox in the den, Papa Fox grabs his walking stick and heads into the forest. He climbs hills and wanders through fields. He peeks into burrows and peers into hollowed-out logs. Along the way, he finds an owl perched high in the canopy, a fish floating along in the creek and even a black bear out enjoying the day, but Baby Fox always manages to elude him.

Hunter’s illustrations are a striking testament to what can be achieved with just a few colored pencils and an ink pen. They’re also an integral part of this giggle-inducing hide-and-seek story, offering young readers the delight of spotting stealthy Baby Fox on each page as he sneaks around, avoiding his unwitting father’s gaze.

Though adults might be confused by Papa Fox’s inability to catch a glimpse of his child (is his vision going? Has he lost his keen sense of smell? Is he really that dull-witted?), clever and sharp-eyed children will look on Baby Fox’s evasions with glee as they point him out on page after page.

From its language to its artwork, Where’s Baby? is so sparse that it’s almost minimalist. At first glance, it seems to be a very simple book. And it is—simply entertaining.

When life’s got you down and you’re in a tough spot, who you gonna call—Ghostbusters? Maybe Batman? Or perhaps Wonder Woman? No way. Make your appeal, instead, to the Emergency Kittens! Mimi, Twee-Twee and Adorbs are three dainty, dauntless, daredevil cats with starry eyes, colorful capes and a superpower purr that is totally irresistible. 

Author Jody Jensen Shaffer (Prudence the Part-Time Cow) and illustrator Dave Mottram (Wordy Birdy) have teamed up to create a winning, child-pleasing combo: superheroes and fuzzy kittens. In this Batman-meets-Fluffy tale of rescue, the Emergency Kittens bound off the page and come out victorious.

When Sheldon’s basketball gets away from him at the playground, a group of kids nabs it and starts a game of keep-away. Nearby human superheroes show up in a flash and try their best to make things right. They move bulldozers, leap in the air and tie themselves in knots, but their efforts to obtain Sheldon’s ball are fruitless. If a half-dozen superheroes can’t help him, Sheldon wonders, who can?

Help soon arrives. Mimi, Twee-Twee and Adorbs pounce to the playground, rocking their soft fur and sparkly capes. They attempt their usual antics before opening their big eyes wide and purring their superpowered purrs. Who could resist? The mean kids play with the kittens and never notice Sheldon’s ball rolling back to him.

So the next time you drop your ice-cream cone, get a bad haircut or get stuck up a tree—have no fear. The Emergency Kittens will save the day!

Over the years, an old farm truck falls into disrepair and disuse. But the truck isn’t forgotten by the farmer’s daughter, who grows up to become a skilled farmer herself and dreams of a new kind of adventure. 

The Old Truck, the debut picture book from brothers Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey, is an instant classic, updating tried and true picture book themes for a diverse modern audience. With both Pumphrey brothers acting as author and illustrator, the result is seamless storytelling through both pictures and words. Their stamped artwork is visually distinctive, with bold shapes in mellow yet colorful tones. 

The Old Truck contains no dialogue, and even the narration is restrained, almost austere in its simplicity. The story is all the more remarkable for it. Using plain, accessible language, the Pumphreys personify the truck as its exhaustion reflects that of the farmer, and its own story comes full circle. Time passes gently; seasons change, wildflowers bloom, trees grow larger, baskets overflow with the harvest, and buildings quietly age.

You’ll love everything about The Old Truck, but my favorite part is how calmly and clearly the book conveys contemporary ethical messages that other picture books frantically, sometimes ploddingly, strive to achieve. It’s all there: strong, unwavering, capable women; local farm-to-market sensibility; and the importance of repairing and recycling what we have for the next generation. 

Sorry, other books, but it’s going to take a lot to beat The Old Truck to the top of my 2020 list.

Years ago, Susan Cooper wrote a beloved poem that has remained a mainstay of John Langstaff’s phenomenal theatrical production Christmas Revels, performed each year across the country (see it if you can!). Now transformed into a picture book, The Shortest Day is a joyful and timeless celebration of the winter solstice that will surely become a classic.

Even very young children will enjoy Cooper’s splendid, stately words: “And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world / Came people singing, dancing, / To drive the dark away.” The multitalented, Caldecott Honor-winning Carson Ellis (Du Iz Tak?) is the perfect illustrator for this project, using muted colors to accentuate the changing interplay between the sun and surrounding darkness. Beginning with a scene of prehistoric people and a godlike sun figure walking the earth, Ellis echoes the sweep of ages so prevalent in Cooper's poem, showing a progression of people and homes, ending with a modern house and children. In a helpful author’s note, Cooper explains both solstice celebrations and the evolution of her poem. In her words, “Welcome Yule!”

Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story From the Border is a poignant story set at the wall separating Tijuana and San Diego.

Young María and her little brother are traveling with their mother by bus. Their destination is an annual day when Border Patrol officials allow groups of people to gather in an area called the enforcement zone to talk and touch fingertips with those on the other side of the border. María and her family are going to see their Abuela, whom they haven’t seen for five years. “For a moment,” María notes, “the fences are invisible”—until she realizes her brother can’t give Abuela the drawing he made for her.

Mitali Perkins’ story is a perfect introduction for children to how borders separate families, delicately embracing the reunion’s joy and enduring sadness. Sara Palacios’ illustrations cheerfully capture the love among separated families as well as the realities of the border wall.

This superb picture book is a holiday story that deserves to be a year-round read.