Best Picture Books from 2018

If you have been following me on the ALSC blog, you might have seen my post with my 2018's favorite middle-grade books for tweens. 

With my new job, I have been doing more storytimes. It is only fair that I also do a best of list for picture books too! Of course, I love all of the books on Jbrary's list, but here a few more notable titles: 

Pretty Kitty by Karen Beaumont 

This is by far my favorite book of 2018. It is a counting book where more and more cats end up on an elderly man's porch. He doesn't want to keep them though. They might have fleas! 

If you look closely, however, you will see that the old man is setting food out for them, and he secretly is a big cat lover. The story has a sweet and satisfying ending and will have you wanting to count the kittens all over again. The spreads are beautiful and large enough for story time, and if you are brave, you can always create magnetic or felt cats to count along with the story. 

I personally used this clipart for my magnetic set. If you tie in the Scat the Cat rhyme and pair it with another one of my favorite titles, Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani, you have a storytime that is almost ready to go! 

Baby Shark 

I am not sure how Baby Shark got on the pop chart, but it has always been one of my favorite storytime songs. I recently discovered that there is now a book! Plug this book into your ocean storytime and emphasis on that print awareness for a storytime sure to be a success doo doo doo. 

Franklin and Luna Go to the Moon by Jen Campbell

Where do dragons come from? In the sequel to the book, Franklin's Flying Bookshop, Luna and her dragon friend, Franklin, start to wonder where Franklin came from. They decide they need to go on a quest to find out. 

First, they Google his family tree and email the princess for his parent's address. When that doesn't lead to anything, Luna suggests they check the moon (..because if dragons aren't on Earth, they must be in space, right?) When they land, they find more then Franklin's family.  

This picture book is great for all ages. 

It seems like it was made for school outreach visits where you can easily segway into how to do basic research. It is also a really sweet and funny story that you could easily plug into our space summer reading theme. Plus you could easily use this book as an excuse to do the song Zoom, Zoom, Zoom.  

We Love Dinosaurs by Lucy Volpin 

We Love Dinosaurs is actually a 2016 English title. It recently got a U.S. Edition and is worth checking out! With its simple rhymes, large pictures, and bright colors, this book is begging to be used in a toddler storytime! 

Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack

There aren't many great LGBTQ+ picture books out there, but this one is one to make note of. It is set in a fairytale format where the Prince is looking all over the land for love. He has many suitors, but none feel right until a special knight catches his eye. With beautiful illustrations and colors, this book is a true gem of 2018. 

Harold Loves His Woolly Hat by Vern Kousky 

Little Harold the bear has a special hat that sets him apart from all of the other bears. He wears it everywhere day and night. One day a sneaky crow comes by and steals poor Harold's hat! Harold tries everything to get it back. He even offers the crow blueberries, worms, and some shiny things, but the crow will not give the hat back. In one last effort to get it back, the little bear climbs up the tree to get the hat back himself, and he finds that the hat is keeping three baby crows warm. 

In a soft way, this book put emphasis on kindness and shows little ones that it's not what you have that is important but who you are. 

The pictures are large enough for storytime and you can pair audience participation as Harold tries to get his hat back. I haven't done a flannel with this book, but I think it is begging to be made into a flannel story too! Either way, it is fantastic winter storytime read for preschool and school-age children. 

Can I Be Your Dog by Troy Cummings 

Who doesn't love a book about dogs? In this story, a homeless dog named Arfy is looking for a home. He writes a series of letter to people up and down the street detailing what a wonderful dog he would be.  But, no one seems to want Arfy until the very post woman who has been delivering Arfy's letters decides to adopt him. 

This heartwarming picture book could be used for kids of all ages, but I see it working best with school-age kids. It could easily be paired with reading buddies or you could easily pair it with a dog program where you make dog toys for a local humane society. If you don't want to do a full program with this title, it is also just a sweet story to read on its own too! 

The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier

This diverse and clever retelling of the folk tale The Little Red Hen is my last notable title of 2018. It is about a little girl named Ruby who finds some boards and wants to build a fort! When her brothers don't want to help, Ruby builds the fort on her own. When she is all done, it is her brothers who want to play in it most of all. 

Both lyrical and eye-catching, this picture book would pair well with the original retelling of The Little Red Hen. I personally enjoy using a fannel set. This way after storytime, the kids can play with the fannel and retell the story. 

Did I miss any? What were your favorite picture books of 2018?