Picture Book Round-Up #20

It’s our last picture book round-up of the year, so here are some lovely titles I read in November 2023.

Unstoppable Jamie by Joy Givens, illustrated by Courtney Dawsong

If you’re looking for more picture books with Down Syndrome representation, pick up this book. I won it via a Goodreads giveaway, and thought it was a cute, fun read! It’s written by a mother who has a son with DS and recounts a real-life journey to the Buddy Walk in NYC, including Jamie feeling overwhelmed by the city, etc. It would also work well for autism-relatability as a large part of what it focuses on is sensory management, etc. Strong book with saccharine sweetness.

My Cousin’s Mermaid by Anna Staniszewski, illustrated by Ewa Poklewska-Kozietto

A fun, international picture book from Barefoot Books that will resonate with any reader who has felt different then their family. Natalia and her mother are visiting Poland after two years ago, and though she speaks some Polish, Natalia feels a huge culutral barrier between her and her cousin. But when she pulls out her mermaid doll, they find a common language, and go on a journey to see the Warsaw Mermaid and share stories and fairytales with each other. It’s got some great international illustrations and big, bold font, including some polish words and strong backmatter!

A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney

Jerry Pinkney is the kind of illustrator that danced across my childhood without me ever knowing his name, but now I feel like I see it everywhere. This gorgeous, lyrical meditation on nature and father-son relationships and coupled with the illustrations of Brian and Jerry Pinkney is a real treat! I don’t think I can see this resonating with kids under 12, I’ll be honest, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful!

Just One Flake by Travis Jonker

This is a cute non-holiday winter tale about a boy trying to catch a snowflake and then loving the uniqueness of snowflakes and decorating his room with them. It’s fun, the illustration style is simple and very child-friendly,and I can see a kid wanting to read this again and again on the days it snows!

This Book is Banned by Raj Haldar and Julia Patton

This isn’t about “book banning” but will probably get many parent’s to pick it up ASAP, and there’s a fair amount of funny book references throughout that introduce the concept of how ridiculous it is to restrict books to younger readers, and the pages are full and active.