Favorite Childrens books of 2016 thus far

I was on LitJoy Crates Facebook live yesterday with my business partner Alix and we shared some of our favorite childrens books that we've received as possibilities for our LitJoy book boxes but ultimately couldn't use. 

We've received SO many great childrens books it's been hard to pick just one to include each month so we wanted to share several of our "runner up" choices that we think everyone needs to read!

A B SEE

By Elizabeth Doyle

For Ages: 2 - 5

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what’s in a single letter? Everything in A B See!

Because hidden in each graphic letter are tiny troves of ABC treasures waiting to be found by sharp-eyed readers. Can you find the apple, arrow, and armor in the letter A? Or the bear, banjo, and bike buried in the letter B? Read along in this unique alphabet board book that asks audiences to A B See beyond the ABCs.

ACHOO!

By Virginie Morgand

Ages 2 and up

It’s spring and the animals in the forest can’t stop sneezing. But something surprising happens each time an animal says “Achoo!” After sniffing a flower, Bear sneezes, and his round blue ears fly to the next page, where Fox mistakes them for blueberries.

 But before Fox knows it, “Achoo!”—and his triangular ears are soaring over the next page, to be found by another animal. At the end of the book, readers see how each animal has sneezed their way to a completely new look. Filled with humor, Achoo! is an entertaining introduction to shapes and colors.

DON'T SPLASH THE SASQUATCH!

by Kent Redeker, Bob Staake

Ages 3-5

When Senor Sasquatch decides to spend the day by the pool, he hopes that he doesn't get splashed. Water can make his fur all squizzilefied, and Senor Sasquatch does not like to be squizzilefied! But when the other swimmers take the plunge, Senor Sasquatch finds that staying dry is not so easy.

BEAR SPOTTING

By: Michelle Robinson, David Roberts

Ages 3-6

In this perfect read-aloud, sure to delight kids and parents alike, a young aspiring bear spotter ventures into bear country . . . But coming face-to-face with the furry creatures themselves, whether black or brown, can be dangerous, and our protagonist--accompanied by a trusty teddy bear--might need to use some unconventional means to stay out of trouble and avoid being (gulp!) eaten.

THERE IS A TRIBE OF KIDS

by Lane Smith

Ages 4-8

When a young boy embarks on a journey alone . . .

he trails a colony of penguins,

undulates in a smack of jellyfish,

clasps hands with a constellation of stars,

naps for a night in a bed of clams,

and follows a trail of shells, 

home to his tribe of friends.

If Lane Smith's Caldecott Honor Book Grandpa Green was an homage to aging and the end of life,There Is a Tribe of Kids is a meditation on childhood and life's beginning. Smith's vibrant sponge-paint illustrations and use of unusual collective nouns such as smack and unkindness bring the book to life. Whimsical, expressive, and perfectly paced, this story plays with language as much as it embodies imagination.

DON'T TOUCH THIS BOOK!

By Bill Cotter

Ages 2-5

Larry the lovable monster from Don't Push the Button! is back with another hilarious, interactive adventure!

I know what you're thinking: this is a pretty cool-looking book. But...

DON'T TOUCH THIS BOOK! (Don't even try it, bub.)

Okay, okay. You can touch, but you can only use ONE finger.

Whoa. How'd you do that?

Larry is a loveable monster, but he has trouble sharing. It's up to you to show him how it's done!

AN AFTER BEDTIME STORY

by: Shoham Smith, Einat Tsarfati

Ages 5-7

Little Nina will not go to bed. Not when the adults are having so much fun in the other room without her! Before her exasperated parents can catch up, Nina escapes her bedroom and races through the house, sampling cakes and just generally stirring up trouble. With Nina on the loose, a cordial family party becomes a wild good time, as her aunts and uncles join in the riotous fun. Finally it’s time for the guests to leave, and it is bedtime at last—not just for Nina, but for the entire exhausted family.

 Illustrated with stylishly appealing three-color art, this is a loving, funny portrait of family life—and of what bedtime is often really like.

IT CAME IN THE MAIL

by Ben Clanton, Ben Clanton 

Ages 4-8

Liam really wants some mail, so he writes a letter to his mailbox asking for something in return. His mailbox delivers, sending Liam more than he could have hoped for...and how! But as the mail starts to pile up, Liam realizes that the best packages and parcels are even better when shared with friends.

 From the author-illustrator of Something Extraordinary comes a tale filled with dragons, pickles, friendship, and lots of mail--perfect for fans of Mo Willems and Bob Shea.

SOPHIE'S SQUASH & 

SOPHIE'S SQUASH GOES TO SCHOOL

by Pat Zietlow Miller, Anne Wilsdorf

Ages 3-7

On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble? 

SOPHIE'S SQUASH GOES TO SCHOOL: 

This charming sequel to the beloved Sophie’s Squash is the perfect antidote to the back-to-school jitters. Sophie goes to school for the first time and has no interest in making friends that aren’t squash. Here’s a gently humorous read-aloud that proves that making friends, just like growing squash, takes time. 

On Sophie’s first day of school, nobody appreciates her two best friends, Bonnie and Baxter, baby squash that she grew in her garden. Even worse, one classmate, Steven Green, won’t leave Sophie alone. He sits by her at circle time. He plays near her during recess. And he breathes on her while she paints. Steven just wants to be friends, but Sophie isn’t interested. Still, Sophie knows that her squash friends won’t last forever. Maybe it would be nice to have some human friends after all. . . .

A TIGER TAIL: 

(Or What Happened to Anya on Her First Day of School)

by Mike Boldt

Ages 4-8

From the creative mind of rising star Mike Boldt comes a hilarious and original tale about overcoming back-to-school jitters, making new friends, and taking things in stride.

Anya wakes up to discover that she has grown a tiger tail. Yes, a striped tiger tail. It also happens to be the first day of school. What will the other kids think? Are girls with tiger tails even allowed to go to school?!

Anya is about to find out.

I am EXTREMELY picky about what books I buy to add to my childrens library and I feel confident saying that I'd purchase ALL of the books on this list!

Happy Reading!