Best children's picture books from the last 5 years?

October 19, 2018 7:58 AM

Looking for the best children's books for 1 to three year olds printed in the last few years.
posted by cda to Media & Arts (18 answers total)

I’d suggest Accident, by Andrea Tsurumi. Probably more appropriate for a 3 year old than a one year old; we had a lot of fun reading it with our 4 year old.
posted by pombe at 8:03 AM on October 19, 2018

My kiddo *loves* The Weather Girls and I agree.
posted by brainmouse at 8:11 AM on October 19, 2018

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
posted by BadgerDoctor at 8:14 AM on October 19, 2018

Our kid loves King Baby with a deep and abiding passion, and it's one of the few books I don't mind reading to him over and over, because the writing is smart and Beaton's drawings are a joy to look at.

He also loves pretty much everything from the *ablock series.
posted by joyceanmachine at 8:34 AM on October 19, 2018 [5 favorites]

My son loved Chris Haughton books, especially Shh We Have A Plan and Little Owl Lost.
posted by Ideal Impulse at 8:38 AM on October 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

The first book (Little Owl's Night) came out in 2011, but Little Owl's Day is from the last five years and is excellent. They were the first books our daughter asked for by name.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:01 AM on October 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Uni the unicorn (2014/2017) is really cute. Artwork is gorgeous.

Also, I don't usually self-promote in threads, but I'm kind of proud of "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee: ...and a few friends!", which is a kid's book I self-published a few years ago. I've gotten some unsolicited good feedback on it so I hope it's not just me.
posted by pyro979 at 9:03 AM on October 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Just outside your window, but Dragons Love Tacos. Every one of my friends who have had kids in the past few years rave about it.
posted by General Malaise at 9:11 AM on October 19, 2018 [5 favorites]

My kid loved Go Fish! which came out in July. They also really like Truck, Truck, Goose by the same authors.
posted by kendrak at 9:16 AM on October 19, 2018

The Journey trilogy, by Aaron Becker. No words, only beautiful drawings. Journey, Return, Quest.

Rosie Revere, Engineer
posted by sacrifix at 9:24 AM on October 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

We got a lot of mileage out of Surf's Up by Kwami Alexander.
posted by vunder at 9:33 AM on October 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

My child loved A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na. It is absolutely beautifully illustrated.
posted by erst at 9:37 AM on October 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Swan, by Laurel Snyder is beautiful.
posted by elmer benson at 9:51 AM on October 19, 2018

Jon Klassen's I Want my Hat Back, This is Not My Hat, and Triangle are all silly, fun to read out loud, and have great art. Klassen is pretty much another Eric Carle at this point but with his own art style. Better for three year olds than one year olds.
posted by mattamatic at 10:09 AM on October 19, 2018 [5 favorites]

My three year old loves Owl Babies, The Princess and the Pony and King Baby by Kate Beaton, Julian is a Mermaid, and The Carp in the Bathtub (which I loved as a kid; I got our current copy for a dollar at Dog Eared Books in San Francisco, the link is just to show you the cover).
posted by Lawn Beaver at 11:04 AM on October 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Bunnybear by Andrea Loney
Press Here by Herve Tullet
Anna Hibiscus' Song by Atinuke
Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge
Any of Olivier Dunrea's Gosling series (Ollie, BooBoo, Gossie, etc...)
posted by tangosnail at 12:39 PM on October 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Feminist Baby!
posted by galvanized unicorn at 1:02 PM on October 19, 2018

Press Here in terms of interaction vs art (2011)
posted by typecloud at 12:49 PM on October 20, 2018 [1 favorite]