Christmas Gift Guide: Brilliant Picture Books

I don't usually partake in the Christmas Gift Guide making, but as I was reading to my kids the other night it struck me that we are fairly adventurous explorers of picture books and have a lot of beautiful and brilliant ones we could recommend. Because they're picture books, I'm sticking to the less well-known titles that we love, or less well-known titles by well-known authors, and I hope that you pick up some of these for your kids/nieces and nephews/cousins/friends kids/yourselves. If you do, let me know what you/they think of them! Links go to Wordery and are not affiliate, but I hope you'll consider using them as they are an independent online bookseller. They offer free worldwide shipping and are generally great. Nobody's paying me to say this, it's just my honest opinion. I use them for pretty much everything I don't buy off eBay or publishers websites.

The Snatchabook by Helen and Thomas Dochery

The inhabitants of Burrow Down are having their bedtime stories stolen by a little snatchabook, but his motives aren't what they seem. This is a really sweet book about the importance of bedtime stories and the artwork, as you can see, is absolutely beautiful as well. We first discovered it through the library and just kept borrowing it until eventually we caved and bought our own copy. We read it at least once a week and it makes everybody smile, every time. Perfect for ages 0-5 (but good for everyone).



The Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler


Probably everyone's heard of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child and some of the other well known books by this duo, but I know that The Highway Rat has passed a lot of people by, myself included! If it wasn't for Hanna including it in the wonderful box she sent when Ben was born I wouldn't have heard of it, but it's amazing. It's The Highwayman but retold with the central villain as a rat who steals the creatures food as they travel down the road. You may find yourself randomly reciting bits of it while at work, you have been warned. Perfect for 0-5 and anyone who is familiar with The Highwayman as you will find it amazing and hilarious.

No Matter What by Debi Gliori

A lot of people love Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, and that's a favourite of ours too. Less well known though along similar lines is this beautiful book. Debbi Gliori's artwork is beautiful and the sentiment behind this story ("I'll always love you, no matter what") is lovely. It's a favourite bedtime story in our house. Perfect for 0-5 and kids any age who need to be reminded that they are loved.







Someone Bigger by Jonathan Emmett and Adrian Reynolds


This is a wonderful book about Sam and his dad who make a kite and go out to fly it (I'm physically having to restrain myself from reciting the first few lines at this point, I know it so well). Sam wants to hold it, but his dad is adamant that 'this kite needs someone bigger', even as he (and half the town) are pulled up into the sky by the wind. Eventually Sam gets hold of the kite and proves that he was right all along. The boys love it, and even more so now that we also have a Sam - he thinks the character was named after him, it's very cute. Perfect for 0-5. Another one you'll wake up reciting, in the best way.



The Sandman: The Story of Sanderson Mansnoozie by William Joyce

If you've seen the movie Rise of the Guardians you'll be familiar with the character of The Sandman, but this is part of the series of books that the movie was based on. Both the story - about how The Sandman became The Sandman and began to be in charge of protecting children's dreams - and the artwork are stunningly beautiful, and it even helped Ben to sleep better because he knows that the Sandman is keeping the bad dreams away now. There are two other picture books in Joyce's Guardians of Childhood series: The Man in the Moon and Jack Frost which I'm sure are also great. We've not read them yet, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them based on this one. Perfect for anyone who enjoys a beautiful story.

Sylvester and the New Year by Emmeline Pidgen

I mentioned this recently in my feature on Far Far Away Books. This is a beautiful picture book retelling of a fairytale. Sylvester is kind of like Santa except that he is charged with bringing the New Year to Earth each year and taking away the old one. In this tale, the new year is a baby and the old year an old man who is then brought back to where Sylvester lives and put into the river of life, where he will become young ago and be the new year for the next year. We loved the simple, beautiful story. Perfect for 0-5 and anyone who's interested in fairytales.



The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-Cat by Julia Donaldson and Charlotte Voake

A sequel to Edward Lear's great The Owl and the Pussy Cat poem, this details what happened to the owl and the pussy cat after they got married, and is particularly fun if you know (as we do) the song because you can sing the book to that tune. Julia Donaldson has of course written a song for the book but I grew up with this one. It's really fun. Perfect for 0-7

Alfie Weather by Shirley Hughes


I'm sure everyone has heard of Alfie, but he is my absolute favourite and I couldn't not put him on this list. Alfie Weather is a lovely little seasonal collection. Although none of the stories are Christmas based, a few of them are wintery and beautiful and make you feel snuggly with talk of biscuit baking and expeditions to the North Pole. If you know Alfie you'll know that he's all about the simple pleasures and every time we read this collection it reminds me about what's really important in life. Also the artwork is gorgeous, of course. Perfect for 0-7, and nostalgic parents.


I Want My Hat Back & This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

These may be the most hilarious two children's books I've ever read, and definitely the funniest picture books. The first is about a bear who has lost his hat and goes around asking people about it, and then eventually regains it by dubious means. The second is about a little fish who steals a hat from a big fish while he's sleeping and then tries to hide from the big fish. They will tax your ability to do voices and suspicion while reading but they are so so funny and definitely worth the effort. Everyone was giggling hysterically by the end. Perfect for everyone who loves hilarious things.



Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess



If you're looking for something beautiful and inspiring for a little girl (or little boy, but it is about a girl, as the title suggests) you really can't do better than this. It's like a little guide for life and full of hopes and dreams and wonderfulness, as is everything Neil Gaiman writes. The illustration is beautiful and I really, really highly recommend it. Perfect for anyone in need of inspiration or encouragement!



If you have favourite, beloved, beautiful picture books which aren't on this list please let me know in the comments or on twitter! I'm always on the lookout for gorgeous stories to add to our collection, and I hope that I've introduced you to some new titles with this list!

Banned Books Week: The Picture Book Edition

This week is Banned Books Week and once again lovely Sheila of Book Journey is inviting lots of bloggers to post,review and do giveaways on the subject. I'm participating for the fourth time and wanted to write about something I've not already written about. Previous years have seen me writing about why it's important to celebrate Banned Books Week, some of the banned and challenged books of 2012-13 that have meant the most to me, and a general rant about banning and why it's bad. This year I have two little children who love stories. I'm seeing how much the stories we read together affect the things they think about and the questions that they ask and I'm so grateful to have books to help start the conversation. I've said it before and I'll say it again; books should not be banned just because their subject makes people uncomfortable. Books start the conversation and one of the most important things we can do in the world we are currently living in is to have the conversation, especially if the conversation is a little difficult and a little uncomfortable but leaves everybody more informed and empathetic afterwards.

This year's theme for Banned Books Week is YA. To be honest I sort of didn't realise/remember that there was a theme until after I'd written this post, so what you get is pre-YA aka picture books.

That said, here are some books to start the conversation. All of these books have been challenged or banned, and you can win all of them in my giveaway below.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak 

If you don't know this book I honestly don't know where you've been. I loved it as a kid, my kids now love it and in the interim there was a film made of it. It has a turbulent history that I knew nothing of before starting to research this post. Before it was even published Sendak spent four years arguing with his publishers about the content of the book. He eventually won and the book was published in 1967 to mixed reviews. It has been challenged because of its representation of a disobedient child (apparently hard for parents to take in that period) and its apparent 'glorifying' of Max's anger. Bruno Bettleheim, who I've previously come across in a very different light during my dissertation about feminism and fairytales, called the book psychologically damaging to three and four year olds and thought that Max's mother denying him dinner was inappropriate punishment which would traumatise children. It's also been challenged for images 'promoting witchcraft and the supernatural'.

To all of this I say, what?! All children are disobedient sometimes, "And Max, the king of all wild things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all" hardly sounds like he was massively traumatised by being denied dinner. Also at the end of the book when he gets home, his dinner is waiting for him and it's still warm. For me this book sums up everything that is great about home. You can go off adventuring and then come home to where someone loves you best of all and be sure that dinner will be waiting. I search out books like this to help reinforce the feeling of home and safety and unconditional love that our boys get from us and honestly it's a beautiful, crazy, awesome book.

Other banned & challenged Maurice Sendak books: Outside Over There, In the Night Kitchen


The Lorax by Dr Seuss 

I couldn't believe it when I found out that this had been challenged. We're seriously huge Dr Seuss fans in my house, after having not been at all when I was a child myself, and I enjoy discovering his books as much as my kids do. The Lorax was challenged particularly for its negative representation of the logging industry in several communities where that is the primary business and was banned back in 1989 in California. I think this book has a fantastic message about ecological responsibility and taking care of the planet and I'm always sad that people would find such messages a threat. One of my favourite things about Dr Seuss are the themes contained in his books, and I would say this book is well worth a read!

Other banned & challenged Dr Seuss books: Yertle the Turtle, Green Eggs and Ham

The Family Book by Todd Parr

I'd actually never heard of this book before starting to research this post but I shall be reading it with my children during the course of this week. The Family Book was banned in an Illinois school district because of its references to same -sex parents. Apparently it's inappropriate for elementary school aged children to be learning about 'different family structures'. Personally I think that's exactly the time children should be being taught about all of the different family structures they're likely to come across throughout their lives, before they make tactless and potentially hurtful comments about something because they don't understand and have never been taught about it. Yes this is (or should be) part of our job as parents. No, everybody's parents aren't going to do it. I hope my children always feel like they can come home and ask questions about what they're learning in school, but honestly, I want them to be learning something in school to come home and ask questions about!

And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

I'm sure that a lot of you will have heard about this book as it's been in the most challenged lists for the past few years. It's about two male penguins in Central Park Zoo who became a couple and were given an egg to raise. I'm sure you can guess why it's been challenged - if you're not new to the subject of banning you'll probably be painfully aware of the number of books which are challenged because of their homosexual themes (basically because of other people's homophobia). Honestly I find it mind boggling that people think it's acceptable to challenge a book because of its gay characters. If I were to say 'hey school board, I don't think anyone should read this book because there are black people/Scottish people/people with Downs Syndrome in it and I'm not black/Scottish/don't have Downs Syndrome' nobody would take it seriously, and yet if people don't want not just their children but anybody's children to be able to read a book because they are uncomfortable with homosexuality that's a thing the people in authority have to actually consider? That makes no sense to me.

My final thought for this year's Banned Books Week is the same as the previous three. Have the conversation, challenge your preconceptions, and most of all don't you dare tell my children what they can't read. 

You can win all of the above titles by filling in the Rafflecopter form. The contest is open internationally and I'll draw a winner on Sunday evening, good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


More about Banned Books Week here and check out lists of banned books here.