I may be an adult, but I love picture books. The stories, the style, the illustrations, they all fill me with joy. It always brings me great joy to share my favourite recently released picture books at the end of the year, and this year is no exception. So without further ado, here are my favourite picture books released in 2023. Let me know in the comments if I missed your favourite!
Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine by Hannah Moushabeck, illustrated by Reem Madooh
With warm, vibrant, tender illustrations, Homeland is the picture book memoir of author Hannah Moushabek as she describes her father’s Palestinian homelands that she has never had the chance to see. It takes a serious issue and looks at it with realism, heart, and even a bit of humour. It’s a more timely book than ever, offering up a touching story that humanizes a people who have often been dehumanized in recent news coverage.
Benny the Bananasaurus Rex by Sarabeth Holden, illustrated by Emma Pedersen
Benny the Bananasaurus Rex is an adorable little book about a young boy who is obsessed with both bananas and tyrannosaurus rexes and daydreams of becoming both. It’s playful and imaginative, with vibrant, cartoony illustrations, and was a big hit with my six year old niece, who found the humour worth requesting repeat reading sessions.
Fire Shapes The World by Joanna Cooke, illustrated by Cornelia Li and Diana Renzina
A poetically told nonfiction book, Fire Shapes the World shares the history and science of fire and how fire shapes the world around us. It’s a great educational resource that touches on the seriousness of climate change as well (particularly considering the increase in wildfires). It is also a genuine pleasure to read, and the illustrations are gorgeous, with a fiery colour palette.
Just Like Grandma by Kim Rogers, illustrated by Julie Flett
I absolutely love Julie Flett’s illustrations, which is why I read Just Like Grandma, but Kim Rogers absolutely delivers on the text here as well. Firmly rooted in the author’s Wichita culture, the story is about a granddaughter who dreams of being like her grandmother, and her grandmother who dreams of being like her granddaughter.
Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector by Janice N. Harrington, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III
An excellent picture book biography, Rooting for Plants tells the story of Charles S. Parker, a Black botanist and mycologist. It covers his scientific career, his time fighting in WWI, and his time as a teacher. The illustrations are vibrant and accessible. Science and history minded children (and adults!) will find something to learn and enjoy here.
The Secret Pocket by Peggy Janicki, illustrated by Carrielynn Victor
The Secret Pocket tells the story of author Peggy Janicki’s mother Mary and her time in a residential school. The subject matter is heavy but necessary, and the story focuses on the resilience of Mary and her friends as they sewed pockets into their clothes to conceal extra food to stay fed, which makes it a great read for kids first learning about the horrors of the residential school system in Canada.
To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights by Angela Dalton, illustrated by Lauren Semmer
To Boldly Go is a picture book biography of Nichelle Nichols that focuses on her career as an actor on Star Trek and her incredible influence on pop culture, science, and Civil Rights. Kids interested in science, science fiction, art, and history will find it interesting, and all kids will find the Civil Rights history aspects to be handled in a way that will hold their attention.
Finding Papa by Angela Pham Krans, illustrated by Thi Bui
Based on author Angela Pham Krans’s life, Finding Papa tells the story of a young girl in Vietnam whose father leaves ahead of the family to find work, and then she and her mother join him later, leaving the country as refugees. Thi Bui offers stunning illustrations, and the story is engaging, emotional, and educational, and offers some comforting humour alongside it all.
My Baba’s Garden by Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith
My Baba’s Garden is based on the relationship between author Jordan Scott and his grandmother. Like the author, I grew up often being looked after my (great-)grandmother, an eastern European immigrant, whose love languages included a great deal of gardening and cooking, but whose literal languages did not include much English. Anyone who is or has been close to an immigrant grandparent will find this book to be a comfort.
Ramen for Everyone by Patricia Tanumihardja, illustrated by Shiho Pate
Ramen for Everyone follows Hiro, a young boy who wants to learn to make a bowl of ramen as good as his dad does. While he learns that you can’t gain that level of skill overnight, he also learns that creativity can liven up any dish. The illustrations are adorable and delicious, and a very yummy looking recipe is included at the end.
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Steph Littlebird
My Powerful Hair is a gorgeously told and beautifully illustrated picture book about the emotional and cultural significance of hair to some Indigenous communities, and the ways many Indigenous people are reclaiming their identities through growing long hair that has been denied to them historically, such as by being forcibly cut in residential schools.
Another of my favourites this year was written by Carole Lindstrom, and while I decided to only feature one of them, I also want to add a nod to Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior, illustrated by Bridget George, about Grandmother Josephine Mandamin and her great-niece Autumn Peltier and their work as environmental and Indigenous rights activists.
Shizue’s Path by Mark Sakamoto, illustrated by Rachel Wada
While many more books, including picture books, have been released in recent years regarding Japanese-American incarceration during WWII, far fewer content has been released regarding Japanese-Canadian incarceration during WWII. Shizue’s Path tells the story of author Mark Sakamoto’s great-aunt, who spent years in an incarceration camp in Alberta. The story is lengthier in the text than most picture books, but it’s a fantastic educational resource for home and classrooms, and the illustrations are breathtaking.
There Was A Party For Langston: King O’ Letters by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey
There Was a Party for Langston celebrates Langston Hughes, the impact he has had on Black writers since, the party that was had to celebrate Langston Hughes when an auditorium was opened in his name at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and of the picture that was taken at that event in which Amiri Baraka and Maya Angelou danced joyfully together. Not only is it an educational book, it’s also an absolute delight and joyful reading experience.
Big by Vashti Harrison
Big tells the story of a young Black girl who faces fatphobia and adultification bias as a result of her size. It’s a heartbreaking story, but one that shows a young girl finding courage and love in herself despite the world being the way it is. It’s a moving book, and one that too many children will find relatable. Harrison’s illustrations are a comforting and warm balm in this difficult story.
Heart Berry Bling by Jenny Kay Dupuis, illustrated by Eva Campbell
Heart Berry Bling tells the story of Maggie who goes to visit her granny to learn to bead. During this warm and comforting moment between grandmother and granddaughter, Granny also tells Maggie about how she lost her Indian status as a result of marrying someone who was not Indigenous. It highlights gender discrimination in the Indian Act (men never lost status as a result of marriage), while also teaching the importance of beading to the Anishinaabe community, of strawberries (the titular heart berries), and of being patient when learning a new skill.
Garden of Lost Socks by Esi Edugyan, illustrated by Amelie Dubois
Garden of Lost Socks follows Akosua, an exquirologist (a made up word meaning a person who is an expert at finding things), who makes friends with a boy named Max, a journalist (a real word meaning someone who writes about things that have been found), as they go on an adventure together to find Max’s missing sock, one of a pair gifted to him by his nana basia all the way in Ghana. It’s a super cute little adventure story about friendship and finding things, with vibrant art that brings the adventure to life.
The Skull by Jon Klassen
The Skull is a less conventional inclusion, but I’m including it anyway. At over a hundred pages long and broken into chapters, it could definitely be considered a chapter book, but it has illustrations on every page and about as much text per page as a picture book, so here we are. This retelling of a Tyrolean folktale is about a young girl who runs away from home and takes solace in a secluded castle where the only resident is a talking skull. It’s a fun folktale with gorgeous illustrations, and great for kids who like their stories a bit on the spooky side.
Lolo’s Sari-Sari Store by Sophie N. Lee, illustrated by Christine Almeda
Lolo’s Sari-Sari Store is about a young girl who helps her lolo (grandpa) with his sari-sari store (variety store) where they live in the Philippines. He teaches her many lessons about friendship, community, and listening to what people really need. When she moves to the USA to live with her mom, she feels lonely and misses her lolo and her community, but eventually she puts his lessons to good use to make new friends and build new community where she is. It’s a heartwarming story with great messages and vibrant illustrations.
Stand as Tall as the Trees: How an Amazonian Community Protected the Rain Forest by Patricia Gualinga and Laura Resau, illustrated by Vanessa Jaramillo
Co-author Patricia Gualinga shares her personal story in Stand as Tall as The Trees, describing her life in her Quechua community in the Amazon in Ecuador, how the government authorised the destruction of the part of rainforest they lived in, and how she and her community fought back to stop this from happening. The story focuses on protecting the environment and respecting Indigenous sovereignty, and kids will enjoy the story she has to tell and the art that pops off the page with colour while learning about real world activism.
The Feminist Bibliothecary 