In 2017 I read about 600 picture books. Of those, 346 had been published in 2017. After I read each book, I took some notes, and rated them all on a scale from 1 to 9. The following 68 books all received a rating of 9.
These books charmed me. They made me laugh, they make me cry, they made me think. These book made me happy that I write picture books.
First I’ll mention my very favorites (in no particular order):
- A GREYHOUND A GROUND HOG by Emily Jenkins and Chris appelhaus
- I AM NOT A CHAIR by Ross Burach
- THE LEGEND OF ROCK PAPER SCISSORS by Drew Daywalt and Adam Rex
- THE GOOD FOR NOTHING BUTTON by Charise Mericle Harper
- AFTER THE FALL by Dan Santat
- THE WOLF THE DUCK AND THE MOUSE by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
And now for the full list (again, in no particular order):
| Picture Book | Author | Illustrator |
| LOVE, TRIANGLE | Colleen, Marcie | Shea, Bob |
| A GREYHOUND A GROUND HOG | Jenkins, Emily | Appelhans, Chris |
| NOPE! | Sheneman, Drew | Sheneman, Drew |
| LITTLE FOX IN THE FOREST | Graegin, Stephanie | Graegin, Stephanie |
| LOVE IS | Adams, Diane | Keane, Claire |
| I AM JIM HENSON | Meltzer, Brad | Eliopoulos, Christopher |
| THE LEGENDARY MISS LENA HORNE | Weatherford, Carole Boston | Zunon, Elizabeth |
| WHEN JACKIE SAVED GRAND CENTRAL | Wing, Natasha | Boiger, Alexandra |
| CHARLOTTE AND THE ROCK | Martin, Stephen W. | Cotterill, Samantha |
| FRESH PICKED POETRY | Schaub, Michelle | Huntington, Amy |
| SLOPPY WANTS A HUG | Julian, Sean | Julian, Sean |
| I AM NOT A CHAIR | Burach, Ross | Burach, Ross |
| MOO MOO IN A TUTU | Miller, Tim | Miller, Tim |
| LIFE ON MARS | Agee, Jon | Agee, Jon |
| ROSIE & CRAYON | Marcero, Deborah | Marcero, Deborah |
| POPPY LOUISE IS NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING | McCarthy, Jenna | Idle, Molly |
| THE LEGEND OF ROCK PAPER SCISSORS | Daywalt, Drew | Rex, Adam |
| PLEASE PLEASE THE BEES | Kelley, Gerald | Kelley, Gerald |
| BEAR LIKES JAM | Gavin, Ciara | Gavin, Ciara |
| I LIKE, I DON’T LIKE | Baccelliere, Anna | Ale + Ale |
| MRS. MCBEE LEAVES ROOM 3 | McLellan, Gretchen Brandenberg | Zong, Grace |
| PRISCILLA GORILLA | Bottner, Barbara | Emberley, Michael |
| THE YOUNGEST MARCHER | Levinson, Cynthia | Newton, Vanessa Brantley |
| OLIVIA THE SPY | Falconer, Ian | Falconer, Ian |
| MOUSE AND HIPPO | Twohy, Mike | Twohy, Mike |
| THE GOOD FOR NOTHING BUTTON | Harper, Charise Mericle | Harper, Charise Mericle |
| I’M AWAKE | Eaton III, Maxwell | Eaton III, Maxwell |
| CHARLOTTE THE SCIENTIST IS SQUISHED | Andros, Camille | Farley, Brianne |
| BULLDOZER HELPS OUT | Fleming, Candace | Rohmann, Eric |
| WHAT THIS STORY NEEDS IS A BANG AND A CLANG | Virjan, Emma J. | Virjan, Emma, J. |
| A PIG, A FOX, AND STINKY SOX | Fenske, Jonathan | Fenske, Jonathan |
| ROLLING THUNDER | Messner, Kate | Ruth, Greg |
| LITTLE EXCAVATOR | Dewdney, Anna | Dewdney, Anna |
| BLOOM | Diesen, Deborah | Lundquist, Mary |
| ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL ANSWERS THE CALL | Fraser, Mary Ann | Fraser, Mary ann |
| THERE’S A PEST IN THE GARDEN | Thomas, Jan | Thomas, Jan |
| BRAVO! | Engle, Margarita | Lopez, Rafael |
| LITTLE RED RIDING SHEEP | Lodding, Linda Ravin | Atkinson, Cale |
| MUHAMMAD ALI: A CHAMPION IS BORN | Barretta, Gene | Morrison, Frank |
| ALMOST EVERYBODY FARTS | Kelley, Marty | Kelley, Marty |
| ALL THE WAY TO HAVANA | Engle, Margarita | Curato, Mike |
| NOTHING RHYMES WITH ORANGE | Rex, Adam | Rex, Adam |
| THE BOOK OF GOLD | Staake, Bob | Staake, Bob |
| CANCER HATES KISSES | Sliwerski, Jessica Reid | Song, Mika |
| POCKET FULL OF COLORS | Guglielmo, Amy & Tourville, Jacquline | Barrager, Brigette |
| MAYA LIN | Harvey, Jeanne Walker | Phumiruk, Dow |
| THE BAD MOOD AND THE STICK | Snicket, Lemony | Forsythe, Matthew |
| BRUCE’S BIG MOVE | Higgins, Ryan T. | Higgins, Ryan T. |
| BLACK BELT BUNNY | Davis, Jacky | Fleck, Jay |
| DRAGONS RULE, PRINCESSES DROOL! | Pippin-Mathur, Courtney | Pippin-Mathur, Courtney |
| ELLA WHO? | Ashman, Linda | Sanchez, Sara |
| CREEPY PAIR OF UNDERWEAR! | Reynolds, Aaron | Brown, Peter |
| MIGUEL AND THE GRAND HARMONY | de la Pena, Matt | Ramirez, Ana |
| ALFIE | Heder, Thyra | Heder, Thyra |
| BIZZY MIZZ LIZZIE | Shannon, David | Shannon, David |
| FRANK THE SEVEN-LEGGED SPIDER | Razi, Michaele | Razi, Michaele |
| MINE! | Mack, Jeff | Mack, Jeff |
| THE LITTLE RED CAT WHO RAN AWAY AND LEARNED HIS ABC’S | McDonnell, Patrick | McDonnell, Patrick |
| AFTER THE FALL | Santat, Dan | Santat, Dan |
| MUDDY | Mahin, Michael | Turk, Evan |
| THE WOLF THE DUCK & THE MOUSE | Barnett, Mac | Klassen, Jon |
| HOW TO BE AN ELEPHANT | Roy, Katherine | Roy, Katherine |
| GRAND CANYON | Chin, Jason | Chinm Jason |
| MIGHTY MOBY | DaCosta, Barbara | Young, Ed |
| GRIMELDA AND THE SPOOKTACULAR PET SHOW | Murray, Diana | Ross, Heather |
| BONAPARTE FALLS APART | Cuyler, Margery | Terry, Will |
| SNAPPSY THE ALLIGATOR AND HIS BEST FRIEND FOREVER! | Falatko, Julie | Miller, Tim |
| SAM & EVA | Ohi, Debbie Ridpath | Ohi, Debbie Ridpath |
| DOGOSAURUS REX | Staniszewski, Anna | Hawkes, Kevin |