2024 Gift Guide: The Picture Books
November 23, 2024 Comments Off on 2024 Gift Guide: The Picture Books

This year’s Gift Guide continues with twelve favorite picture books of the late summer and fall. I think this might be the best collection of picture books I’ve ever put on a Gift Guide: every single one is a book I would have happily bought for my own kids and never tired of reading (on repeat!). Many a night I lay in bed turning picture book titles over in my head to land on just the right combination. And I love where I landed. I really, really love these quirky, imaginative, beautiful, memorable books that enfold the listener in the magic and merriment of storytelling. (Spoiler alert: even when they smell like vomit.)
I wish you luck making the hard choices, because there are so many good options. As always, links will take you to Old Town Books, where I take great pride in curating the kids and teens collection, and I hope you will consider supporting us.
And PSST, if you’ve got a kiddo who is starting to come out of picture books, don’t miss the last one on this list: it’s long-form, wonderfully inventive, and proves once again that the Brits are in a class of their own when it comes to children’s stories.
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November 14, 2023 § 1 Comment

Welcome to the second installment of this year’s Gift Guide, a collection of the giftiest picture books of the year! (If you missed the first installment on Browsable Non-Fiction & Novelty Books, you can catch up here. And stay tuned for lots more posts, including graphic novels and older kid favorites, coming soon!)
It has been another banner year for picture books, and I didn’t have to work hard to find a wide array of memorable stories, unique executions, and beautiful art. The challenge was how to narrow them down! (And then on Instagram y’all pleaded with me not to leave any out…which is why this list includes a few additional titles beyond what I’ve curated for Old Town Books.) I don’t envy you your decisions!
Most of these books are newly published, though there are a handful that came out earlier in the year, without my giving them proper due on the blog. Suggested age ranges are included in every headline, and for those hankering for more photos of interior spreads, my Instagram feed is always good for that.
If you’re near Alexandria, Virginia, I’d love to see you at Old Town Books, where I’ve got all of these picks stocked. And if you have a wonderful indie near you, I’d love for you to support them, too.
Happy reading, happy gifting, happy golden age of picture books! (OUR CHILDREN ARE SO LUCKY.)
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