The Children’s Book Review | April 2, 2016
Last month we featured the wonderful Cindy Jenson-Elliott and her latest picture book Dig In! in an article about learning to love nature. This month it is the best selling picture book from our affiliate store. Dig In! is a wonderful book for kids, families, and classrooms to use as a jumping off point for discovering wonder in their backyards and schoolyards.
As per usual, we’ve shared our hand selected titles of the most popular picture books from the nationwide best selling picture books listed by The New York Times. The New York Times best selling picture books list also continues to host titles by Oliver Jeffers and Drew Daywalt, B.J. Novak’s The Book with No Pictures; as well as the gorgeous Finding Winnie!
The Children’s Book Review’s Best Selling Picture Book
Written by Cindy Jenson-Elliott
Illustrated by Mary Peterson
Publisher’s Synopsis: Dig in to this vibrant picture book that celebrates all the surprises found down in the dirt!
I dig in the dirt…and find a seed.
Seed waits.
I dig in the dirt…and find a spider.
Spider runs.
Explore all of the creepy, crawly, dirty, muddy, green, and growing things that can be found outside in the garden. From pill bugs to worms to leafy green sprouts, young readers will love discovering the muddy garden habitat within the pages of this book—and outside in their own backyards!
This sweet and playful celebration of outdoor exploration is a perfect read aloud for story time.
Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Beach Lane Books | 2016 | ISBN-13: 978-1442412613
Nationwide Best Selling Picture Books
Written by Lindsay Mattick
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Publisher’s Synopsis: Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie.
In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.
Harry Colebourn’s real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey–from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England…
And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin.
Here is the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.
Ages 3-6 | Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Oct. 20 2015 | ISBN-13: 978-0316324908
Written and Illustrated by Kevin Henkes
Publisher’s Synopsis: What are you waiting for? An owl, a puppy, a bear, a rabbit, and a pig—all toys arranged on a child’s windowsill—wait for marvelous things to happen in this irresistible picture book by the New York Times–bestselling and Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes.
Five friends sit happily on a windowsill, waiting for something amazing to happen. The owl is waiting for the moon. The pig is waiting for the rain. The bear is waiting for the wind. The puppy is waiting for the snow. And the rabbit is just looking out the window because he likes to wait! What will happen? Will patience win in the end? Or someday will the friends stop waiting and do something unexpected?
Waiting is a big part of childhood—waiting in line, waiting to grow up, waiting for something special to happen—but in this book, a child sets the stage and pulls the strings. Timeless, beautiful, and deeply heartfelt, this picture book about imaginative play, the seasons, friendship, and surprises marks a new pinnacle in Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes’s extraordinary career.
Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Greenwillow Books | 2015 | ISBN-13: 978-0062368430
By B.J. Novak
Publisher’s synopsis: A #1 New York Times bestseller, this innovative and wildly funny read-aloud by award-winning humorist/actor B.J. Novak will turn any reader into a comedian.
You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . .
BLORK. Or BLUURF.
Even if the words are a preposterous song about eating ants for breakfast, or just a list of astonishingly goofy sounds like BLAGGITY BLAGGITY and GLIBBITY GLOBBITY.
Cleverly irreverent and irresistibly silly, The Book with No Pictures is one that kids will beg to hear again and again. (And parents will be happy to oblige.)
Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Dial | 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-0803741713
By Adam Rubin; Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
Publisher’s synopsis: This scrumptious New York Times bestseller has a whole lot of kick!
Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You’re in red-hot trouble.
The award-winning team behind Those Darn Squirrels! has created an unforgettable, laugh-until-salsa-comes-out-of-your-nose tale of new friends and the perfect snack.
Ages 3-5 | Publisher: Dial | June 14, 2012 | ISBN-13:978-0803736801
By Drew Daywalt; Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Publisher’s synopsis: Crayons have feelings, too, in this funny back-to-school story illustrated by the creator of Stuck and This Moose Belongs to Me — now a #1 New York Times bestseller!
Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?
Kids will be imagining their own humorous conversations with crayons and coloring a blue streak after sharing laughs with Drew Daywalt and New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers. This story is perfect as a back-to-school gift, for all budding artists, for fans of humorous books such as Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith, and for fans of Oliver Jeffers’ Stuck, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Lost and Found, and This Moose Belongs to Me.
Ages 3-7 | Publisher: Philomel | June 27, 2013 | ISBN-13: 978-0399255373
The information for the best selling books was gathered from the New York Times Best Sellers list, which reflects the sales of books from books sold nationwide, including independent and chain stores. It is correct at the time of publication and presented in random order. Visit www.nytimes.com for their most current and up-to-date list.
The best selling picture books by Oliver Jeffers, Drew Daywalt and more, sure are a gorgeous feast for the eyes. Follow along with our Picture Book and Board Book categories for more great titles to peruse.