The Children’s Book Review | January 28, 2019
This month the best selling picture book from our affiliate store is Ocean Meets Sky (A 2018 TCBR Best Book of the Year), written and illustrated by the Fan Brothers—a stunning picture book about a young boy who sets sail to find a place his grandfather told him about…the spot where the ocean meets the sky.
You’ll also find our hand selected titles of the most popular picture books from the nationwide best-selling picture books listed by The New York Times.
The Children’s Book Review’s Best Selling Picture Book
Written and Illustrated by the Fan Brothers
Publisher’s Synopsis: From the creators of the gorgeous bestseller The Night Gardener, comes a stunning new picture book about a young boy who sets sail to find a place his grandfather told him about…the spot where the ocean meets the sky.
It’s a good day for sailing.
Finn lives by the sea and the sea lives by him. Every time he looks out his window it’s a constant reminder of the stories his grandfather told him about the place where the ocean meets the sky. Where whales and jellyfish soar and birds and castles float.
Finn’s grandfather is gone now but Finn knows the perfect way to honor him. He’ll build his own ship and sail out to find this magical place himself!
And when he arrives, maybe, just maybe, he’ll find something he didn’t know he was looking for.
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | May 15, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1481470377
Nationwide Best Selling Picture Books
Written and Illustrated by Emily Winfield Martin
TCBR Review: Every child is unique, and parents can’t wait to see what they will one day be!
Emily Winfield Martin’s delightful book dreams of what children will someday grow to be.
This is a gorgeous book with warm and playful illustrations featuring a diverse set of children. Little ones will be drawn to the pictures, quickly pointing out which one matches what they themselves want to be. The surprise of a double foldout page at the end is a very exciting treat for children too, and my daughter wanted to look at it over and again. The prose is sweet and rhyming, drawing children in and lulling them (hopefully) to sleep before bedtime. A charming book that I highly recommend for young children. Read the full review …
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 3-7 | Publisher: Random House Children’s Books | 2015 | ISBN-13: 978-0-385-37671-6
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.
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 3-7 | Publisher: Philomel | June 27, 2013 | ISBN-13: 978-0399255373
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.)
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Dial | 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-0803741713
Written 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
Written by Suzanne Lang
Illustrated by Max Lang
Publisher’s Synopsis: The hilarious New York Times bestselling picture book about dealing with unexplained feelings…and the danger in suppressing them!
Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends can’t understand it–how can he be in a bad mood when it’s SUCH a beautiful day? They encourage him not to hunch, to smile, and to do things that make THEM happy. But Jim can’t take all the advice…and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy?
Suzanne and Max Lang bring hilarity and levity to this very important lesson. This picture book is an excellent case study in the dangers of putting on a happy face and demonstrates to kids that they are allowed to feel their feelings (though they should be careful of hurting others in the process!).
Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Ages 5-6 | Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers | May 15, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-0553537864
The information for the best-selling picture books was gathered from the New York Times Best Sellers list, which reflects the sales of picture 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.
*Header image from “Ocean Meets Sky” written and illustrated by the Fan Brothers (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018)
Grumpy Monkey and the best-selling picture books by Emily Winfield Martin and Adam Rubin are truly great choices. Follow along with our Picture Book category for more great titles to peruse.