Yes it’s already that time of year again where the best of lists for the year appear. As part of their Holiday Gift Guide, The New York Times Book Review has published their list of Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2009.
The illustrations in these books are indeed fantastic as you’ll see below.
The New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2009
1. Only a Witch Can Fly by Alison McGhee. Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. (Ages 4 – 8)
An illustrated poem about a little girl who dreams of flying on her broomstick on Halloween night.
2. MOONSHOT: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca (Ages 4-7)
In watercolors, ink and acrylics, the story of how the Apollo 11 mission unfolded. (Check out Brian Floca’s website for coloring pages that accompany Moonshot!)
3. The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett (Ages 4-8)
A duck discovers a huge speckled egg — with a baby alligator inside.
4. A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis (Ages 4-8)
Edna the penguin goes on a quest to discover new colors.
5. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (Ages 3-6)
This illustrated retelling of the classic fable has only seven words, all sound effects.
6. The Snow Day by Komako Sakai (Ages 3-5)
A bunny child stays home from school when the world is beset by a snowstorm.
7. Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (Ages 12 and up)
An illustrated collection of surreal tales from the author of The Arrival.
8. YUMMY: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousins (Ages 3 and up)
Eight popular fairy tales retold in vivid colors.
9. White Noise by David A. Carter (Ages 3 and up)
A pop-up romp through cubism and futurism, and a lesson in early-20th-century modernist formalism.
10. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. (Ages 4-7)
A journey in pictures and verse from an unexplored beach to a busy music-filled family room and into a tranquil, moonlit night.