My favourite picture books of 2022 - Ottawa Public Library Recommendations

Want some new picture book ideas for the kids - here is a list of favourites from 2022 compiled by the Ottawa Public Library for us. Let us know if you’ve read any before and which are YOUR favourites.

A Mouthful of Minnows, by John Hare

An alligator snapping turtle named Alphonso, tucked himself between some moss and an old tire at the bottom of the pond.  His mouth is wide open, and his pink tongue is wriggling, waiting for unsuspecting fish to swim in as his breakfast. Soon one minnow arrives; then several more, and then an entire school and a whole family arrives deciding that the “worm” would make a perfect birthday present for grandmother Big Betty. Big Betty said, “I am so glad to have all my children and grandchildren, every one of my sweet babies sharing food with me. This is the very best birthday I could ask for.” Alphonso is so touched, that he not only doesn’t snap shut his enormous mouth to all those minnows, but also saves Big Betty from getting caught on a worm-clad fishing hook.  

This is a humorous picture book about patience, generosity, friendship, and empathy. A Mouthful of Minnows is a surprising and heartwarming picture book that is perfect for story time read-a-loud and bedtime. The backmatter includes fun facts about snapping turtles.

The Baby-Changing Station, by Phett Miller; Illustrated by Dan Santat

James is a regular ten-year-old kid who lives with his parents and a dog. But life changes when his brand-new brother Joe rolled in, and his parents, who adore Joe and, no longer have as much time for James anymore.  At a family pizza night, his exhausted parents ask James to change Joe’s diaper. Above a baby-changing station, James notices a screen and a big advertisement announcing: “turn a crybaby into cool stuff: three options today to send that dumb kid away”. Option 1.  Night-vision specs; two complete sets allow you to see in the dark. Option 2. Two six-string electric guitars. Option 3. Two chemistry sets for the laboratory. Each tempting choice makes James ponder a future without his brother. At the same time, this leads him to realize that he wants to see what his younger brother grows up to be, and he also looks forward to being friends with his younger brother someday. As James carries his younger brother Joe out from the bathroom, Joe shouts out his name, and so his name is Joe’s very first word.

Miller’s humour, playful rhymes along with Santat’s imaginative illustrations, make The Baby-Changing Station stand out amongst other sibling rivalry stories.

The Blur, by Minh Le; Illustrated by Dan Santat

From the beginning, there was something different about this child. The supersonic voice, fantastically elastic limbs, enhanced hearing, and ability to turn invisible, not to mention those ultra-magnetic powers. While those early days were a total blur, every now and then, time stood perfectly still. Until one day, a first step and the child became … The Blur.  Always on the move, racing headfirst toward danger! Leaving no stone unturned! No corner unexplored! Nothing stands in the way as The Blur takes the world by storm. The Blur flew into life, zipping through days, blazing across weeks, and zooming over the years until … time stops again. The last page shows a girl driving a car alone leaving for college.

This book uses a few simple sentences, with vivid bold and bright illustrations, to depict the moment the infant arrives home until the day the child drives off to college. Mom and dad just wonder “how did we get here so fast? It’s all a blur”. The audience for this picture book is parents, and every parent will relate to the scenes depicting an entire childhood of their kids. Time flies, and it will pull at the heartstrings of every parent. 

Me and Ms. Too, by Laura Ruby; Illustrated by Dung Ho

For as long as Moly can remember, it’s always just been her and Dad.  They splashed at the pool, and spun in the park, and baked cookies together.

But that was before Dad married Ms. Too.

Ms. Too doesn’t like to splash. She doesn’t like to spin, and she doesn’t like to bake. Now everything has changed.

Even though Moly liked Ms. Too before, as the school librarian, she doesn’t like her at all as her step- mother. It is nice to read how this complex relationship develops, from dislike to having fun doing a lot of things together, to eventually make for a happy blended family.

It’s a heartwarming, playful, and deeply felt story about a blended family. It’s the perfect book for kids and adults who may be in a similar situation.

Knight Owl, by Christopher Denise

Since the day he hatched, Owl had one wish: to be a knight. Eager owl’s chance comes when knights start to go missing in the kingdom. Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has a habit of nodding off during the day.  But he works hard and graduates with honour. He is assigned to the Knight Night Watch and does a very good job, until one day, he encounters a hungry dragon who wants to eat him as a midnight snack.  Clever Owl offers pizza to the dragon, and it turns out that the dragon loves pizza. The two talk about how each of them hatched from eggs, how much they liked the night, and how flying was hard to explain to someone who had never done it before. It turns out they really have a lot in common, and clever owl ends up defeating the dragon through friendship.  The following week, and the week after that, not a single knight disappeared.

The expressive illustrations and playful language combine for an engaging story and is the perfect read-a-loud.

King Kong’s Cousin, by Mark Teague

Kong was the most famous gorilla in the city. His cousin, Junior, was not famous at all.  Kong was as big as an apartment building. Junior lived in an apartment building with his mother and his cat. Kong did heroic things, Junior did chores.  “You’re just as special as your cousin,” said his mother, but Junior didn’t believe her. Junior wants to be as big and as strong and as special as his cousin, Kong.  Until one day Junior rescues his cat who was stuck in a very tall tree, and so he starts to feel a little bigger.

This book will encourage kids who strive to be taller and stronger, to do great things and believe in themselves. This is a cozy family read to enjoy together.

Farmhouse, by Sophie Blackall

This book was written by two-time Caldecott medalist Sophie Blackall. It is another masterpiece and has the potential to earn Caldecott again.

“This is a book about a particular farmhouse and the family who lived there, but it’s also about any house and any family and the passing of time, and about the things we leave behind and how stories are the things that remain; stories that we pass down through generations, and stories that outlast us all. Farmhouse is written in one long sentence, and the images are essentially one giant piece of art seen in glimpses, and at the end, as a whole. The illustrations are made of layers with the reverse side of a roll of wallpaper and added floors and walls and furniture made from the scraps and fragments I found in the falling down house, stories about everything and nothing much that stay alive long after children grow up and houses fall down while wildflowers nod their heads in the sun.” This is from Behind the page: Sophie Blackall presents Farmhouse. 

Mina, by Matthew Forsythe

Reader mouse Mina lived in her own little world, where nothing ever bothered her. Until one day, when her dad brings home an animal, declaring it to be a squirrel. But Mina doesn’t think so. Later, his dad brings home two more “squirrels”. Curious that none of the three “squirrels” eat acorns. Mina’s father seeks the advice of a doctor, who determines they are not squirrels; instead, they are cats. Then there are three cats chasing three mice. And just as they are about to eat the mice, a stick insect walks slowly into the fray. She licks her finger and opens a book, and starts reading out loud, and the cats slowly fall asleep.

The whole book is full of humor, suspense, and charm, with captivating illustrations. Kids will enjoy this suspenseful fantasy.

Night Lunch, by Eric Fan; Illustrated by Dena Seiferling

A horse pulls a magical lunch cart to provide meals for nocturnal animals. The chef owl prepares different tasty meals for different creatures. Owl spots mouse, a poor street sweeper, who is trembling. Owl invites the little mouse for a night-time lunch feast together. This dreamlike picture book from the imagination of two acclaimed picture book creators, reveals how empathy and kindness, as well as unexpected generosity and gratitude, can be found -and savored – in the most unexpected places.

Sylvie, by Jean Reidy; Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Sylvie is a story about courage. It’s a story about community. It’s a story about friendship. It’s a story about one small spider with a big bold heart. A spider named Sylvie, observes four families in an apartment building. Lately, she notices that they are all quiet, and don’t do the things they did before.  Sylvie beckons each one to the building’s rooftop, where they quickly bond and transform the space into a community gathering place.  It is a warm story to bring people together, especially during these pandemic times.

For more best picture book recommendations, please check my favorite picture book list at Ottawa Public Library.

This blog is a compilation of a variety of reviews and the info of publisher’s catalogues and was submitted by the Ottawa Public Library.