Dad's Bookshelf: September 2022
I really enjoy this time of year for picture books, and I think that’s mainly because you start to see holiday books getting published so they’re ready to be on lots of shelves for Halloween and Christmas. A lot of spooky books in particular get released in August and September, and I’ve been gathering up a lot for our annual Halloween book list.
But I’m making a concerted effort to hold myself back and save those books for their own holiday lists - as much as I love to talk about Halloween. The 3 books we’re highlighting this week aren’t scary, but they do happen to all be early contenders for another important list at Dad Suggests - The 2022 Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards.
This time of year is interesting because, after this article, there are only 3 more editions of Dad’s Bookshelf in 2022. There’s always a really good chance that the 3 books we feature on Dad’s Bookshelf are among our favorites of the year, and time is quickly running short to make the list!
And it’s undeniably true that these 3 picture books we’re showing off today are pretty special. Every single one of them could end up in the Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards in a few months, and I’m thinking that one of them might even crack it’s way into our top 3 picture books of the whole year.
I hope you enjoy getting a closer look at these books. All of them happen to feature adorable animal friends, and display a good amount of quirkiness too - which you know we’re quite fond of around here. And, don’t you worry, we have those Halloween books coming soon too!
Dad’s Bookshelf is a continuing, monthly series featuring the kids books we are most excited about each month. The series is named after the real life bookshelf we have in our home, where I keep all of my favorite picture books of all time. While the books we share on Dad’s Bookshelf are often new releases, it’s also not uncommon for us to be excited about an older book we just discovered.
Disclosure: Some of the books in this month’s Dad’s Bookshelf were provided to us by their publishers, with no expectation of inclusion on this monthly article of the books we’re most excited about. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Some of the links in this article are affiliate links that will lead you to view the books on Bookshop.org and Amazon.
Sylvie
Written by Jean Reidy and Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
We are very big fans of the picture book Truman in this house - the adorable story about the pet turtle. And we honestly had no idea that Sylvie existed until we saw it sitting on the shelves of our favorite little bookstore. We recognized the cover instantly as a spiritual successor to Truman, and we bought it without even opening it.
Sylvie is a spider that’s a little weary about venturing out into the world, because she realizes that many people don’t always “appreciate a spider who calls attention to herself.” But she has many people who she calls “her people” - who she likes to watch through the windows. It’s an adorable character-driven story with very much the same heart as Truman, and it makes us smile just as much. Plus - I’m happy to announce that a certain turtle might even make an appearance.
The Mouse Who Carried a House on His Back
Written by Jonathan Stutzman and Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
We preordered this book quite a long time ago, partly because of the wonderful name, but primarily because it’s illustrated by one of our favorite illustrators - Isabelle Arsenault. Whoever coined the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” obviously wasn’t talking about picture books, because 9 times out of 10 you can absolutely judge a picture book by its cover, and this one doesn’t disappoint.
Not only is this book beautiful and quirky and original, but it also features some die cuts that make it a bit interactive and engaging as well. The characters are fantastic, and the running gag is that they fit inside of the mouse’s house despite how small it looks. The story is also incredibly sweet and charming, with a wonderful message on how everybody belongs.
Ways to Make Friends
Written by Jairo Buitrago and Illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson
There’s a very good chance that Ways to Make Friends will end up in our top 5 picture books of the year. My wife and I both loved it instantly, and we both have a very good feeling about a very high finish this year. It has the absolute perfect amount of humor and quirk - with the most original characters and art style I’ve seen in a long time.
As the title suggests, the book offers advice on making friends, but the advice is perfectly absurd and random. For example, “you can dress up like an apple or a pear and give away a pear or an apple.” Actually, the advice is quite good if you really think about it. And it’s brought to amazing life with the amazing art of Mariana Ruiz Johnson, and I simply can’t wait to get my hands on more books by this duo.
Have you read any of these great books yet? Which picture books have you been enjoying recently? Let us know in the comments!
