Diane's Favorite Picture Books of 2023

Simon and the Better Bone By Corey R. Tabor, Corey R. Tabor (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Corey R. Tabor, Corey R. Tabor (Illustrator)
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063275553
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Balzer + Bray - May 9th, 2023

Using the same innovative format as his Caldecott Honor winner, Mel Fell, Corey R. Tabor reimagines Aesop’s “The Dog and His Reflection” in a clever, charming tale of empathy and generosity. 

One day, down by the pond, Simon meets another dog just like him. 

And that dog has a bone just like his, only better! 


There Was a Party for Langston By Jason Reynolds, Jerome Pumphrey (Illustrator), Jarrett Pumphrey (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Jason Reynolds, Jerome Pumphrey (Illustrator), Jarrett Pumphrey (Illustrator)
$18.99
ISBN: 9781534439443
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books - October 3rd, 2023

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds’s debut picture book is a snappy, joyous ode to Word King, literary genius, and glass-ceiling smasher Langston Hughes and the luminaries he inspired.

Back in the day, there was a heckuva party, a jam, for a word-making man. The King of Letters. Langston Hughes.


If I Was a Horse By Sophie Blackall Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316510981
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - October 3rd, 2023

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER!​

In her funniest book yet, two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall captures the astonishing spectacle of a child imagining life as a horse. And with a book jacket adorned with glitter, this romp really sparkles!


If you were a horse, what would you do? Could you fit in your clothes? Would you give your little sister a ride?


Dear Stray By Kirsten Hubbard, Susan Gal (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Kirsten Hubbard, Susan Gal (Illustrator)
$18.99
ISBN: 9780593110003
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Nancy Paulsen Books - September 12th, 2023

A prickly kitten and the child who chooses it revel in being kindred spirits while they both learn how to live with their wild side.


I’m From By Gary R. Gray Jr, Oge Mora (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Gary R. Gray Jr, Oge Mora (Illustrator)
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063089969
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Balzer + Bray - September 19th, 2023

A poetic, heartwarming ode to the small, defining moments of a boy’s life, by a brilliant new debut and a Caldecott Honoree. For fans of Last Stop on Market Street. 

Early morning wakeups and homemade pancakes, 

Raucous bus rides and schoolyard games, 

Family games and bedtime rituals… 


Dim Sum Palace By X. Fang Cover Image
By X. Fang
$18.99
ISBN: 9781774881989
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Tundra Books - September 12th, 2023

A little girl's love of dim sum spills over into her dreams, taking her on a fantastical food-filled adventure, in this picture book love letter to Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen. Beautifully illustrated with a gold foil cover, this is the perfect gift for foodies of all ages.