Since I’ve been working as the Children’s Coordinator at La Petite D+Q I’ve been exposed to some truly fantastic kid’s literature. For my Best Of 2019 picks this year I decided to focus in on picture books as their stories and art have moved me, surprised me, and brought me to other worlds. See below for links to titles and call us at La Petite, 514-279-2279, to reserve your copy!

Pokko and the Drum by Matthew Forsythe

The Worst Book Ever by Elise Gravel

Elise Gravel added another classic to her large and ever-growing canon of excellent kids’ books  with The Worst Book Ever. This book is meta and goofy and witty and smart. Best of all, it teaches us how to be critical, engaged readers. The Worst Book Ever doesn’t shy away from asking tough questions about literature.

Hungry Jim by Laurel Snyder and Chuck Groenink

All of my favourite picture books from my childhood were always a little off kilter, a little dark. This year my childhood desire for a story that scares me was fulfilled by Hungry Jim. This is a story about a kid who wakes up in the body of a lion, and feeling so desperately hungry, eats his mother and then most of the townspeople. Jim is tormented by his overwhelming hunger and the horror through which he satisfies it. Don’t worry - despite the macabre nature, there is a happy ending to this book. The story and the art remind me of my all-time-fave and kid-lit legend Maurice Sendak. 

Up Down Inside Out by JooHee Yoon

Up Down Inside Out is a book of illustrated aphorisms by the fantastic JooHee Yoon. The book is full of secrets hiding behind doors and under coats and in bushes. With flaps and cut-outs on every page, it's like a puzzle of a book with some of the most compelling art I've seen.

Yellow Yellow by Frank Asch and Mark Alan Stamaty

Originally published in the 1970s, Yellow Yellow is the story of a boy who finds a bright yellow hat on the sidewalk. Mark Alan Stamaty packs every page full of enchanting clutter that makes the yellow hiding within burst with energy. I can stare at these illustrations endlessly and find something new in them every time. 

The Lost Cousins by B.B. Cronin

B.B. Cronin does it again with the newest installment in his ''Lost'' series. The Lost Cousins finds the kids and Grandad searching for their long-lost cousins across lush landscapes dripped in colours. This book is beautiful, hypnotizing and a fantastic addition to the collection. We also have some incredible prints from B.B. Cronin's Lost series for sale in the store. Come check them out!

Ho'onani: Hula Warrior by Heather Gale and Mika Song

This book tells the story of Ho'onani who does not see herself as a wahine, 'girl', or a kāne, 'boy'. She is who she is and she does what she wants, as her parents say. When her teacher announces that boys at school will be performing a traditional hula chant, she knows that she has to try out. A beautiful story of love, strength, and family. It made me cry!

King Mouse by Cary Fagan and Dena Seiferling 

A mouse finds a crown and becomes King. When a snake finds a crown, and then a fox, and a tortoise, and a crow, the animals start to wonder what it means when everyone is a king and queen. I am very much in love with these illustrations by Dena Seiferling. Soft and haunting at the same time!

The Girl and the Wolf by Katherena Vermette and Julie Flett

When a girl gets lost in the woods a wolf helps her find her way back to her mother. Katherena Vermette takes the classic wolf tale and gives it an empowering Indigenous twist. Julie Flett's art is stunning as always and the two of them working together is an utter dream.