Dad's Bookshelf: January 2020
Happy New Year and welcome to the first 2020 edition of Dad’s Bookshelf! There are a lot of amazing picture books lying around our house this month, because every January we make big piles of our favorite picture books from the past year and put together our best of the year list.
We also recently published our list of our favorite funny picture books from 2019 too, so there is definitely no shortage of amazing books to choose from that we’re currently excited about. The display shelf in our hallway is full of great picture books we’ve all been reading over and over again.
And that’s basically what it all boils down to when choosing the books to add to Dad’s Bookshelf this month - considering the books we’ve been reading on repeat, and what’s really been new and exciting for me lately. And one book in particular makes its appearance because of the rapid approach of Valentine’s Day.
Hopefully one of this month’s books captures your attention and gives you a good idea of what to reserve at your local library! Happy reading!
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 links in this post are affiliate links. Clicking on those links will lead you to view the books’ listings on Amazon or IndieBound.
Mini Rabbit is Not Lost
Written and Illustrated by John Bond
Mini Rabbit is destined to go down in history as one of our all time favorite characters. We’ve read this spectacular book a lot recently, particularly with our 3-year-old daughter who wants to hear it over and over. And I definitely have no problem with that at all.
Mini Rabbit is Not Lost made our list of the Funniest Picture Books of 2019 because it is absolutely hilarious. But you can’t underestimate how good it looks either. It’s a beautiful book full of great scenery and wonderful characters. It’s an absolute pleasure to read on repeat because it’s great fun to take a closer look at all of the details in the artwork - not just because the humor is top notch.
The story follows Mini Rabbit as he goes on an absurdly long adventure looking for berries so he can make a cake. He has a one-track mind and absolutely will not be detoured on his mission. The repetition of the dialogue and the opportunity to do some funny voices make this a really fun read aloud.
What Happens Next?
Written and Illustrated by Shinsuke Yoshitake
Shinsuke Yoshitake is an absolute genius. I am absolutely in love with his approach to children’s books and the interesting introduction to deep reflection they provide. Last month I included his The Boring Book, and this month I’m adding What Happens Next?.
What Happens Next? is a book about death, and it’s one of the best I’ve ever read. I will absolutely have to add it to our list of the best picture books about death. It’s truly brilliant, heartfelt, and simply very well handled. And it also manages to be spectacularly funny at the same time.
The book starts with a boy’s grandfather dying, and the boy discovering grandfather’s journal where he wrote about what he thinks or hopes will happen after he dies. Highlights of the book are the funny list of souvenirs for remembering grandpa (grandpa keychain!) and the creative ideas for his tombstone (adventure slide!).
And the most heartfelt moment definitely comes when the boy wonders if grandpa was excited and looking forward to going to Heaven, or if he was actually scared of dying and imagining all of these things to make himself feel better. Then he has a conversation with his dad about it. Yoshitake has truly made a little masterpiece in my opinion and I’m blown away.
Love, Z
Written and Illustrated by Jessie Sima
We were a little late to jump onto the Love, Z train, but we recently got our own copy and it’s truly fantastic. And this is the perfect time of year to share it with your loved ones with Valentine’s Day approaching.
The story follows a robot named Z on its quest to figure out what love means. After Z finds a message in a bottle with the words “Love, Beatrice” inside, the young robot is determined to track down Beatrice and ask her what love means.
As is so often the case, what makes Love, Z special and a joy to read over and over again are the details. I love how the robots bonk heads with a “clank” for goodnight kisses, and I’m a huge fan of the random appearance of the most underrated character of the book - the house cat that’s a boat captain.
Sima’s illustrations are very beautiful and quirky stuff like this is right up our alley. Plus it comes complete with a very heartfelt message about the meaning of love and family and feeling like you belong, so this is a feel-good read I’m always happy to return to.
Have you read any of the books on Dad’s Bookshelf this month? What picture books have you discovered recently? Let us know in the comments!
