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Hello and welcome to my humble blog, I LOVE children’s books, and after many years of illustrating them, having my own children and knowing the industry as I do, I thought it would be a great idea to share with you the absolute loveliest children’s books that I have found over the years. So, in no particular order, although I will leave my favourite until last…
10. ‘Margaret’s Unicorn’ by Bryony May Smith, Walker Books
Ok so first up we have ‘Margaret’s Unicorn’ by Bryony May Smith. This book is simply stunning, the textures, the details, the story. It’s no wonder my girls are obsessed with it.
It tells the sweetest story of a little girl who has just moved to a new home, where she then finds and rescues a very magical new friend. I just love Bryony’s nostalgic yet refreshing style, her use of texture and light, she is a master at work and this book is certainly one to be immediately added to your collection.
Find it here: https://amzn.to/3Tz7BGf
9. ‘Leaf’ by Sandra Dieckmann, Flying Eye Books.
Next we have the debut picture book from Sandra Dieckmann: ‘Leaf.’ I had been following Sandra on socials for a long time, since before she moved to children’s book illustration from homeware and product illustration. I’ve always loved her style, it is so iconic and immediately recognisable, you will want to spend hours pouring over the intricate patterns and details she includes in her illustrations. Totally stunning! She pulls out all the stops.
Find it here: https://amzn.to/3n3xFwR
8. ‘A Dress With Pockets’ by Lily Murray and Jenny Lovlie, Macmillan.
There is simply so much to love about this book, from the message, to the wonderful rhymes, to the incredible pastel detailed illustrations, leaving every single spread a joy to behold. This is a fantastic addition to your bookshelf, simple yet powerful in it’s message, it’s particularly a great one to have on the shelf to inspire the little ladies in your life.
Find it here: https://amzn.to/3Z8ZHVl
7. ‘Wild’ by Emily Hughes, Flying Eye Books
Next up we have ‘Wild’ by Emily Hughes. This is such a sensitively and well told story, accompanied by truly breathtaking illustrations. I love Emily’s wild pencil strokes and careful detail she puts into every page, perfectly articulating the story with such energy. A really clever book, I thoroughly recommend this one, just beautiful.
Find it here: https://amzn.to/3yUhpBc
6. ‘The Last Garden’ by Rachel Ip and Anneli Bray, Hodder.
This book is heartbreakingly beautiful, it tackles the difficult message of war, of leaving your beloved city behind, then resolving with the delicate promise of hope as things start to grow again. ‘The Last Garden’ sensitively deals with this difficult topic with grace, every page is full of texture and detail which perfectly suits the story. A real gem of a book. You will be pouring over every page for as long as your child will let you!
Find it here: https://amzn.to/40bNP68
5. ‘The Arrival’ by Shaun Tan.
I’ve loved this book for a very long time, it truly inspired me as a student at Falmouth university. Such craftmanship, time and effort has gone into this epic wordless narrative. So imaginatively put together and ‘other worldly’, Shaun has creating something spectacular here, I wonder if one day it will be made into a movie - it deserves to be. Hundreds of illustrations make up this book, perhaps aimed at slightly older readers, it is still one to be added to your collection, just so you can appreciate it! It is a tale of immigration, told through sequences of hundreds of hand drawn pencil illustrations, using no words, so you feel as alien to the new culture as the main character in the story. It is reminiscent of ‘The Snowman’ but presents as much darker and mature. A gorgeous book.
Find it here: https://amzn.to/3K0h5Hi
4. ‘The Secret of the Black Rock’ by Joe Todd Stanton, Flying Eye Books.
Another title from Flying Eye Books! There seems to be a pattern here… This book is another beautiful addition to any shelf. The underwater scenes are my absolute favourite, the way Joe Todd Stanton creates such detail and depth is so inspiring, many times I have turned to this book to gain insight as to how to create my own underwater scenes (which always pale in comparison!). His characterisation is also something special to behold, the detail, the colours, the scale he plays with in this book is amazing. Reminding me of Studio Ghibli somewhat in style, this book- and to be honest all of Stanton’s books are worth adding to your bookshelf without further delay.
Find it here: https://amzn.to/3LOG7L3
3. ‘The Journey’ by Francesca Sanna, Flying Eye Books.
Another gem from Flying Eye Books, they really do know how to pick them! As soon as I saw the cover of this title I knew I had to buy it, and I was not disappointed. The limited colour palette, clever use of shape and space, compositionally beautiful scenes all add up to make this a really remarkable book. Again, dealing with the difficult subject matter of war and becoming a refugee, but doing so, oh so very cleverly. A particularly helpful book given what’s been going on around the world in recent times. This book is a masterpiece, and belongs in everyones collection.
Find it here: https://amzn.to/3TCPfE7
2. ‘Shackleton’s Journey’ by William Grill, Flying Eye Books.
I promise this is the very last book from ‘Flying Eye Books’ but they really do produce some total stunners! This book is amazing, our first and last non-fiction book of this series, you will love the soft texture of William Grills’ colouring pencils, his limited colour palettes and tiny little characters. It is such a clever concept of a book which grippingly and beautifully tells the story of Ernest Shackleton, you will not be disappointed. I could really be lost in this one for hours, let alone my children!
Find it here: https://amzn.to/3Z9such
1. ‘The Storm Whale’ by Benji Davis, Simon and Schuster.
Now, we come to the end of this little list. ‘The Storm Whale’, you probably already have it, or I hope you do! Seriously this book is something quite special, if you haven’t already, meet Noi, who lives with his Dad in a lonely place, until one day a new friend is washed up on the shore. Children and adults alike will be enchanted by this simple, yet beautifully told and illustrated book, it is my number 1 for a reason. Nothing is overdone, it is just the perfect balance of colour and shape and all of us in our family love it! If you don’t own it already (which I strongly assume that you might already do) then be sure it is on your bookshelf from now on. It is being made into a film currently - I cannot wait to watch it!
Find it here: https://amzn.to/42zUtVy
Which brings us to the end of my list, it was really hard to choose just ten. There are so many incredible books out there, this is just my little take on it, but please let me know in the comments if you agree or would like to add your own suggestions, I would love to hear about them! I am forever foraging for new picture books and love a recommendation. Thank you so much for joining me.
Emma x