I have already shared my Top Ten Books of 2022 but wanted to also share my Top Ten Children’s Books with you. 2022 was my biggest year in terms of children’s books. I never intended to be a children’s book blogger, but as I slowly began sharing some of our family’s favorite children’s books or books I read from for our library’s storytime, I slowly started receiving children’s books from authors and publishers.
Children’s books have now become a huge part of my blog and social media sharing. But, I also love that I can then bless our school and town libraries with books when I’m done. When I show up to sub at the various buildings both teachers and students ask me if I’ve brought my book bag full of books to share. I love sharing these picture books, board books, and nonfiction books with you and the kids at school. They are always so excited to see which books I brought along in my special book bag.
This year I shared 120 children’s books with you and of those, I’m choosing ten books that stood out to me as favorites including eight fiction and two nonfiction books, as well as board books, interactive books, and picture books.
I want to take this space to thank the publishers and publicists that so graciously send me books all year long. It’s nearly like Christmas every week as a new package of books arrives on my doorstep. I am humbled that they trust me to share their books and spread the word. It truly is a privilege and I don’t take it lightly.
With 120 children’s books to choose from and most of them receiving four and five stars from me, it was very hard to narrow down this list to just ten children’s books. But, in looking over the list, I right away could see the books that stood out to me the most. Most of them have already been gifted to a child or a library, so I only had a few left on my own overflowing shelves. I noticed that four of these books had to do with teaching kids about food and/or eating healthy and another four of these books dealt with themes of perseverance, resilience, and kindness. These books are in no particular order and are ones I highly recommend to readers and their families.
The photo of the book will take you to the Amazon page. If you choose to make a purchase I may receive a small commission. The book title will take you to my review of that book.
DONUT: The Unicorn Who Wants to Fly by Laura Gehl
Donut is a unicorn who just wants to fly as her bird friends do. She tries and tries again to fly with no luck. What I loved was that Donut kept trying, but the ultimate way she was able to fly involved teamwork and critical thinking with her friends. The illustrations are great too! The kids at school loved this one. Laura Gehl frequently makes my favorites list with her children’s books.
CONSTRUCTION SITE: Farming Strong, All Year Long by Sherri Duskey Rinker
This series is a favorite among several of my great-nephews. One of my nephews even takes one of the books to bed with him nearly every night. I loved that this showed a hard-working farm and the fact that it takes an entire crew to get things done over the course of a whole year. Farm kids and fans of this series will love this one.
I LOVE STRAWBERRIES by Shannon Anderson
The publisher, Feeding Minds Press, puts out so many great children’s books about the importance of eating healthy, growing our own food, and helping others. Because strawberries are a favorite fruit of mine too, I loved this story of a young girl who really wanted to grow her own strawberries. Facts, mixed in with journal entries, and excellent illustrations make this a great choice for kids this spring and summer.
ONE BOY WATCHING by Grant Snider
First of all, this cover is gorgeous. Even children are attracted to books based on the cover. This story is about a young boy who watches out his bus window as he travels to school each day. As a child who grew up riding the bus for an hour each way, this one touched my heart.
MR. BEAR’S WORLD OF FOOD by Virginie Aracil
This is the 6th in a series of books with Mr. Bear teaching toddlers all kinds of things like letters and colors. This one about food doesn’t just share the obvious and everyday food items we all enjoy, but shares about spices and flavors and food kids wouldn’t normally eat like sauerkraut or sardines.
BE MY NEIGHBOR? by Suzy Ultman
This interactive board book teaches young kids about the joy of being a good neighbor. When one family wants to make cookies but doesn’t have all the ingredients, they soon find their neighbors have what they need. Of course, in the end, everyone shares the cookies.
Otto is a young boy on the autism spectrum. His brother helps others understand his behaviors and his love for the color yellow while showing that he is a boy that likes to play, learn, have friends, and be loved just like them.
A young girl has to move to a new house due to her parent’s divorce. This topic is handled honestly and delicately and told from the perspective of a stuffed unicorn. I thought it was so well done and kids reading this will find their feelings validated. A must for school and counseling libraries.
An apartment building houses families that have recently immigrated to America. Two young children become close friends until one day, Rosa is gone without saying goodbye. This is a sweet story of friendship, heartbreak, and hope.
ULTIMATE FOOD ATLAS by National Geographic Kids
Take your child on a food journey around the world. This is a complete guide to all kinds of food famous around the world. Recipes, history, amazing photos, and fun facts are featured from every country.