At every year's end, just about everyone weighs in with a best, most popular, or favorites list. In this spirit we have compiled a few quick lists of notable books named "best" by a range of reputable sources. All were published in 2013. If you have not yet had the pleasure, have fun catching up!
Horn Book's Best Picture Books
Building Our House by Jonathan Bean -- Journey by Aaron Becker -- Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown -- Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? by Eve Bunting -- Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle -- The Tiny King by Taro Miura -- Nino Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales -- The Dark by Lemony Snicket -- Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner -- Gobble You Up! by Gita Wolf.
Year of the Jungle by Suzanne Collins -- If You Want to see a Whale by Julie Fogliano -- Rosie's Magic Horse by Russell Hoban -- The Tortoise & the Hare by Jerry Pinkney -- Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett -- Bluebird by Bob Staake -- Fog Island by Tomi Ungerer -- This Is the Rope: the Story of the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson.
PW and Horn Book shared a love for Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, The Dark, and Mr. Wuffles.
Brush of the Gods by Lenore Look -- Locomotive by Brian Floca -- Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff -- Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang -- The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky -- Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner -- Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan.
The WSJ also shared a love for Journey, Mr. Wuffles, and Rosie's Magic Horse, all mentioned above.
In addition to Fog Island, The Dark, Journey, and Locomotive, all mentioned above, the following six books also made the NYT's top 10 list of 2013's best illustrated books:
Ballad by Blexbolex -- My Brother's Book by Maurice Sendak -- Jemmy Button written and illustrated by Jennifer Uman & Valerio Vidali -- Holland by Charlotte Dematons -- Jane, the Fox and Me by Fanny Britt; illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault -- Mandela by Kadir Nelson.
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt -- Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson -- Henry's Map by David Elliot -- Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming -- Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes -- Little Red Writing by Joan Holub -- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig -- Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller -- The Mighty Lalouche by Matthew Olshan -- Xander's Panda Party by Linda Sue Park -- Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal -- That Is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems.
SLJ titles shared with other "best" list-makers include If You Want to See a Whale, Journey, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, Flora and the Flamingo, The Tortoise & the Hare, The Dark, Mr. Wuffles.
