Best Picture Books of 2009

December 17th, 2009 by Eliza Eliza

It’s that time of year again!  Susan Bloom, Professor Emeritus from Simmons College, was back again this past Saturday for her annual “Best Books” list here at The Carle. Susan says 2009 is the year for heights.  Whether it’s an egg who wants to fly, a princess that floats, or space shuttle to the moon, these books will take you higher and higher!  If you missed her wonderful presentation in our auditorium, don’t worry – here’s her list of the best of the best:

Higher and Higher: Picturebooks of Distinction in 2009

higher higher imogene

1. Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli

2. Imogene’s Last Stand by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

princess hyacinth only a witch

3. Princess Hyacinth: the Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith

4. Only a Witch Can Fly by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

button up thunder boomer

5. Button Up! by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Petra Mathers

6. Thunder-Boomer! by Shutta Crum, illustrated by Carol Thompson

egg drop odd_egg

7. Egg Drop by Mini Gray

8. The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett

hook georgia rises

9. Hook by Ed Young

10. Georgia Rises: A Day in the Life of Georgia O’Keeffe by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Ora Eitan

jeremy draws a monster bubble trouble

11. Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty

12. Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Polly Dunbar

bear flies high birds

13. Bear  Flies High by Michael Rose, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds

14. Birds by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

how to heal a broken wing skippyjon jones

15. How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham

16. Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Spice by Judy Schachner

mission control tales from outer suburbia

17. Mission Control, This is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon by Andrew Chaikin and Victoria Kohl, illustrated by Alan Bean

18. Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

moonshot red sings from treetops

19. Moonshot by Brian Floca

20. Red Sings from Treetops: A Year of Colors by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

redwoods lion and mouse

21. Redwoods by Jason Chin

22. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

down down down there

23. Down  Down Down by Steve Jenkins

24. There by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

all the world

25. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee.

If you’d like to print out a copy, it’s available as a PDF. Also, check out Susan’s best book picks from previous years on our website.

What picture books did you love this year?  Do you have a favorite from 2009 that didn’t make the list?

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