Quick Lit: Picture Book Edition
Oh, how I love a good picture book! Here are three recent gems:
Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan
A 2026 Caldecott Honor Book. “Monday is the best day of the week (according to Mabel, at least)” when she gets to experience “the best thing in the world” — the wonder and joy that is garbage day. Hasn’t every kid at some point thrilled to the sound of the garbage truck making its rounds? Joyful illustrations and lots of great noises make this one such fun.
Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Catia Chien
Winner of the 2026 Caldecott Medal. A perfect summer day with “steamy city sidewalks,” a dash through a fire hydrant, and a walk through the park where a musician plays sax, “bubble cheeks blowing brassy blasts / that make us onlookers dance.” Then night comes and the book sizzles with the colors and sounds of a fireworks display. “POP! /A comet streaking across the sky/ BURSTS/ into a flower of fire. / (THE FIRST!)” The grand finale is a sight to behold with a page that unfolds into a double spread (called a gatefold). The story ends with the children “…tucked in / with summer on our skin, / listening / to the gentlest / kaboom kaboom kaboom / …within.” The language and art are spectacular. Find a copy to share. And be sure to read this glorious love letter to Fireworks penned by author and former Caldecott committee member, Travis Jonker.
Where the Deer Slip Through by Katey Howes, illustrated by Beth Krommes
“This is the hedge that grew and grew. / The wall of stone a bit askew. They guard the yard. / The barn does, too. / While just outside, hills roll and rise / away off into the pines.”
This book is a gentle, lovely poem that builds and grows and moves from day to night, celebrating the beauty of the natural world. The artwork resembles woodcuts, and there is so much to examine and discover on each page. I found the story’s unfolding patterns really inviting. A great study for writers, a great story to read aloud.
Any picture books you’ve read lately that you can recommend?