Celebrating the Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2018
We're thrilled to announce the 2018 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books!
This award—given jointly by The New York Public Library and The New York Times—honors the unimaginably talented illustrators who give kids yet another reason to love reading. We couldn’t be more excited about this collaboration or more proud of this list of gorgeous picture books.
Make sure you check out the NYT's slideshow of the artists at work in their studios and the beautiful images from the books on their site.
And if you can't wait to get your hands on these beauties, you know what to do: Sign up for a library card! All these books are available to check out from the Library.
The 2018 winners are:
The Forest, written by Riccardo Bozzi and illustrated by Violeta Lopiz and Valerio Vidali
The NYPL/NYT judges called this story about a creepy forest walk a "thrilling visual excursion," thanks to creative die-cuts and embossings
.
Our Car, written by J.M. Brum and illustrated by Jan Bajtlik
A Polish artist paired delightfully bold and bright images with this unusual vehicle story—written by a mechanic!
Run Wild, written and illustrated by David Covell
Handwritten lettering lends an excited, dashed-off, whimsical feel to a tale about the joy and exhileration of running and exploring.
The Visitor, written and illustrated by Antje Damm
To create these fantastic illustrations, Damm drew her characters, cut them out, posed them in a tiny house made of paper and cardboard, and then photographed them.
A House that Once Was, written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Lane Smith
The artwork delineates the two different sections of this picture book about children exploring a seemingly abandoned house, going from hectic splatters when the kids are inquisitive to muted collage when they calm down.
She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein, written by Lynn Fulton and illustrated by Felicita Sala
Eerie ink-and-watercolor portraits help tell the tale of Shelley's Gothic creation.
The Funeral, written and illustrated by Matt James
Multimedia illustrations lend some lightness to this sensitive portrayal of a difficult, important subject.
Ayobami and the Names of the Animals, written by Pilar Lopez Avila and illustrated by Mar Azabal
Cut-paper collage and bright images lend a sense of mystery to this story of a girl going back to school after a long war.
Dreamers, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales (also available in Spanish)
An autobiographical picture book about the author and her son's own experiences as newly arrived immigrants from Mexico (plus some extra library love!).
Florette, written and illustrated by Anna Walker
When Mae has to leave her home in the country and move to the city, she misses the greenery of her old life. But even in the city, nature—represented in brilliant, lush watercolors—has a way of helping her feel at home.
---
Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!