Celebrate Picture Book Month by Reading the 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2011

I squealed (for real) when Anita Silvey posted that The New York Times Book Review announced its list of the 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2011. Do you know what this means??? Book award season is upon us! I sleep fitfully the night before big book award announcements (e.g. The National Book Awards, the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards, and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction).

If you follow this blog regularly, you know I love to post book trailers and resources for book awards and book lists. Happy exploring!

Along a Long Road, written and illustrated by Frank Viva (Little, Brown Book for Young Readers)

A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka (Schwartz & Wade)

A Ball for Daisy's activity guide includes activities on story mapping, creating a classroom narrative, and cause and effect.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures, written by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton (Chronicle Books)

Grandpa Green, written and illustrated by Lane Smith (Roaring Brook Press)

Ice, written and illustrated by Arthur Geisert (Enchanted Lion Books)

I Want My Hat Back, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press)

Me...Jane, written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Migrant, written by Maxine Trottier, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (Greenwood Books) (Look inside)

A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, written by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Dial)

A New Year’s Reunion, written by Yu Li-Qiong, illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang (Candlewick Press)

Borrow these titles from your school or public library. Whenever possible, please support independent bookshops.