Great Board Books Publishing in the Second Half of 2022
Lately, I have been hunting for great board books. Naturally I started by reading recommendations on Book Riot and looking around for award winners and authors I enjoy. As always, reading recommendations was a lot of fun and I found many titles I need to get my hands on as soon as possible. For example, I adored these fairy tale board books and now I have to get a copy of the Once Upon a World Series. Of course, I also need a copy of Please, Mr. Panda to go with the copy of Thank you, Mr. Panda that I already have, thanks to this list of 50 must-read board books. This is the only problem with reading recommendations; they’re impossible to resist!
And of course I also really enjoyed writing about some translated board books (translated from another language into English I mean) I found during my hunt, so I recommend those for your reading pleasure as well.
However, I could still use more. I was surprised that not only is there a lot of choice out there, but not all of it is up to my personal standards. After reading about new board books for 2022, I now have a slightly better idea of why so I encourage you to read that piece as well. If you also can’t get enough excellent board book recommendations, here are a few more to add to your personal list.
Adurable: Little Pups in Big Trucks by Bob Shea and illustrated by Brian Won
While this one isn’t exactly groundbreaking, the illustrations are cute and I think a lot of little people will appreciate this title. If you like the look of this, also check out Won’s illustrations in Hooray for Hat!
Odd Birds: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Flock by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Gareth Lucas
Filled with strange facts about birds, this book really struck me at first because of the illustrations. You might also like to know that there is a bird in the world that smells like poo. Yeah, I didn’t know either, but apparently some birds smell. Fascinating!
So Many Feelings by Larissa Honsek (August 2)
I love the cover of this book so much. The little squishy clay creatures look like you could easily pick them up and remold them into new feelings. If you like this, you should also check out Honsek’s Opposites and Let’s Move!
This is Music: Horns by Rekha S. Rajan, illustrated by Tania Yakunova (August 9)
This is a fun introduction to horns, with examples ranging from formal instruments to things you find in your house. I think even big humans would enjoy this title. If you like this, also check out Rajan’s This is Music: Drums.
Nerdy Babies: Insects by Emmy Kastner (August 16)
This is part of a series called, yup, Nerdy Babies! If you like this, you should check out the other topics, which are Nerdy Babies: Ocean, Nerdy Babies: Space, Nerdy Babies: Weather, Nerdy Babies: Rocks, Nerdy Babies: Transportation, and Nerdy Babies: Dinosaurs.
Shady Baby Feels: A First Book of Emotions by Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade Jr., illustrated by Tara Nicole Whitaker (August 23)
If you’re a fan of Gabrielle Union’s or a fan of her picture book Shady Baby (also written with Dwayne Wade and illustrated by Tara Nicole Whitaker), you might like this board book about emotions. If you’re a fan of the illustrations, be sure to check out My Little Golden Book about Misty Copeland, Bubble Kisses, or My Baby Loves Valentine’s Day.
Dr. Ochoa’s Stellar World: We Are All Scientists / Todos somos científicos by Ellen Ochoa and illustrated by Citlali Reyes (August 30)
This is part of a new series called Dr. Ochoa’s Tiny Galaxy by Lil’ Libros, which is based in Los Angeles, California. They publish bilingual English/Spanish books, so check out their other books like The Solar System with Ellen / El Sistema Solar con Ellen or The Life of Celia / La Vida de Celia if you’re not already familiar with their other titles.
Sumo Shapes by Sanae Ishida (September 6)
This is part of a series that Ishida has written. If you like the concept, you might also like her Sumo Colors or Sumo Opposites. Apparently she also knows a bit about sewing, but since I’m not very crafty, you’ll have to judge her Sewing Happiness and Animal Friends to Sew on your own! However, I do know adorable when I see it, so if I had the skills, I’d definitely check out the latter book. And as if that weren’t enough, she has a book called Sewing Love: Handmade Clothes for Any Body coming out in August 2022 as well.
Kindness is a Golden Heart by Jessica Kluthe and illustrated by Charlene Chua (September 13)
This is a sweet book full of rhyming descriptions of kindness that you will love to read aloud. If you like this, you should really check out Orca Book Publishers’ other titles like Give Me a Snickle! (which is — as you may have guessed — about made up words) by Alisha Sevigny or Bedtime, Not Playtime by Lawrence Shimel and illustrated by Elina Braslina.
And that’s it for my picks for great board books publishing in the second half of 2022. If you’re still looking for recommendations for very little readers, try some of the best audiobooks for toddlers or these picture books by debut illustrators.
