It's here! The annual BOOK + GIFT List! It is sooo difficult narrowing all my favorite books of the year down to just 14. And you may notice, one dynamic duo made the list again! This year many of the gifts are from Dancing Bear Toys & Games which is owned by my lovely local indie bookstore, Curious Iguana! Please support your local indies with the IndieBound links below whenever possible. And now, let's get to it!
The 2022 BOOK + GIFT List
A moving story of a boy who is sweet and gentle like the flower petals in his hair paired with mirrors to decorate and see the same beauty within.
THE BOY WITH FLOWERS IN HIS HAIR by Jarvis
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A stunning and fascinating history of the color blue and a watercolor palette to paint with beautiful blue.
BLUE: A HISTORY OF THE COLOR AS DEEP AS THE SEA AND AS WIDE AS THE SKY by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and Daniel Minter
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Rick rocks his teal paint and now other rocks can join in the colorful fun.
RICK THE ROCK OF ROOM 214 by Julie Falatko and Ruth Chan
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Like Nigel who dreams of being an astronaut, dancer, and superhero, little dreamers can be who they choose to be.
NIGEL AND THE MOON by Antwan Eady and Gracey Zhang
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Astronaut Costume (or anything the child wishes to be!)
A brave little owl who wants to be a knight uses cleverness and friendship to solve a big problem. Spoiler alert: pizza plays a part!
KNIGHT OWL by Christopher Denise
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Choose your path over and over again in this book and with this logic puzzle!
ENDLESSLY EVER AFTER: PICK YOUR PATH TO COUNTLESS FAIRYTALE ENDINGS! by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat
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Chip the Dog should not eat bees or these bee blocks.
DON’T EAT BEES (Life Lessons from Chip the Dog) by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt
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With Lizzy’s boots, you may be able to find your own pet cloud.
LIZZY AND THE CLOUD by The Fan Brothers
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Create your own stop-motion movie after learning about the history of movie-making.
ACTION! HOW MOVIES BEGAN by Meghan McCarthy
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A jump rope may be a tiny detail in this book, but shows the huge power of friendship.
GIBBERISH by Young Vo
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"When Pigeon returns a little later, she has a bright red piece of chalk in her beak for Cat. It's the nicest gift he's ever received."
PIGEON & CAT by Edward Hemingway
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Read the lovely and lyrical Berry Song and be inspired to grow your own strawberries.
BERRY SONG by Michaela Goade
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This cow will be a bit easier to care for than the ones in the Farmhouse. (Milking twice a day is not required.)
FARMHOUSE by Sophie Blackall
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“One by one they too learned to fly” in this gorgeous sequel to THE DAY YOU BEGIN.
THE YEAR WE LEARNED TO FLY by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López
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