Best Selling Picture Books | September 2016

The Children’s Book Review | September 2, 2016

The best-selling picture book from our affiliate store is It’s Just So …, a picture book look at young Lizzy’s first day in a new school.

You’ll also find our hand selected titles of the most popular picture books from the nationwide best-selling picture books listed by The New York Times. The delightful The Wonderful Things You Will Be, by Emily Winfield Martin, is great gift book for preschoolers. The New York Times best-selling picture books list also continues to host titles by Oliver Jeffers and Drew Daywalt, B.J. Novak’s The Book with No Pictures; as well as What Do You Do with a Problem? the follow-on picture book from the outstanding book What Do You Do with an Idea?

The Children’s Book Review’s Best Selling Picture Book

It’s Just So …

Written by Brenda Faatz and Peter Trimarco

Illustrated by Peter Trimarco

It’s Lizzy’s first day in a brand new school! At first things feel “just so” scary and “just so” hard, but in the end, they’re “just so”…. not what she thought they would be! From waking up early and boarding the bus for the very first time to meeting new friends and painting outside the lines, it’s a day of discovery and perspective for a little girl named Lizzy.

“From the playful words and vocabulary expansion to the exploration of what a first day of school might bring, It’s Just So …, the first in a new picture book series, is a fun choice for elementary school aged children—particularly first and second graders that may be changing schools.” —The Children’s Book Review

Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Notable Kids Publishing | 2016 | 978-0997085105

Nationwide Best Selling Picture Books

The Wonderful Things You Will Be

Written and Illustrated by Emily Winfield Martin

TCBR Review: Every child is unique, and parents can’t wait to see what they will one day be!

Emily Winfield Martin’s delightful book dreams of what children will someday grow to be.

This is a gorgeous book with warm and playful illustrations featuring a diverse set of children. Little ones will be drawn to the pictures, quickly pointing out which one matches what they themselves want to be. The surprise of a double foldout page at the end is a very exciting treat for children too, and my daughter wanted to look at it over and again. The prose is sweet and rhyming, drawing children in and lulling them (hopefully) to sleep before bedtime. A charming book that I highly recommend for young children. Read the full review …

Ages 3-7 | Publisher: Random House Children’s Books | 2015 | ISBN-13: 978-0-385-37671-6

What Do You Do With a Problem?

Written by Kobi Yamada

Illustrated by Mae Besom

Publisher’s Synopsis: From the same author and illustrator as our #1 nationally best-selling What Do You Do With an Idea? comes a new book to encourage you to look closely at problems and discover the possibilities they can hold.

What do you do with a problem? Especially one that follows you around and doesn’t seem to be going away? Do you worry about it? Ignore it? Do you run and hide from it?

This is the story of a persistent problem and the child who isn’t so sure what to make of it. The longer the problem is avoided, the bigger it seems to get. But when the child finally musters up the courage to face it, the problem turns out to be something quite different than it appeared.

This is a story for anyone, at any age, who has ever had a problem that they wished would go away. It’s a story to inspire you to look closely at that problem and to find out why it’s here. Because you might discover something amazing about your problem… and yourself.

What are problems for? They challenge us, shape us, push us, and help us to discover just how strong and brave and capable we really are. Even though we don’t always want them, problems have a way of bringing unexpected gifts.

So, what will you do with your problem? Now that’s up to you.

Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Compendium Inc | July 1, 2016 | ISBN-13: 978-1943200009

The Book with No Pictures 

By B.J. Novak

Publisher’s synopsis: A #1 New York Times bestseller, this innovative and wildly funny read-aloud by award-winning humorist/actor B.J. Novak will turn any reader into a comedian.
You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . .

BLORK. Or BLUURF.

Even if the words are a preposterous song about eating ants for breakfast, or just a list of astonishingly goofy sounds like BLAGGITY BLAGGITY and GLIBBITY GLOBBITY.

Cleverly irreverent and irresistibly silly, The Book with No Pictures is one that kids will beg to hear again and again. (And parents will be happy to oblige.)

Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Dial | 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-0803741713

Dragons Love Tacos

By Adam Rubin; Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

Publisher’s synopsis: This scrumptious New York Times bestseller has a whole lot of kick!

Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You’re in red-hot trouble.

The award-winning team behind Those Darn Squirrels! has created an unforgettable, laugh-until-salsa-comes-out-of-your-nose tale of new friends and the perfect snack.

Ages 3-5 | Publisher: Dial | June 14, 2012 | ISBN-13:978-0803736801

The Day the Crayons Quit

By Drew Daywalt; Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Publisher’s synopsis: Crayons have feelings, too, in this funny back-to-school story illustrated by the creator of Stuck and This Moose Belongs to Me — now a #1 New York Times bestseller!

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?

Kids will be imagining their own humorous conversations with crayons and coloring a blue streak after sharing laughs with Drew Daywalt and New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers. This story is perfect as a back-to-school gift, for all budding artists, for fans of humorous books such as Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith, and for fans of Oliver Jeffers’ Stuck, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Lost and Found, and This Moose Belongs to Me.

Ages 3-7 | Publisher: Philomel | June 27, 2013 | ISBN-13: 978-0399255373

The information for the best-selling picture books was gathered from the New York Times Best Sellers list, which reflects the sales of picture books sold nationwide, including independent and chain stores. It is correct at the time of publication and presented in random order. Visit www.nytimes.com for their most current and up-to-date list.

The best-selling picture books by Oliver Jeffers, Drew Daywalt and more, sure are a gorgeous feast for the eyes. Follow along with our Picture Book and Board Book categories for more great titles to peruse.