BIGGEST BEST

Kirkus takes a “more is more” approach to year end lists. I’m not complaining – their sprawling Best Picture Books of 2016 list has plenty of favorites, but also a lot of room for surprises (Everyone is Yawning? Never seen it!). Click here to see the whole list.

THE MORALLY AMBIGUOUS UNIVERSE OF HATS

Real headline alert! The Los Angeles Times payed a visit to Jon Klassen to talk about his latest book We Found a Hat (and film a reading of the book by the author). Click here to read.

Let me join the chorus in being pleased that we will have two more books by the Newbery and Caldecott winning team behind Last Stop on Market Street.

Over at Heavy Medal, they’ve selected nine Newbery contenders to discuss in depth. Let’s see, there’s a picture book, an illustrated chapter book, a nonfiction book, and some middle grade – a good mix. Speaking of illustrated chapter book, I especially like seeing Juana & Lucas on this list.

Not entirely sure about this book recommending algorithm, but @joryjohn's book IS great, so I guess it makes sense. pic.twitter.com/9evfj2z1G3

— Julie Falatko (@JulieFalatko) November 21, 2016

It’s been a busy couple of months for the children’s literature classic The Snowy Day. First a tribute in the form of A Poem for Peter by Andrea Davis Pinkney, and now the book is being turned into a holiday special over at Amazon Prime, along with a holiday version of Laura Numeroff’s and Felicia Bond’s If You Give a . . . series: If You Give a Mouse a Christmas Cookie.