Miss Carol's Best Book Finds of 2014 - Picture Books

Every year at my library, I spend the last couple days of the year compiling my favorite book finds of the year.  They are not always new books.  Just books I discovered for the first time and really, really liked.

PICTURE BOOK DISCOVERIES FOR 2014:

Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett, illustrated by Matthew Myers 

Alex, whose birthday it is, hijacks a story about Birthday Bunny on his special day and turns it into a battle between a super villain and his enemies in the forest--who, in the original story, are simply planning a surprise party.  

Catching Kisses by Amy Gibson, illustrated by Maria Van Lieshout 

A journey of the heart follows a handful of kisses as it travels throughout the United States from San Francisco and New Orleans to New York City.

Dino-Wrestling by Lisa Wheeler, illustrations by Barry Gott 

Meat-eating and vegetarian dinosaurs compete at the wrestling jamboree, demonstrating such styles as sumo, Greco-Roman, and lucha libre.

Elecopter by Michael Slack 

Fly along with Elecopter as she soars above the savannah, patrolling the skies with her fire-hose nose at the ready. The other animals are safe with Elecopter on the scene--Elecopter is a hero for all!

Extraordinary Jane by Hannah E. Harrison 

Jane the dog doesn't have a unique talent in the circus like the rest of her family, until the ringmaster discovers what is truly special about her.

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle 

In this wordless book with interactive flaps, a friendship develops between a girl named Flora and a graceful flamingo, as they learn to dance together.

I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi 

When a bored girl meets a potato who finds children tedius, she tries to prove him wrong by demonstrating all of the things they can do, from turning cartwheels to using their imaginations.

Norman, Speak! by Caroline Adderson, illustrated by Qin Leng 

After a family adopts a dog from a local shelter, they cannot understand why he doesn't respond to commands, until a chance encounter in the dog park reveals that their new dog only understands Chinese.

Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite by Nick Bromley and Nicola O’Byrne 

A crocodile falls into a quiet storybook and wreaks havoc on the characters, in a tale that invites youngsters to slam the book shut or find the courage to take a peek inside.

Planes Fly! by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Mick Wiggins 

Illustrations and easy-to-read rhyming text celebrate different kinds of planes, their instruments, what they carry, and what it is like to go for a flight.

Tulip Loves Rex by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illustrated by Sarah Massini 

Loving to dance all of her life, a little girl wishes for a special friend and meets a dance-loving dog in the park who wears a sign around his neck revealing that he is unlike other dogs and needs a home.

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea 

Envy turns to admiration and finally to friendship for Goat and Unicorn.