This newly released (2016) picture book batch features a dinosaur, peacocks, a skunk, a bear, dogs, and a panda. Those are just a few of the animal characters these picture book authors and illustrators dreamed up for their characters. Do your children like animal characters?
latest illustrated books starring animals
Samanthasaurus by B.B. Mandela, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman Samanthasaurus Rex isn’t your typical T. Rex, and her parents don’t see how capable she is until disaster strikes. This is a wonderful story for the unique, looking for acceptance child in every family.
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Flora and the Peacocks by Molly Idle Flora is back for her most beautiful lift-the-flap, wordless green and blue dance experience ever! As she dances with two gorgeous male peacocks and a fan, the peacocks become territorial of the fan which makes Flora very sad. Luckily, the peacocks realize they need to change their behavior so it all ends up okay. I love Idle’s illustrations and how each of the wordless books in this series are thematic by color!
snail & worm by tina kugler the snail and the worm make me laugh with their simple but funny adventures. adventures like climbing a flower or finding a lost pet that turns out to be . . . uh, you’ll see. you will enjoy the writing and the fun.
Lion & Tiger & Bear Tag! You’re It! by Ethan Long Lion is trying to paint — but his friends want to play tag. He’s exasperated, trying everything to get some peace and quiet. Very funny, especially for those of us who often feel like Lion does. 🙂
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Horrible Bear! by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah OHora The girl is so mad that the bear broke her kite that she calls him a “horrible” bear. Bear feels upset. He decides to show her what horrible really is!! Until he meets her face to face and the girl apologizes. There is nice emotional resonance in this relatable picture book. I liked the lovely ending where the two work out their differences.
ursa’s light by deborah marcero ursa, a bear, loved to imagine. And she imagined that she could fly! she builds a flying suit, a rocket bike, and even bat wings. could it be that she really can’t? Of course, no! she finds a more unique and perfect way to persevere and fly. go away, bear!!
The Chameleon That Saved Noah’s Ark by Yael Molchadskby, illustrated by Orit Bergman The chameleons aren’t eating and Noah is worried. He’s even more worried when his wife finds worms in the fruit that the humans are supposed to eat. Luckily, the chameleons want to eat the worms, solving two problems at once. (Divergent solutions!) This picture book provides rich opportunities for discussions and life lessons. Gorgeous folk-art illustrations.
Wolf Camp by Andrea Zuill In this what-do-dogs-think-about story, Homer the dog gets to go to wolf camp. He’s SO excited to learn how to be a wolf — to mark, howl, track, and hunt (yuck- hair!) He eventually adjusts and is even sad to leave. Now he will always be an honorary wolf.
Douglas, You Need Glasses! by Ged Adamson Isn’t this cover hard to look at? Douglas the dog is so near-sighted that he sometimes he goes home to the wrong house, or chases right past the squirrels, or misses important signs. So his person, Nancy, takes him to the eye doctor. There he finds glasses and realizes how amazing life is when you can SEE! Richly illustrated.
the perfect dog by kevin o’malley a wacky play on adjectives describing dogs (big, bigger, biggest…long, longer, the longest hair, etc.) occurs when the girl’s parents say that she can get a dog. because she plans to find the perfect dog. that is until the perfect dog finds her. the perfect book for dog lovers.
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Giraffe Meets Bird by Rebecca Bender This tells the story of how two animals, Giraffe and Bird, became friends. As they build a friendship and a home together, rich describing words are emphasized in larger text. I love the warm acrylic illustrations.
The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits by Ulf Stark and Eva Ericsson This is a collection of stories about a grumpy, lonely tomte (from the Swedish tradition) named Grump whose lonely life is enriched (much to his irritation) with the wonderful antics of the woodland animals around his house.
Skunk on a String by Thao Lam Wordless, because we don’t need words in this detailed paper collaged story, we follow a skunk who has been tied to the tail of a balloon and drifts all over the city. How can he get down? When he finally unties himself, . . . he misses flying! So what do you think he does? Finds more balloons.
treat by mary sullivan all this dog wants is a treat – he’s chasing you endlessly. treat? treat? treat? Finally, the sisters make him the best surprise cake ever. cute and silly!
Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer Penguin is in a bad mood. He tries to shake it off but it isn’t until he takes a bath that he can wash away the grumps. And hope tomorrow is a better day. Who can’t relate to that!?
two mice by sergio ruzzierte you will love this simple book about two mice who live a terrifying adventure and manage to escape. two mouses. a minimal text escape.
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