Best Picture Books of 2013

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”  
-Stephen King

Yep! It's as simple as that. So, if you are going to write picture books, then you need to read them, right?  And what better books to read than the best ones!  Since it's getting close to the end of the year, many sites have come out with "The Best of 2013." I think every picture book writer should read hundreds of books, especially all of the classic ones. But it's very important to know what is currently selling, what the current trends are, and how picture books work today. Only knowing the classics puts you at a huge disadvantage for writing and selling picture books. 

I just finished the PiBoIdMo challenge and there are many upcoming challenges this year for writers that I am really excited about. But there should be a reading challenge for writers. Take on the personal challenge of reading as many current picture books as you can.  

In the document below, I've compiled many of the lists all in one place.  The lists consist of ALA Awards, Amazon's Best Children's Books, New York Times Best Illustrated, New York Times Notable, Goodreads Choice Awards, School Librarian Journal Best of 2013, Huffington Post Best of 2013, NPR's Book Concierge, and Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2013. Take a look and see how many books on this list you've read. 

best_picture_books_of_2013.docx
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And if you want all the lists in one, in alphabetical order, check out this document. 

best_picture_books_of_2013_alphabetical_list.docx
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And just for fun, here is a list of the books that appeared on multiple lists.  The number indicates the number of times it showed up on a list. 

best_picture_books_of_2013_appearing_on_multiple_lists.docx
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Are you up for the challenge?  How many of the 2013 books have you read? 2014 is drawing near and will bring brand new must read picture books.  So get reading!