Welcome to another round of the Best Books of the Year so Far, where halfway through the year, I name the titles I read that I feel are the best of 2024 so far. I will be listing the books by different genre and format. So stay tuned throughout the rest of this month to catch my favorite reads of 2024 that you want to keep your eye on!
Confetti by Dean Atta and illustrated by Alea Marley
One day, Ari discovers a piece of pink confetti under the sofa. She throws is up into the air and watches it helicopter down: a small, bright moment of celebration.
And before long, Ari discovers confetti in other places: at her birthday party; at the Pride parade; in autumn’s falling leaves; in the magical sprinkling of snowflakes. She finds that when you look around, life is full of celebrations, each moment bursting with colour and joy – just like a handful of confetti. (Credit: Hachette Children’s Group)
And Yet You Shine: The Kohinoor Diamond, Colonization, and Resistance by Supriya Kelkar
The story of one of the world’s most famous diamonds–stolen from South Asia during colonization and now among the crown jewels in London–is a call to action for readers to decolonize and hold their heads high.
The Kohinoor diamond, one of the most famous diamonds in the world, was stolen from India and fought over throughout centuries of colonial conquest, eventually landing in the hands of British royals who tricked a ten-year-old South Asian monarch into relinquishing it. The diamond was ultimately cut to nearly half its size to suit British beauty standards for the crown jewels–and is displayed to this day in the Tower of London museum, a trophy of colonization. Probing, poetic, and shimmering with the colors and patterns of Indian textiles, And Yet You Shine is more than the true story of a precious gem passing hands. The urgent narrative and well-researched afterword invite readers to consider the origins of museum artifacts and all they represent, how history is recorded, and why acknowledging past injustices and power dynamics can shape the world we live in today–and ensure a just tomorrow. This vibrant and moving meditation on resiliency invites readers of all backgrounds to decolonize–and shine with all their might. (Credit: Candlewick Press)
Black Girl, Black Girl: Celebrate The Power of You by Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond and illustrated by Amanda Quartey
Expected Publication Date: September 12
Another winning picture book from the team who wrote and illustrated “Black Boy, Black Boy”. Once again this provides the inspiration and empowerment that young minds of color definitely need.
Dear girl, Black girl, rise up, it’s time.
It’s a new day and a chance to shine.
From the first black female Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris to three-time Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, and the first black female astronaut Mae Carol Jemison, there are so many inspirational women in Black history. An uplifting and beautiful introduction to the strong women who have shaped history, Black Girl, Black Girl encourages young Black girls to rise with passion and to trust in their fierce spirit and magnificent grace. (Credit: Sourcebooks Explore)
Gray by Laura Dockrill and illustrated by Lauren Child
Today I feel gray.
But that’s OK.
Some days you may feel sunshine yellow or orange-balloon bright. Other days you’re gray, or even night-sky black–like a dark scribble on a page, a storm in the clouds, or a puddle in the road. Gray is when you don’t feel like yourself, or like you don’t belong. But however you feel, there are big hugs (red) and loving lullabies (blue) waiting, and even the grayest sidewalk is a canvas for you to fill with the colors you choose. A tender narration from British spoken-word poet Laura Dockrill and subtle, spare artwork from former UK Children’s Laureate Lauren Child offer a comforting read for young children that addresses feelings of sadness and assures them that they are never alone. (Credit: Candlewick Press)
Back Home: Story Time with My Father by Arlène Elizabeth Casimir and illustrated by Ken Daley
Krik! Krak!
This is how story time begins.
Lune loves hearing her daddy’s stories—the funny ones, the sad ones, the ones with lessons about truth and love. Whether evoking an ill-fated climb up a mango tree or life after a hurricane, flying over magical mountains or the healing power of a mother’s love, all of Daddy’s stories begin with “lakay”—back home—and each one ushers Lune to Haiti, her father’s homeland, a place she doesn’t know but can see, hear, and feel when she closes her eyes. Daddy is her favorite book, and sometimes she stays up late just to hear another story when he gets home from work. Everyone has stories, her mommy tells her, so Lune begins to wonder: could she have stories of her own, too? Author Arlène Elizabeth Casimir offers a love letter to her parents’ birthplace and to the ways storytelling can bring us together, illustrated in lush, enchanting colors by acclaimed artist Ken Daley. Included is a glossary and two author’s notes—one to caregivers and teachers, one to kids—providing ideas and encouragement for sharing the power of story. (Credit: Candlewick Press)
Dancing Dumplings for My One and Only by Eva Wong Nava and illustrated by Natelle Quek
Expected Publication Date: December 17
Dumplings dance in water like Grandma moves through tai chi beats: slow, firm, focused. When the autumn leaves are tumbling, there’s nothing better than coming home from the park and helping Grandma roll, fill, and pinch ingots of meat and cabbage. “Dancing dumplings for my one and only,” Grandma says, scooping them up for her granddaughter. But as the season grows colder, Grandma says she can’t make dumplings for her one and only, not today. The child watches her grandmother wheeze and sneeze in bed, and although her heart da-dubs with fear, she lights incense and keeps her company until the day her grandmother is well enough to dance again–made stronger and healthier by the dumplings her granddaughter now cooks for her. Sumptuously and scrumptiously illustrated by Natelle Quek, Eva Wong Nava’s story captures the wonderful bond between grandchild and grandparent–and how powerful and healing the act of sharing food can be. An author’s note deepens the message of the importance of cultural foods in our relationships to both our heritage and loved ones. (Credit: Candlewick Press)
Not Far from Here by Nydia Armendia-Sánchez and illustrated by Devon Holzwarth
Expected Publication Date: October 1
We worked and worked
juntos
para realizar el sueño
Nuestra familia . . .
nos superamos
as individuals
and
together
Mamá tells her children a story that began when their papá was a niño, not far from here. Their abuelitas told stories of their antepasados, and their abuelo, a blacksmith, taught their papá how to make art from earth and fire. When abuelo died, papá took all those lessons to heart and crossed la frontera to el norte to follow his sueños. There, he worked and overcame barriers, known to many immigrants alike, to forge his own obra maestra: a familia and a future in which anything is possible. Debut author Nydia Armendia-Sánchez relays a story of immigration, creativity, and comunidad through a translanguage text that moves naturally from English to español and back in a manner that will be familiar to many second and third generations of Latine families–and evocative to immigrant families of any heritage. Brilliantly brought to life by Devon Holzwarth’s rich, imaginative illustrations, this warm abrazo of a book features a glossary of Spanish words. (Credit: Candlewick Press)
Our Building by Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Richard Johnson
Drawn from Coelho’s own experience growing up in a high-rise, this is a celebration and reclaiming of them as places full of power and magic.
A power that resides
in the smiles of our neighbors.
A magic that seeps out
when we swap our home-baked flavors.
A deeply personal story written by the award-winning poet Joseph Coelho, drawn from his own experience growing up in a high-rise and looking for adventure.
Three children living in the building travel to a strange, magical world inside a tree and meet an old man with supernatural powers… only to realize that the magic they’d been looking for had been in the building all that time, in the form of community and connection.
Beautiful illustrations complement the poetic narrative, creating an enchanting story that children and adults alike will fall in love with. This powerful story shows us the true beauty of home and community. It’s a modern-day fable about how society separates ‘urban’ spaces from the suburbs, when the reality is that nature is everywhere, and everyone should have access to it. (Credit: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)
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