10 Fiction Picture Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2012

2012 may go down as the year of the picture book sequel. Aside from the Mo Willems offering I mention below, expect sequels to The Dunderheads, I Must Have Bobo, LMNO Peas, Say Hello to Zorro, Oh No!, Dinotrux, A Pet for Petunia and a whole bunch more.

Borrowing heavily (see: stealing) from A Fuse #8 Production (who recently posted 10 Middle Grade Novels I’m Looking Forward to in 2012), here is an unscientifically assembled group of ten picture books that have me excited for the coming year (or at least as far ahead as I see).

Are they any good? Who knows? My money would be on “probably”, but you’d be wise to investigate further before making any purchases.

But let’s get on with the list…

Wumbers by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
June | Chronicle

The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems

April | Hyperion

What, you expect me to not be excited for this? The next installment in the classic series is likely to hit the bestseller chart as hard as the storytime circuit.

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Oink-a-Doodle-Moo by Jef Czekaj

June | Balzer + Bray

With 2011’s Cat Secrets, Czekaj cemented his status as a guy to check for – if for no other reason than to see what weird stuff he’ll next commit to page. This book, about a barnyard game of telephone, seems to suit his style quite well.

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Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always by Tao Nyeu

June | Dial

If you’ve read Wonder Bear or Bunny Days, you know about the wildly creative Tao Nyeu. Her books mix cute and quirk like no one else. This book, containing four tales about friendship looks promising.

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Another Brother by Matthew Cordell

January | Feiwel & Friends

This one’s right around the corner. There are other “new sibling” books out there, but Cordell takes things to a ridiculous extreme with this family of sheep. Plus this sucker already has two starred reviews, from Kirkus and School Library Journal.

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Rapido’s Next Stop by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet

April | Abrams

From the creators of 365 Penguins (aka: probably the tallest book in your library). This story follows a delivery van through a city, with flaps lifting to show the inside of buildings.  Looks good from here.

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Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton

March | Candlewick Press

A good dog gone bad story with some of the boldest artwork you’ll see. While I think the whole retro illustration thing hits adults more than kids, I’m looking forward to see if the story is as striking as the visuals.

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Larf by Ashley Spires

April | Kids Can Press

Larf is a Sasquach – perhaps the only one. And he’s pretty content with it. As a fan of Spires’ work on the Binky graphic novel series, this looks to have the same brand of gentle humor.

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Wolf Won’t Bite by Emily Gravett

March | Simon & Schuster

Is any year complete without some Emily Gravett? A Brit with a catalog of some of the most memorable picture books of the last decade, Gravett gives us a trio of pigs and a wolf that won’t bite (at least that’s what the pigs say). This one may have potential read aloud implications.

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The Obstinate Pen by Frank W. Dormer

April | Henry Holt

The author of Socksquatch brings more funny with this story of a pen that refuses to cooperate. Nothing like some good-natured jabs to get the kids chuckling.

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Extra Special Bonus Pick:

Show Me a Story! Why Picture Books Matter: Coversations with 21 of the World’s Most Celebrated Illustrators

Compiled and edited by Leonard S. Marcus

April | Candlewick Press

Since we’re talking picture books here, I’m excited to take a look at this spring offering from Candlewick. Any time you get Willems, Weisner, Henkes, Raschka, Wells, Carle, and Oxenbury in one place, I’m listening. A collection of interviews assembled by children’s lit historian Leonard S. Marcus.

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Anything I missed that you’re looking forward to?

(Top Image: ‘10‘ http://www.flickr.com/photos/35468141611@N01/3641737380)

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