Gallery: NYT Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2021

I say this and I mean it – if I can predict just one of the books on the New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books list, I am satisfied.

With so many books being eligible, it’s incredibly tough to predict. The list was just announced. How did I do with my 2021 predictions?

Two! I got two out of ten. Time is a Flower and Unspeakable. I’ll take it. If you include my additional “just for kicks” list (which Colby Sharp has unjustifiably made fun of me for (side note: how dare he?)) I got two more. But I don’t count those, because they were just for kicks.

Congratulations to the creators of the 2021 list. It’s a wonderful group of books.

Here’s the list. Click images to enlarge.

¡Vamos! Let’s Cross the Bridge

Written and illustrated by Raúl the Third
Colors by Elaine Bay

The Night Walk

Written and illustrated by Marie Dorléans

The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess

Written and illustrated by Tom Gauld

Time Is a Flower

Written and illustrated by Julie Morstad

While You’re Sleeping

Written by Mick Jackson
Illustrated by John Broadley

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

Written by Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Keeping the City Going

Written and illustrated by Brian Floca

I Am the Subway

Written and illustrated by Kim Hyo-eun
Translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith

On the Other Side of the Forest

Written by Nadine Robert
Illustrated by Gérard DuBois

It Fell From the Sky

Written and illustrated by Terry Fan and Eric Fan

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