One of my most viewed blog posts last year was my  Most Anticipated Picture Books 2018 blog post  and it was something I really enjoyed ...

Most Anticipated Picture Books 2019

Monday, January 07, 2019 BookBairn 10 Comments


One of my most viewed blog posts last year was my Most Anticipated Picture Books 2018 blog post and it was something I really enjoyed writing and researching. It turns out however that just because I was anticipating a book didn't mean I would necessarily jump and buy it, being easily distracted by other wonderful books. We actually only bought (or received from the publisher) four out of the ten books and only one of those made my list of Best Picture Books of 2018. Some of them are still on my to-buy list and I'm sure I will find copies of them all to read eventually. I just don't have a never-ending book budget and I found myself buying more older releases rather than shiny new books. But nonetheless the lure of the shiny new releases of 2019 has me like a magpie so I've written a huge list of books that I'm looking forward to reading next year though they all pretty much come from the first half of the year as that's the books we have the most information on so perhaps I will need to write a second list mid-way through the year. Anyway, I have narrowed it down to ten books for now!

Press Here Board Book by Herve Tullet (19 February)


We love Press Here and now even the small hands of The Wee Page Turner will be able to enjoy all the hands-on fun of this genius interactive book. One of the things that we didn't like about the original Press Here book was that the pages are actually quite tricky to turn and a board book seems like the perfect solution to that. I just know that The Wee Page Turner is going to love it (if he can get it off his sister of course!). 

Dress Like a Girl by Patricia Toht & Lorain Tu-Dean (7 March)


Described as "a playful and fashionable slumber party takes an empowering turn in this gorgeous new picture book", you just know it sounds like a great match for BookBairn. Whilst she loves dressing up in princess dresses I think this will be a lovely counterbalance to all those tutus and glitter! Uplifting and resonant, and with a variety of interests ranging from sports to science to politics, this book is sure to inspire any young girl, instilling the idea that the best way to dress like a girl is the way that makes you feel most like YOU!

Spend It by Cinders McLeod (1 April)


BookBairn's Daddy is an ex-banker accountant so you know he holds the purse strings in our house (and will be to blame if we don't buy copies of all the books on this list!) and I'm sure he will love to read this tale of a little bunny who is learning to save his carrots! A charming introduction to simple money concepts in which a bunny learns he can't buy everything he wants with his allowance! Sonny gets three whole carrots a week for his allowance and wants to buy everything with it! But he soon discovers his money won't go that far, and his mom tells him he needs to make some choices. And in this book, he has a blast discovering what's really important to him and worth spending his carrots on.

Let's Explore with Ted/Jump About with Ted by Sophy Henn (4 April)


Ted is one of our absolute favourite characters and I have written a whole blog post dedicated to our imaginative little friendThis series is about a little toddler called Ted - he has a wonderful imagination and is a typical toddler (writing great toddler books seems to be Sophy Henn's forte. He's incredibly cute, imagines his toys as real characters and, in typical toddler-style, he delays bedtime and can turn a box into anything he likes with the power of his mind! So two new adventures with Ted just sound like a delight for our bookshelves. With sturdy flaps to lift on every page, this colourful pre-school series featuring the charming Ted is ideal for little hands.

Ada Twist and the Perilous Pantaloons by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts (16 April)


We love The Questioneers series of books, and I was super excited to learn that when BookBairn outgrows the picture books (or even if she still enjoys them but we want something more lengthy to read-aloud), she needn't leave these awesome and inspiring characters behind. I really enjoyed reading Rosie Revere and Raucous Riveters last year and I know BookBairn is going to be ready to read this slightly longer books very soon. So one starring our favourite Questioneer, Ada Twist is going to be a big hit! When Rosie Revere’s Uncle Ned gets a little carried away wearing his famous helium pantaloons, it’s up to Ada and friends to chase him down. As Uncle Ned floats farther and farther away, Ada starts asking lots of questions: How high can a balloon float? Is it possible for Uncle Ned to float into outer space? And what’s the best plan for getting him down? In this new chapter-book adventure, Ada must rely on her curious mind, her brave spirit, and her best pals Rosie Revere and Iggy Peck to solve a mystery in her own backyard.

Super Duper You by Sophy Henn (2 May)


We've already mentioned Sophy Henn on this list but she is one of our favourite author-illustrators so we tend to hotly anticipate anything she creates! And this one sounds like a wonderful celebration of our own uniqueness which is the sort of book that we just love! Sometimes we are loud, sometimes we are quiet, sometimes bold and clanky, sometimes soft and cuddly. Sophy Henn celebrates all the different, extraordinary and sometimes 
contradictory things we are in this joyful and colourful rhyming picture book. 


Another by Christian Robinson (5 May)


I absolutely love Christian Robinson's style of artwork - the layering of paper to create such wonderful images just seems to be ingenious to me and really appeals to me as a method of storytelling. So I'm surprise that this is his first book as an illustrator and author and I can't wait to see this story brought to life.  In his eagerly anticipated debut as author-illustrator, Christian Robinson brings young readers on a playful, imaginative journey into another world.
What if you...
encountered another perspective?
Discovered another world?
Met another you?
What might you do?

Deep in the Ocean by Lucie Bruneillere (28 May)


One of the books that we revisit again and again is Deep in the Forest: A Seek and Find Adventure by Lucie Bruneillere with illustrations that are, amongst other things vivid, striking, intense, brilliant, bright, strong, rich and deep. So I'm excited to see her new book - Deep in the Ocean - which tells the story of a submarine team exploring the depths of the ocean. One of the things that I think will bring this book to life and make it all the more magical is that there is a free downloadable soundtrack to listen to whilst you immerse yourself in the story and illustrations - isn't that such a clever idea!? You can hear the soundtrack hereFrom the glittering surface of the sea to the darkness of the abyss, Deep in the Ocean takes readers on a bewitching journey through fascinating waters—some warm, colorful, and crowded with sea creatures, others mysterious and turbulent. Six colors of ink (including neon pink and metallic silver) are used throughout, and a free downloadable soundtrack allows readers to feel even more fully immersed in this beautiful underwater world.

The Bookworm by Debi Gliori (22 August)


Unfortunately there isn't any cover artwork for this book as yet but even without that I'm absolutely enchanted by the story. It's about a little boy who wants a pet and like most kids he goes through the whole list - puppy, parrot, shark and even a dragon. Except dragons don't exist he is told. So he ends up with a worm. But there's something strange about this particular worm and it turns out to be very unusual indeed. It starts to grow spikes on it's back and begins to breath smoke - but Max thought dragons didn't exist. A funny and light-hearted story from much-loved children's author Debi Gliori, perfect for any child who has ever wanted a pet. With an added cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for.


I wonder if any of these will make my 2019 best books list? And how many of them I will actually get my grubby little reading paws on? 

When doing my research, there really were so many great books being released next year and I love the continuing themes of mighty girls as well as an increase in the number of books about individuality and the theme of pride (both with a lower and upper case p/P!). We will certainly have our work cut-out to blog about as many of these great new releases as we can in 2019!

What are you most looking forward to in 2019?

Happy New Year, 
Kim, BookBairn and The Wee Page Turner xxx

*Release dates are for UK release provided by publisher but may be subject to changes.


Sections in italics from Amazon description.



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10 comments:

  1. They do look like good choices! Sometimes I have to avoid reading the Waterstones emails, because I end up wanting (and ordering) everything on them. It sounds like you've got the balance right with buying some new books, but not going crazy with it.

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    1. I know exactly what you mean! I have a wish list that is well beyond my budget and well beyond our shelf space.

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  2. A new Ada Twist - Scientist book. I can’t wait. The others look great too. I’m sure Daddy BookBairn will be persuaded to stretch the purse strings and won’t give you “the bookshop glare”.

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    1. So excited to read it! And yes the bookshop glare is a real thing!

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  3. The cover of Super Duper You really stands out to me and I think my girls would enjoy Ada Twist! #readwithme

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    1. Absolutely!! I love Sophy's illustrations. And Ada is an awesome character.

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  4. Oh what a wonderful list of books. I've been lucky enough to already read 'Press Here' in one of my local book shops and it's brilliant. Can't wait to read the others .

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    1. We love Press Here too! Can't wait for the board book.

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  5. They sound a nice selection and there is always the library for those you don't actually manage to buy #readwithme

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