I’ve been reading a lot lately.

During my travels through Asia and Mexico, I had access to very few books. I was able to read picture books on line, and other books on my Kindle, but it’s not the same as having  the actual book in my hands.

So now that I’ve been in Las Vegas for a month, and am in possession of a library card, I have gone to town. I check out so many books, I sometimes feel a bit guilty. I’m sure I’ve doubled the work load of the poor librarians who have to pre shelve the piles of books I check out.

Since Mid-November, I have read 18 MG books, and 251 picture books. Along with a few recordings, I’ve averaged over 6 checked-out items per day for the last month and a half. I am mostly reading books that have been released in the past three years, though I have trouble resisting a classic every now and again.

Today I am simply going to list some of the picture books that have stuck with me. The books that suit my  sensibilities.

In no particular order:

• WAITING by Kevin Henkes
• SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
• YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL by Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant
• FINDING SPRING by Carin Berger
• MY TEACHER IS A MONSTER by Peter Brown
• HUG MACHINE by Scott Campbell
• THE FARMER AND THE CLOWN by Marla Frazee
• THE IRIDESCENCE OF BIRDS by Patricia MacLachlan and Hadley Hooper
• FLORA AND THE FLAMINGO by Molly Idle
• ONE WORD FROM SOPHIE by Jim Averbeck and Yasmeen Ismail
• THE FARMER’S AWAY! BAA! NEIGH! by Anne Vittur Kennedy
• IF YOU PLANT A SEED by Kadir Nelson

So, here are 12 books I loved. I loved many more, so I’ll post a few more every couple of days. Believe me, there is no shortage or really terrific picture books.