I am always so excited to check out new children’s books, and we have had the opportunity to check out some amazing books this year. I decided it would be fun to let my daughter pick out her favorite children’s books of 2018!

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Best STEM Book

How to Code a Sandcastle was written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Sara Palacios. This creative STEM book teaches kids about coding concepts through a fun story and playful illustrations. Join a young girl as she uses her knowledge of coding to teach her robot how to build a sandcastle. The text is easy for kids to understand, while the illustrations are full of humor.

My daughter loved the adorable characters in the story, and the funny turns that the story took. I really liked how the story taught coding concepts through real world examples and easy to understand explanations and diagrams. I definitely recommend this book for kids interested in coding!

Check out how we used this book to practice some coding concepts! 

Best Illustrations

Brave Enough for Two: A Hoot & Olive Story was written and illustrated by Jonathan Voss. This beautifully illustrated tale of friendship and bravery follows a young girl and her stuffed owl friend as they face their fears and go on an adventure together. The sweet story is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations. There are simple sketches, as well as full page color illustrations. The pages also have an aged look, giving it a nostalgic feeling.

I adored the illustrations in this book, while my daughter loved the story of the adorable characters and the sweet friendship between them.

Click here to see how we were inspired by this book to create family goals, conduct a science experiment and make fun bookmarks!

Best Interactive Book

Hungry Bunny was written and illustrated by Claudia Rueda. In this fun book, the reader is tasked with helping the hungry bunny to gather apples. Kids can help him by turning and manipulating the book. There is also a red ribbon attached to the book that represents the bunny’s scarf and can be used as part of the story.

My daughter loved helping the little bunny in the illustrations, while I enjoyed the additional interactive opportunities that the red ribbon offered.

See more of the apple picking books I recommended here!

Best Book for a Sick Day

Be a Good Dragon was written and illustrated by Kurt Cyrus. When kids are sick, you can find yourself constantly reminding them to cover their mouths and keep their germs to themselves. In this fun rhyming book, Enzo the dragon is sick, and his constant sneezing and sniffling is wreaking havoc on the nearby village. The royal magician attempts to help him solve his troubles. The peppy rhyming and the action packed illustrations provide a fun framework for some important lessons about getting over a cold.

My daughter loves reading this one when she is sick, and likes to repeat the refrain about covering sneezes. I love the important lessons in the story, as well as the fun dialogue written in a stuffed up voice.

See how we brought this book to life with a fun dragon craft and sleeping dragon game! 

Best Book for Bedtime

Olive the Sheep Can’t Sleep was written by Clementina Almeida and illustrated by Ana Camila Silva. Join Olive the sheep as she struggles to fall asleep. She imagines visiting all of her sleeping friends and learning their tricks for falling asleep. The soothing text is full of strategies that are backed by science, and there are also extra bits of advice sprinkled throughout for parents.

This book has become part of our regular bedtime books rotation now. My daughter loves hearing about Olive and her friends, and the tips outlined in the book have really helped her to calm down before bed.

See how this book has become part of our bedtime routine here! 

Funniest Book

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise was written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein. This hilarious follow up to Interrupting Chicken follows the little red chicken as she attempts to do her homework with her father. She is convinced that she has to find the “elephant of surprise” in 3 different books. While Her father tries to convince her that she misheard, she is determined to find the “elephant” in each story they read. The illustrations accompanying the funny story add even more laughs.

My daughter loves the hilarious characters and illustrations in this book. She thinks it is so funny how the elephant finds it’s way into every story. I appreciated the humor and creativity of this book. I mean, come on, who doesn’t love jokes about literary elements?

Check out the fun elephant activities that were inspired by this book! 

Best Book of Poems

Mother Ghost: Nursery Rhymes for Little Monsters was written by Rachel Kolar and illustrated by Roland Garrigue. This book is full of spooky takes on classic nursery rhymes. Each rhyme in the book is given a creative spin, adding creepy characters and settings. The illustrations are done in black, white, purple, and gray tones, giving an even spookier vibe to the book.

This book has become a constant in our reading rotation. Even after Halloween was over, my daughter was still requesting this one. She loves the fun rhymes, and I love how nicely the poems mimic the originals.

Best Interactive Board Book

Nita’s First Signs (Little Hands Signing) was written by Kathy MacMillan and illustrated by Sara Brezzi. Nita is a young girl who communicates with her parents through sign language. This tabbed board book introduces kids to ten signs through a sweet and simple story, colorful illustrations, and tabs that can be pulled out to reveal instructions for signing the word introduced on the page.

We had a lot of fun practicing the signs in this book. I loved the adorable story between Nita and her parents, and also the creative way that the book provided instructions in a hidden compartment in the page. My daughter loves pulling the tabs out to reveal the pictures underneath, and has enjoyed using some of the signs she has learned.

See the benefits of signing with your kids here, and find fun ways to practice together!

What did you think were the best children’s books of 2018? Do you agree with our picks? Which ones did we miss? Share in the comments below!

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