Picture Books

Part of my job is to order children, teen and YA books for all our libraries. This is a part of the job that I really like, but even better is when the books actually arrive. Today, I was checking a whole trolley of new picture books and what a joy it was.
Picture books are treasure troves of imagination and creativity, they also help children make sense of the world, build empathy  and navigate their emotions. 
Among all the stories there, about diggers, dinosaurs, pets , family, friendship and more, a few caught my attention:

The Thing at 52 about a young girl befriending a Thing,
The big Dreaming by Michael Rosen, beautifully illustrated by Daniel Egnéus, about a little bear afraid that he won’t have enough dreams for the long winter, asking other animals to lend him some, thus he discovers dreams of happiness, dreams of homecoming, and dreams of hope.
Finding You  by Robert Vescio and Hannah Summerville -a lovely tale of friendship and finding a home
My Baba’s Garden by Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith shows the special relationship between a child and his grandmother. Very tender and bittersweet
The Tree and the River – an insightful wordless book by Aaron Becker, a master of the art - a amazing time-lapse of civilisations, through one tree, and its impact on nature.
Hug me by Simona Siraolo follows a poor cactus who is desperate for a hug.. Witty but encourages empathy too.
A way to the stars by David Almond, illustrated by Gill Smith - a real flight of fancy :-)
Confetti by Dean Atta and Alea Marley - a colourful celebration of diversity and life
Now we're together by Nicola Edwards and Jenny Bloom aiming o encourage children to put down their phones and enjoy the real world.

The two that I have blipped stuck out for me.