Kids Staff Faves 2022

As the year draws to a close, we enjoy asking staff from across the library system to share their favorite Kids books of the year. From picture books to chapter books, and from graphic novels to nonfiction – here are just a few of the Kids books published in 2022 that our SPL staff loved!

(Annotations are by enthusiastic staff, and/or from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, or publisher blurbs.)

Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by David Roberts
PICTURE BOOK / Grandma is on her way over, and the house is a mess – but with a sneaky cat and a wildly mixed-up list of chores, will the house (and the cat) ever get cleaned up? “My favorite picture book this year – I can’t wait to read it out loud to kids; the rhymes and story are delightful.” – Jessica

Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson, illustrated by Daniel Sousa
PICTURE BOOK FOLKTALE / “A beautiful retelling of an Indigenous Hawaiian legend, by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu (of “Kumu Hina” fame), this multilingual picture book celebrates Hawaiian culture, language, and māhū (non-binary) people.” – Bean

The Tide Pool Waits by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Amy Hevron
PICTURE BOOK NONFICTION / A delightful look at a unique aquatic environment that will nourish children’s natural sense of wonder. -Kirkus Reviews “A fun introduction to the world of tide pools!” – Bean

The Aquanaut by Dan Santat
GRAPHIC NOVEL / A crew of intrepid marine creatures rig up an antique diving suit to explore space, the final frontier—otherwise known as San Diego. – Kirkus Reviews

Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff
CHAPTER BOOK / When Annabelle learns that her father shares something big–and surprising–in common with her new non-binary friend, she begins to see herself, and her family, in a whole new light. – Publisher

The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Regan Barnhill
CHAPTER BOOK / “A really lovely children’s chapter book about a town’s insidious and subtle attack by a dragon, and how community trust can be broken down, and then rebuilt.” – Dawn / “A genuinely enchanting, entertaining middle-grade book with a clear, relevant moral.” – Orion

Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds drawings by Raúl the Third
ILLUSTRATED CHAPTER BOOK / Not-so-secret superhero by day and kid from apartment 4D by day as well, Portico “Stuntboy” Reeves will need all his tricks to withstand the great threat facing his family and the anxiety that comes with it. – Kirkus Reviews

Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi
NONFICTION / “Featuring prose and poetry, this is a compelling and uniquely-constructed look at the life and work of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler.” – Lauren

Explore more of our favorite Kids books of the year, here:

~ posted by Lauren M.