Children’s books to look forward to in October 2019

October is another great month for children’s books, and below are some of our very favourites.

Jen’s favourite books coming out in October

Why? by Adam Rex, illustrated by Claire Keane (1 October, 2019)

A funny picture book that is structured around the question that never ends (‘why?’) and ends up touching on themes of choices, parental expectations, following your own path, and supervillains. In short, this is a pretty great book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I bet I’ll enjoy it even more when Tilly is old enough to start asking why.

What John Marco Saw by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Nancy Lemon (1 October, 2019)

As an extremely unobservant person (who has a very observant husband and child), I thought this was a great book. John Marco observes something that is quite important and potentially dramatic but no one pays him any attention until, well, the dramatic thing happens. I love how this captures one of the great things about childhood — noticing the little things, especially little things in nature that grownups are too grownup and boring to see.

The Hike by Alison Farrell (8 October, 2019)

One of my favourite books of the year. It is so exuberant and lively! The illustrations are utterly delightful and one of the best parts of the book. Three kids go on a great adventure, and they cross streams and eat berries and climb a mountain. They spend all day outside, on their hike, armed with maps and backpacks, and it is so wonderfully outdoorsy and nature-y and pure. I want Tilly’s childhood to be filled with adventures like these.

Just in Case You Want to Fly by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Christian Robinson (8 October, 2019)

Let’s be honest, you can never go wrong with a Fogliano and Robinson collaboration. This book is one that depicts the best parts of the parent-child relationship — parental love and parent as safety net — without being sentimental or sappy at all. Given the amount of sentimental and sappy parental love books out there, this is no mean feat. Love this book (I do, usually, love my child, I just don’t get all cutesy about it). (Side note: Margaret endorses this one too.)

Now You Know What You Eat by Valerie Fisher (15 October, 2019)

Oh, this is such a fun one! It’s all about common foods, like peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies, and where they (and their constituent parts) come from. A great scientific look at the journey of food and how food arrives on our plates as it does.

Margaret’s favorite books coming out in October

Songs in the Shade of the Cashew and Coconut Trees: Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from West Africa and the Caribbean by Nathalie Soussana, music by Jean-Christophe Hoarau, illustrated by Judith Gueyfier (1 October 2019, The Secret Mountain)

This book is GORGEOUS and without a doubt my most anticipated book for October. It’s a sound book that collects traditional folksongs from both the Caribbean and West Africa with accompanying music for each song. The art is stunning, as are the vocals. This is a book to be cherished.

I Love Mozart: My First Sound Book: My First Sound Book by Marion Billet (1 October 2019, Scholastic)

This is another sound book, but much smaller and a board book, so ideal for babies and toddlers. Marion Billet has written and illustrated several of these sound books, and so far this is our third. It includes excerpts from several of Mozart’s pieces, along with illustrations of cute animals. It’s a unique sound book that doesn’t have a button to push. Rather, there’s an indented circle to glide a finger over. At first, Marian didn’t enjoy these as much because there were no buttons per se. But now that she has the hang of it, she enjoys this one as much as any other sound book. It’s a great little introduction to classical music.

It Started with a Big Bang: The Origin of Earth, You and Everything Else by Floor Bal, illustrated by Sebastiaan van Doninck (1 October 2019, Kids Can)

This book discusses the origins of Earth. Because I grew up in the South, we never discussed the big bang in science class. But I want better for Marian. The illustrations are lovely and engaging, as is the text. It’s a fun book for early to late elementary-aged children.

Bob Ross and Peapod the Squirrel by Robb Pearlman, illustrated by Bob Ross and Jason Kayser (8 October 2019, Running Press)

It’s a book about Bob Ross! Or really, a book with Bob Ross. Peapod the squirrel is looking for a home, and luckily for Peapod, Bob Ross can paint him one, with many happy little accidents along the way. This is a great picture book for budding artists, with a dash of humor in it as well.

Love and the Rocking Chair by Leo & Diane Dillon (15 October 2019, Scholastic)

Leo and Diane Dillon are a fantastic pair in the world of children’s books. They illustrated some of my favorite fairytale retellings, and have won many many awards for their work. This sweet book almost seems like a memoir (and maybe it is). It’s about new expecting parents trying to find the perfect rocking chair for their nursery. Then it shows their child growing up, marrying, and having a baby of his own, and rediscovering the rocking chair. It’s a sweet story. On a side note, the rocking chair looks really uncomfortable. Just me?

Baby Loves Scientists (Baby Loves Science) by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Irene Chan (15 October 2019, Charlesbridge)

We are huge fans of Ruth Spiro and Irene Chan here at Baby Librarians. This board book in the Baby Loves Science series is a little different from the rest. It’s larger and looks at scientists and their work from multiple disciplines. But it’s still baby and toddler-friendly, and just as fun as the other books in the series.

Playing with Collage by Jeannie Baker (22 October 2019, Candlewick)

I think Marian will soon be ready to start making her own collages (we were mainly waiting for her to stop eating the art material, lol). This is a great how-to guide for making collages, for elementary-aged children. It gives lots of insight and ideas into making art.

Do you know of a good children’s book coming out in October?