Literally everything I read in May was a picture book. So many picture books!
I re-read Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. It’s one of my favourite picture books, and I adore Julián. The author published Julian at the Wedding in 2020, which is just as fantastic. Both of these are going into my personal collection!
So many of the titles I’ve included share the stories and experiences of POC (people of colour), and one of the ones that really struck me was Fatima’s Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq. I never went camping with my family; camping seems like a white experience. The first time I went camping was in my mid-20s, and now, years later, I love it. Don’t get me wrong, camping is not comfortable. But I can now see how to blend what reads as a predominantly white activity with my own culture and I love that we get to experience this with Fatima.
The others are a combination of silly, quirky, fun books as well as some teach us about other cultures, animals in the wild and growing families. I particularly enjoyed Not Me by Elisa Gravel and I Want a Dog by Jon Agee.