Buying a present for a little person and don’t want to duplicate? These are our favourite off-the-beaten-track picture books for kids, featuring lesser-known artists and writers, distinctive and special stories.
Dim Sum Palace, by X Fang
Have you ever dreamed of being wrapped up like a dumpling and eaten by an Empress? This playfully dark picture book is my new favourite obsession. Swipe to see some interior spreads and some incredibly expressive artwork.
Liddy wanders from her bed to the kitchens of a Dim Sum restaurant, following the delicious smell of dumplings. But as she tries to take a bite, she slips and falls into the filling and is folded up into a dumpling! With sumptuous spreads of dumplings, bao buns and sweet treats, this picture book is an absolute treat.
Eugene the Architect, by Thibaut Rassat
To quote my colleague Dan, “It’s nice to have a picture book that presents construction as a space for everyone”. And indeed it is! Eugene is an archetypal softboy, rather flamboyant looking, absolutely obsessed with buildings and very little else, and he has a vision – a vision for a geometrically perfect building! FFO frustrated geniuses, sustainable architecture and whimsical drawings.
I Just Ate My Friend, by Heidi McKinnon
We’ve all been there… you’ve just eaten your friend, your only friend. The yellow monster at the centre of ‘I Just Ate my Friend’ finds themselves in this sticky predicament. With charming and characterful illustrations, Heidi McKinnon tells a story of forging friendships and meeting new people who make you feel good – though, there’s always the possibility they might just eat you!
Mole in a Black and White Hole, by Tereza Sediva
There’s a Mole, in a black and white hole, who is too scared to leave his underground home behind. His friend, the pink turnip, tells him about the colourful, wonderful world above, but Mole feels safer wrapped in his blankets. Eventually, when his friend goes missing, Mole goes on the search for colour, digging and digging until he discovers a new world of wonder! Tereza Sediva’s quirky lino printed illustrations are a riot of colour and fun that help teach us to venture outside our comfort zone and see what lies beyond – Mole comes home with a collection of colour, new companions, and even a fetching orange fez!
Taxi Ride with Victor, by Sara Trofa and Elsa Klever
Intergalactic lunacy courtesy of everyone’s favourite forgetful taxi driver, Victor, who needs a bit of help getting his fares to where they need to be…
The Dog That Ate the World, by Sandra Diekmann
As proud owners of a bookshop dog with a healthy appetite, we couldn’t resist this beautifully drawn and gently silly picture book about, yep, a dog that ate the world.
Goliath: The Boy Who Was Different, by Ximo Abadia
Showing sensitively that there are many more ways to express yourself than the usual, this stunning and simple hardback is a great lesson for anyone who feels slightly out of place in the world.
If I Had A Dinosaur, by Gabby Dawnay & Alex Barrow
The ‘I want a pet’ conversation reaches an irresistibly sweet new level with this surprisingly practical breakdown of what measures need to be in place if you want a pet dinosaur. Feeding requirements, travel benefits and even dino flap installation are all covered…
I Am Bat, by Morag Hood
He is bat. He loves cherries. There is nothing else to this story, and that’s exactly why we love it.
The Skull, by Jon Klassen
Of course, who would write the best disturbed kids book if not the one, the only, the Jon Klassen? Based on a folk tale he found in an Alaskan library, no less. It goes without saying the illustrations are spectacular, creepy, minimalist yet evocative. And the story is genuinely creepy: a young girl called Otilla runs away to a house in the woods where a disembodied skull lives.