Picture Books for grown-ups
Good news everyone. You know how your life is hectic and you don’t have time to do the things you know are good for you? Like doing your tax return, going to the gym or reading a book. I’ve solved the third problem! Here is a list of beautiful picture books for when you’re too time-poor to read. You won’t find shorter stories unless you’re into haikus. Another bonus is they have sturdy, hard covers so if anyone tells you that picture books are for kids, you can give them a royal slap.
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
A bear loses his hat and wants it back. Sounds simple, right? But as the bear goes around questioning the other animals, his dead eyes bore into you, the minimalistic dialogue becomes deliberate and hilarious. My one-year-old son disagreed with me, so while I rolled around on the floor cackling, he wandered off in search of quality literature (Grug) (PFfttttt!)
They All Saw The Cat by Brendan Wenzel
This is probably the cleverest picture book I’ve read in a long time. By ‘read’ I mean the reading of images as well as words. With one simple, lyrical phrase ‘The cat walked through the world with its whiskers, ears and paws…’ Wenzel illustrates beautifully how perspectives shape what we see.
That’s not a hippopotamus by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis
This is definitely a picture book for little ones, but it appeals to my adult animation sensibilities. The illustrations appear to move on the page. Davis’ cast of school kids have weight and rhythm as they dash around a zoo looking for the missing hippopotamus. And the rhyme is playful and addictive.
‘I’ve got him, Miss! A lot amiss! A missing hippopotamus!’
I was chanting the rhyme in my head hours after putting down the book.
The White Cat and the Monk by Jo Ellen Bogart and Sydney Smith
The White Cat and the Monk is a retelling of an old Irish poem. This is more of a graphic novel than a picture book in terms of its layout, but like the other books on this list, the words are poignant and sparingly applied. It tells the story of a Monk and his cat as they go about their day; the former studies while the latter catches mice and explores the abbey.
My other go-to picture books include anything by Oliver Jeffers. The Boss Baby by Maria Frazee (the book was published before the movie!) is a clever, tongue-in-cheek story that every new parent should read. Pretty much anything by Maurice Sendak and Shaun Tan needs to be consumed immediately. I’m excluding Go The F*** To Sleep by Adam Mansbach from my list just because it‘s already on every single list of picture books for adults.
