5 Illustrated Chapter Books We Love

A True Home (Heartwood Hotel Series, Book 1), by Kallie George and Stephanie Graegin 
This sweet story follows a tiny mouse on a very big adventure in the forest. Mona the mouse discovers the Heartwood Hotel just when she needs it most—after her house is flooded in a storm. The hotel, built inside a large tree, is run for small animals by small animals, just like Mona. She believes it’s the grandest hotel in the whole forest, filled with the most wonderful, magical creatures. It’s the perfect place for Mona to call home—if only they’ll let her stay. These sweet black and white illustrations cement the book’s message of friendship and community, making the Heartwood Hotel seem extra cozy. And the best part? The second in the series, The Greatest Gift, is now available.

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen, by Debbi Michiko Florence and Elizabet Vukovic
I’m obsessed with mochi, so the name of this book alone was enough to hook me. But then I read it, and I feel in love with eight-year-old Jasmine, who has the biggest dreams and won’t let anything stand in her way. She’s tired of her older sister getting the first crack at everything—including rolling mochi with the women. So she hatches a plan to pound the mochi with the men instead. And even though the mochi hammer is heavier than she’d imagined, she doesn’t plan on letting a lack of muscles stop her. This fun story is aided by the fun black and white drawings, depicting Jasmine, her family, and of course, mochi.

The Doll People (Doll People Series #1), by Ann M. Martin, Laura Godwin, and Brian Selznick 
Annabelle Doll may only be eight-years-old, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t seen some crazy things—like the disappearance of her Auntie Sarah forty-five years ago. After all, she’s been eight-years-old for 100 years. You see, Annabelle is part of a living doll collection that’s been passed down. When new dolls move in with the owner family, Annabelle teams up with youngest new (plastic) doll to find Auntie Sarah. What happens is the forging of friendship through adventure as these two dolls do what they feel they must. The black and white drawings are particularly beautiful and add touches of humor to the already delightful story.

The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles Series #1), by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
The first novel in The Spiderwick Chronicles series, a five book series, introduces us to the Grace children, as they get sucked into the magical (and sometimes terrifying) world of fairies. When the Grade children moved into the Spiderwick Estate with their mom, they didn’t know what to expect. But if you’d asked them, it probably wouldn’t have been to stumble across Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to Fairies. And how could they have known that from the moment they opened it their lives would be marked by strange occurrences? Beyond just beautiful illustrations that help you envision the world of fairies (which this has), the book is complete with what look like handwritten notes and letters inside it, making it feel as though you’re really reading someone’s journal.

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, by Kate DiCamillo andK.G. Campbell 
Flora, like most of us these days, knows a thing or two about superheroes—she reads comic book adventures with her dad, after all. So she knows exactly what it means when a squirrel is sucked into a vacuum cleaner and spit back out: it’s the squirrel’s near-death experience origin story. After he survives, she dubs him Ulysses, named after the vacuum that almost claimed his life. Flora’s cynicism had been growing since her parent’s divorce, but Ulysses’ sudden powers to fly and type (and his newfound companionship) may be just enough to give her hope again. The comic strip illustrations add a touch of humor and help call-back to the superhero feel.