Picture Books That Make You Think Outside the Box

If you’ve ever been called weird, let it be known — that’s not a bad thing! It’s time to meet Millie Fleur and her rather unique garden. You see, her garden looks quite dangerous. Her plants, such as the Curdled Milkweed and the Fangled Fartmoss, may look mean or gross, but that’s because they’re just a little weird too. So, no matter what the townspeople think, Millie is here to challenge their assumptions and prove that all plants (and people) need love.

Kobi Yamada has a knack for taking big concepts and boiling them down into simple picture books and he’s done that again in this touching reminder to be who you want to be and no one else. And it’s all done through one simple question that breaks open just about any topic — why not? And, by extension — why not you? Everyone could use a reminder that they are capable of wonderful things.

Perhaps you’re of the opinion that every book has already been written, and there’s nothing out there that can amaze you. Well, have we got a surprise. Just as fun for parents as it is for kids, this is primetime engagement that can be summed up in one word — magic. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s just say that the title of this book isn’t just for show — It’s real.

This book won our 2024 Children’s & YA Book Award in the Picture Books category for a reason. Magnificently illustrated in a manner that truly conveys whimsy and wonder. This is the story of Emma Wen, who, above all else, just wants to find somewhere quiet to read. (Don’t we all.) What Emma doesn’t know is that sometimes, there’s noise worth listening to. It just takes her until she’s in the belly of an actual whale to figure that out.

If the fact that this is put together by the dynamic duo of Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings) and Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet) doesn’t win you over, then let’s talk about how this book is the exact opposite of the title. This is the story of a boy on an unexpected adventure, and it will instill in you and your young ones the desire to look at the world just a little bit differently. Or a lot differently.

Any Oliver Jeffers book is going to help you think outside the box, but this one is particularly well-versed in wordplay and wit. A dictionary has gone rogue, bringing her words to life… literally. Only, it’s not everything she thought it would be. With raucous words on the loose, it’s all hands (and pages) on deck to get the dictionary back in order before we lose the definition of everything.