December 20, 2023
Hey, folks!
Back in August, I highlighted some of my favourite reads of the year thus far. Now I’m back with a part 2, covering September to now! (I know it’s a little off-kilter, how I divided the year up. Blame inspiration hitting later than June for part 1 🙈)
Make sure to tell me your reading highlights from 2023 down in the comments.
Poetry
Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill
I’m a sucker for Nikita Gill poetry, and this collection just kept proving why. I loved reading her take on the Greek deities and monsters, loved discovering how she applied them to real-life situations and the present day. I particularly loved the sections about Hades and Persephone as a whole, both as a couple and as individuals, and the poems “A Friendship: Demeter and Hestia” and “Argos, Dog of Odysseus.” I may have (definitely) cried at that second one. The goodest boy.
The Dragons Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky
Much like how I hadn’t read Where the Sidewalk Ends before this year, I hadn’t read this other children’s classic. But these poems instantly brought me joy! It was a delight discovering each dragon, the poems skipping along merrily. “I Made a Mechanical Dragon” is definitely my favourite from this collection, but I also love “Once They All Believed in Dragons.”
Miscellaneous Poetry
I read a number of single poems outside of any specific collection, and I wanted to make sure my favourites got highlighted, too! I highly recommend checking these ones out if you have the chance.
~ “I Language want” (aka “An Apology for Her Poetry”) by Margaret Cavendish (find it here: www.poetryfoundation.org)
~ “The Raincoat” by Ada Limón (find it here: https://poets.org/poem/raincoat)
~ “She smelled of books and stories” by Erin Hanson (find it here: Instagram)
Picture Books
How to Party Like a Snail by Naseem Hrab
When I say I fell in love with this book immediately, I truly mean it. How to Party Like a Snail is for all the introverted kids who are told they should just be louder. For the kids who don’t always want to go to crowded parties.
I wish this book had been around when I was a kid. Not because I felt guilty or wrong for being an introvert, but simply to have a piece of media tell me that it was ok. You always see articles and stories about how to “be more extroverted,” but rarely anything that shows how to respect an introvert, even if that introvert is yourself.
This. This is that book.
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt
THE JOY I FELT. I’m forever grateful to my picture book editing instructor for telling me about The Day the Crayons Quit (which I finally read this year). It made my previous list.
The Day the Crayons Came Home? Just as brilliant. Hilarious. Each of the new crayons is so unique and funny, leaping off the page just as easily as the original crew from the first book. Esteban (formerly known as Pea Green) and Neon Red are my favourites from this iteration.
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
At first, this book was a slow, cozy read, starting off the way a lot of picture books do. But then flashes of dry humour show up, with a healthy dose of irony. From there, the humour keeps building in the BEST ways. The second I finished I Want My Hat Back, I wanted to read it again. And I did. As I write this, I want to read it again. It’s no wonder this book has won awards.
And the way I LOST MY MIND at the end. Klassen knows what he’s doing.
Have you read any of these poetry or picture books? Which is your favourite?
That’s it for me for 2023; I’m officially on vacation until January 3! If you’re looking for a poetry or picture book editor right now, feel free to send me a message, and I’ll respond to you when I get back.
Thank you for a wonderful year, and I’ll see you in 2024 🙂