The oasis that is children’s books

I’ve never been much of a book reader. I love the idea of books, and I wish I was into them the same way I wish I was a fine arts afficianado, but I am, after all, a man of the sequential and interactive arts.

So whenever I visited a bookshop, I used to head straight to the graphic novel section, or maybe I’d wander the bestsellers table looking for a gem that I knew I would never find there. But now that I have kids, I’ve discovered the oasis that is children’s books.

I’m not talking about Miffy or Clifford or GooseBumps or what have you, but the unexpected gems inbetween. For some reason, some of the best books I’ve read in years are hiding on these shelves.

It starts with the covers. All the books on the aforementioned bestsellers table look the same to me – bland, abstract, boring. But here! The covers are sometimes exquisite and evocative. I mean, fuckin’ look at this:

If anything is true of my own work, it’s that I like to present a vibe that you can just sort of immerse yourself in. I’m not one for epic, intricate stories, and I think that’s what draws me in with children’s books – it’s a short, ‘simple’ experience that may teach you something about life and leaves you with a new feeling.

For my latest haul, I found my favorite ones so far.

What are the best picture books you’ve read?