Book picks similar to
Imelda & the Goblin King by Briony May Smith


picture-books
picture-book
fantasy
children-s-books

The Giant Jam Sandwich


John Vernon Lord - 1972
    It's a dark day for Itching Down. Four million wasps have just descended on the town, and the pests are relentless! What can be done? Bap the Baker has a crazy idea that just might work. Young readers will love this lyrical, rhyming text as they watch the industrious citizens of Itching Down knead, bake, and slather the biggest wasp trap there ever was!

The Lady and the Lion: A Brothers Grimm Tale


Jacqueline K. Ogburn - 2003
    She fears for her life, but finds kindness rather than danger there, for the lion by day is a gentle young man by night-a prince under the spell of a wicked enchantress. Soon the lady and the lion fall in love. Unlike the more familiar tale, however, this story has only just begun. The prince is not yet safe from the enchantress, and it will take all of the lady's strength and courage, through a seven-year quest, to rescue him. Dazzlingly romantic and visually magnificent, this is a book for the ages-an exhilarating tale of virtue, heroism, and the power of love. Illustrated by Laurel Long.

Lion vs. Rabbit


Alex Latimer - 2013
    When the other animals can't take his bullying anymore, they post an ad asking for help.One animal after another tries and fails to defeat Lion. Can no one stop him?Finally a rabbit arrives. No one thinks it will be brave enough or strong enough to defeat Lion. But perhaps this rabbit is smart enough?

The Book of Mistakes


Corinna Luyken - 2017
    That was a mistake.The weird frog-cat-cow thing? It made an excellent bush.And the inky smudges... they look as if they were always meant to be leaves floating gently across the sky.As one artist incorporates accidental splotches, spots, and misshapen things into her art, she transforms her piece in quirky and unexpected ways, taking readers on a journey through her process.

Please, Mr. Panda


Steve Antony - 2014
    Panda for doughnuts?Patiently and politely, Mr. Panda asks the animals he comes across if they would like a doughnut. A penguin, a skunk, and a whale all say yes, but they do not remember to say "please" and "thank you." Is anyone worthy of Mr. Panda's doughnuts?Steve Antony has captured a cute panda, delightful animals hungry for doughnuts, and a manners lesson. With the black-and-white animals, plain backgrounds, and brightly colored doughnuts, Antony's art is bold, striking, and engaging.

Wild


Emily Hughes - 2013
    She is unashamedly, irrefutably, irrepressibly wild. That is, until she is snared by some very strange animals that look oddly like her, but they don't talk right, eat right, or play correctly. She's puzzled by their behavior and their insistence on living in these strange concrete structures: there's no green here, no animals, no trees, no rivers. Now she lives in the comfort of civilization. But will civilization get comfortable with her?In her debut picture book, Hughes brings an uncanny humor to her painterly illustrations. Her work is awash with color, atmosphere, and a stunning visual splendor that will enchant children while indulging their wilder tendencies. Wild is a twenty-first-century answer to Maurice Sendak's children's classic—it has the same inventiveness, groundbreaking art, and unmissable quirkiness.Emily Hughes is a talented young illustrator. Her book Nana Shaped Like a Banana won second prize in the 2012 Macmillan Children's Book Awards.

Mustache Baby


Bridget Heos - 2013
    They are reassured when he nobly saves the day in imaginary-play sessions as a cowboy or cop and his mustache looks good-guy great. But as time passes, their worst fears are confirmed when little Billy’s mustache starts to curl up at the ends in a suspiciously villainous fashion. Sure enough, “Billy’s disreputable mustache led him into a life of dreadful crime.” Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor and cartoonish illustrations make this the perfect baby-shower gift for a mustachioed father-to-be.

Pokko and the Drum


Matthew Forsythe - 2019
    When Pokko takes the drum deep into the forest it is so quiet, so very quiet that Pokko decides to play. And before she knows it she is joined by a band of animals —first the raccoon, then the rabbit, then the wolf—and soon the entire forest is following her. Will Pokko hear her father’s voice when he calls her home? Pokko and the Drum is a story about art, persistence, and a family of frogs living in a mushroom.

Not a Stick


Antoinette Portis - 2007
    Whether it's conducting an orchestra, painting a masterpiece, or slaying a dragon—give a child a stick and let imagination take over and the magic begin.

Little Fox in the Forest


Stephanie Graegin - 2017
     When a young girl brings her beloved stuffed fox to the playground, much to her astonishment, a real fox takes off with it! The girl chases the fox into the woods with her friend, the boy, following close behind, but soon the two children lose track of the fox. Wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, they come across a tall hedge with an archway. What do they find on the other side? A marvelous village of miniature stone cottages, tiny treehouses, and, most extraordinary of all, woodland creatures of every shape and size. But where is the little fox? And how will they find him?

Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse


Marcy Campbell - 2018
    Adrian Simcox lives in a tiny house. Where would he keep a horse? He has holes in his shoes. How would he pay for a horse?The more Adrian talks about his horse, the angrier Chloe gets. But when she calls him out at school and even complains about him to her mom, Chloe doesn't get the vindication she craves. She gets something far more important.

Franklin's Flying Bookshop


Jen Campbell - 2017
    One day, he meets a girl named Luna who, rather than being afraid, is fascinated to meet Franklin, having recently read all about dragons in one of her books. They instantly become friends and talk nonstop about what they’ve read: books about roller-skating, King Arthur, spiders, and how to do kung fu. Together they hatch a plan to share their love of books with others by opening a bookshop―a flying bookshop, that is―right on Franklin’s back!Franklin, a well-read and peace-loving dragon, and Luna, a young girl with an independent spirit and an insatiable love of reading, make fantastic role models for young children. Franklin’s Flying Bookshop brings the magic of classic fairy tales into the twenty-first century through exquisite illustrations, and will enchant children as well as anyone who loves books.

I Will Not Eat You


Adam Lehrhaupt - 2016
    Lucky for the bird, wolf, and tiger, who pass by his cave, Theodore isn’t hungry…yet. But then something new approaches. A boy. Has Theodore found a new favorite food? Or something more?

The Digger and the Flower


Joseph Kuefler - 2018
    They scoop and hoist and push.But when Digger discovers something growing in the rubble, he sets in motion a series of events that will change him, and the city, forever.

If You Give a Dog a Donut


Laura Joffe Numeroff - 2011
    . . Dog is off on a backyard adventure!The exuberant dog who first appeared in if you give a pig a party is now the star of his very own book. Written in the irresistible “If You Give…” tradition, if you give a dog a donut is another home run from the beloved team of Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.