Greetings earthlings! Let’s start off with a round of applause for that absurdly awesome #SuperBloodMoon last night. If our sky was a musician, it would have definitely dropped the mic after last night’s performance. Am I right?

In entirely unrelated news: As part of my recent self-imposed kid-lit immersion, I’ve begun to keep a running list of children’s books that get me all fired up inside. Maybe they inspire me, maybe they teach me something new, or maybe they somehow manage to make me chuckle amidst the craziness that is raising-a-tiny-human. Irrespective of the reason, I find these books to be seriously legit and think they deserve some props.

So, without further adieu, I present to you the Top Five Picture Books that are #Winning Mi Corazon (that’s ‘My Heart’ for those of you that took something other than el español in elementary school):

1. All the World

Written by Liz Garton Scanlon (@LGartonScanlon) // Illustrated by Marla Frazee (@marlafrazee) 

Why it’s #winning: Beautiful message, beautiful rhythm and beautiful images. The trifecta.

2. The Day the Crayons Quit

Written by Drew Daywalt (@DrewDaywalt) // Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (@OliverJeffers)

Why it’s #winning: First of all, I am a sucker for bringing inanimate objects to life. Second of all, peach crayon gets naked. ‘Nuff said.

3. Compost Stew

Written by Mary McKenna Siddals (no tweetin’ for her) // Illustrated by Ashley Wolff (@MssBindergarten)

Why it’s #winning: Mother Earth is a helluva lady and teaching kids to show her some R-E-S-P-E-C-T is straight up important. Living in San Francisco enabled me to incorporate composting into my daily life without hesitation. Unfortunately, that’s not the case everywhere or for everyone; let’s use books to ignite the conversation organically with the next generation!

4. You Are (Not) Small

Written by Anna Kang (@annakang27) // Illustrated by Christopher Weyant (@chrisweyant05)

Why it’s #winning: I’m not the tallest gal on the block. In fact, I’m frequently mistaken to be up to ten years younger than I really am. Fingers crossed carrying around my new little 11-month old accessory will help with that. But alas, I can totally relate to the little fuzzy purple guy in this story. The real kicker, though? It’s all about perspective, baby. What a great message!

5. I Wish You More

Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (@missamykr) // Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (@tlichtenheld)

Why it’s #winning: The whole book just leaves me with a warm, cozy feeling inside every time I read it. I die for this line: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Daaaa best.

And there you have it! Mic. Drop.

Happy reading!
Girl Sam

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Disclaimer: This list is based entirely on the opinions of a focus group of one (me)! Call it 1.5 if you’re feeling generous and count the opinions of little Levi too. In the spirit of expanding that focus group…for statistical significance, of course…please feel free to leave a comment outlining any picture books that are currently #winning su corazon! I would for reals love to know.