Picture Books for a Dose of Whimsy
I have always been a lover of whimsy, and I spent a great chunk of my childhood reading stories about fairies and unicorns and dragons. So, without much further ado, here are some picture books that I discovered as an adult, but that childhood-me would have loved for their sweet concepts and fantastical illustrations.
Fairy Wings by Lauren Mills (illustrated by Lauren Mills and Dennis Nolan)
Fairy Wings is a beautiful story about a wingless fairy called Fia and her adventures with various creature friends. Though it was published in 1995, I had never heard of it until I stumbled upon a copy at Arundel books (if you’re local to Seattle or coming for a visit, it’s absolutely a bookstore worth seeing). I was immediately enchanted by the illustrations and it quickly became a favorite of mine.
Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen (illustrated by Brad Sneed)
A classic story, Thumbelina is also not one that I was very familiar with in childhood but adore as an adult. There are so many different versions, all with their own special style of illustration, but I particularly love this version by Brad Sneed. I love the detail he puts into the landscapes and the florals, and the colors are so bright and vivid. Over the summer, I read this version of the story to a group of summer camp students and they were enraptured.
The Unicorn Alphabet by Marianna Mayer (illustrated by Michael Hague)
As a little girl growing up in the Midwest, I was obsessed with horses and— by extension— unicorns, and although I don’t feel the same affinity for them as I once did, I can definitely still admire a great unicorn book when I see one. This picture book was an unexpected surprise from a used bookstore in nearby Tacoma, and I love how detailed the illustrations are. I have actually since picked up several other books illustrated by Michael Hague because I thought this one was so beautiful. I also have a soft spot for a good abecedarian book.
The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung (illustrated by Hanna Cha)
This is a pretty recent release and a very highly praised one, having won both a Caldecott Medal and the Asian Pacific American Literature Award. This book is a beautiful tale relating the biracial experience of being Asian-American through both European and Asian imagery of dragons, showing that they are different but both true to each culture. Though this story is not my lived experience, I’m so excited for it to resonate with some young readers, because it is stunning.
Backyard Fairies by Phoebe Wahl
I love, love, love Phoebe Wahl’s art style- it’s so charming and consistent between all her works. Backyard Fairies is an adorable, rhyming story with lots of cute woodland scenery and a beautifully diverse selection of fairies and gnomes in vibrant costumes. It’s a sweet read that’s appropriate for smaller children, as it’s not as lengthy as some of the other entries on this list.
I hope you get the chance to check out some of these beautiful picture books, and of course, the comments are always open for you to suggest more books for me to check out!
