Picture Book Genres: Fantasy
While genres become more of an interest as kids become independent readers, I love the idea of sharing picture books that can also fall into genres as well. And maybe your young readers don’t have a strong opinion about the genres they read, I think exposing them to a wide-variety of genres early, allows kids to learn more about the book world and what they might like. I think it also allows kids to better appreciate just how many options exist! I say the same thing about ensuring kids have a chance to experience both nonfiction text as well as poetry. There is something for every reader, it’s often that kids don’t become readers because they haven’t yet found the book that speaks to them. What if they learned more about the book world at a younger age to better find the right fit?
So far, I’ve shared picture books in a couple of genres including mysteries and science fiction, but today we’re focused on fantasy picture books. And let’s be honest… there are a lot of fantasy picture books. I mean, pretty much every imaginary creature, made up stories, anthropomorphic animals, the list goes on and on. Children are constantly reading fantasy inspired picture books, but it’s not categorized like this until they become longer. I’m not exactly sure why that is, but it’s kind of an interesting concept to think about! Today’s list is just a couple of fun picture books about imaginary creatures – think yeti, dragons, fairies and unicorns. But, there are plenty of fantasy titles out there if you’re looking for something different. Don’t forget to stop by next week when we dive into the concept of realistic fiction picture books – another genre where you’ll find loads and loads of books housed!
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Picture Book Genres: Fantasy
Backyard Fairies by Phoebe Wahl
A girl searches for fairies in her backyard and the woods beyond, following little clues and traces of magic. Fairies and other magical creatures can be found on every page, hidden among the flowers, trees and pebbles. But although readers can see them, the girl keeps searching, just one step behind… In the end, it is clear (both to the girl and readers) that there is magic all around, even when it’s hidden in plain sight.
Dear Yeti by James Kwan
Two young hikers set out to look for Yeti one day, and with the help of a bird friend, they trek further and further into the woods, sending letters to coax the shy creature out of hiding. But as their trip goes on, the hikers find that they have not prepared very well, and though their morale is high, food supplies are low, the forest is getting darker, and a snowstorm looms. Luckily Yeti is a friend they can rely on, and though he’s not ready to come out of hiding, he sneakily finds a way to get the hikers exactly what they need when they need it.
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Adam Salmieri
Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You’re in red-hot trouble.
The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination by Brad Montague and Kristi Montague
Every day, special figment agent Sparky delivers all the mail the FBI receives to the proper department, like the Office of the Unexplainable or the Department of Dreams. It’s a big job, but Sparky keeps everything running smoothly . . . until disaster strikes when the Cave of Untold Stories overflows and threatens to topple the whole bureau. It turns out too many people have been holding in their big ideas, and now Sparky must recruit more agents to share their dreams, songs, and stories with the world.
And now, dear reader, will you join the effort and become a special agent before it’s too late? The FBI is counting on you!
Frostfire by Elly Mackay
On a walk through a snow-covered garden, big sister Miriam claims to hear the sound of a snow dragon. Little sister Celeste has lots of questions: snow dragons are real? Where do they hide? What do they eat? And is that frost on the greenhouse windows or is it . . . frostfire?
Miriam seems to have an answer for everything about snow dragons. But when Celeste wanders off, she has a magical encounter that changes everything she thought she knew.
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
The game under the tree looked like a hundred others Peters and Judy had at home. But they were searching for something interesting to do, so they decided to give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when they unfolded its ordinary-looking playing board that they were about to be launched into the most exciting and bizarre adventure of their lives…
No, No, Gnome! by Ashlyn Anstee
Gnome cannot wait to help his friends harvest the school garden! But his eagerness and excitement get him into trouble, leaving them all saying, “No, no, Gnome!”
Oona by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa
Oona and her best friend Otto love to search for treasure…and often find trouble instead.
Messy trouble.
Tricky trouble.
Even shark-related trouble.
That’s never stopped them before, though!
After all, no proper treasure hunt is without some adventure. But when the grandest treasure yet is stuck in a deep, dark rift, Oona’s not sure if she can dive right in. What might be waiting for her in those unknown waters?
Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barrager
Uni the unicorn is told there’s no such thing as little girls! But no matter what the grown-up unicorns say, Uni believes that little girls are REAL. Somewhere there must be a smart, strong, wonderful, magical little girl waiting to be best friends. In fact, far away (but not too far away), a real little girl believes there is a unicorn waiting for her, too.
