{"id":73265,"date":"2024-08-08T05:00:46","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T09:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.readbrightly.com\/?p=73265"},"modified":"2024-08-08T14:31:10","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T18:31:10","slug":"best-oliver-jeffers-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.readbrightly.com\/best-oliver-jeffers-books\/","title":{"rendered":"The Very Best of Oliver Jeffers"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am a thirty-something mother of two, and I\u2019m here to tell you that Oliver Jeffers<\/a> is one of my favorite authors. Yes. You read that correctly. The artist and picture book creator is at the tippy top of my list of favorites (and, honestly, I\u2019m not that quiet about it \u2014 see here<\/a> and here<\/a> for proof).<\/p>\n

When I pick up an Oliver Jeffers book, I know it will be beautiful \u2014 sometimes even iconic (hello, The Day the Crayons Quit<\/i><\/a>) \u2014 and that the story itself will be so richly layered it will grab hold of you whether you\u2019re five or 95. Sweet, thought-provoking, and funny, Jeffers\u2019s stories are for kids, but they\u2019re also for the adults who purchase them and read them aloud so often that the pages become worn, and the sentences become like lines from a favorite song.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re new to the Jeffers-verse, buckle up! I guarantee these books will make you a lifelong fan.<\/p>\n

no no 9780399167898 Here We Are<\/i> <\/p>\n

Packed with layers of wonder for all ages, Here We Are<\/i> is the book I wish I had as a wide-eyed, terrified new mother. Inspired by Jeffers’s son\u2019s birth, this beautiful book is a guide to living on Earth and being a good human. Filled with themes of empathy and acceptance, it touches on how different we all are and how we share one important thing in common: We\u2019re all in this together. This message is as comforting to children as it is to their grownups.<\/p>\n

9780399245039 Lost and Found<\/i> <\/p>\n

When a lost penguin appears at his door, a young boy wants to help it get home safely. Together, they set off in a boat bound for the South Pole and spend the journey bonding over stories. But when they arrive at their destination and part ways, the boy and the penguin are heartbroken until the boy makes an unexpected decision. This beloved story has become a modern classic celebrating the power of friendship. <\/p>\n

9780593622247 Where to Hide a Star<\/i> <\/p>\n

The Boy from Lost and Found<\/i> returns in this new adventure of finding friendship in the most unexpected places. When his friend Star disappears, the Boy and his Martian friend travel to the North Pole to find it. But when they arrive, the Boy and his friends find an extraordinary surprise!<\/p>\n

9780399161032 This Moose Belongs to Me<\/i> <\/p>\n

Wilfred has a lot<\/i> of rules, and his pet moose, Marcel, usually obeys them. One day, on a long walk in the woods, Wilfred discovers that someone else thinks she owns Marcel \u2014 and Marcel doesn\u2019t seem to think he belongs to anyone. Fortunately, the straight-laced boy and his wild and free moose come to a funny little compromise. The natural backgrounds have a painterly quality, while the characters are cartoonish, setting them at odds with each other from the start. Quirky and seemingly simple, the book becomes profound when you consider things like the illustration style and the theme: Can we ever really own something wild?<\/p>\n

RELATED: 14 Clever Picture Books for Kids (and Their Parents)<\/a><\/p>\n

9780399255373 The Day the Crayons Quit<\/i> by Drew Daywalt <\/p>\n

Jeffers did not write this book, but his quirky illustrations inject an extra layer of humor into the story. It\u2019s about a boy named Duncan who wants to color a picture and opens his box of crayons, only to find out they have gone on strike. This fan-favorite story is a must-have for any Oliver Jeffers lover!<\/p>\n

9780399242861 How to Catch a Star<\/i> <\/p>\n

Jeffers\u2019s first book follows a boy who loves stars so much that he wants to catch one of his own. However, after trying repeatedly, his dream of capturing a star still seems far away. When he\u2019s ready to give up, he finds a star in an unexpected place. Filled with hope and a bit of magic, this sweet story teaches readers that the things we\u2019re looking for might surprise us.<\/p>\n

9780399257377 Stuck<\/i> <\/p>\n

Get ready to giggle. This one starts with a very relatable dilemma: Floyd\u2019s kite gets stuck in a tree. Hoping to get it unstuck, Floyd throws his favorite shoes at it, and they get stuck too. From here, the story gets increasingly absurd (and hilarious) as Floyd throws everything from his cat to the milkman, an orangutan, the house across the street, and a whale at the tree. Big and little readers alike will delight in the absolute ridiculousness of this story.<\/p>\n

9780399167911 Once Upon an Alphabet<\/i> <\/p>\n

Make sure to add this unique alphabet book to your collection. Jeffers wrote a short story for each letter of the alphabet, ranging from funny to heartwarming. At over 100 pages, this quirky and delightful picture book is perfect for readers who can\u2019t get enough of Oliver Jeffers.<\/p>\n

9780399254529 The Heart and the Bottle<\/i> <\/p>\n

If you need a cry \u2014 or if you have a young reader who has experienced loss \u2014 this book is essential for your shelf. It\u2019s filled with both heartbreak and hope, and it looks at grief through a lens that isn\u2019t too heavy for children. When a curious little girl\u2019s older companion is no longer there, she puts her heart into a bottle for safekeeping. While she feels better, all of her wonder and inquisitiveness got locked away with her heart \u2014 until she grows older and meets a small girl who reignites her curiosity and helps her get her heart back.<\/p>\n

9780399247491 The Incredible Book Eating Boy<\/i> <\/p>\n

A boy named Henry enjoys eating books in this quirky story for book lovers. As Henry devours book after book, he absorbs the information and soon finds himself on an unforgettable journey of self-discovery. Eventually, he learns that reading books allows him to absorb their contents without getting a tummy ache.<\/p>\n

REALTED: Must-Have Picture Books for Great Read-Aloud Performances with Your Kids<\/a><\/p>\n

9781536221923 A Child of Books<\/i> by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston <\/p>\n

Oliver Jeffers collaborated with fine artist Sam Winston to create a unique celebration of stories. A little girl navigates her boat across an ocean of words to befriend a boy and sweep him away on an imaginative adventure. Jeffers\u2019s and Winston\u2019s art and text combine into an exciting and visual feast for the ears and eyes. <\/p>\n

9780593115015 The Fate of Fausto<\/i> <\/p>\n

The layers! The deceptively simple illustrations! The slow, unrushed pace! Honestly, I could go on about this book for hours. It\u2019s about a pompous bully of a man named Fausto, who thinks he owns everything. From flowers and trees to lakes and mountains, Fausto conquers it all with stomping, shouting, and entitlement \u2014 that is, until he tries to claim the sea and finds himself in a little too deep. This is another of Jeffers\u2019s books that will become richer with meaning as readers get older.<\/p>\n

9780593466186 There’s a Ghost In This House<\/i> <\/p>\n

This book is uniquely creative and will bring hours of delight to little readers who will love poring over its illustrations. Transparent vellum pages make funny ghosts appear and disappear in this interactive book about a haunted house that\u2019s not too scary for even the most nervous readers. A brightly illustrated little girl seems to live all alone in a creepy old mansion (which Jeffers created with vintage papers from books and furniture catalogs). Her greatest wish is to see a ghost in her haunted house, but no matter how hard she looks, she can\u2019t find them \u2014 but readers will!<\/p>\n

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2022 and updated in 2024.<\/small><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sweet, thought-provoking, and funny, Oliver Jeffers\u2019 stories will grab hold of you whether you\u2019re five or 95. If you\u2019re new to the Jeffers-verse, buckle up! 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