The New York Times / New York Public Library’s Best Illustrated Children’s Books 2021

Since 1952, we’ve assembled an annual rotating panel of three expert judges who review every illustrated children’s book published that year in the United States. In 2017, we began partnering with the New York Public Library to administer the honor now known as The New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award.

The judges select the 10 winners solely on the basis of their artistic merit. The 2021 panel included Catherine Hong, children’s literature critic; Jessica Agudelo, Youth Collections Librarian at the New York Public Library; and Paul O. Zelinsky, an illustrator winner of the Caldecott Medal of many acclaimed picture books – most recently “Red and Green and Blue and White” by Lee Wind – and former winner of the award.

Here you will find images of each winning book.

I am the metro

Written and illustrated by Kim Hyo-eun
Translated from Korean by Deborah Smith

The opening scenes of the subway suggest another picture book more interested in elegant design and beautiful muted watercolor than people or stories. But as the narrator (a subway train!) Begins to describe his life and the lives of his passengers, faceless gray figures take on detail and bright color – a treasure trove of wealth we didn’t have access to when they came. were strangers to us. A brilliant turnaround, a brilliant concept and an endearing book. Not to mention its sleek design and beautiful watercolor.

– Paul O. Zelinsky

Scribble, $ 18.99; from 3 to 10 years old.

The night walk

Written and illustrated by Marie Dorléans

Flooded with nocturnal blue, Dorléans’ graphite pencil illustrations of a family of nocturnal explorers evoke a luminous sense of wonder. From bedside lamps to the delicate beam of stars, touches of light punctuate each scatter, cleverly drawing the reader’s attention to hidden details – an owl on top of a tree, a badger weaving through the grass, a pair of mice among the rocks – and reflecting the warm bond of a family.

-Jessica Agudelo

Floris, $ 17.95; 4 to 8 years old.

Time is a flower

Written and illustrated by Julie Morstad

An exploration of the concept of time is an intimidating premise for a children’s book, but Morstad does it with panache. Its warm and friendly renderings in pencil, marker and ink distill the abstract ideas of the book: does time move slowly or quickly, in a straight line or in a circle? – with ingenuity and simplicity. The judges also appreciated Morstad’s judicious use of empty space, which leaves ample room for reflection.

– Catherine Hong

Tundra, $ 18.99; from 3 to 7 years old.

It fell from the sky

Written and illustrated by Terry Fan and Eric Fan

Hop on right away and gaze into the Fan Brothers’ latest surreal world, featuring a cast of stylish bugs, outfitted in fancy hats, as they marvel at the sight of an unknown orb. Black and white graphite drawings, bursts of brilliant color, and a devilishly expressive spider, all scrupulously rendered, give the impression of a silent movie.

– JA

Simon and Schuster, $ 17.99; 4 to 8 years old.

The little wooden robot and the log princess

Written and illustrated by Tom Gauld

This remixed fairy tale was an instant hit with our judges, who admired how Gauld’s comic book-style illustrations are both simple (his main characters are, after all, stick figures) and complex. (The Royal Inventor’s Shock Block Workshop). Meticulous, schematic, and, yes, terribly cute, these bold, crosshatched images amplify the tongue-in-cheek humor of the story and are as pleasing to the eye as the happy ending to the story.

– CH

Neal Porter / Vacation Home, $ 18.99; 4 to 8 years old.

Vamos! Let’s cross the bridge

Written and illustrated by Raúl III
Colors by Elaine Bay

Raúl the Third’s dynamic use of panels draws attention to every corner of the page, teeming with clever details. Its lively cartoon style is brightened up by its hand lettering and Elaine Bay’s purple tone palette, creating a visually rich and utterly fun homage to border city life.

– JA

Versifier, $ 14.99; 4 to 7 years old.

While you sleep

Written by Mick Jackson
Illustrated by John Broadley

In one of the year’s most unusual books, Broadley transformed a silent meditation on the night, both sleepy and sleepless, into a thrilling graphic experience that is as rewarding as it is unexpected. With the appearance of elaborate colorful woodcuts, the highly stylized images transport us to a world of their own.

– PZ

Pavilion, $ 19.95; 4 to 8 years old.

Unnamable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

Written by Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper

“Unspeakable” tells the story of the thriving black community of Tulsa, Okla., And its destruction by racist mobs on a terrible day in 1921. Knowing that Cooper’s own grandfather was a member of this community, and passed on stories about the day, adds even more dimension to the deep emotion that this book arouses. No wonder Cooper’s beautifully rendered faces are masterpieces of empathy. Bold in design, subtle in color, “Unspeakable” is Cooper’s latest book; he died in July.

– PZ

Carolrhoda, $ 17.99; from 8 to 12 years old.

Bring the city to life

Written and illustrated by Brian Floca

Images of Floca of New York City and the essential workers who kept the city alive throughout the Covid-19 pandemic are evoked in delicate lines and understated watercolor hues, beautifully echoing the silent nature and often unrecognized for their heroism. Refreshingly, there aren’t any cliched Big Apple street scenes here. Floca captured the perspective of an insider of the city transformed with love and tenderness.

– CH

Caitlyn Dlouhy / Athénée, $ 17.99; 4 to 8 years old.

On the other side of the forest

Written by Nadine Robert
Illustrated by Gérard DuBois

With its panty-clad anthropomorphic figures and dark, brooding palette, this book – about a young rabbit and his father yearning to know what’s on the other side of a Forbidden Forest – looks like a vintage gem. . While the images channel some of Beatrix Potter’s heartwarming qualities, they also have unsettling and surreal qualities that are reminiscent of artists like Henry Darger and Amy Cutler, giving this fable-like story an undercurrent of tantalizing darkness.

– CH

Kids Greystone, $ 24.95; from 3 to 8 years old.