Sweet Caramel.

Meet Caramel Baby & Child. They cover all the good bases... Adorable apparel? Absolutely. Sweet assortment of hand-selected, vintage inspired toys and books? Righto. Did you say Interiors? Why, yes indeed! Super cutie status for sure.

Dude, That's Swede.

Along with my heart throb crush on the Japanese, I also have a serious love for the Swedes. Camilla Engman, Swedish artist and dog lover, makes really nice things. Her illustrations and paintings have been used by the likes of Converse and The New York Times, but she also continues to do amazing little limited edition things like her book about her dog Morran and hand printed & embroidered tea towels. Her style is sweet and innocent. But at a closer look, her characters tend to have a depth, a drop of melancholy that adds to the emotive draw of her work. Honestly, I just like her. She's good.

...And I Like to do Draaawrings.

J.otto Seibold

Brian Biggs

Marc Boutavant

Sara Fanelli

There's a new world of children's book illustration in which animals and creatures and things look awesome, and the colors are fresh and unexpected. I like this world. Martin Salisbury explores this in his lovely book Playpen. While it ranges in handwriting, there's a richness and a throwback quality about each of the featured artist's work that brings a new vibrance and life to the written word in a very avant garde, very cool way. In Playpen are such BYGM faves as Marc Boutavant, Sara Fanelli, Brian Biggs and J.otto Seibold.

Eat Me.

Zephyr, awesomely, is a Foodie (with a capital F). There is not a single thing I've fed him over the course of his 4 month solid culinary love affair that he has turned his nose at (and we've fed him some things.) For this I am extremely grateful. We love good food and cooking in our house, and I love cooking for him and watching him discover new flavors and textures. These books were both gifts to us when I was prego, and now that they're becoming super relevant to us, I wanted to give them a little BYGM shout. Both Gastrokid and FTWF have great educational points, and superdelicioso recipes for all. Dig in.

Booked.

Final-ly. I've been on the hunt for a good baby book for like 9 months, and here we are. Thank you, Binth, for not making an overly designed, lame option. (And thank you, Tante Fonty for leading me to it.) This is sweet, simple and has all the right little categories - with room for your interpretation. Plus it comes in a substantial box that makes it feel like the special keepsake that it is. PLUS you've got two different, non-cliché colors to choose from (chocolate brown or grass green). 

Monsters Ball.

Monsters are just lovely. These are just a few books illustrating exactly how wonderful they are...
Leonardo is a lovable brute. You really feel for the guy. And the Tickle Monster Laughter Kit is just so damn sweet. It's super fun to read and... wear. (I veryverymuch do not like the word tickle, but I can get past it for this book. That's how cute it is.) Monsters of the Household Variety is unlike any kids' book I have ever seen. It's fantastical, tactile, beautiful and GIGANTIC. All hand embroidered/sewn with the most amazing textures and trinkets. It costs about as much as your entire home library. But seems worth every penny.

ABC. OMG. (Can't get enough of Patrick Hruby.)

I only double-up on the same artist in one day if I think it's really worth it. And here we are. Patrick Hruby's new book (published by AMMO books - nice) is out now and making its way to my house as I type. (Correction: it's out in November. Eagerly awaiting.) 

I Like You.

I like this book. I gave it to my Hus a bunch of years ago, and just read it to my son this morning. The voice is part Holden Caulfield, part Charlie Brown... childlike and innocent, imaginative, witty, snappy and classic. Give this to your special I-Like-You. It's just one of those amazing little books you have to have in your arsenal.

Rule #438. Keep a picture of your first fish, your first car and your first girlfriend.

Buy me now.

Everyone who considers themselves a boy or a man should own this book and put Walker Lamond's simple, witty, straightshooter wisdom to practice and this world would be better. 

Little Bibliophile.

Marc Boutavant

Paul Rand 1956

Paul Rand 1957

Paul Rand 1962

Amongst other amazing and nostalgic must-have kids books (entire Dr. Seuss collection, Caps for Sale, Giving Tree, etc), these are required reading for your littles. Perfect simple illustrations, fantastic use of color, and of course, the stories.