The Very Best of Oliver Jeffers
by Jennifer Garry
I am a thirty-something mother of two, and I’m here to tell you that Oliver Jeffers 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’m not that quiet about it — see here and here for proof).
When I pick up an Oliver Jeffers book, I know it will be beautiful — sometimes even iconic (hello, The Day the Crayons Quit) — and that the story itself will be so richly layered it will grab hold of you whether you’re five or 95. Sweet, thought-provoking, and funny, Jeffers’s stories are for kids, but they’re 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.
If you’re new to the Jeffers-verse, buckle up! I guarantee these books will make you a lifelong fan.
-
Here We Are
Available from:Packed with layers of wonder for all ages, Here We Are is the book I wish I had as a wide-eyed, terrified new mother. Inspired by Jeffers's son’s 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’re all in this together. This message is as comforting to children as it is to their grownups.
Also available from: -
Lost and Found
Available from: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.
Also available from: -
Where to Hide a Star
Available from:The Boy from Lost and Found 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!
Also available from: -
This Moose Belongs to Me
Available from:Wilfred has a lot 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 — and Marcel doesn’t 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?
RELATED: 14 Clever Picture Books for Kids (and Their Parents)
Also available from: -
The Day the Crayons Quit
Available from:Jeffers did not write this book, but his quirky illustrations inject an extra layer of humor into the story. It’s 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!
Also available from: -
How to Catch a Star
Available from:Jeffers’s 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’s 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’re looking for might surprise us.
Also available from: -
Stuck
Available from:Get ready to giggle. This one starts with a very relatable dilemma: Floyd’s 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.
Also available from: -
Once Upon an Alphabet
Available from: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’t get enough of Oliver Jeffers.
Also available from: -
The Heart and the Bottle
Available from:If you need a cry — or if you have a young reader who has experienced loss — this book is essential for your shelf. It’s filled with both heartbreak and hope, and it looks at grief through a lens that isn’t too heavy for children. When a curious little girl’s 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 — until she grows older and meets a small girl who reignites her curiosity and helps her get her heart back.
Also available from: -
The Incredible Book Eating Boy
Available from: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.
REALTED: Must-Have Picture Books for Great Read-Aloud Performances with Your Kids
Also available from: -
A Child of Books
Available from: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’s and Winston’s art and text combine into an exciting and visual feast for the ears and eyes.
Also available from: -
The Fate of Fausto
Available from:The layers! The deceptively simple illustrations! The slow, unrushed pace! Honestly, I could go on about this book for hours. It’s 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 — that is, until he tries to claim the sea and finds himself in a little too deep. This is another of Jeffers’s books that will become richer with meaning as readers get older.
Also available from: -
There's a Ghost In This House
Available from: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’s 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’t find them — but readers will!
Also available from:
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2022 and updated in 2024.