WORLD’s selection of 2017 Children’s Books of the Year spans three categories: picture books, middle-grade novels, and middle-grade nonfiction. For the past six months six WORLD staffers and advisers have been on the hunt for the Picture Book of the Year—an artistically excellent book that entertains children and points them to the good, the true, and the beautiful. We found many books with lovely illustrations, but finding quality stories was harder.

Our 2017 Picture Book of the Year is The Night Gardener by Eric and Terry Fan (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016). It is the story of William, an orphan who lives in the Grimloch orphanage on Grimloch Lane in a grim little town appropriately called Grimloch. The opening sepia-toned spread sets the scene: a rundown street, weary adults, overgrown lawns, and a tiny sign: “Watch for children.”

Then a stranger comes to town. While the town sleeps, the stranger shapes the tree outside the orphanage window into an owl topiary. When William awakes, the tree captivates him. He waits and is not disappointed when a cat topiary appears the next morning. Then a parakeet. As the Night Gardener transforms the trees, the town also comes alive. Children play outside. Cats and birds appear. Grown-ups repair broken things. Families walk, play, and turn awestruck eyes upward to see the latest wonder. One night William meets the Night Gardener, who invites him to work alongside him to transform the trees in the park.

We loved this book for its exquisitely detailed illustrations. The artists use color to reflect the town’s rebirth. In daytime, the clothes, flowers, and trees increasingly pop with color. At night, lanterns brighten what was a previously gloomy town. We loved also the generational connection between the boy and the Night Gardener and how the older man passed on to the boy his sense of beauty and skill in pruning the trees.

This story will appeal to adults and kids of many ages. Young children can enjoy picking out the different animals. Older ones will delight in the period clothes and subtle details. It’s a “night” story that isn’t scary but inspires imagination.

Thematically the book is rich, especially for Christians who will appreciate the Gardener who transforms lives. We loved how the boy answered the Gardener’s call to mission without expecting recognition in return. As the Gardener does his work, community forms and people start caring about more than their own meager lives—and their lives become abundant as a result. The community includes orphans, different ethnic groups, the elderly—and others who are often excluded.

We also love how the transformation lasted even though the trees eventually lost their leaves and their animal shapes. The book closes with these words: “There was no evidence the Night Gardener had ever been to Grimloch Lane—but the people of the small town were never the same.”

–With reporting by PBOTY committee members Sandy Barwick, Jonathan Boes, Christina Darnell, Pamela Palmer, and Megan Saben

Note: The Night Gardener by the Fan brothers has the same title as a children’s novel by the author Jonathan Auxier.

Picture Book of the Year Runners-up

The Darkest Dark

Chris Hadfield

This autobiographical story is about a boy who dreams of being an astronaut but is afraid of the dark. His parents do everything to help him overcome his fears until finally they say he won’t be able to watch the Apollo astronauts walk on the moon unless he stays in bed. We loved how this book dealt humorously with being scared of the dark—and how it shows wonder conquering fear. Although the book doesn’t mention God, it does show the vastness of space and provides an opportunity to talk about God and launch a parent-child study of the universe.

The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross

Carl Laferton

This book pares down the gospel story into a book that children can understand, tracing redemption through both the Old and New Testaments. It reinforces the story with imagery—a Keep Out sign and Warrior Angels—and the repeated refrain, “because of your sin, you can’t come in.” Color also conveys the theme: The book depicts the bright, pre-Fall world, the sepia-toned post-Fall world, and a return to brightness when Christ returns. We weren’t crazy about some of the slangy bubble dialogue—e.g., “God’s here! How cool is that?”—but thought the overall book would be valuable for kids and their parents.

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman

Michelle Edwards

This is a simple story about a girl and her elderly hat-knitting neighbor. One cold day Mrs. Goldman gives away her own hat, leaving Sophia worried about how her elderly neighbor will keep her head warm. We loved how the book crosses generational and ethnic lines and teaches the importance of caring for others, trying your best, and sticking with something even when hard. The book offers a reminder that time is one of the most precious gifts we can give. The message works for boys and girls, but the book’s pink cover and all-female cast may alienate young boys.

We Found a Hat

Jon Klassen

This simple story features two turtles and one hat. The hat delights the turtles, but they can’t figure out how to share it, so they decide neither will have it. We loved how the art and text work seamlessly together and how the book’s minimalist aesthetic adds comedy to some of the dialogue. The book teaches kids that relationships hold more value than things and conveys that lesson through the experience of the characters rather than didactically. In simple illustrations and so few words, the book manages to be funny, heartbreaking, and profound.

The Red Prince

Charlie Roscoe

The beloved king and queen of an island kingdom set off on a voyage, leaving their young son in charge. No sooner do they sail away than strangers arrive in black ships and kidnap the prince. This adventure story for young children shows how wise and kind rulers give rise to loyal subjects, who come together to protect the prince and defeat the evil strangers. The Where’s Waldo–type illustrations add significantly to the story and encourage repeat readings to unearth gems. This book’s fast-paced adventure, art, and theme of kindness make it a favorite. —The Picture Book of the Year committee