Not sure how it happened, but the holiday season is upon us, so we asked Natalie Nelson, illustrator of The King of the Birds to choose some of her favorite picture books by women. These books are perfect for the little readers on your list—but who are we kidding, we’d love to have these on our shelves as well.

Some links are affiliate links. Find more details here.

When Autumn and Kendra told me that many of their listeners had asked for picture book suggestions written and/or illustrated by women, I jumped at the chance to create such a list. Like nearly every other industry, the children’s literature world boasts a stunning inventory of female authored and illustrated books, but who still wins a disproportionate number of awards, accolades, and honors? The men.

So here is an insanely small list of some of my favorite all-female-created books from the last few years. If you want more suggestions, check out Laurel Snyder’s blog or Josh Funk’s ongoing Twitter thread of picture books illustrated by women.

Me and My Fear
by Francesca Sanna

Francesca Sanna has a talent for sharing the immigrant experience in a remarkably relatable way. This book follows a young girl through her first day of school in a new country. I also highly recommend the author’s first picture book, The Journey, about a family’s decision to leave their home amidst the tumult of war.