Best books of 1953

Chosen annually by our editors, Fanfare is The Horn Book Magazine’s selection of the best children’s and young adult books of the year.

Picture Books
The Steadfast Tin Soldier written by Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Marcia Brown (Scribner)
Madeline’s Rescue written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans (Viking)
Pitschi written and illustrated by Hans Fischer (Harcourt)
A Very Special House written by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Maurice Sendak (Harper)
Journey Cake, Ho! written by Ruth Sawyer, illustrated by Robert McCloskey (Viking)

Stories
Finnegan II, His Nine Lives written by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, illustrated by Kate Seredy (Viking)
The Ark by Margot Benary-Isbert (Harcourt)
Little Witch written by Anna Elizabeth Bennett, illustrated by Helen Stone (Lippincott)
All Alone written by Claire Huchet Bishop, illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky (Viking)
Three—and Domingo written by Margueritte Harmon Bro, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard (Doubleday)
Hurry Home, Candy written by Meindert DeJong, illustrated by Maurice Sendak (Harper)
Shadrach written by Meindert DeJong, illustrated by Maurice Sendak (Harper)
Hideaway House written by Adele and Cateau de Leeuw, illustrated by Robert Candy (Little)
Nicholas and the Wool Pack written and illustrated by Cynthia Harnett (Putnam)
. . . And Now Miguel written by Joseph Krumgold, illustrated by Jean Charlot (Crowell)
Mr. Revere and I written and illustrated by Robert Lawson (Little)
Rain in the Winds written and illustrated by Claire and George Louden (Scribner)
The Borrowers written by Mary Norton, illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush (Harcourt)
Brother Dusty-Feet written by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by C. Walter Hodges (Oxford)

Interesting Non-Fiction
America Before Man written by Elizabeth Chesley Baity, illustrated by C. B. Falls (Viking)
Who Gave Us . . . Peacocks? Planes? & Ferris Wheels? written and illustrated by Madeleine Gekiere (Pantheon)
An Otter’s Story written by Emil E. Liers, illustrated by Tony Palazzo (Viking)
The Mission Bell written and illustrated by Leo Politi (Scribner)

New Editions and Collections
A Book of the Seasons; An Anthology compiled and illustrated by Eve Garnett (Bentley)
The Wind in the Willows written by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard (Scribner)
“Little House Books” written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams (Harper)