Yesterday, on Tuesday, January 23rd, the Oscar nominations were officially released. There was good news (yay, Get Out!), bad (boo, Three Billboards!), and everything in-between, but all in all it was a lot of the films folks had already been discussing as award contenders. If you’re anything like me, it can be hard to keep up with what’s out there. That’s why I devised a solution using my favorite resource: children’s books. Too busy to see the hottest critically acclaimed films? Then just read their children’s book equivalents:

If You Want to See:

Ladybird

Try:

My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life by Kate Feiffer, ill. Diane Goode

If You Want to See:

The Shape of Water

Try:

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, ill. Tony Fucile

(particularly the second story, “Give a Fish a Home”, about Bink’s love for a fish.)

Just replace the pancake with a hard boiled egg.

If You Want to See:

The Post

Try:

The Berenstain Bears in No Girls Allowed by Stan and Jan Berenstain

That one’s pretty self-explanatory.

If You Want to See: 

I, Tonya

Try:

The Meanest Birthday Girl by Josh Schneider

Not that the girl in this story suffers to the extent that Tonya does, but I feel like her attitude of strength is pretty on par.

If You Want to See:

Three Billboards in Ebbing, Missouri

Try:

Petey and Pru and the Hullaballoo Ammi-Joan Paquette, ill. Joy Ang

Because if you’re looking for a book of increasing chaos, I don’t think you could find a better one than this.

And finally . . .

If You Want to See:

Call Me By Your Name

Try:

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

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