I know I am old and a children's picture book shouldn't be one of the best things I've read this year but it genuinely was. It's difficult to sum up what it is that makes this so special but for me it's perfect. The artwork is stunning for a start with an amazing sense of simple style and some very subtle touches that carry a lot of the humour, which when combined with the deadpan storytelling, overwhelming politeness, and obtuse throwaway moments made me actually laugh out loud several times. The pacing is brilliant, as are the story beats and it has a wonderful sense of comic timing and charm. I forced several people to read it, despite them claiming to be "too old" for children's books, and every single one of them had the same reaction as I did. I will force a lot more people to read it before my life is over, and maybe one day I will get to share it with a child of my own, but even if I don't, it's brought me a healthy chunk of joy and that's good enough for me.