(An Ever-Expanding List)
of the picture books my family and I have especially enjoyed:
Amos & Boris and, of course, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Two of the best by one of the best.
Anansi and The Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Janet Stevens
My son and I laugh every time we read it.
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater
Charming story about self-expression.
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Felicia Bond
Great night-time reading with young kids.
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Kids will love to act like the monkeys.
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Kraus, illustrated by Crocket Johnson
The Christmas Whale by Roger Duvoisin
Wonderful artist. Entertaining story from 1945. Somebody should reprint it!
Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent, Huge Harold, and The Whingdingdilly by Bill Peet
I couldn't decide which Bill Peet books to pick!
Dear Mr. Blueberry and The Birdwatchers by Simon James
Distant Feathers by Tim Egan
Funny, with an unexpected twist at the end that kids will love.
Don't Fidget a Feather by Erica Silverman, illustrated by S.D. Schindler
A funny freezing contest. There is an old folktale with a similar story; can't remember the name.
Don't Make Me Laugh by James Stevenson
Guaranteed to make kids laugh.
Dragon Tales by Dav Pilkey
My son loves the part where the walrus eats Dragon's friend.
Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail
Pirates, books, and David McPhail's wonderful art! Also, check out his autobiography.
The Funny Thing by Wanda Gag
Makes you hungry for jum-jills. Wonderful lithographs.
George and Martha by James Marshall
Great stories about great friends.
Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Edward Emberley
The greatest children's novelty book of all time?
Golem by David Wisniewski
A powerful picture book for older children, with an informative author's note.
Good Morning Sam by Marie-Louise Gay
Part of a endearing series of picture books about a sister and her toddler brother.
The Gunniwolf by Wilhemina Harper, illustrated by Barbara Upton
Sweet illustrations are an effective counterpoint to a good, scary story.
Handel, Who Knew What He Liked by M. T. Anderson, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Playful, informative biography of the great composer.
Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch
Wonderful, especially for younger kids.
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson
Harry on the Rocks and, of course, Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
Read Harry on the Rocks to find out what a 'bizzard' is!
In the Forest and Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets
Magical books for young children.
The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau by Jon Agee
My favorite Jon Agee book.
It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale by Margot Zemach
One of my favorite folk tales.
Little Bear's Little Boat by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Sweet story about growing up.
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
One of the best picture books of all time. A reminder of the medium's potential.
The Little Red Hen by Margot Zemach
My favorite version of this great folk tale.
Make Way For Ducklings and Lentil by Robert McCloskey.
The latter will turn kids into enthusiastic harmonica players.
Math Curse by John Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith
Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard, illustrated by James Marshall
A fun picture book about school.
Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham
Wonderful, evocative art.
Norman the Doorman and Hattie The Backstage Bat by Don Freeman
Good books to use to introduce kids to art and theater, respectively. Terrific illustrations.
Nutshell Collection by Maurice Sendak
Okie-Dokie, Artichokie! by Grace Lin
Teaches subtle lesson about misunderstandings.
One Grain of Rice by Demi
Wonderful math concept book, beautiful illustrations.
The Paper Princess Finds her Way by Elisa Kleven
Fun, imaginative story with interesting, intricate illustrations.
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo, illustrated by Dom Lee
Very well-done biography.
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
A perfect winter story.
The Tale of Tricky Fox by Jim Aylesworth, illustrated by Barbara McClintock
Entertaining trickster folk tale.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone
Great traditional version of this folktale.
A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry, illustrated by Marc Simont
Affecting book for young children about nature.
Tuesday by David Wiesner
Flying frogs!
The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Jan Brett
Charming, romantic Valentine's Day picture book.
What Charlie Heard: The Story of the American Composer Charles Ives by Mordicai Gerstein
Great musical biography with beautiful, unusual illustrations.
What Whiskers Did by Ruth Carroll
A very good wordless picture book from 1937.
Where Did Daddy's Hair Go? by Joe O'Connor, illustrated by Henry Payne
For all the bald Dads out there! (Started out as a self-published book!)