picture books children's literature

With cherished classics and contemporary award winners, written and illustrated by the superstars of children's literature, these popular picture books are sure to delight readers⁠ — young and old ⁠— for generations.

Picture books are a timeless way to engage your students with a multisensory experience that can help increase vocabulary, understand sentence structure, and encourage story analysis. Plus, the visual stimulation they offer young children can help them decode the narrative, which in turn increases comprehension. 

Where the Wild Things Are ,  The Snowy Day ,  Corduroy , and  Clifford the Big Red Dog  are just a few of the beloved classic picture books featured in this list, along with popular new additions like  The Very Impatient Caterpillar , A Bad Case of Stripes , and Frog on a Log?

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• Books for children

100 of the best picture books for children

Filled with witty, uplifting stories and brilliant illustrations, these children’s picture books are sure to become storytime favourites..

Whether you’re reading to your child, or they’re learning to read by themselves, little ones will want to return to these picture books for kids again and again. Full of loveable characters, playful stories, and beautiful illustrations, these are some of the best picture books for children of all ages.

For more inspiration, don’t miss the best books for babies  and our edit of the best sticker and activity books to keep little minds engaged for hours.   

• Babies & toddlers
• 3-5-year-olds

Picture books for babies and toddlers

By rod campbell.

'I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet . . .' Celebrate forty years since the first publication of Dear Zoo with this gold foiled edition of Rod Campbell's classic picture book . Young children will love lifting the flaps to discover the animals the zoo has sent – a monkey, a lion and even an elephant! But will they ever manage to send the perfect pet? A must for every child's bookshelf, and the thick card pages, chunky cased golden cover and sturdy flaps make it perfect for small hands.

Buster's staying with Grandma on the farm. But where will he find the eggs for breakfast? Not in the stable – oh dear! Young children will love lifting the flaps as they turn the pages and follow Buster around the farm. From the creator of Dear Zoo , this 40th anniversary special edition is a great gift for all Rod Campbell fans. 

Dormouse Has a Cold

Julia Donaldson

Mole's Spectacles

Squirrel's Snowman

Frog's Day Out

Whisper, shout: let it out, by madhvi ramani.

An empowering and colourful picture book to help young children celebrate their voice and express themselves. Debut author Madhvi Ramani has taken voice lessons for a number of years, teaching her how to be confident in her own voice. The gorgeously bold and bright illustrations are paired with lots of ways for children to exercise their voice, building self-reliance and self-esteem. 

Odo: The Egg

Odo is off on another adventure with his friends at Forest Camp! Join the little owl, based on the preschool animated series on Milkshake, as he and his friends look after the rock eggs, and get more than they bargained for! Designed to be read and discussed with young readers, Odo: The Egg has bright, engaging pictures that will help toddlers learn about the wonderful wildlife they can encounter in the forest. Fans of Odo can continue to adventures with Odo: Super Owl !

The Odd Egg

By emily gravett.

All the birds have eggs to hatch, except Duck. But when Duck finds an egg of his own to look after he's delighted.  But all the other birds think it's a very odd egg indeed – and everyone's in for a BIG surprise when it finally hatches. A beautifully illustrated and cleverly formatted tale with a surprise ending, toddlers will love The Odd Egg. 

On the Night You Were Born

Nancy Tillman

It's Time to Sleep, My Love

Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You

The Littlest Elephant

We wish you a merry christmas, by floella benjamin.

Enjoy a family Christmas singalong with Baroness Floella Benjamin, including favourites such as 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas', 'Jingle Bells' and 'Ding Dong Merrily on High'! This stunning gift book features 15 familiar Christmas songs to enjoy and has sturdy tabs, making it easy to find your favourite. You can also learn about Floella's own Christmas memories and traditions, and join her in some festive fun with every song.

by Valerie Bloom

This award-winning picture book for toddlers is a fun and educational counting poem from Valerie Bloom, with beautiful illustrations by David Axtell. How much fruit can one little girl eat? Count from one to ten, learning the names of different Caribbean fruits. The rhyming text helps little ones learn to count while exploring the Caribbean’s many delicious fruits.  

Cars Cars Cars!

Donna David

Planes Planes Planes!

Trains Trains Trains!

Trucks Trucks Trucks!

Time for bed, panda, by jo lodge.

In  Time for Bed, Panda , children will learn first words about their bedtime routine. Bold, googly eyes and a sliding mechanism bring this adorable panda to life, while children share the simple story and point at the pictures. An ideal book for babies, this title combines bright illustrations, a simple story and first words – a perfect introduction to bedtime routines.

We're Going on a Lion Hunt

By david axtell.

Full of David Axtell’s beautiful illustrations of magnificent animals, this picture book adventure through the African savanna is a rendition of a well-known children’s poem. Two sisters go looking for a lion that lives on the African savanna. They go through swishy swashy long grass, a splishy splashy lake and a big dark cave – but when they finally meet the lion they have to run, run, run all the way home. 

Black History

By campbell books.

In Black History , young children can read about the lives of inspirational Black people from around the world, from Maya Angelou to Stormzy and from Rosa Parks to Nelson Mandela. This pre-school read features push, pull and slide scenes, and punchy bright illustrations by Jayri Gómez.

Can You Find Santa?

Axel Scheffler

On the Farm

Freddy the Frog

Can You Find The Easter Bunny?

Beyond the burrow, by jessica meserve.

Take a hop, skip and a jump into the big wide world with this beautifully illustrated picture book for babies and toddlers. Telling the tale of a brave bunny who ventures out beyond his safe burrow, this is a story all about the fantastic adventures you can experience when you step out of your comfort zone. 

New In Town

By marta altés.

The uplifting new picture book from award-winning illustrator Marta Altés, this a story about the challenges and excitement of moving somewhere new. Starring a friendly dog who can't wait to start his life in his new town – and make lots of new friends – this is a great book to read with children ahead of a move to a new school, house or neighbourhood. 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

By eric carle.

Eric Carles The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a perennial favourite with children and adults alike Its imaginative illustration and clever cutout detail charts the progress of a very hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through the week.

This Little Monster

Coral Byers

This Little Unicorn

This Little Dinosaur

Alberta Torres

This Little Elf

Guess how much i love you, by sam mcbratney.

Sometimes, when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how much you treasure them. But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not always an easy thing to measure. The story of Little and Big Nutbrown Hares’ efforts to express their love for each other has become a publishing phenomenon. 

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

By michael rosen and helen oxenbury.

For brave hunters and bear-lovers, the classic chant-aloud by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!

Campbell Books

Busy Dancing

Busy Football

Jayri Gómez

Busy Garden

The moomin abc: an illustrated alphabet book, by macmillan children's books.

A is for Adventure! Come on an adventure to the wonderful world of Moominvalley, introduced for the first time through the letters of the alphabet. Each letter from A to Z is represented by Using Tove Jansson's classic artwork with a bright, bold colour palette and newly-created lettering based on her archive drawings. Alongside the eye-catching artwork is easy-to-read text for little Moomin fans plus quotes from the original Moomin books, perfect for reading aloud.

Sometimes I Just WON'T

By timothy knapman.

Sometimes I Just WON'T  is a hilarious and helpful book about the ever-changing moods of small children. Being a toddler is an emotional rollercoaster. Some days you want to put your coat on, you don’t mind sharing and you can't wait to have your bath. But some days, you just WON'T! And sometimes that’s OK. But, with a little kindness and encouragement, you might find that something you don’t want to do can become something you love to do.

Goodnight Moon

By margaret wise brown.

Margaret Wise Brown's comforting, rhythmic text accompanied by the warmth of Clement Hurd's classic mid-century illustrations make  Goodnight Moon  a timeless picture book, which is known and loved around the world. In a great green room a little rabbit is tucked up snugly and safely in bed and is getting ready to say goodnight to all the familiar things that surround him, one by one. 

Goodnight Buster!

Get ready for bedtime with Buster. Join his as he has a bath, puts on his pyjamas and brushes his teeth. Complete with simple, engaging text and touch-and-feel patches to engage little one's sense, this board book is a great addition the often challenging bedtime routine. As you switch out the lights, say goodnight to Buster too! 

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy

By lynley dodd.

Hairy Maclary is off for a walk in town, and on the way he's joined by many furry friends of all shops and sizes, from Bottomley Potts to Schnitzel von Krumm. But when they suddenly find themselves face-to-face with Scarface Claw – the toughest Tom in town – it's time to run all the way back home! The brilliantly clever rhyme and vivid, engaging pictures have made this story into a children's classic.

Pick-a-Witch

By nia gould.

Join a cast of wickedly funny witches as they count down to Halloween in this delightful board book. Giggle with glee as the witches brew potions, fly their broomsticks, cast spells and more, with hilarious results! Little ones can pick their favourite witch from page to page until there's just one witch left – all building up to a pop-up pumpkin surprise! 

The Bedtime Bear

Ian Whybrow

The Christmas Bear

The Tickle Book

Say Hello to the Dinosaurs

Picture books for children aged 3 - 5 years, my hair is as long as a river, by charlie castle.

The boy knows he's a bit different to most of the boys in his class, but he loves his long hair. Join him as he takes you on a journey and shares how his long hair is a part of who he is, strong, fearless, wild and unique. A beautifully illustrated picture book about celebrating who you are, My Hair is as Long as a River is the perfect story to teach young children about the joy of standing out from the crowd. 

There Was a Young Bunny Who Swallowed an Egg

By diane ewen.

Meet the little bunny who’s so excited for the Easter Egg Hunt that she swallows a whole egg as soon as it starts, and doesn’t stop there! Next, she munches on a hot cross bun, an Easter basket, a fluffy chick, and more. This fun, colourful picture book, based on the story of the old lady who swallowed a fly, is the perfect spring story to help little ones practise their counting skills. 

by Steve Antony

The little cat really needs to take a nap, but he’s so busy playing and having fun he hasn’t got time to waste on sleep! Funny, fresh and sure to have parents giggling as much as their little ones, Cat Nap is the first in an engaging and enchanting new picture book series for young readers by the best-selling creator of Please Mr Panda , Steve Antony. 

There's Nothing Cuter Than a Puppy

By tom nicoll.

We all know there’s nothing in the world cuter than a puppy. Or is there? Meet donkeys in dungarees, walruses in woolly waistcoats, hyenas in hoop skirts and more creatures, all dressed to impress at the The Cutest Creature Contest. Will one of them take the crown, or will the puppy out-cute them all? A hilarious new picture book from Tom Nicoll and award-winning illustrator Ross Collins, There's Nothing Cuter Than a Puppy is a riot of colour, pattern and fun! 

Wolf and Bear

By kate rolfe.

A heartfelt story about a playful young wolf and her best friend, Bear. Wolf and Bear  is a beautiful tale of hope, kindness and love. This heartwarming book is the perfect launchpad for conversations with young children about feelings and friendship. Written and illustrated by the hugely talented Kate Rolfe, winner of the V&A Student Illustrator of the Year Award 2022.

The Penguin Who Lost His Way

By john hay.

Inspired by the incredible true story of a lost little penguin, and the vets who saved his life,  The Penguin Who Lost His Way  is perfect for young animal lovers. Hoppy the emperor penguin loves swimming in the sea with his friends. But one day Hoppy swims too far, and loses his way . . . ending up on a strange beach, all alone and far from home. How will poor Hoppy get back to his family?

Grace and the Christmas Angel

By lucinda riley.

Grace and the Christmas Angel,  created by bestselling author Lucinda Riley and her son Harry Whittaker, is a reassuring, timeless story and the first book in the Guardian Angels series. The tree is decorated, the presents are wrapped and it's a big day for Grace on Christmas Eve. She's singing in the nativity, and her fisherman father has promised to come and see her. But when a big storm appears at sea, Grace teams up with Hope, the Christmas Angel, to get him back safely for Christmas morning. 

Room on the Broom

By julia donaldson.

This bestselling story of a witch and her cat, and the medley of creatures that hitch a ride on her broom isn’t just for Halloween! The witch loses her hat, bow and wand which are returned by a dog, a bird and a frog, all eager for a ride on her broom. It’s the more the merrier until the broom snaps under its heavy load - and there’s a greedy dragon looking for a snack . . .

Each morning we take a look in the mirror with Daddy, and say words together to make us feel proud and strong. Full of positivity and good feelings, I Love Me!  is an engaging and powerful book for young children, with affirmations, uplifting statements for each day of the week, and enjoyable routines to help with nursery and school. There's also a fold-out section at the end with additional tips for carers and parents.

What the Ladybird Heard

What the Ladybird Heard Next

What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday

What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside

The ogre who wasn't, by michael morpurgo.

The fresh and funny story of a little princess who hates the stuffy palace, but loves the creatures she meets in the garden. Clara is a princess who loves collecting creepy-crawlies and making them her friends. When Clara discovers that an ogre she keeps in her shoe under her bed isn’t an ogre at all, he offers her a way out of her predicament. There’s only one thing she needs to do . . .

Victor the Wolf with Worries

By catherine rayner.

A beautifully illustrated story with a gentle and encouraging message to help children deal with their worries. Victor the wolf has lots of worries. He worries that he isn't brave enough, he isn't big enough and he isn't fierce enough. In fact, Victor feels anxious about almost everything. But when Victor shares his concerns with his best friend Pablo, he starts to feel a bit better.  Victor, The Wolf With Worries  is a reassuring tale that is especially helpful for little ones who have trouble talking about their feelings.

Robin Robin

By daniel ojari.

The heart-warming story of Robin Robin and her adopted family of mice is the perfect Christmas read from the creators of the  Robin Robin film , created by Aardman for Netflix. Meet the mouse family and their newest addition, Robin. Keen to fit in, Robin tries her best at sneaking crumbs for the family without disturbing the dreaded house cat and generally trying not to be a noisy, clumsy bird. This picture book version of the story, beautifully illustrated by Briony May Smith, is perfect for sharing with young children.

The Gruffalo

The Snail and the Whale

The Smartest Giant in Town

Sharing a Shell 20th Anniversary Edition

Bear is walking through the forest, minding his own business when he comes across another bear. The Other bear is different. The two bears wander along, thinking different thoughts, and looking in different directions. Soon the two bears come across another bear and then another bear and eventually find a bear stuck in a tree. The bears realise that perhaps they aren't  that  different after all and perhaps they could be friends?

Coming to England

Baroness Floella Benjamin travelled from Trinidad to London with her older sister and two younger brothers when she was just ten years old, as part of the Windrush generation. This is her inspiring true story. Arriving in England to be reunited with the rest of her family, cold and unfriendly London wasn’t quite what Floella expected. This beautifully illustrated and powerful true story about overcoming adversity is full of Floella’s trademark optimism and joy.

Colours, Colours Everywhere

Follow a little girl as she paints her own adventure with her bright blue tree frog companion. With luscious green trees to climb and red hot air balloons to sail away in, children will delight in the rhyming text, vibrant artwork, flaps to lift and holes to peep through. Written by Julia Donaldson , the bestselling author of The Gruffalo , and illustrated by Sharon King-Chai, Colours, Colours Everywhere will keep little ones entranced.

Whatever Next!

Jill Murphy

Just One of Those Days

Peace at Last

The little war cat, by hiba noor khan.

This beautifully illustrated picture book was inspired by a true story. A little grey cat is caught amongst the bangs and crashes of the humans in boots who have changed the city of Aleppo into one she struggles to recognise. But then an unlikely friend appears and shows her that there is still plenty of kindness in the world. And soon the little grey cat realises how she can make a difference too. 

Counting Creatures

This stunning picture book is a fun, interactive counting book with peep-through pages, fold-out flaps and bright, beautiful artwork. From a leopard with her cubs, to a frog and its tadpoles, young readers will love comparing the creatures, exploring their habitats and learning the proper names for all the baby animals. Perfect for gifting, this book was included in The Telegraph's Best Children's Books of the Year. 

M is for Melanin

By tiffany rose.

This joyful and empowering alphabet book teaches children their ABC and celebrates Black children, encouraging all kids to love the skin they’re in. Each letter of the alphabet contains affirming, positive messages, from E is for Empowerment, to L is for Lead to W is for Worthy.

The Grumpus

Alex T. Smith

How Winston Came Home for Christmas

The Nutcracker

My dad is a grizzly bear, by swapna haddow.

Could Dad be a grizzly bear? He has fuzzy fur, big paws and he loves the outdoors. He sleeps a lot, and he ate all the honey. What else could he be? Sometimes, when it's scary at night, there's nothing better than a big bear hug.

Kiki and Jax

By marie kondo.

Kiki and Jax  is a charming picture book story from tidying superstar Marie Kondo about how tidying up can spark joy in the lives of young children. Kiki and Jax are best friends – Jax enjoys sorting, but Kiki enjoys collecting and gathers lots of stuff. When Kiki’s home becomes too full of things for the friends to play in, Jax teaches Kiki how to sort everything, and to only keep those things that spark joy!

I Am Perfectly Designed

By karamo brown.

This empowering picture book about loving who you are comes from Karamo Brown, star of the hit Netflix series  Queer Eye , and his son Jason. Follow a boy and his father as they spend the day in the city together, talking about all the ways they are perfectly designed for each other.

A Squash and a Squeeze

The Bowerbird

Tyrannosaurus Drip 15th Anniversary Edition

The Hospital Dog

By sharon king-chai.

Starbird  is an original fable about freedom and love, stunningly illustrated by Sharon King-Chai. Starbird’s songs delight all who hear them, but when the Moon King traps Starbird in a cage as a gift for his daughter, all the colour and life in his voice begins to drain away. With beautiful illustrations and shiny silver foil throughout, this stunning picture book is an exquisite gift for any child or adult.

The Rhyming Rabbit

This special edition of the witty rhyming picture book from the bestselling partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks includes previously unseen artwork, a special letter from Julia and a shiny foil cover. The Rhyming Rabbit loves to make up poems, but the other rabbits don’t appreciate his talent. Will he ever find someone who wants to share his poems? 

I'm Actually Really Grown-Up Now

By maisie paradise shearring.

Meena wants to join in when the adults have a party, but only grown-ups get to stay up late. So the next day Meena decides, “I’m actually really grown-up now!” She has lots of fun planning her own grown-up party, going to work and experimenting with fashion, but she soon finds out being a grown-up isn’t as easy as it seems.

The Duck with No Luck

Gemma Merino

The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water

The Dragon Who Didn't Like Fire

The Sheep Who Hatched an Egg

Winnie-the-pooh and me, by jeanne willis.

Someone has come along to join Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin on their adventure, but who could it be? It can't be Kanga and Roo – they're sailing a boat – and it can't be Owl, because he's at home. Could it be Heffalumps who want to eat Pooh's beloved honey? Or perhaps Pooh and Christopher Robin are accompanied by a pair of friends who are never far away on a sunny day. Winnie-the-Pooh and Me  is a brand-new Winnie-the-Pooh story, featuring the best-loved characters from the Hundred Acre Wood.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

By judith kerr.

The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don't expect to see at the door is a big furry, stripy tiger! This warm and funny picture book story is perfect for reading aloud, or for small children to read to themselves time and again. First published in 1968 and never out of print, it has become a timeless classic enjoyed and beloved by generations of children and parents. 

Where the Wild Things Are

By maurice sendak.

One night Max puts on his wolf suit so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room, and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king! But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely. He realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all.

Picture books for children aged 5+

Rudyard kipling's just so stories, retold by elli woollard, by elli woollard.

Discover how the rhino got its wrinkly skin, how the elephant got its trunk, how the camel got its hump and more in these creative, witty stories by Rudyard Kipling. With reimagined rhyming text by Eli Woodward, and detailed contemporary illustrations by award-winning Marta Altés, this new edition of the classic Just So Stories would make a wonderful gift for young readers. 

The Jeweller's Apprentice

By axel scheffler.

When jeweller Mr Peacock receives a once-in-a-lifetime job from the Lion Prince, he’s grateful for the help from his new apprentice, a shy chicken. That is until he discovers a startling robbery and that his apprentice has disappeared! A heartwarming new animal fairy tale from Axel Scheffler, The Jeweller’s Apprentice is a story about forgiveness and learning from your mistakes.

Aziza's Secret Fairy Door and the Mermaid's Treasure

By lola morayo.

Aziza is excitedly packing her suitcase ready to go on holiday when she finds sand and seashells from the fairy door all over her room! Before long, she is stepping through the door and out onto Shimmerton’s beach, where naughty fairies are causing havoc by accidentally awakening an ancient shell-walker who has been asleep for many years under the sand. Inspired by creatures from world mythology, Aziza's Secret Fairy Door and the Mermaid's Treasure  is the fourth title in the magical adventure series from Lola Morayo, illustrated throughout in black-and-white.

Black and British: An Illustrated History

By david olusoga.

From award-winning historian and broadcaster David Olusoga comes this stunning visual journey through Black British history for young readers. Offering answers to thought-provoking questions such as: when did Africans first come to Britain? And who are the well-dressed Black children in Georgian paintings? Black and British: An Illustrated History is an introduction to 1800 years of Black British history, from the Roman Africans who guarded Hadrian’s Wall, all the way to present day.

Journey to the River Sea: Illustrated Edition

By eva ibbotson.

Rediscover Eva Ibbotson's award-winning, bestselling classic adventure with this gorgeous gift edition. Maia, an orphan, can't wait to reach her distant relatives a thousand miles up the Amazon. She imagines a huge, loving family with whom she will share great adventures. Instead, she finds two spiteful cousins who see the jungle as the enemy and refuse to step foot outdoors. But the secrets of the rainforest more than make up for the horrible twins in this joyous Amazon adventure . . . 

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

By lewis carroll.

This beautiful edition presents Costa Award and Kate Greenaway Medal winner Chris Riddell's gorgeous new visual interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic story. Featuring a foiled jacket, head and tail bands and a ribbon marker, and with lavish colour illustrations throughout, this gorgeous hardback will be treasured for years to come. This is a picture book every Alice fan should have on their bookshelves.

One Day in Wonderland

By kathleen krull.

This joyful celebration of Lewis Carroll’s love of language is a wonderful introduction to his life and the origin of  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland . Award-winning author Katherine Krull uses many of Carroll’s own words, from  brillig  and  uglification  to  frumious  and  chortle , to tell the story of a man who’s legacy continues to delight children today.  One Day in Wonderland  is strikingly illustrated by Júlia Sardà, making this a book to treasure.

A Treasury of Ballet Stories

By caryl hart.

Step into the magical world of ballet with this timeless collection of four stories, each one based on a beloved classical ballet. Delight in dancing swans, fantastical firebirds, sleeping princesses and sugar plum fairies in this fresh, dynamic and magical collection that will delight all ages from five and up. With its gold foil cover, jewel-like colours and striking design, this is the ultimate gift for all fans of ballet and fairy tale and a glorious celebration of story, dance and theatre. 

Long Walk to Freedom

By chris van wyk.

Long Walk to Freedom is the amazing story of a true hero. Mandela's famous biography has been specially adapted for children in a beautifully illustrated picture book. Discover how a little boy whose father called him "troublemaker" grew up to fight apartheid, become South Africa's first black president and campaign for freedom and justice throughout the world.

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100+ Best Picture Books

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, librarian, or grandparent, you want to find the best children’s picture books to read aloud and share with the children in your life. Over the last two decades, I’ve read tens of thousands of picture books and carefully curated book lists and book reviews of children’s picture book fiction and nonfiction for kids. I’ll share the BEST picture book recommendations in book lists on almost every topic and theme. Plus, you’ll also find the best children’s books to read aloud to different ages of readers.

My own passion for books for kids began early with weekly trips to the library and a home without a television. (Nothing else to do but read!) As a former elementary teacher, former literacy trainer, and parent of two, my passion for books grew every year. I read to share the best books with my students. I read to find good books to use in the classroom as mentor texts. And I read because I loved the stories, wordplay, and richness of the artwork. Honestly, I am devoted to children’s literature, reading thousands of books every year, from picture books to YA.

Here’s an example of one month of picture books that I review in on month from over a hundred read that month! (And isn’t my READ shirt the best!?)

What makes a great picture book?

The best picture books are spacious enough to allow the illustrations to narrate the story as well as the prose , which is the text of a non-poetry book. These beautiful books aren’t too text-heavy but balance perfectly with their text-to-picture ratio.

Young children love books about themes that resonate with their lives, such as friendship, family, growing up, identity, and more. Other young child-friendly themes in picture books that illuminate the world for readers include belonging, courage, kindness, feelings, accepting differences, problem solving, using your imagination, and grief. Look for books that explore new concepts like counting or colors!

Stories about these themes have many different storylines or plots, ranging from books with meaningful lessons to silly stories or informational topics. Read children’s book stories about different topics such as losing a tooth, getting a new sibling, finding something lost, learning about animals, or wanting a pet.

Young readers naturally love funny stories. Kids love to laugh, so hilarious, silly stories will always be on any list of favorites.

Of course, good picture books for kids also include memorable characters. Lovable characters are those beloved, quirky, and funny heroes that stay with you until you’re an adult. Who are your favorite timeless characters from your childhood reading? Maybe Lily of Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse or Elephant and Piggie or Lola.

Also, you’ll know your child’s favorite children’s books because they will love them and beg for repeated readings. Every child will prefer some picture books over others. That’s okay. They’re forming their opinions and growing into themselves. Both my kids preferred different stories and authors. Not a problem! There are so many good books; there is something for everyone.

What are the best read aloud picture books?

Children of all ages, not just young children, benefit from reading picture books with an adult or by themselves.

You don’t have to buy the best sellers. Just try a variety of different books about different topics. Funny books are my favorite to read aloud — my kids love to laugh. I bet your readers will love funny book s, too.

For young readers, it is essential to share a variety of kids’ stories, including wordless and prose books, fiction and nonfiction , classics and contemporary, about lots of different topics. This exposes them to the best children’s books that teach them about the world and introduces them to critical literary concepts like story structure, characters, predictions, and finding information.

Reading picture books builds a love of reading. It gives parents and children special time together sharing stories. Yes, I will suggest the best picture books of all time, but I also believe that ANY picture book you read with a child is best. Because it’s reading and it’s time together.

Remember that any time you can spend reading aloud to your child counts and builds important skills! When I read her stories, my oldest wiggled off my lap and ran laps around me. Instead of making her sit still, I started reading to her while she was eating. That worked much better for her. No, it wasn’t snuggle time, but it still was enriching and important.

Why read children’s stories?

As I mentioned, reading books out loud to children builds their literacy skills, including learning new vocabulary words and a child’s understanding of story elements.

Encourage your growing reader to read picture books by themselves . When children are alone with a book, they can pretend “read” the pictures and narrate the story using the pictures and parts that they might have memorized. This is a wonderful way to reinforce concepts like plot, beginning, middle, and end, characters, the importance of illustrations, and oral language. As children tell their own stories, notice their word play !

Don’t forget to include nonfiction titles in your reading selection, also. This helps readers learn new things and introduces informational reading for meaning.

Best Picture Books for Young Readers

Ages 0 to 4.

The Best Books for Babies

Best Toddler Books

Best Books for 3 Year Olds

Best Preschool Books for 4 Year Olds

Best Kindergarten Books for 5 Year Olds

Ada Twist Scientist Books

Counting & Numbers

Baba Yaga Stories

Metafiction Books That Break the Fourth Wall

Book Character Costumes

AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Heritage

Berenstain Bears Books

Cooperation

Diwali Books

Grandparents

Fairy Tales for Kids

Eric Carle Books

Fairy Tales

Jan Brett Holiday Books

Interactive

Little Red Riding Hood Retellings

Graduation Books

Movies Based on Books

Mythical Creatures in Books

Nursery Rhymes

Potty Training

Positive Character Traits

Water Cycle

Winter Books

Best Picture Books for Elementary Ages

Ages 5 – 8 (kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade).

Addition & Subtraction

Aging, Memory Loss

Anxiety and Worry

AAPI Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage

Back to School

Black Main Characters

Books with Movie Adaptations

Black History Month Biographies

Being Yourself / Identity

Cause and Effect

Death & Grief

Fear & Courage

Fractured Fairy Tales

Greek Mythology

Growth Mindset

Immigration

Jewish High Holidays

Lunar New Year

Mindfulness

Indigenous Families & Native Cultures

Ocean Animals

Pirate Books

Physical Differences (Disabilities)

Ramadan & Eid

Soccer (Football)

Thanksgiving

Three Little Pigs

Writing a Story

Words and Wordplay

Women’s History

Best Picture Books of the Year

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Once Upon a Time, the World of Picture Books Came to Life

The tale behind a new museum of children’s literature is equal parts imagination, chutzpah and “The Little Engine That Could.”

By Elisabeth Egan

Photographs and Video by Chase Castor

Elisabeth Egan followed the Rabbit Hole as it was nearing completion. She has written about several of its inhabitants for The Times.

On a crisp Saturday morning that screamed for adventure, a former tin can factory in North Kansas City, Mo., thrummed with the sound of young people climbing, sliding, spinning, jumping, exploring and reading.

Yes, reading.

If you think this is a silent activity, you haven’t spent time in a first grade classroom. And if you think all indoor destinations for young people are sticky, smelly, depressing hellholes, check your assumptions at the unmarked front door.

Welcome to the Rabbit Hole, a brand-new, decade-in-the-making museum of children’s literature founded by the only people with the stamina for such a feat: former bookstore owners. Pete Cowdin and Deb Pettid are long-married artists who share the bullish determination of the Little Red Hen. They’ve transformed the hulking old building into a series of settings lifted straight from the pages of beloved picture books.

Before we get into what the Rabbit Hole is, here’s what it isn’t: a place with touch screens, a ball pit, inscrutable plaques, velvet ropes, a cloying soundtrack or adults in costumes. It doesn’t smell like graham crackers, apple juice or worse (yet). At $16 per person over 2 years old, it also isn’t cheap.

During opening weekend on March 16, the museum was a hive of freckles and gap toothed grins, with visitors ranging in age from newborn to well seasoned. Cries of “Look up here!,” “There’s a path we need to take!” and “There’s Good Dog Carl !” created a pleasant pandemonium. For every child galloping into the 30,000 square foot space, there was an adult hellbent on documenting the moment.

Did you ever have to make a shoe box diorama about your favorite book? If so, you might remember classmates who constructed move-in ready mini kingdoms kitted out with gingham curtains, clothespin people and actual pieces of spaghetti.

Cowdin, Pettid and their team are those students, all grown up.

The main floor of the Rabbit Hole consists of 40 book-themed dioramas blown up to life-size and arranged, Ikea showroom-style, in a space the size of two hockey rinks. The one inspired by John Steptoe’s “ Uptown ” features a pressed tin ceiling, a faux stained-glass window and a jukebox. In the great green room from “ Goodnight Moon ,” you can pick up an old-fashioned phone and hear the illustrator’s son reading the story.

One fictional world blends into the next, allowing characters to rub shoulders in real life just as they do on a shelf. Visitors slid down the pole in “The Fire Cat,” slithered into the gullet of the boa constrictor in “ Where the Sidewalk Ends ” and lounged in a faux bubble bath in “ Harry the Dirty Dog .” There are plenty of familiar faces — Madeline , Strega Nona , Babar — but just as many areas dedicated to worthy titles that don’t feature household names, including “ Crow Boy ,” “ Sam and the Tigers ,” “ Gladiola Garden ” and “ The Zabajaba Jungle .”

Emma Miller, a first-grade teacher, said, “So many of these are books I use in my classroom. It’s immersive and beautiful. I’m overwhelmed.”

As her toddler bolted toward “ Frog and Toad ,” Taylar Brown said, “We love opportunities to explore different sensory things for Mason. He has autism so this is a perfect place for him to find little hiding holes.”

A gaggle of boys reclined on a bean bag in “ Caps for Sale ,” passing around a copy of the book. Identical twins sounded out “ Bread and Jam for Frances ” on the pink rug in the badger’s house. A 3-year-old visiting for the second time listened to her grandfather reading “The Tawny Scrawny Lion.”

Tomy Tran, a father of three from Oklahoma, said, “I’ve been to some of these indoor places and it’s more like a jungle gym. Here, my kids will go into the area, pick up the book and actually start reading it as if they’re in the story.”

All the titles scattered around the museum are available for purchase at the Lucky Rabbit, a bookstore arranged around a cozy amphitheater. Pettid and Cowdin estimate that they’ve sold one book per visitor, with around 650 guests per day following the pink bunny tracks from the parking lot.

Once upon a time, Cowdin and Pettid owned the Reading Reptile, a Kansas City institution known not just for its children’s books but also for its literary installations. When Dav Pilkey came to town, Pettid and Cowdin welcomed him by making a three-and-a-half foot papier-mâché Captain Underpants. Young customers pitched in to build Tooth-Gnasher Superflash or the bread airplane from “In the Night Kitchen.”

One of the store’s devotees was Meg McMath, who continued to visit through college, long after she’d outgrown its offerings (and its chairs). Now 36, McMath traveled from Austin, Texas with her husband and six-month-old son to see the Rabbit Hole. “I’ve cried a few times,” she said.

The Reading Reptile weathered Barnes & Noble superstores and Amazon. Then came “the Harry Potter effect,” Pettid said, “where all of a sudden adults wanted kids to go from picture books to thick chapter books. They skipped from here to there; there was so much they were missing.”

As parents fell under the sway of reading lists for “gifted” kids, story time became yet another proving ground.

“It totally deformed the reading experience,” Cowdin said. Not to mention the scourge of every bookstore: surreptitious photo-snappers who later shopped online.

In 2016, Cowdin and Pettid closed the Reptile to focus on the Rabbit Hole, an idea they’d been percolating for years. They hoped it would be a way to spread the organic bookworm spirit they’d instilled in their five children while dialing up representation for readers who had trouble finding characters who looked like them. The museum would celebrate classics, forgotten gems and quality newcomers. How hard could it be?

Cowdin and Pettid had no experience in the nonprofit world. They knew nothing about fund-raising or construction. They’re ideas people, glass half full types, idealists but also stubborn visionaries. They didn’t want to hand their “dream” — a word they say in quotes — to consultants who knew little about children’s books. Along the way, board members resigned. Their kids grew up. Covid descended. A tree fell on their house and they had to live elsewhere for a year. “I literally have told Pete I quit 20 times,” Pettid said.

“It has not always been pleasant,” Cowdin said. “But it was just like, OK, we’re going to do this and then we’re going to figure out how to do it. And then we just kept figuring it out.”

Little by little, chugging along like “ The Little Engine That Could ,” they raised $15 million and assembled a board who embraced their vision and commitment to Kansas City. They made a wish list of books — “Every ethnicity. Every gender. Every publisher,” Pettid said — and met with rights departments and authors’ estates about acquiring permissions. Most were receptive; some weren’t. (They now have rights to more than 70 titles.)

“A lot of people think a children’s bookstore is very cute,” Pettid said. “They have a small mind for children’s culture. That’s why we had to buy this building.”

For $2 million, they bought the factory from Robert Riccardi, an architect whose family operated a beverage distribution business there for two decades. His firm, Multistudio, worked with Cowdin and Pettid to reimagine the space, which sits on an industrial corner bordered by train tracks, highways and skyline views.

Cowdin and Pettid started experimenting with layouts. Eventually they hired 39 staff members, including 21 full-time artists and fabricators who made everything in the museum from some combination of steel, wood, foam, concrete and papier-mâché.

“My parents are movers and shakers,” Gloria Cowdin said. She’s the middle of the five siblings, named after Frances the badger’s sister — and, yes, that’s her voice reading inside the exhibit. “There’s never been something they’ve wanted to achieve that they haven’t made happen, no matter how crazy.”

During a sneak peek in December, it was hard to imagine how this semi-construction zone would coalesce into a museum. The 22,000 square foot fabrication section was abuzz with drills and saws. A whiteboard showed assembly diagrams and punch lists. (Under “Random jobs,” someone had jotted, “Write Christmas songs.”) The entryway and lower level — known as the grotto and the burrow — were warrens of scaffolding and machinery.

But there were pockets of calm. Kelli Harrod worked on a fresco of trees outside the “ Blueberries for Sal ” kitchen, unfazed by the hubbub. In two years as lead painter, she’d witnessed the Rabbit Hole’s steady growth.

“I remember painting the ‘ Pérez and Martina ’ house before there was insulation,” Harrod said. “I was bundled up in hats, gloves and coats, making sure my hands didn’t shake.”

Leigh Rosser was similarly nonplused while describing his biggest challenge as design fabrication lead. Problem: How to get a dragon and a cloud to fly above a grand staircase in “ My Father’s Dragon .” Solution: “It’s really simple, conceptually” — it didn’t sound simple — “but we’re dealing with weight in the thousands of pounds, mounted up high. We make up things that haven’t been done before, or at least that I’m not aware of.”

Attention to detail extends to floor-bound exhibits. The utensil drawer in “Blueberries for Sal” holds Pete Cowdin’s mother’s egg whisk alongside a jar containing a baby tooth that belonged to Cowdin and Pettid’s oldest daughter, Sally. The tooth is a wink at “ One Morning in Maine ,” an earlier Robert McCloskey book involving a wiggly bicuspid — or was it a molar? If dental records are available, Cowdin and Pettid have consulted them for accuracy.

“With Pete and Deb, it’s about trying to picture what they’re seeing in their minds,” said Brian Selznick , a longtime friend who helped stock the shelves in the Lucky Rabbit. He’s the author of “ The Invention of Hugo Cabret ,” among many other books.

Three months ago, the grotto looked like a desert rock formation studded with pink Chiclets. The burrow, home of Fox Rabbit, the museum’s eponymous mascot, was dark except for sparks blasting from a soldering iron. The floor was covered with tiny metal letters reclaimed from a newly-renovated donor wall at a local museum.

Cowdin and Pettid proudly explained their works-in-progress; these were the parts of the museum that blossomed from seed in their imaginations. But to the naked eye, they had the charm of a bulkhead door leading to a scary basement.

When the museum opened to the public, the grotto and the burrow suddenly made sense. The pink Chiclets are books, more than 3000 of them — molded in silicone, cast in resin — incorporated into the walls, the stairs and the floor. They vary from an inch-and-a-half to three inches thick. As visitors descend into the Rabbit Hole, they can run their fingers over the edges of petrified volumes. They can clamber over rock formations that include layers of books. Or they can curl up and read.

Dennis Butt, another longtime Rabbit Hole employee, molded 92 donated books into the mix, including his own copies of “ The Hobbit ” and “ The Lord of the Rings .” He said, “They’re a little piece of me.”

As for the metal letters, they’re pressed into the walls of a blue-lit tunnel leading up a ramp to the first floor. They spell the first lines of 141 books, including “ Charlotte’s Web ,” “Devil in the Drain” and “ Martha Speaks .” Some were easier to decipher than others, but “Mashed potatoes are to give everybody enough” jumped out. It called to mind another line from “A Hole is to Dig,” Ruth Krauss’s book of first definitions (illustrated by a young Maurice Sendak ): “The world is so you have something to stand on.”

At the Rabbit Hole, books are so you have something to stand on. They’re the bedrock and the foundation; they’re the solid ground.

Cowdin and Pettid have plans to expand into three more floors, adding exhibit space, a print shop, a story lab, a resource library and discovery galleries. An Automat-style cafeteria and George and Martha -themed party and craft room will open soon. A rooftop bar is also in the works.

Of course, museum life isn’t all happily ever after. Certain visitors whined, whinged and wept, especially as they approached the exit. One weary adult said, “Charlie, we did it all.”

Then, “Charlie, it’s time to go.”

And finally, “Fine, Charlie, we’re leaving you here.” Cue hysteria.

But the moral of this story — and the point of the museum, and maybe the point of reading, depending on who you share books with — crystallized in a quiet moment in the great green room. A boy in a Chiefs Super Bowl T-shirt pretended to fall asleep beneath a fleecy blanket. Before closing his eyes, he said, “Goodnight, Grandma. Love you to the moon.”

Elisabeth Egan is a writer and editor at the Times Book Review. She has worked in the world of publishing for 30 years. More about Elisabeth Egan

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• Date: November 30, 2023
• Author: Jan Fields
• Category: Writing for Children Blog
• Tags: Picture Book , Picture Books

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Picture books: from then to now.

For all of us today, picture books have been part of our entire lives, and yet the form as we know it isn’t terribly old. While it could be argued that the children’s book truly began in 1744 with a stories, rhymes, and games collection by John Newbery, that picture book had to wait quite a while for its birth.

A New Type of Book

When you think of picture books as a shared storytelling between writer and illustrator, that book form began in the mid to late 1800s and the parent of the true picture book is illustrator Randolph Caldecott. Caldecott’s illustrations expanded the story instead of merely decorating it. This means picture books haven’t always been an important part of children’s lives, but they certainly seem to be here to stay.

These days, some people worry about the increasing use of AI signaling the end of the jobs of writers and illustrators. I think the picture book is far too important for that. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumblings about the destruction of the picture book. When eBooks entered the marketplace, picture book writers worried. Would eBooks result in every young child clutching an electronic device for their stories? Would the device read to them and cut the connection picture books offer between parent and child?

Certainly electronic picture books and early childhood apps popped up, but the marketplace showed a clear preference for the physical, tangible, paper picture book, the one that acted as a connection point between adults and children. The contents of picture books, both the stories and the illustrations, are also deceptively complicated and well beyond the ability of the great copier that is AI.

Picture books introduce children to the world, but they also remind adults of the wonder and challenge of childhood. Picture books educate children, but they also make parents better. Part of the reason children who are read to do better throughout their young lives is because parents who read aloud are also changed by the experience. During the read-aloud experience, parents shuck off the demands of adulthood, dive back into childhood, and are refreshed and changed by it. They connect with their children in the moment because of the shared connection with this magical thing: the picture book.

The Joy of the Reader

Books have not always been overly focused on providing a joyful experience for readers, and this is especially true for young readers. Text directed at children was meant to be intellectual medicine. If it was a story, it should impart a solid moral lesson. If it was nonfiction, it should educate. Then along came a British philosopher named John Locke at the end of the end of the 1600s, He believed children learned more if they were enjoying the experience. That was a wildly novel idea. But Locke wasn’t a wild dreamer. He wasn’t comfortable with stories that escaped reality. Fun should, after all, have limits.

It wasn’t until the United States became interested in producing more readers, children who chose to read, and didn’t see it as drudgery, that the fun stories were allowed into the educational sphere in large numbers. Plodding beginning readers were tossed aside for wild stories with chaotic cats in hats or desperate characters pursued to take just one bite of green eggs and ham. Joyful reading became such an important part of childhood that many adults today can still recite lines from books that taught them to read with laughter and entertaining pictures.

Today, What About Picture Books Today?

Publishing and children’s books continue to grow and change. In one way, the children’s book format became fractured because we invited fun into the classroom. Books had to be divided by purpose to make them the most useful in the classroom. That is why we have beginning readers, which are like picture books in that they have lots of pictures and minimal text, but the point of the book is to help children learn to read. These also try to be lively and fun (with the illustrations playing a big part in that) but the words and sentence structures are determined by the needs of the reader. Thus, these books tend to come out of educational publishers. Even if they are done by trade publishers, the books have rarely been accepted through unsolicited submissions. This is because they’re deceptively hard to write as the educational demand is at the forefront of the book’s success.

As picture book author and illustrator Barbara Reid told Global News: “…they have become skewed a bit younger…I’m constantly working at peeling back the story to the very basics—less words, stronger images.”

In terms of content, publishers and book buyers in recent years have become aware of the homogenous culture portrayed by many of the picture books of the past. They are now seeking ways to bring in voices we’ve not heard before, and cultures that have been underrepresented or unheard.

Publishers aim to produce books where every child and every family can find someone in a book who looks like them. That doesn’t mean that the books must be focused on diversity. No matter what makes a family unique, that one thing isn’t the sum of the family or the members of it. So publishers seek stories that are touching or funny or exciting or meaningful but are also indicative of the vastness of humanity today.

What does this mean for writers? The same as it always has. We need to be aware of the ways that the market is changing in terms of format, but we also need to tell a unique story in a lively way with an engaging voice. We need to bring something that is ours, but that hasn’t been seen quite this way before. There is room for every writer, but only when we bring our very best.

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• What You Need to Know About Writing Nonfiction Picture Books
• Emotional Truth in Writing a Picture Book

With over 100 books in publication, Jan Fields writes both chapter books for children and mystery novels for adults. She’s also known for a variety of experiences teaching writing, from one session SCBWI events to lengthier Highlights Foundation workshops to these blog posts for the Institute of Children’s Literature. As a former ICL instructor, Jan enjoys equipping writers for success in whatever way she can.

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Writing Feedback: Casting Off Unhelpful Expectations

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The 100 Best Children's Books of All Time

We’re living in a golden age of young-adult literature, when books ostensibly written for teens are equally adored by readers of every generation. In the likes of Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen, they’ve produced characters and conceits that have become the currency of our pop-culture discourse—and inspired some of our best writers to contribute to the genre. To honor the best books for young adults and children, TIME compiled this survey in consultation with respected peers such as U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt, children’s-book historian Leonard Marcus, the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, the Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress, the Every Child a Reader literacy foundation and 10 independent booksellers. With their help, we’ve created two all-time lists of classics: 100 Best Young-Adult Books and 100 Best Children’s Books. Vote for your favorite in the poll below.

See 17 authors’ favorite books for young readers .

Read about how author Meg Wolitzer was inspired by Sylvia Plath’s Bell Jar .

It’s your turn:

By the editors of TIME, with reporting by Daniel D’Addario, Giri Nathan and Noah Rayman.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled Kenn Nesbitt’s name.

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10 Remarkable Recent Picture Books

These diverse picture books for preschool through grade 3, including three nonfiction selections, are sure to appeal to young students.

One of my most favorite formats in the world of children’s literature is the picture book. Picture books are wonderful for many reasons, including their beautiful illustrations, succinct and powerful storytelling, and overall versatility in the classroom.

Their target audience is typically 4- to 8-year-olds, but as many educators can confirm, picture books can help teach concepts and skills across grade levels and subject areas.

As a K–8 librarian, I often read through the publications that review new children’s literature, and I’m astounded by the sheer quantity of great picture books that are published regularly. It can be tough to keep up.

Accordingly, I’ve put together a list of 10 diverse picture books that have been published in the last year or so. If you’re looking to incorporate some exciting new books into your teaching, then I’m hopeful you’ll find this list helpful. For each book, I’ve included a brief summary as well as a few suggestions for how you might use the book in your classroom.

10 Fantastic Recent Picture Books

Who’s Looking? How Animals See the World , by Carol Matas, illustrated by Cornelia Li (nonfiction): An engaging science-based book that includes short, fascinating narratives about—and images of—how different animals see the world. Use this in any elementary school science unit in which students study animals. Or you could play with the idea of “seeing” and use it to launch a discussion about the different ways that humans experience the world. (Pre-K to kindergarten)

Out of a Jar , by Deborah Marcero (fiction): Social and emotional learning–themed books are in high demand right now, and this is the best book I’ve read about managing emotions. Use it wherever and whenever you need a story that will spark discussions about how and why we should allow ourselves to fully feel our feelings. (Pre-K to grade 2)

I’ll Go and Come Back , by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Sara Palacios (fiction): This is a warm, vivid intergenerational love story. Use it to explore with your students how love is powerful enough to transcend culture and language. Use it to launch a personal narrative assignment about beloved grandparents or elders. Or use it as a mentor text to teach story structure and how to effectively use dual settings. (Pre-K to grade 2)

Mina , by Matthew Forsythe (fiction): This book is funny, clever, and surprising. You could use it to teach the elements of fiction: plot, characterization, point of view, tone, etc. It’s also a great model for creating tension between the text and image in an illustrated story. (Pre-K to grade 3)

Farmhouse , by Sophie Blackall (fiction): A gorgeous, fictionalized narrative about a real family, told in flowing, poetic language. This would be a great book to use at the beginning of a storytelling unit or project, as it illustrates the importance of each of us sharing our stories with the world. Be sure to read the back matter, too.  (Pre-K to grade 3)

Lizzy and the Cloud , by Terry Fan and Eric Fan (fiction): This gentle story is full of heart and whimsy. After reading it, you could have a discussion with your students about what it really means to care for something or someone. You might also use it to explore with young children or teens the complex idea of how love often involves letting go. (Pre-K to grade 3)

The Three Billy Goats Gruff , by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen (fiction): An outrageously silly new book from zany duo Barnett and Klassen. This one could serve as a great primer for young writers on how to make an old or familiar story feel fresh and alive. You might also use it to show how students could effectively use more difficult literary tools like rhyme, tension, and humor. (Pre-K to grade 3)

Nigel and the Moon , by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Gracey Zhang (fiction): An inspiring, hopeful book about belonging and self-acceptance. Try using this one to launch a discussion with kids about their dreams: what kind of person they’d love to become and how they might take their first steps toward becoming that person. (Kindergarten to grade 3)

Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky , by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, illustrated by Daniel Minter (nonfiction): This fascinating, unique, important book traces the history of the color blue. You might use it to spark a research project in which students research colors of their choice. Given the way this book explores history (including how in America, slave labor was used to harvest indigo), art, and science, you could center an entire interdisciplinary unit around it. (Kindergarten to grade 3)

Hope Is an Arrow , by Cory McCarthy, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (nonfiction): A gorgeous, lyrical exploration of the life and work of Kahlil Gibran. This book would be a great launchpad for discussions about grief, art, and the relationship between the two. In the secondary classroom, it’s the perfect way to introduce students to Kahlil Gibran before studying his masterpiece, The Prophet . (Grades 1 to 3)

A Brief History of Children's Picture Books and the Art of Visual Storytelling

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From cave paintings to Maurice Sendak, a look at the masters of the form

Back in the fifteenth century, Leonardo da Vinci made the following remark about visual storytelling :

"And you who wish to represent by words the form of man and all the aspects of his membrification, relinquish that idea. For the more minutely you describe the more you will confine the mind of the reader, and the more you will keep him from the knowledge of the thing described. And so it is necessary to draw and to describe."

From very early on, we both intuit and learn the language of pictorial representation, and most modern adults, the picturebook was our first dictionary of this visual vocabulary. Yet the picturebook -- defined by its narrative framework of sequential imagery and minimalist text to convey meaning or tell a story, and different from the illustrated book in which pictures play a secondary narrative part, enhancing and decorating the narrative -- is a surprisingly nascent medium.

In Children's Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling , illustrator Martin Salisbury and children's literature scholar Morag Styles trace the fascinating evolution of the picturebook as a storytelling medium and a cultural agent, and peer into the future to see where the medium might be going next, with case studies of seminal works, a survey of artistic techniques, and peeks inside the sketchbooks and creative process of prominent illustrators adding dimension to this thoughtful and visually engrossing journey.

Though pictorial storytelling dates back to the earliest cave wall paintings, the true picturebook harks back to a mere 130 years ago, when artist and illustrator Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) first began to elevate the image into a storytelling vehicle rather than mere decoration for text. Maurice Sendak , widely regarded as the greatest author of visual literature (though he refuses to identify as a "children's author"), once wrote of Caldecott's "rhythmic syncopation" and its legacy:

"Caldecott's work heralds the beginning of the modern picture book. He devised an ingenious juxtaposition of picture and word, a counter pint that never happened before. Words are left out -- but the picture says it. Pictures are left out -- but the words say it. In short, it is the invention of the picture book."

Even early on, tensions between the creative vision and marketability of picturebooks captured the same friction between artist-storyteller and publisher that continues to plague children's -- if not all -- publishing. Walter Crane (1845-1915), another Victorian-era picturebook innovator, famously grumbled about printer-publisher Edmund Evans ' approach to publishing:

"...but it was not without protest from the publishers who thought the raw, coarse colours and vulgar designs usually current appealed to a larger public, and therefore paid better..."

(Evans, per Crane's remark, seemed to have taken on the role of a " circulation manager " of books, and with that came the same perception of compromised editorial integrity we've previously seen in the context of newspapers .)

But the picturebook didn't fully blossom until the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, when new developments in printing technology, changing attitudes towards childhood, and a new class of exceptional artists catapulted it into a golden age. The first three decades of the twentieth century germinated such timeless classics as Curious George and the Babar stories . But as war consumed Europe, resources dwindled and the paper shortages of the post-war era placed new demands for keeping publishing costs low. Yet despite, or perhaps because of, the austerity of the time, there was a profound longing for color as escapism, which reined in the neo-romantic movement.

Then, in the 1950s, a peculiar cultural shift began to take place -- the line between artist and author started to blur, and a crop of famous graphic designers set out to write and illustrate picturebooks as a way of exploring visual thinking . (Just this week, one of the most celebrated such gems, the only children's book by the great Saul Bass, resurfaced to everyone's delight .) Among the highlights of this new frontier was a series of children's picturebooks by legendary graphic designer -- and, paradoxically, notorious curmudgeon -- Paul Rand .

He and his then-wife, Ann, produced Sparkle and Spin (1957), Little 1 (1962), and Listen! Listen! (1970), all an exercise in demonstrating "a playful but sophisticated understanding of the relationship between words and pictures, shapes, sounds, and thoughts." (It was in the same period that Italian novelist and philosopher Umberto Eco introduced young readers to semiotics , the study of signs and symbols.)

But many of these pioneering picturebook storytellers, just like Sendak does to this day, had an aversion to identifying as "children's book" authors. Salisbury and Styles write:

"Of course, many of the best picturebook artists would not describe themselves exclusively as such. André François was born in Hungary, in an area that became part of Romania after World War I. But it was as a French citizen that he spent his working life as a graphic artist, spanning visual satire, advertising and poster design, theater set design, sculpture, and book illustration. François's work exhibited a childlike awkwardness that belied a highly sophisticated, biting eye."

(Sound familiar ?)

In the 1960s, as a generation of British artists emerged from art school, picturebooks entered a new era of vibrant paint and color, with many artists combining book illustration and painting to make a living. (Including, as we've seen , Andy Warhol.) It was in that era that some of the most influential picturebooks were born, including Maurice Sendak's most beloved work and Miroslav Šašek's timeless This Is... series.

(Don't miss Šašek's lesser-known 1961 gem, Stone Is Not Cold , in which he brings to life famous sculptures from London, Rome and the Vatican City in irreverent vignettes from everyday life.)

"Maurice Sendak may be the greatest illustrator for children of all time and was certainly one of the earliest to make an impact on educators and scholars, as well as on children, parents, and the artistic community. Where The Wild Things Are (Harper & Row, 1963) was no Sendak's first picturebook, but it was the first one to make a huge impression on children and adults alike. Interestingly, it caused a furore when it was published, with many critics anxious that it would be too terrifying for children."

(You might recall Vladimir Radunsky, above, from his fantastic illustrations for Mark Twain's Advice for Little Girls .)

But the book's most fascinating feat is its discussion of the socially constructed and increasingly fluid criteria for what is suitable for children, with complex themes like violence, sex, death and grief, and human rights violations turning picturebooks into a powerful crossover storytelling medium for all ages. Even some of the most beloved storytelling of all time, like The Brothers Grimm fairy tales and Arabian Nights , was aimed at children but often featured dark, even savage, themes, and picturebooks have a documented history of radical politics .

Paradoxically -- and disappointingly to those of us who celebrate the cross-pollination of genres, ideas, and narratives -- traditional booksellers and the marketing departments of major publishers have remained oddly stringent about how picturebooks are labeled and sold, confining them strictly to children's literature. (For an example of just how short that sells them, see Blexbolex's fantastic, layered, remarkably thoughtful People , as delightful to kids as it is thought-provoking to adults -- yet it remains shelved in the children's section at the Big Corporate Bookstore.)

The CJ Picture Book Festival in South Korea seems to get this crossover evolution, stating in its manifesto:

"Picture books, in the present era, enjoy a status as a culture form to be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is a precious and versatile art that has already left the confines of paper behind, shattering the boundaries of its own genre and fusing with various other forms of art and imagery."

The unique developmental capacities of children, Salisbury and Styles point out, also shape the stylistic suitability of visual texts, presenting their own set of paradoxes and challenges:

"Many publishers and commentators express views about the suitability or otherwise of artworks for children, yet there is no definitive research that can tell us what kind of imagery is most appealing or communicative to the young eye. The perceived wisdom is that bright, primary colors are most effective for the very young. The difficulty is that children of traditional picturebook age tend not to have the language skills to express in words what they are receiving from an image. They can also be suggestible and prone to saying what they imagine adults want to hear. So, even with the best designed research projects, the world that children are experiencing will inevitably remain something of a mystery to us."

So where is this ever-evolving medium headed? Salisbury and Styles cite gaming developer turned children's book illustrator Jon Skuse, who articulates both the tragedy and infinite potential of today's children's ebooks beautifully:

"The eBook isn't about winning or losing. It's about an 'exploration,' and experience, rather like a pop-up book. What many publishers are doing wrong at the moment is just copying printed picturebooks on to this format, which does both media a disservice. It's just like looking at a PDF. Children will simply flick through. A printed picturebook is a particular kind of physical experience that can be savored and revisited. The eBook needs to exploit its own particular characteristics and strengths to evolve as similarly special but distinct experience."

The authors conclude with a metaphor for the future of picturebooks borrowed from Lane Smith's fantastic It's a Book :

Perhaps the last word (or, rather, the last word and picture) should go to that modern master of the idiom, Lane Smith. In his new picturebook, It's a Book (Roaring Book Press, 2010), Smith's ape tries to explain to Jackass that the thing he is holding is called a book. Among the stream of questions asked by Jackass are: 'HOw do you scroll down?', 'Does it need a password?', 'Can you tweet?' and 'Can you make the characters fight?'. When Jackass eventually gets the hang of this strange object, ape is forced to enquire 'Are you going to give my book back?'. 'No,' replies Jackass."

As fascinating and rich as Children's Picturebooks is, it suffers one conspicuous contradiction -- with its concern with the format and future of the book, and its multitude of references to other books and historical materials, a kind of baked-in framework for truly networked knowledge , it would have, and should have, easily lent itself to the digital medium, where each of the dozens of books mentioned would be linked and explorable in rich media. Still, it remains a rigorously researched and compellingly curated survey of a tremendously important storytelling medium, one that equips young minds with a fundamental understanding not only of the world but also of its visual language.

This post appears courtesy of Brain Pickings , an Atlantic partner site .

Image credits: Laurence King Publishers

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What Is a Picture Book?

New versions are expanding the children's genre

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A picture book is a book, typically for children, in which the illustrations are as important as—or more important than—the words in telling the story. Picture books have traditionally been 32 pages long, although Little Golden Books are 24 pages. In picture books, there are illustrations on every page or on one page of every pair of facing pages.

While most picture books still are written for younger children, a number of excellent picture books for upper elementary and middle school readers have been published. The definition of "children's picture book" and the categories of picture books have also enlarged.

Impact of Author and Illustrator Brian Selznick

The definition of children's picture books was greatly expanded when Brian Selznick won the 2008 Caldecott Medal for picture book illustration for his book " The Invention of Hugo Cabret ." The 525-page middle-grade novel told the story not only in words but in a series of sequential illustrations. All told, the book contains more than 280 pictures interspersed throughout the book in sequences of multiple pages.

Since then, Selznick has written two more highly regarded middle-grade picture books. " Wonderstruck ," which also combines pictures with text,   was published in 2011 and became a New York Times bestseller. " The Marvels ,"  published in 2015, contains two stories set 50 years apart that come together at the end of the book. One of the stories is told entirely in pictures. Alternating with this story is another told entirely in words. 

Common Categories of Children's Picture Books

Picture Book Biographies:  The picture book format has proved effective for biographies, serving as an introduction to the lives of a variety of accomplished men and women. Picture book biographies such as "Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell," by Tanya Lee Stone with illustrations by Marjorie Priceman and " The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos ," by Deborah Heiligman with illustrations by LeUyen Pham, appeal to children in grades one to three.

Many more picture book biographies appeal to upper elementary school kids, while still others appeal to both upper elementary and middle school kids. Recommended picture book biographies include " A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin ," written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet, and " The Librarian of Basra: A True Story of Iraq ," written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter .

Wordless Picture Books: Picture books that tell the story completely through illustrations, with no words at all or a very few embedded in the artwork, are known as wordless picture books. One of the most stunning examples is " The Lion and the Mouse ," an Aesop's fable retold in illustrations by Jerry Pinkney , who received the 2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal for picture book illustration for his book. Another wonderful example that is often used in middle school writing classes as a writing prompt is " A Day, a Dog " by Gabrielle Vincent.

Classic Picture Books:  When you see lists of recommended picture books, you'll often see a separate category of books titled Classic Children's Picture Books. Typically, a classic is a book that has remained popular and accessible for more than one generation. A few of the best-known and best-loved English language picture books include " Harold and the Purple Crayon ," written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson , " The Little House " and " Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel ," both written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton, and " Goodnight Moon " by Margaret Wise Brown, with illustrations by Clement Hurd.

Sharing Picture Books With Your Child

It's recommended to begin sharing picture books with your children when they are babies and continue as they get older. Learning to "read pictures" is an important literacy skill, and picture books can play an important part in the process of developing visual literacy. 

• Best Children's Picture Books About Winter and Snow
• 'Oliver Button Is a Sissy' by Tomie dePaola
• About "Are You My Mother?" by P.D. Eastman
• First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
• Children's Picture Books About Cars, Trucks, and Diggers
• The Artistry and Influence of Maurice Sendak
• 11 Best Children's Picture Books About Gardens and Gardening
• 15 Best Children's Picture Books About Starting School
• Two Voice Poems for Kids, The Best Poetry Books
• 'Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons:' A Children's Picture Book
• Julia Donaldson's 'The Gruffalo' Picture Book Review
• The Kissing Hand Book Review
• The Librarian of Basra: A True Story From Iraq
• The Best Editions of The Hobbit for Young People
• Top Children's Picture Books About the Death of a Pet
• The 6 Best Magazines for Toddlers

Children's Literature: Picture Books

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Picture Books are books in which the pictures are as important as the text or only consist of picture which when put together tell the story.  This is a genre based on a physical format, so it can contain titles from many of the other genres.  It includes picture books, illustrated storybooks, wordless storybooks, concept books, and informational books.  In picture books , both text and illustration are fused together, to provide more than either can do alone (the whole is greater than the sum of the parts).  Illustrated story books   are different from picture books in that the text can stand alone and the illustrations are secondary to the text, yet complements the text. These books are generally up to 48 pages in length.

Frequently Found Elements

•The story depends upon the pictures.

•Wordless picture books contain few or no words as the pictures tell the story

Author to Explore

Paullette Bourgeois   ♦Eric Carle   ♦Julie Lawson    ♦Jeanne Baker     ♦Chris van Allsburg              ♦Aaron Becker  ♦Arthur Geisert   ♦Barbara Lehman

Examples in the Library

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Children's Literature: Picture Books

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What Is a Picture Book?

Picture books are generally written and illustrated for young children who are not ready for chapter books, but they don't have to be.  Most picture books are paired with a narrative story or simple concept words, though some are wordless as well.

The video below, created by author Katie Davis , has quotes from authors and illustrators answering the very important question "What Is a Picture Book?"

Resources for Finding Picture Books

• Barnes & Noble Picture Book Favorites List of picture books from Barnes & Noble
• Goodreads Classic Picture Books List of picture books
• Goodreads Concept Picture Books List of books that introduce concepts through picture books
• Children's Picture Book Database

More Picture Books

Classic Picture Books @ the MCC Library

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Children's literature.

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"The phrase "picture book" is commonly used to describe a book, most often written for children, in which the content is conveyed through the use of words and pictures in combination or through pictures alone . A picture book differs from an illustrated book in that the pictures it contains form an essential part of the structure of the book. Due to physical factors in the bookbinding process, picture books are conventionally 32 pages long." - Enoch Pratt Free Library

Explore the Picturing Books Picture Book Timeline !  

Look through examples of noteworthy picture books and their creators from the 1700s to the twenty-first century. 

Before 1800 - Before 1900 - 1900s - 1910s

1920s - 1930s - 1940s - 1950s  

1960s - 1970s - 1980s - 1990s - 2000s

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Books about Picture Books

Picture Books for Older Readers

• The Multidimensionality of Children's Picture Books for Upper Grades "Picture books are multifaceted and can enhance motivation in the learning process and can be used to integrate aspects of multiple curricula for intermediate and secondary students. In the hands of educators, picture books serve a much greater function than aesthetic reading; they can be a vehicle for the construction of knowledge and for solidifying concepts in a learning environment for older students."
• Picture Books For Older Readers - Lethbridge Public Library The books on this list are great for reading together with the teens or preteens in your family, or for use in a classroom setting. They cover folktales, historical figures and social issues – not to mention silly poems and stories that are just plain fun!

The Caldecott Award

"The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children."

- Association for Library Service to Children

• The Randolph Caldecott Medal Explanation from the Association for Library Services to Children on how the Caldecott Medal came to be.
• Caldecott Medal Books @ WSU These Caldecott Award and Honor books are available in the Wayne State University Library System.
• January 2016 Subject of the Month - The Caldecott Medal A celebration and exploration of the Caldecott Medal through artwork, books, videos, timelines, and more.

Searching for Picture Books

• NoveList K-8 Plus Find just the right book by subject, age level, awards won, Lexile Reading levels, Common Core standards; even books made into movies, and much more.
• Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University A collection of picture book abstracts searchable by topics, concepts, and skills for building content area reading across all academic subjects. The collection contains abstracts of over 5700 picture books for children, preschool to grade three.
• Pratt Free Library Guide to Picture Books A guide to understanding and selecting picture books from the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland.

Pop-Up Books: Spotlight on Robert Sabuda

• Robert Sabuda - Official Website Robert Sabuda, from the small Michigan town of Pinckney, says "...slowly I discovered that I was a children’s book illustrator. I began to write my own stories and illustrate those as well. Picture books were wonderful but I always hoped that one day I could create a pop-up book, too. So I pulled out my old pop-up books and taught myself how to make even better ones as a grown up!"

Wordless Picture Books

• Exploring Wordless Picture Books "Wordless picturebooks may be better defined by what they do contain – visually rendered narratives – rather than what they do not contain. This column challenges traditional ways of looking at wordless picturebooks and offers a few approaches for integrating wordless picturebooks into a wider range of classrooms, preschool through middle school."
• Engaging social imagination: The developmental work of wordless book reading "Is children’s use of social imagination visible in wordless book reading, and if so, what does it look like and how might it give us a more detailed in-process view of the reader–text transaction? Results suggest that the use of social imagination is observable in wordless book reading and that it is an integral part of the comprehension of stories."
• Reading Rockets Booklist "Sharing wordless books is a terrific way to build important literacy skills, including listening skills, vocabulary, comprehension and an increased awareness of how stories are structured. And children love them — they can really pore over the pictures and create their own story in their own words. Wordless books can also be used in ELL classrooms and with struggling readers. Explore these books with the young kids you know — and get ready for some creative storytelling!"
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Writing Children’s Literature: Picture Books

Course details.

• Location: Online
• Duration: 9 weeks
• Times: Evenings

Next Start Date:

April 2, 2025

About this Course

There is special magic in picture books. These works touch both the child experiencing story and the reader who shares it with them. Picture books are an art that’s designed to be read aloud — essentially, to be performed. 

A picture book may be short, but it’s one of the most complicated formats to create, using a limited number of words and artfully blending text and illustration. In this course, we’ll explore this form through fiction and nonfiction work of all kinds. You’ll learn about myths and misconceptions, examine the structure of story, and discover how to keep your audience delighted through many repeated readings.

Designed For

Those interested in writing picture books for children. (No illustration ability required.)

See Requirements

Requirements

Admission requirements.

This is an introductory course and no previous experience is required. Anyone is encouraged to enroll. 

Time Commitment

Including time in class, you should expect to spend about seven to nine hours each week on coursework.

English Proficiency

If English is not your native language, you should have advanced English skills to enroll. To see if you qualify, make sure you are at the C1 level on the CEFR self-assessment grid . To learn more, see English Language Proficiency Requirements – Noncredit Programs .

International Students

International students are welcome to enroll in an online offering of this course, which doesn’t require a visa. To enroll in a classroom offering, you must have a visa that permits study in the United States. This course does not enable students to obtain or maintain F-1 visa status. For more information, see Admission Requirements for International Students.

Technology Requirements

• Access to a computer with a recent operating system and web browser
• High-speed internet connection
• Headset and webcam (recommended)

Completing the Course

To successfully complete this course, you must fulfill the requirements outlined by your instructor.

What You’ll Learn

• Elements of craft critical to the creation of a picture book
• Techniques to discover and develop story ideas
• Dummy creation for picture book drafts
• Methods for revising your work
• Ways to shape and strengthen your narrative voice

Get Hands-On Experience

You’ll develop a draft of a picture book.

OUR ENROLLMENT COACHES ARE HERE TO HELP

Connect with an enrollment coach to learn more about this offering. Or if you need help finding the right certificate, specialization or course for you, reach out to explore your options .

Learning Format

Online With Real-Time Meetings

Combine the convenience of online learning with the immediacy of real-time interaction. You’ll stream courses online and interact with your instructors and fellow students via video conferencing or chat, both in real time. Learn More »

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Picture Books Database

• Picture Book Database This link opens in a new window Combines data from many online and print sources, picture books, publisher, author, and illustrator websites, to catalog picture books by author/illustrator, subjects, artistic styles, characters, genres, age ranges, etc.

Picture Books Database Search Screen

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10 Of The Best New Children’s Books Out April 2024

Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury grew up in a house so crammed with books she couldn’t open a closet door without a book stack tumbling, and she’s brought that same decorative energy to her adult life. Margaret has an MA in English with a concentration in writing and has worked as a bookseller and adjunct English professor. She’s currently a freelance writer and editor, and in addition to Book Riot, her pieces have appeared in School Library Journal, BuzzFeed News, The Lily, Parents, StarTrek.com, and more. She particularly loves children’s books, fantasy, science fiction, horror, graphic novels, and any books with disabled characters. You can read more about her bookish and parenting shenanigans in Book Riot’s twice-weekly The Kids Are All Right newsletter. You can also follow her kidlit bookstagram account @BabyLibrarians , or on Twitter @AReaderlyMom .

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

This month has many returning favorite picture book creators: Sophie Blackall, Dan Santat, Gabi Snyder, Samantha Cotterill, and more. Myths and folklore are explored in many of April’s children’s book releases regardless of age group, as are music and the power of imagination. I had such a hard time narrowing down picture books that I actually read my top ten picks with my six-year-old daughter and had her help me narrow it down to five for this list.

April’s middle grade releases were just as challenging to narrow down, but alas, my daughter could not help me there (yet). In middle grade, I include a fantasy graphic novel, an excellent middle grade history, a phenomenal novel-in-verse about puberty for boys, and more.

I hope you find some books you want to read on this list of April children’s book releases.

April Children’s Book Releases: Picture Books

Ahoy! by Sophie Blackall (April 2; Anne Schwartz Books)

Sophie Blackall is a beloved children’s book author and illustrator, but her newest picture book— Ahoy! —is my six-year-old’s favorite. We read it back-to-back four times in a row when it arrived, with lots of laughter each time! It’s a funny, endearing celebration of children’s imaginations told entirely through dialog. A parent tries to vacuum the living room rug while the child sets up odds and ends around the house into a pretend-play boat. The child reels in the parent, and the two—as well as their cat—spend a thrilling day on the seas escaping squids and sharks. When another parent arrives, they join in on the fun. Blackall pairs her delightful story with equally delightful illustrations. I especially love the genderless characters.

Piper Chen Sings by Phillipa Soo, Maris Pasquale Doran, & Qin Leng (April 2; Random House Studio)

I’m not always super keen on celebrity-authored children’s books, but this sweet intergenerational picture book co-written by Hamilton star Phillipa Soo (Eliza) and her sister-in-law Maris Pasquale Doran is an exception. It’s a lovely and relatable story about a young singer finding confidence after speaking with her grandmother. Piper loves to sing and sings everywhere she goes. She’s initially thrilled when her school’s music teacher asks her to sing a solo at a school performance. However, suddenly signing doesn’t feel the same. It makes her tummy feel funny, and her voice comes out as a whisper. Singing isn’t fun anymore. At home, she sits with Nǎi Nai at the piano bench, and her grandmother tells her all the times she’s felt these butterflies, húdié, in her stomach—at her first piano recital, when she graduated from music school, when she left China to live in America, and more. She realized the húdié were telling her that something exciting was happening, and she learned to welcome them instead of dreading them. Young Piper does the same at her first solo performance. Leng’s illustrations are soft and gentle.

Roar-Choo! by Charlotte Cheng & Dan Santat (April 9; Rocky Pond Books)

This hilarious picture book inspired by Chinese mythology depicts a dragon with a cold being ornery with a phoenix. After Dragon sneezes, sending out a dangerous pillar of flame, Phoenix tries to get Dragon to relax. Dragon, however, is determined to show off everything they can do, from diving to soaring and, of course, roaring. When Phoenix begins sneezing as well, Dragon calms down, and they both rest. An author’s note at the end describes how the dragon and phoenix are traditionally portrayed in Chinese Mythology. As always, Santat’s illustrations are phenomenal. Santat also has another picture book releasing this month, Built to Last by Minh Lê, which I haven’t read yet, but I’m so looking forward to it!

You’re SO Amazing! by James Catchpole, Lucy Catchpole, & Karen George (April 16; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

I adored James Catchpole’s first picture book, What Happened to You? and I love his newest—a follow-up featuring the same characters co-written by his wife, Lucy Catchpole—just as much. Joe and his friend Simone are having fun playing on the playground when someone shouts, “You’re amazing!” to Joe. Joe gets this a lot. Joe is disabled, and apparently, that means everything he does is amazing, whether it’s trying to play with friends, eating ice cream, or even scratching his bottom. Strangers just won’t stop commenting on how great he is. This makes Joe feel uncomfortable and confused. He wants his amazing friend Simone to be acknowledged, too, and really just wants to be left alone to play with his friends. Thankfully, he has friends who treat him like a normal human being. Back matter includes a note to adults about why disabled kids want to be treated like normal kids. The Catchpoles are well-known in the disabled community, and I love how their picture books push back against stereotypes. This is a must-read for kids and their adults!

Look by Gabi Snyder & Samantha Cotterill (April 16; Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books)

Snyder and Cotterill are more of my favorite children’s book creators, and their latest is a stunning picture book about finding patterns. A child and pregnant parent go on a walk in their new town. Along the way, the child notices patterns everywhere: tall and short dogs being walked in a row, shapes at a farmer’s market stand, colorful flowers, and more. The child draws the patterns in a sketchbook. Noticing the patterns helps the child feel less overwhelmed. Snyder’s lyrical text is imaginative and engaging, while Cotterill’s constructed diorama illustrations are gorgeous and evocative. Kids can spend a long time noticing patterns when they read this! Back matter includes a discussion of pattern types and pattern activities.

March Children’s Book Releases: Early Readers

Batcat: Sink or Swim by Meggie Ramm (April 16; Abrams Fanfare)

The adorable Batcat returns in this fantastic standalone follow-up to the early reader graphic novel Batcat . I’m so glad this is a series. Batcat and Al the Ghost are now friendly roommates, but sometimes Batcat needs some alone time. So Batcat decides to go to the beach alone for a little quiet reading and snacking. Unfortunately, the beach is packed with wailing mermaids. Their tails have been drained of color, and when they spy Batcat, they enlist their help by enticing Batcat with fish taco treats. Unfortunately, Batcat hates the water, making solving this magical mystery difficult. Back matter includes instructions on how to draw Batcat, Al, and emanata, as well as nonbinary facts. This second book is just as entertaining as the first.

March Children’s Book Releases: Middle Grade

Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Monster and the Maze by Maple Lam (April 2; G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers)

This is such a fun middle grade graphic novel combining Chinese and Greek mythology. It stars the Monkey King—Sun Wukong—on his quest to become a god. Everyone tends to get a bit annoyed with Sun Wukong’s endless energy and silly antics. When he visits the human world, he meets the God Venus and decides to sneak into the world of the gods. He wants to become a god, too, but as a beast, he’s not allowed into the world of the gods. After causing a lot of mischief among the gods, God Venus makes him a deal. To earn his godship, he must defeat monsters plaguing the human world. First stop: Crete and the legend of the Minotaur. Young mythology lovers will adore this funny, action-packed, and playful spin on the classic tales. The illustrations are so cute and fun.

Ultraviolet by Aida Salazar (April 2; Scholastic)

This lyrical middle grade novel-in-verse tackles much-needed topics for middle school boys: toxic masculinity, puberty, consent, and first relationships. Eighth-grader Elio, who is Indigenous Mexican American, has his first crush on Camellia. All his friends are hooking up, too, and thankfully Camellia is interested in him as well, and the two begin dating. Elio’s body is going through a lot of changes, and he doesn’t know what to think of it all. Camellia’s is, too, and Elio struggles with how to react to her changes as well. When Camellia breaks up with him, Elio says some bad things he later regrets. Meanwhile, his dad is also working out how to confront his toxic masculinity. Salazar does a great job combining humor and realism. It also includes older queer characters, which is nice to see in a novel about puberty for boys.

Made in Asian America: A History for Young People by Erika Lee & Christina Soontornvat (April 30; Quill Tree Books)

This phenomenal middle grade nonfiction centering Asian Americans fills many gaps in history textbooks. It’s adapted from Erika Lee’s adult nonfiction book The Making of Asian America . Lee and Soontornvat use engaging individual narratives, accessible language, and many photographs to create this much-needed, personal look into Asian American history. It covers a broad swath of history, from the 13th-century problematic interest in the “Orient” to the 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act and much, much more. The authors also explore broad topics like the model minority stereotype. It’s a fascinating and essential history.

Benny Ramírez and the Nearly Departed by José Pablo Iriarte (April 30; Knopf Books for Young Readers)

This is a funny, whimsical ghost story about a young boy haunted by his abeulo’s ghost. When Benny’s grandfather dies of a heart attack, the family inherits his Miami home. So they move from Los Angeles to Miami, and all three siblings are enrolled in the South Miami Performing Arts School. But there’s only one problem—unlike the rest of his family, Benny has no musical skills. Well, there’s a second problem, too: Benny can see his grandfather’s ghost, though no one else can. To make his way to heaven, Benny’s abuelo decides he needs to teach Benny how to play the trumpet like a pro and become the most popular kid at his new school. Abuelo’s advice never goes as planned, however. This is such a sweet and heartwarming read.

If you’re looking for more new children’s book releases beyond this list of April children’s book releases, check out my list of March children’s book releases , February children’s book releases , and January new children’s book releases .

You can find a full list of new releases in the magical New Release Index , carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date.

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China’s Picture Book Market Has Exploded, but Is It Fun for Children?

In lieu of advocating joy, beijing embraces youth literature as a way to teach ideal citizenship.

When the writer Xue Xinran returns to her native Beijing from London, she heads straight to the Xidan bookstore and navigates her way to the children’s section. She is never disappointed by what she finds: There are rows of popular classics from the West like “Peter Rabbit,” spinoffs from films such as “Frozen,” Japanese anime titles and, of course, Chinese titles.

It wasn’t always like this. The bestselling writer and former radio host vividly remembers the day the Red Guards visited her childhood home. She was just 8 years old when the Cultural Revolution began in 1966, and it marked her for life.

“They burnt all my books,” she told New Lines over the phone. “It was a big, big fire.” Her grandmother could read German and so, unlike most children of that generation in China, who had few or no books for their age, Xinran grew up with a selection of both Chinese and international literature. Among the toys and furniture that the Red Guards threw onto the bonfire, it was the books and her book bag that stung the most.

Xinran, who moved to the U.K. in the late 1990s and has written novels and nonfiction, has spent the decades since trying to satiate her love of children’s books, to fill a cavity she feels was created during the decade of madness, as the Cultural Revolution is often called by people within China. At college, she would read children’s books for pleasure. “I missed my childhood. I missed my parents,” she said. After she had her own child, in 1988, she read to him constantly.

Over the past few decades, the children’s book market in China has undergone its own revolution and become one of the most lucrative in the world. Children’s books are no longer seen as seditious material. Instead, they’re celebrated: With a population of 247 million under the age of 14 — a number boosted by the relaxation of the one-child policy in 2016 — the market accounts for the largest and fastest-growing share of the country’s entire book marketplace, according to figures released by the Shanghai Children’s Book Fair last year.

While there are thousands of international titles translated into Mandarin, China’s domestic market of picture books is also blossoming. Traditional Chinese values such as education — both as an aim in and of itself, and as a vehicle to mold model citizens — permeate throughout.

I spoke to several parents, alongside a handful of teenagers, the majority of whom still live in China. All gave me similar observations — that growing up reading was less about pleasure and more about learning, and that this still applies to a large extent today. The writer Shen Nian, a mother to twins aged 11, said that when they were little she read lots of foreign picture books to them. The Chinese stories she read were mostly historical and focused on educating readers, and most of them were simple and didn’t take into account children’s personalities and feelings.

“The current selection is much better thematically than before,” she told New Lines , “but it still focuses on mainstreaming some values ​​rather than considering a broader perspective.”

Zheng Xiaolu, a novelist and creative writing teacher based in Hunan in southern China, told me that he reads to his nearly 2-year-old daughter often, in part to teach her some basic English. Later, when she grows older, he intends to read her a mix of classical Chinese poetry and books in English, to give her a leg up in life.

The pressure for books to educate rather than entertain is reflected in the literature itself: Last October, the picture book “First Man” was published to much fanfare. The content is based on astronaut Yang Liwei’s autobiography, “Long March to Space,” which marks the 20th anniversary of the country’s first manned space travel and which has been included among the country’s middle school textbooks since 2021. The book’s images are vivid and crisp, and young readers are given a politically sound lesson about celebrating and serving your country.

Children’s books also aim to teach them how to become model citizens. In 2015 the Socialist Core Values series became compulsory reading in regional kindergartens. Its editor Zhu Jiaxiong has said that it infused early childhood education with traditional cultural heritage. The series explored values across three dimensions: the national (featuring themes of prosperity, democracy, civility and harmony); the societal (dealing with freedom, equality, justice and the rule of law); and citizens (extolling patriotism, dedication, integrity and friendship).

One book in the series is “Kongrong Shares Pears,” which comes from the well-known neo-Confucian childhood story “The Three Character Classic.” The story is about a conflict among three brothers on how to share pears of unequal sizes. The message? Only when children learn modesty and how to share can everyone live happily in a harmonious society. Another in the series, “Yuefei Serves the Country With Loyalty,” depicts a man torn between his patriotic role to defend his country from an invading force and his filial duty to look after his aging mother.

Outside the series, popular books over the past few decades have centered on some of the challenges of the day. Take Cao Wenxuan’s “A New Year’s Reunion,” which was awarded the Best Children’s Picture Book at the first Feng Zikai Chinese Children’s Picture Book Awards in 2009 and remains a bestseller. It features Maomao, a young girl whose father has left her behind to live away for work, and their heartfelt reunion. The book catered to the large population of left-behind children whose parents had migrated, often to the cities. In the story, Maomao is not a victim. Rather she’s powerful and, crucially, resilient. Through her, children learn about the necessity of hardship.

Of course, children’s literature around the world is not immune to political and social movements. There are plenty of titles in the West that aim to educate children under 5 about Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for freedom or the climate crisis. But a 2017 study by academics at the University of California found that storybooks from China stressed learning values twice as frequently as books from the U.S. and Mexico, which placed their emphasis on happiness.

“[In China] there is not a strong sense of altruistic reading,” said Jo Lusby, the former managing director of Penguin Random House North Asia, adding that “Parents want their children to gain knowledge or perspective through their reading.”

Perhaps this desire for learning outcomes is rooted in the education system itself, on which China has always placed a huge premium. At the heart of the academic system is the gaokao, China’s college entrance exam, which dates back to 1952 and is often touted as the hardest exam in the world. It has been widely criticized for putting impossible pressures on students. A person’s career and even marriage prospects can be decided by their three-digit gaokao score.

The gaokao was put on hold during the Cultural Revolution and later reinstated when the combination of an exploding population and competition for a finite number of higher educational spots became fierce from the turn of the century through the following two decades. Pressure to perform in the gaokao has been piled onto kids — even as young as preschool — and China’s picture books have gone along with the trend. Vikki Zhang, one of the most esteemed illustrators of children’s books from China today, has battled this from the perspective of an illustrator. She told New Lines that early on in her career, when freelancing for an early education company, she was up against a prevailing notion of picture books as education.

“The pure joy of humor or a lighthearted story was considered secondary,” she said.

Unlike elsewhere in the world, China was late to the picture book market. In 1693, the English philosopher John Locke said that the ideal children’s book was “easy, pleasant … and suited to [the child’s] capacity.” These words in “Some Thoughts Concerning Education,” Locke’s revolutionary book, are seen as laying the groundwork for modern-day children’s literature. Locke warned against scolding or lecturing children in books and instead recommended making reading enjoyable.

“The entertainment that [the child] finds might draw him on, and reward his pains in reading,” wrote Locke. For him there were two vital ingredients, brevity and illustrations.

Locke’s theory inspired people across the publishing world, in particular John Newbery, who went on to establish the first commercial market for children’s books in the West. Aimed at the growing ranks of aspirational middle-class English parents, the trim paperbacks sold well and were soon being imitated in North America. In Japan, a similar trade in “akahon” — “red-bound” picture books for young readers — sprung up in the city of Edo. A clear pattern emerged, one that would come to define children’s first books: the recognition of a link between literacy and social advancement, and of illustrated children’s books’ role in it.

Soaring literacy rates and advances in printing technology increased the demand for children’s books throughout the 19th century, and narrative artists started to make it their career, including the English writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter, who went on to pen “Peter Rabbit” and some of the most successful and enduring stories to date.

In the 1960s, children’s books moved away from traditional stories about idealized, morally innocent children and animals toward tales with more complex characters, such as Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” from 1963. Then, as world markets became closely intertwined from the 1970s onward, picture books blossomed globally, even in areas not previously known for producing them. For countries like Australia, Ghana and Venezuela, the production of these books constituted a milestone in their national coming of age.

Throughout all of this, China appeared largely disengaged. A combination of a no-nonsense educational system, extensive poverty and the political upheaval of the 19th and 20th centuries had done little to foster a robust book market for children under 5. To be sure, the country had its own stories aimed at young children, such as “Monkey King: Return to the West” and “The Three Kingdoms.” It’s just that the books often homed in on fictional characters whose lives mirrored the social expectations of children at the time. So neo-Confucian writers emphasized desired virtues; postimperial books had plots in which children were seen as integral to saving the nation from the burdens of Confucian orthodoxy; and the Maoist period saw children as radical and revolutionary, leading to books about war and class struggle.

China’s “reform and opening up” from the 1980s shook up the terms for creativity. The nation became richer and more aspirational. Borders swung open, ideas filtering in. A new crop of writers, artists and publishers emerged, eager to ensure that the next generation of children enjoyed a more inspiring space than they had themselves. Western-style picture books were seen as one component in that project, which was good news for international publishers, keen to get in on the growing and sizable market.

Despite the enthusiasm, the majority of books coming out of China remained drab, the illustrations lackluster and the messages often focused on morality. This was a frustration for Helen Wang, a translator of books from Chinese to English who worked on arguably the most successful Chinese picture book to date, “Playing with Lanterns,” written by Wang Yage and illustrated by Zhu Chengliang. The book is a heartfelt and tender story celebrating traditions around the Chinese New Year, and the importance of continuing them.

Wang is a mother of two boys, both now in their 20s. When she was looking for books for them when they were little, she struggled. The quality wasn’t high, the content was not quite right, and then there were parents’ attitudes.

“People would say to me: ‘Why do you want to buy picture books anyway? They’re expensive and they’ve only got a few words in them and when you’ve read them once that’s it. So you’ve wasted your money,’” Wang told New Lines .

Wang describes the major turning point as taking place around 2000, when the translation of books into Chinese really took off. By 2015, Chinese publishers had acquired rights to more than 2,000 Western children’s books, as reported in Publisher’s Weekly, including all of the main U.S. prizewinners. “Because they wanted to grow the industry, pretty much any book that had won a prize was translated,” she said.

The relaxation of the one-child policy in 2016 gave the industry another boost. Suddenly a book that might have been read by only one child could be read by multiple children in the same family. Once seen as too pricey, they were deemed better value for money. And the new fertility policy paved the way for new storylines too — about siblings.

But like almost anything generating serious money in China, the picture book market is still frequently swept up in the politics of the day. And this works both ways — certain books get promoted while others get crushed. In 2022, a series of people in Hong Kong were jailed following the publication of picture books about sheep, which the authorities believed hid messages of sedition. Police urged parents to destroy copies of the books or face consequences, and were true to their word — they arrested two people in possession of the books (who were later released on bail).

In August 2022, Chinese authorities punished 27 people over the publication, from 10 years prior, of a mathematics textbook that contained “tragically ugly” illustrations. Following a monthslong investigation by the Ministry of Education, the government concluded that the books, which contained pictures of boys grabbing girls’ skirts and children allegedly sporting tattoos, did not “properly reflect the sunny image of China’s children,” that they could bring about disrepute and even “cultural annihilation” for China, and that they might be the deliberate work of Western infiltrators in the education sector.

The politicization has happened beyond the page too. As has happened elsewhere, China’s picture book market has grown in tandem with video and TV shows, some being spinoffs of books and sometimes the reverse. Perhaps none of them has been more successful than Peppa Pig, which first aired in the U.K. in 2004 and made its China debut in 2015, where it amassed more than 34 billion episode views within two years.

“The pig is a very popular character in China. … It’s the one animal that everyone just adores,” said Wang. As Chinese children hoovered up Peppa merchandise — toys, watches, backpacks, temporary tattoos and books — the pig became a hit in the meme world. Authorities became concerned that Peppa was linked to “subversive” groups and so wanted her scrubbed from the internet. According to the BBC, Douyin, China’s biggest video-sharing platform, took down 30,000 videos, while leading international media reported that Peppa search terms were blocked online. The story was reported widely across credible media. Only it wasn’t quite true. They had missed out a key detail — it was video related to Peppa Pig that was being banned, not Peppa Pig videos themselves, something pointed out by local lifestyle magazine “That’s Beijing” at the time (much to the relief of China-based parents).

“User-generated images were blocked from being shared online as they were considered to be creating an unhealthy twist on a wholesome work of family entertainment, thereby posing a risk to young fans who may not understand the satire. The books and TV streaming and broadcasts were never interrupted, however (and I was still publishing Peppa Pig at the time),” Lusby said.

The pig has endured. The makers even courted China: In 2019, during the Year of the Pig, the Peppa franchise made a film aimed at the Chinese market and the promotional video alone racked up over 1 billion views within its first few weeks.

Just as news quietened around Peppa, official attention turned to another loveable kids’ character — Winnie the Pooh. The bear had caused offense after his portly frame was compared to that of China’s current leader Xi Jinping. To be sure, memes of Pooh bear were and are scrubbed online, but that was quite a distance from the entire franchise being out — as was being reported.

In 2017, Chinese publishers received news from Taobao, the largest e-commerce platform, that it would be halting resales of all books published overseas to “create a safe and secure online shopping environment.” Following the announcement, the China trends site What’s on Weibo investigated and found no evidence of an impact.

“The way things stand now, it seems that it is business as usual for children’s books in China,” wrote the editor, Manya Koetse. Years later, I was keen to know exactly why we got these stories wrong, so I reached out to Koetse. “It just takes a little spark and often it turns into this wildfire of Western media following a certain narrative that suits their own ideas of dystopian China,” she told me.

“The reality is less exciting, but also the reality doesn’t get you as many readers and as many clicks. So of course I do understand that a lot of media outlets have headlines like ‘China’s banning Western children’s books’ but they never did and they won’t because all of these characters are just so, so popular in China.”

Lusby agrees. She said that frequently “a lot of the nuance of government pushes can be lost in international reporting.” She also says that ultimately the Chinese government can’t always control what the people read, something I noted early on when living in China in the late 2000s. I’d often see Jung Chang’s book “Wild Swans,” which was officially banned in the country, sold in central Shanghai book markets.

“With a lot of these campaigns on certain areas of consumption in China, the announcement is the only lever, meaning that the government may be encouraging people to not read so much international children’s writing, but the reality is that people want what they want,” Lusby said.

In November last year, after a four-year in-person hiatus, the China Shanghai Children’s Book Fair kicked off. According to Publisher’s Weekly the mood was one of anticipation and “early packed booths inspired optimism.” The trade journal noted several trends, one being the desire to nurture more homegrown talent, another the wish to champion more stories that are unique to China.

Are we finally entering a golden age for Chinese picture books? It’s unlikely. After years of boom, the entire book market in China — both international and domestic — is contracting, and one of the biggest areas hit is the children’s category. Part of this is the COVID effect, the reason the China Shanghai Children’s Book Fair had been on pause. For the first three years of the decade, China’s borders were closed, which strengthened the sense of turning inward that has been promoted under Xi.

China’s current landscape — one of rising unemployment, stagnant wages and increasingly rigid party lines — is also bleak. There’s a fin-de-siecle vibe in the air, and a sense that China’s march through time has stalled. This feeling was compounded by the closure of Jifeng, Shanghai’s beloved liberal bookshop, which shut down in 2018 for political reasons. It’s hardly the atmosphere for a creative renaissance, even if there are some undeniable gains.

But as Xinran attests, even in bleak times the flames of creativity can still be kept alive.

“There are many independent bookstores in the main cities now,” she said. “Deep in the back of some of these bookstores you’ll find banned books hiding there.”

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