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Picture Books

Once upon a time.... may be the oldest trick in the writer's bag, but we still fall for it—especially if it's accompanied by pictures. There's a sense in which all picture books are fairy tales (even the ones that take place in New York City or a log cabin) simply because they're able to transport us in a way words alone can't. We become part of the story viscerally, sensing the subtleties of mood and place and texture.

Not all picture books are created equal, of course. We don't go in for VeggieTales, or Disney, or Sesame Street (etc. etc.), preferring the more classic style (like Caldecott winners) and newer ones that are more artistic (as opposed to merely visual). The only thing a second-rate illustration can do is make you mourn the preeminence of Saturday morning cartoons, whereas a good one has the capacity to take you inside.

We're not trying to be snobs about this, but if we offer our children picture books to read and look at, we want them to be of the highest quality. We want the text to be excellently written, the plot well-crafted, the illustrations rich and vibrant. There's a very real sense in which a child's imagination is formed by the things he or she sees as a small human, and if they only get to look at poor drawings there's a pretty good chance their creative powers will end up severely limited.

If you've encountered the illustrations of Trina Schart Hyman, Robert McCloskey, Maurice Sendak, or Michael Morpurgo, you'll know what we're talking about. Good picture books have a way of showing us things we've always seen or imagined a little differently, tilting the canvas of the familiar to make it seem a little less so, more wild, more mysterious, more real.

Which is precisely why they're such a great way to introduce kids to reading. They don't have to know what the words say to get the gist of the story, yet when they do begin to learn what the words say, it's easier for them to grasp the meaning since they're already familiar with the basic premise. Many kids have learned to read this way, and we suspect many more will do so in the future.

That is, if they have access to quality picture books at a young age. We like them proliferating throughout the house like small landforms, squeezing out of bookcases, turning up beneath the couch and on top of dressers. Just remember—they aren't only for children. In fact, adults often need them more, to connect with their progeny, to recapture a sense of youth, or simply to rest when words stop making sense and only pictures are able to communicate.

When we say "picture book," there are a couple of things we aren't talking about: first, illustrated fiction. A great book, primarily text with illustrations here and there, are not the same as picture books, which focus on the artwork. Second, we don't include here non-fiction. There are lots of excellent science, math, biographical, and other types of picture books—we have plenty—but they are in separate sections (see below).

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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Active Filters: Board Book
1 is One
by Tasha Tudor
from Little Simon
for Nursery-Preschool
1957 Caldecott Honor Book
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.99
A is for Atom
by Greg Paprocki
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A BabyLit Camping Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Alice in Wonderland: A BabyLit Colors Primer
BabyLit
by Alison Oliver, Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
All Aboard! Pacific Northwest
All Aboard!
by Kevin Meyers, Haily Meyers
1st edition from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
All Aboard! Paris
All Aboard!
by Kevin Meyers, Haily Meyers
1st edition from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Anna Karenina: A BabyLit Fashion Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Big Dog... Little Dog
Bright and Early Board Books
by P.D. Eastman
from Random House
for Preschool-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle
from Henry Holt and Company
Word Books/Animal Stories for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.99 $5.00 (4 in stock)
C is for Castle
by Greg Paprocki
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Carrot Seed
by Ruth Krauss & Crockett Johnson
from HarperFestival
Humorous Book on Botany for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault
from Little Simon
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Christmas Carol: A BabyLit Colors Primer
BabyLit
by Alison Oliver, Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Classic Tale of Peter Rabbit (abridged)
by Beatrix Potter, illustrated by Charles Santore
from Applesauce Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
Dracula: A BabyLit Counting Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Each Peach Pear Plum
by Allan & Janet Ahlberg
from Puffin Books
Rhyming Story for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.99
Emma - A BabyLit Emotions Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Eye Book
by Theodore Le Sieg
from Random House
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Fifteen Animals!
by Sandra Boynton
from Workman Publishing
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Fire Truck Board Book
by Peter Sis
from Greenwillow Books
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$6.99
Frankenstein: A BabyLit® Anatomy Primer
by Jennifer Adams
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Freight Train
by Donald Crews
from Greenwillow Books
for Nursery-Kindergarten
1979 Caldecott Honor Book
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Gallop!
by Rufus Butler Seder
from Workman Publishing
for Nursey-2nd grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$16.95
Gone Wild
by David McLimans
from Bloomsbury Publishing
for Nursery-Preschool
2007 Caldecott Honor Book
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Good Night, Gorilla
by Peggy Rathmann
from Penguin Putnam
Picture Only Books for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Goodnight Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown
from HarperFestival
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$10.99
Guess How Much I Love You
by Sam McBratney, illustrations by Anita Jeram
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Guess How Much I Love You
by Sam McBratney, illustrations by Anita Jeram
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.99
Harry the Dirty Dog
by Gene Zion
from HarperCollins
Realistic Animal Stories for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
History Uncovered: The U.S.A.
by Kristine Carlson Asselin
from Kane Miller
for 2nd-5th grade
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$13.00 (1 in stock)
I Went Walking
by Sue Williams
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$6.95
Icky Bug Alphabet Board Book
by Jerry Pallotta
from Charlesbridge
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
J is for Jazz
by Greg Paprocki
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Jabberwocky: A BabyLit Nonsense Primer
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Jamberry
by Bruce Degen
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Jane Eyre: A BabyLit Counting Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
by Nancy White Carlstrom
from Little Simon
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.99
Jesus Rose for Me
Beginner's Gospel Story Book
by Jared Kennedy, Illustrated by Trish Mahoney
from New Growth Press
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Jungle Book: A BabyLit Animals Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
La Oruga Muy Hambrienta
Brdbk from Philomel Books
for Nursery
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Les Miserables - A BabyLit French Primer
by Jennifer Adams
1st edition from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Let's Play!
by Gyo Fujikawa
from Sunny Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Little Bitty Baby Learns Greek
by Johannah Bluedorn
from Trivium Pursuit
for 1st-3rd grade
in Greek Resources (Location: FL-GRE)
$12.00
Little Bitty Baby Learns Hebrew
by Johannah Bluedorn
from Trivium Pursuit
for 1st-3rd grade
in Hebrew (Location: FL-HEB)
Little Blue Truck Leads the Way
by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Little Fur Family
by Margaret Wise Brown
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy/Rhyming Stories for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.99
Little Naturalists: John James Audobon Painted Birds
by Kate Coombs
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Little Naturalists: The Adventures of John Muir
by Kate Coombs
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Little Women: A BabyLit Playtime Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
M is for Monocle
by Greg Paprocki
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Marie
Little People, BIG DREAMS
from Quarto Knows
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Midsummer Night's Dream - A BabyLit Fairies Primer
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Mitten
by Jan Brett
from Penguin Putnam
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Moby Dick: A BabyLit Ocean Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Montessori: Map Work
Brdbk from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for Nursery-1st grade
Montessori: Number Work
Brdbk from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for Nursery-Kindergarten
$10.99
Montessori: Shape Work
Ina Brdbk from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for Nursery-Preschool
Newtonian Physics for Babies
Baby University
by Chris Ferrie
from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Night, Night on the Farm Read-Along Bedtime Stories
by Anna Shuttlewood, illustrator
from Kane Miller
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Odyssey: A BabyLit Monster Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Old Hat New Hat
by Stan & Jan Berenstain
from Random House
for Preschool-1st Grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$5.99
Olivia - Board Book
by Ian Falconer
from Atheneum
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade
2001 Caldecott Honor Book
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Olivia Saves the Circus
by Ian Falconer
from Simon and Schuster
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Olivia's ABC
by Ian Falconer
from Simon and Schuster
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Olivia's Opposites
by Ian Falconer
from Atheneum
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Pajama Time!
by Sandra Boynton
from Workman Publishing
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Pete's a Pizza
by William Steig
from HarperFestival
Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.99
Pride & Prejudice: A BabyLit Counting Primer
BabyLit
by Alison Oliver, Jennifer Adams
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
R is for Railway
by Greg Paprocki
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Reptiles at Your Fingertips
by Judy Nayer, illustrated by Grace Goldberg
from McClanahan Book Company
for Preschool-1st grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Romeo & Juliet: A BabyLit Counting Primer
by Jennifer Adams & Alison Oliver
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99 $6.99 (1 in stock)
Romeo & Juliet: A BabyLit Counting Primer
by Jennifer Adams & Alison Oliver
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Runaway Bunny
by Margaret Brown & Clement Hurd
from HarperFestival
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.99
Secret Garden: BabyLit Flowers Primer
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Sense and Sensibility: A BabyLit Opposites Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Sherlock Holmes in the Hound of the Baskervilles: A BabyLit Sounds Primer
BabyLit
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Swing!
by Rufus Butler Seder
from Workman Publishing
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
Ten Little Rabbits
by Virginia Grossman
from Chronicle Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
The Umbrella
by Jan Brett
from Penguin Putnam
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Treasure Island - A BabyLit Shapes Primer
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Usborne Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers about your Body
by Katie Daynes, illustrted by Marie-Eve Tremblay
from Usborne
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Human Anatomy & Physiology (Location: SCI-ANA)
$6.75 (1 in stock)
V is for Vittles
by Greg Paprocki
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$12.99
Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric Carle
from Philomel Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$10.99
We Believe
Baby Believer
by Danielle Hitchen, Illustrated by Jessica Blanchard
from Harvest House
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$14.99
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
from Little Simon
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.99
Welcome
by Words and art by Mo Willems
from Hyperion Press
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A BabyLit® Colors Primer
by Jennifer Adams
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
Wuthering Heights: A BabyLit Weather Primer
BabyLit Books
by Jennifer Adams
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$9.99
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