My Account Wish List Shopping Cart Log In
Store Location

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.
Did you find this review helpful?
Parent Categories
Picture Books
Subcategories by Grade
Subcategories
63 Items found Print
Filter
Active Filters: Saddle-stitched
Abuela
by Arthur Dorros
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Akiak
by Robert J. Blake
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Alfie Gets in First
by Shirley Hughes
Reprint from Trumpet Club
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
All About Light
by Melvin Berger, illustrated by Blanche Sims
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Animals Born Alive and Well
by Ruth Heller
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Baby Sister for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from Scholastic Inc.
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Boy, a Dog and a Frog
by Mercer Mayer
from Puffin Books
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Christopher Columbus
by Piero Ventura
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 2nd-4th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
Christopher Columbus
by Piero Ventura
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 2nd-4th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
David the Shepherd Boy
by Mary Miller, illustrated by Jeremiah Christensen
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Dreams
by Peter Spier
from Trumpet Club
Picture Books for Nursery-Preschool
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Flag for Our Country
by Eve Spencer
from Steck-Vaughn Company
Non-Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$6.00
Flatboats on the Ohio
Adventures in Frontier America
by Catherine E. Chambers
from Troll Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
Frontier Dream
by Catherine E. Chambers
from Troll Associates
for 4th-6th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
Fun Poems & Finger Plays
2nd edition from A Beka Books
for Preschool
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$13.00 (1 in stock)
Gift of the Sacred Dog
by Paul Goble
from Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
God's Miracle –a Raindrop
by Rebecca Newswanger, illustrated by Harold Weaver
from Christian Light Education
for 1st-3rd grade
in Christian Light Reading (Location: REA-CLE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
God's Miracle –a Seed
by Rebecca Newswanger, illustrated by Harold Weaver
from Christian Light Education
for 1st-3rd grade
in Christian Light Reading (Location: REA-CLE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Hansel and Gretel
by Ruth Belov Gross, illustrated by Winslow Pinney Pels
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Happy Day
by Ruth Krauss
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-1st grade
1950 Caldecott Honor Book
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$7.99
If Everybody Did
by Jo Ann Stover
from Bob Jones University Press
Rhyming Books for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Island Boy
by Barbara Cooney
from Trumpet Club
Realistic Fiction for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Johnny Appleseed
by Eva Moore
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything
by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Robert Byrd
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
Log-Cabin Home
Adventures in Frontier America
by Catherine E. Chambers
from Troll Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
Look to the North
by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Lucia Washburn
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Dog Books (Location: SCI-MAMDOG)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Love You Forever
by Robert Munsch
from Firefly Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.95 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Magic Fish
by Freya Littledale
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Man Who Didn't Wash His Dishes
by Phyllis Krasilovsky; illustrated by Barbara Cooney
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Mike Fink
by Steven Kellogg
from HarperCollins
for 1st-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Moses the Meekest Man
by Mary Miller, illustrated by Tabitha Higgins and Linda Shirk
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
North American Indians
by Marie & Douglas Gorsline
from Random House
for 2nd-4th grade
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$3.99 $2.00 (3 in stock)
Octopus' Den
Smithsonian Oceanic Collection
by Deirdre Langeland
from Scholastic Reference
for 2nd-5th grade
in Sharks & Fishes (Location: SCI-FISH)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Once in Blueberry Dell
by Dawn Watkins
from Bob Jones University Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Orange for Frankie
by Patricia Polacco
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Peter the Great
by Diane Stanley
from InquisiCorp Corporation
Biography for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln
by David A. Adler
from Holiday House
Picture Book Biography for Preschool-1st grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln
Picture Book Biography
by David A. Adler
from Trumpet Club
Picture Book Biography for Preschool-1st grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Picture Book of John F. Kennedy
by David A. Adler
from Trumpet Club
Picture Book Biography for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Picture Book of Rosa Parks
by David A. Adler
1st edition from Scholastic Inc.
Picture Book Biography for Preschool-3rd grade
in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
Poetry for Young People: Edgar Allan Poe
Poetry for Young People
by Edgar Allan Poe
from Scholastic Inc.
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Poetry for Young People: Seasons
Poetry for Young People
by John N. Serio
from Scholastic Inc.
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
Poetry for Young People: Walt Whitman
Poetry for Young People
from Scholastic Inc.
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
Pretzel
by Margret Ray, illustrated by H.A. Rey
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Que animal es?
by Sofia Balzola, illustrated by Pablo Barrena
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Richard Scarry's Please & Thank You Book
from Random House
Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.99
Rooster, the Mouse, and the Little Red Hen
by Nova Nestrick (editor), illustrated by Bonnie & Bill Rutherford and Eulalie
from Platt and Munk Publishers
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Ruth a Faithful Daughter-in-Law
by Mary Miller, illustrated by Tabitha Higgins
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Sheep in a Shop
by Nancy Shaw, illustrated by Margot Apple
from Trumpet Club
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Sheep Out to Eat
by Nancy Shaw, illustrated by Margot Apple
from Trumpet Club
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Soldiers of the American Revolution
by James L. Collins, Jr.
from Center of Military History
for 5th-10th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Stone Soup
by Ann McGovern
from Scholastic Inc.
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.99
Story of the Liberty Bell
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Natalie Miller, illustrated by Betsy Warren
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Panama Canal
by R. Conrad Stein
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Gilded Age (1865-1918) (Location: HISA-19GI)
Sun Princess and Her Deliverer
by Irina Zheleznova (translator), illustrated by A. Makunaite
from Progress Publishers
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Texas Roundup
Adventures in Frontier America
by Catherine E. Chambers
from Troll Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Cowboys & Cattlemen (Location: HISA-19CO)
Together
by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Vera Rosenberry
from Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Tortillas
by Margarita Gonzalez-Jensen, illustrated by Rene King Moreno
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
What Will I Be from A to Z
by Donald L. Gelb
from National Dairy Council
for Preschool-1st grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
What's the Big Idea Ben Franklin?
by Jean Fritz
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in New Nation (1783-1800) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$2.00 (3 in stock)
White Deer
by Fainna Solasko (translator), illustrated by Nikolai Kochergin
from Progress Publishers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Who Took the Farmer's Hat?
by Joan L. Nodset, illustrated by Fritz Siebel
Reprint from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Woodrow, the White House Mouse
by Peter W. Barnes & Cheryl Shaw Barnes
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Landmarks & Symbols of the United States (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Sign Up!

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Learn more about our store location and hours

Connect

503.655.1951

hello@exodusbooks.com

19146 Molalla Ave,
Oregon City, OR 97045