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Historical Picture Books

Some of the best illustrations aren't realistic, at least not in the way the Digital Age generation has come to define realism (i.e., as perfect photographic replication). And we're not promoting Modern Art, either: far be if from us to prefer squiggles or big shapeless color patches to depictions of actual landscapes and people. What we are promoting is the exercise of the artist's art and skills, not simply as an imitator, but as a revelator and interpreter of facts.

This emphasis on artistic creativity has largely informed our selection of historical picture books. Do all of the d'Aulaire illustrations perfectly resemble key figures and events of the past? Not at all, but they do consistently capture the spirit of American history and historical figures, portraying each as they were perceived and not necessarily how they actually were. Purists may balk at this approach, but rest assured that the textual content of these books is accurate and trustworthy.

Which brings us to one of the essential aspects of history study: interpretation. If it's pure authenticity you want, photographs will do just fine, whether of individuals, places, artifacts, or buildings. But facts are only one side of history, and as far as one's worldview goes, probably not even the most important part. Not that you can do without them, but learning to read the facts and interpret them is the only reason learning about the past is a worthwhile endeavor.

Good historical picture books can help you cultivate this skill, especially when teaching younger students who aren't ready to make abstract connections between seemingly disparate facts. For instance, a picture book about the American Civil War could simply depict images of battle....or, the artist could use dark colors and heavy strokes to show both the evils of warfare as well as the deep racial themes and animosities shared by both sides throughout the War Between the States.

Some of our favorite books of the latter kind are those by Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire. Each of these volumes is dedicated to an important American historical figure like Abraham Lincoln, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Leif Erickson, and each is well-known for its lovely lithograph prints. The accompanying text is poetic and accessible, offering a child's-eye view of people history has generally turned into mythic characters.

In a similar vein, though with cartoon-y illustrations, the Jean Fritz books are perennially popular, and justly so. These are a little more fact- and text-heavy, though still written in story form, and often focus on the more eccentric elements of famous peoples' personalities. Many of the figures covered in this series are heroes of the American War for Independence, and make excellent supplements to a study of the Colonial and New Nation eras.

A newer series from Banner of Truth Trust is destined to be among our favorites: the Heroes of the Faith books by Sinclair B. Ferguson, a Presbyterian pastor and theologian. Each book covers a covers an important church father (Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Irenaeus) and is illustrated with somewhat stylized full-color pictures. Kids are introduced to famous saints, as well as to their basic ideas and significance, all in a format they'll welcome.

There are so many other excellent historical picture books we'd like to introduce you to, but it's probably easier for us and you to just let you browse our collection. For the most part, only narrative histories (history in story form) have made their way into this category, though there are a few exceptions. The important thing to remember is that it's never too early to introduce kids to the study of the past, and when they're particularly interested in pictures is as good a time as any to start.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes 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: 1st grade (Ages 6-7), In-Stock Books & Materials
A Weed Is a Flower
by Aliki
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.79
Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books
by Kay Winters, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
from Simon and Schuster
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.64
Abraham Lincoln (hardcover)
by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire; edited by Rea Berg
75th Anniversary from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for 1st-6th grade
1940 Caldecott Medal winner
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$18.66
Abraham Lincoln: A Man for All the People
by Myra Cohn Livingston, illustrated by Samuel Byrd
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine
by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by April Chu
from Creston Books, LLC
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Alvin Ailey
by Andrea Davis Pinkney; illustrated by Brian Pinkney
from Hyperion Books for Children
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin
by James Cross Giblin
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
2001 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
America: A Patriotic Primer
by Lynne Cheney
from Simon and Schuster
for Preschool-2nd grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
Ancient Egyptians
History Opens Windows
by Jane Shuter
Revised and Updated from Heinemann-Raintree
for 1st-3rd grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
Animals Robert Scott Saw
by Sandra Markle
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in 20th Century Exploration (Location: HISW-20EXP)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Archaeologists Dig For Clues
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Kate Duke
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Archaeology (Location: HISRF-ARCH)
$5.09 $3.20 (2 in stock)
Auntie Anne
by Anne Beiler, illustrated by Freiman Stoltzfus
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Bad River Boys
by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Lewis & Clark Expedition (1801-1803) (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Because Barbara
by Sarah Mackenzie, illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen
from Waxwing Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.14
Before There Was Mozart
by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome
2nd ed. from Beautiful Feet Books
for 1st-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$11.01 $5.20 (1 in stock)
Blackbeard's Last Fight
by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Pirates (Location: HISV-PIRATE)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci
by Romola Anderson, R. C. Anderson
1st edition from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.99
Boy Who Drew Birds
by Jacqueline Davies
from Houghton Mifflin
for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.29 $9.20 (1 in stock)
Boy Who Loved Math
by Deborah Heiligman, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
from Roaring Brook Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Breaking Into Print
by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Bonnie Christensen
from Little, Brown & Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in History of Books & Language (Location: HISV-BOOK)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
By the Dawn's Early Light
by Steven Kroll
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
in War of 1812 (Location: HISA-19WET)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Camping Trip that Changed America
by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in U.S. Monuments & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Cassie's Journey
by Brett Harvey; illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Oregon Trail (Location: HISA-19OR)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
Changing Weather
by Ashlee Klemm, illustrated by Vanessa Toye
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-3rd grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
$5.10 (2 in stock)
Charles Darwin's Around-the-World Adventure
by Jennifer Thermes
from Abrams Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Charlotte Mason
by Lanaya Gore, illustrated by Twila Farmer
from Blue Sky Daisies
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Charlotte Mason Education (Location: HSR-METCM)
$16.11
Children of the Earth and Sky
by Stephen Krensky, Illustrated by James Watling
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$1.20 (1 in stock)
Choosing Brave
by Angela Joy, illustrated by Janelle Washington
from Roaring Brook Press
for 1st-4th grade
2023 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.99
Christopher Columbus
by Elaine Murray Stone
500 Anv from Tyndale House
Biography for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.20 (1 in stock)
Civil War Artist
by Taylor Morrison
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Coast Mappers
by Taylor Morrison
from Walter Lorraine Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Pacific States (Location: HISV-PNW)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Colors of the Wind
by J L Powers, illustrated by George Mendoza & Hayley Morgan-Sanders
from Purple House Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.74
Columbus
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
First BCE from Doubleday & Company
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$28.00 (1 in stock)
Coming to America
by Betsy Maestro
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Immigration & Emigration (Location: HISA-20IM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
D'Aulaire American Biographies Package
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
Biography for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$111.86
Davy Crockett
Gallery of Great Americans
by Matthew G. Grant
from Creative Education
Picture Book Biography for Kindergarten-1st grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Dolly and Ike at the Willard: Abraham Lincoln's Slippers
by Richard Wallace Carr, Illustrated by Mary Ashby Parrish
from Dicmar Publishing
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Eleanor
by Barbara Cooney
1st Scholastic from Puffin Books
for 1st-3rd
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64
Enemies of Slavery
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Father's Road
by Ji-yun Jang
from Eerdmans
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$10.00
Finding Narnia
by Caroline McAlister, Illustrated by Jessica Lanan
from Roaring Brook Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$18.69
First Step
by Susan E. Goodman, illustrated by E. B. Lewis
from Bloomsbury Publishing
for Preschool-3rd grade
in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
First Thanksgiving
by Jean Craighead George
from Philomel Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
First Thanksgiving
by Jean Craighead George
from Putnam Juvenile
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$6.79
First Thanksgiving Feast
by Joan Anderson
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
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
Flag We Love
by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Ralph Masiello
from Charlesbridge
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in U.S. Monuments & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Flight
by Robert Burleigh; illustrated by Mike Wimmer
from Philomel Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1992 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award
in Aviation History (Location: HISV-AVIA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Freedom on the Menu
by Carole Boston Weatherford
Reprint from Puffin Books
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV)
$5.94
George Washington's Breakfast
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 1st-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$6.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
Gilgamesh the King
by Ludmila Zeman
from Tundra Books (NY)
for 1st-4th grade
$8.49
Gilgamesh Trilogy
by Ludmila Zeman
for 1st-4th grade
in Ancient History (Location: HISW-ANC)
Giraffe That Walked to Paris
by Nancy Milton & Roger Roth
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.96
Giraffe That Walked to Paris
by Nancy Milton & Roger Roth
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$12.74
Girl Who Thought in Pictures
by Julia Finley Mosca, illustrated by Daniel Rieley
from The Innovation Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Go Forth and Tell
by Breanna J. McDaniel; illustrated by April Harrison
from Penguin Random House
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.14
Gods and Goddesses of Olympus
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$6.79
Granny Smith Was Not an Apple
by Sarah Glenn Fortson, illustrated by Kris Aro McLeod
from Peter Pauper Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$14.44
Great Adventure of Christopher Columbus
by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Tomie dePaola
from Putnam & Grosset Group
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Great Buildings
Mack's World of Wonder
by Mack van Gageldonk
from Clavis Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in International Landmarks & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANINT)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Hairdo!
by Ruth Freeman Swain, illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Everyday Life in History (Location: HISV-EVERY)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King
by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney
from Scholastic Inc.
Picture Book Biography for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.00 (3 in stock)
Hatmaker's Sign: A Story by Benjamin Franklin
by Candace Fleming (reteller), illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker
from Orchard Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Hedy Lamarr's Double Life
People Who Shaped Our World #4
by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by Katy Wu
from Union Square Kids
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Helen Roseveare: What's in the parcel?
Little Lights #05
by Catherine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-1st grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Hole Story of the Doughnut
by Pat Miller
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Home in the Woods
by Eliza Wheeler
from Nancy Paulsen Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.14
Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth
by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Mike Wimmer
from Clarion Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Hopis
by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illustrated by Ronald Himler
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
How Sweet the Sound
by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
from Atheneum
for 1st-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.29
Hudson Taylor: Could somebody pass the salt?
Little Lights #02
by Catherine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-1st grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (2 in stock)
I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr.
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
If You Lived With the Iroquois
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-5th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
If You Were a Kid in a Medieval Castle
by Josh Gregory, illustrated by Sebastian Gomez
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
If You Were a Kid in the Thirteen Colonies
by Wil Mara, illustrated by Lluis Farre
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown
by Mac Barnett
First Edition from Balzer & Bray
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$15.29
In Search of the Little Prince
by Bimba Landmann
from Eerdmans
for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$14.45
Isaac Newton and the Laws of Motion
by Andrea Gianopoulos
1st edition from Capstone Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.76 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Jamestown
Adventures in Colonial America
by James Knight
from Beautiful Feet Books
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Jamestown Colony (Location: HISA-17JA)
$6.95 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Joe Louis
by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener
from Gulliver Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
John Brown: One Man Against Slavery
by Gwen Everett, Illustrated by Jacob Lawrence
from Rizzoli International Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Slavery & the Underground Railroad (Location: HISA-19SL)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
John Knox: Who Will Save You?
Little Lights #14
by Catherine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-1st grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
John Ronald’s Dragons
by Caroline McAlister, Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
from Roaring Brook Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$19.54
John, Paul, George & Ben
by Lane Smith
1st edition from Hyperion/Madison Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Johnny Appleseed
by Reeve Lindbergh
from Little, Brown & Company
Poetry for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Johnny Appleseed
by Eva Moore
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Johnny Appleseed
by Gini Holland
from Steck-Vaughn Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.31 $4.00 (3 in stock)
Joni Eareckson Tada
by Kristyn Getty; illustrated by Hsulynn Pang
from Good Book Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$12.74
Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything
by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Robert Byrd
from Viking Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Laffite the Pirate
by Ariane Dewey
1st edition from Greenwillow Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Pirates (Location: HISV-PIRATE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Last Princess
by Fay Stanley; illustrated by Diane Stanley
from HarperCollins
Picture Book Biographies for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Last Quest of Gilgamesh
by Ludmila Zeman
from Tundra Books (NY)
for 1st-4th grade
$8.49
Legend of Saint Nicholas
by Demi
from Margaret K. McElderry Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Lewis & Clark
by Steven Kroll
from Holiday House
Historical Non-Fiction for 1st-4th grade
in Lewis & Clark Expedition (1801-1803) (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$7.99
Life and Work of Auguste Rodin
by Richard Tames
from Heinemann Library
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Life and Work of Frederic Remington
by Ernestine Giesecke
from Heinemann Library
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Life and Work of Henry Moore
by Sean Connolly
from Heinemann Library
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Little Naturalists: John James Audobon Painted Birds
by Kate Coombs
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-1st grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$8.49
Mack Made Movies
by Don Brown
from Roaring Brook Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Make Way
by Angela Burke Kunkel, illustrated by Claire Keane
from Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.99
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