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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62 Items found Print
Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Perfectbound, Used Books & Materials
104 Poems of Whimsy and Wisdom
by Amy Lykosh (editor), illustrated by Summer Wilhour
from Avyx, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
All Those Secrets of the World
by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Leslie Baker
1st edition from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (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)
$4.50 (1 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)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Animals on Board
Mathstart Level 2
by Stuart J. Murphy, illustrated by R.W. Alley
from HarperTrophy
for 1st-3rd grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Are You a Snail?
Backyard Books
by Judy Allen, illustrated by Tudor Humphries
from Kingfisher
for 1st-4th grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Back Home
by Gloria Jean Pinkney, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
from Puffin Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Barefoot Book of Buddhist Tales
by Sherab Chodzin & Alexandra Kohn (retellers), illustrated by Marie Cameron
from Barefoot Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Bedtime for Francis
by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Garth Williams
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Berenstain Bears' Dollars and Sense
by Jan Berenstain, Stan Berenstain
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Birdie's Lighthouse
by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Kimberly Root
2000 Paperback from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
by Bill Martin Jr.; illustrated by Eric Carle
Second Edition, 25th Anniversary Edition from Henry Holt and Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Buffalo Bird Girl
by S. D. Nelson
from Abrams Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.95 $6.00 (3 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)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Coral Reefs
by Jason Chin
from Square Fish Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop
MathStart Series Level 3
by Stuart J. Murphy, Illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith
from HarperTrophy
for 2nd-4th grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Fair Bear Share
Mathstart Level 2
by Stuart J. Murphy, illustrated by John Speirs
from HarperTrophy
for 1st-3rd grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
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)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Flood Warning
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Katharine Kenah, illustrated by Amy Schimler
from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in Natural Disasters: Fires and Floods (Location: SCI-EARFI)
$8.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Fossils Tell of Long Ago
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Aliki
Revised from HarperCollins
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
George Washington Carver
by Tonya Bolden
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
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)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Grapes of Math
by Gregory Tang
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$4.00 (3 in stock)
Growing Frogs
by Vivian French, illustrated by Alison Bartlett
from Candlewick Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
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)
I'm In Charge of Celebrations
by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 2nd-6th grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
If I Were In Charge of the World and Other Worries
by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lynne Cherry
from Aladdin Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$3.50 (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)
$4.00 (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)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Jump, Kangaroo, Jump!
MathStart Series Level 3
by Stuart J. Murphy, Illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith
from HarperTrophy
for 2nd-4th grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
King Who Rained
by Fred Gwynne
from Prentice Hall
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Little Fellow
by Marguerite Henry, illustrated by Rich Rudish
3rd printing from Rand McNally
for 2nd-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home!
by Hans de Beer
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Louisa May Alcott: Her Girlhood Diary
by Louisa May Alcott
from Troll Medallion
for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Madeline's Christmas
by Ludwig Bemelmans
from Troll Associates
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Mars Exploration 1960-2016
by Megan Noel
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Millions to Measure
by David M. Schwartz
from HarperTrophy
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Nativity
by Julie Vivas
from Voyager Books
for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Paul and the Wolf
by Margo Lemieux, Illustrated by Bill Nelson
from Silver Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Picture Book of Sojourner Truth
by David A. Adler
from Holiday House
Picture Book Biography for 1st-3rd grade
in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Poppleton
Poppleton #1 of 5
by Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Mark Teague
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Queen of Hearts
by John Peterson
from Merrimack Publishing Corp.
for 3rd-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Redwoods
by Jason Chin
from Square Fish Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$10.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Roy Lichtenstein
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists
by Mike Venezia
from Children's Press
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-5th grade
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Salmon's Journey and More Northwest Coast Stories
by Robert James Challenger
from Heritage House Publishing Company
for 1st-5th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Shark Swimathon
MathStart Series Level 3
by Stuart J. Murphy, Illustrated by Lynne Cravath
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: Secrets of the Apple Tree
Shine-A-Light
by Carron Brown and Illustrated by Alyssa Nassner
from Quarto Knows
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Smash!
by Mark Weakland, illustrated by Christian Cornia
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Snowflake Bentley
by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
from Houghton Mifflin
Biographies of Scientists and Inventors for 1st-3rd grade
1999 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
Sparrow Girl
by Sara Pennypacker
from Disney-Hyperion
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Story of the Spirit of St. Louis
Cornerstones of Freedom
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
by William Steig
from Simon and Schuster
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1970 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
Thud!
by Mark Weakland, illustrated by Christian Cornia
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Turn of the Century
by Ellen B Jackson
2003 paperback from Charlesbridge
for 3rd-6th grade
in Everyday Life in History (Location: HISV-EVERY)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Usborne Big Book of Things to Spot
from EDC Publishing
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Look and Find Books (Location: PIC-LOOK)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams
from Dragonfly Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Waiting for the Evening Star
by Rosemary Wells, illustrated by Susan Jeffers
from Puffin Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Weather Clues in the Sky: Clouds
Bel the Weather Girl
by Belinda Jensen, Illustrated by Renee Kurilla
from Millbrook Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
When Washington Crossed the Delaware
by Lynne Cheney
from Simon & Schuster Macmillan
for Preschool-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Whoosh!
by Mark Weakland, illustrated by Alan Brown
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
You Read to Me, I'll Read to You (Fairy Tales)
by Mary Ann Hoberman, Illustrated by Michael Emberley
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Zoom!
by Mark Weakland, illustrated by Paco Sordo
from Capstone Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)