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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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Parent Categories
Picture Books
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111 Items found Print
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Active Filters: Nursery (Ages 2-4), Trade Paperback
1,2,3 To the Zoo
by Eric Carle
Reprint from PaperStar Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
26 Letters and 99 Cents
by Tana Hoban
from Greenwillow Books
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
A is for Annabelle
by Tasha Tudor
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Nursery-Preschool
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$7.99
ABC Book
by C. B. Falls
from Dover Publications
for Nursery-1st grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$7.99
Adelita
by Tomie DePaola
Reprint from Puffin Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Alphabatics
by Suse MacDonald
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Nursery-1st grade
1987 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Alphabet Book
by P. D. Eastman
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
Alphabet City
by Stephen T. Johnson
from Puffin Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
1996 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Amazing Animal Alphabet
by Brian Wildsmith
from Star Bright
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
Ann Likes Red
by Dorothy Z. Seymour
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Annie and the Old One
by Miska Miles, Peter Parnall
Reprint from Little, Brown & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
1972 Newbery Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Big Green Pocketbook
by Candice Ransom & Felicia Bond
from HarperCollins
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Bony-Legs
by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Dirk Zimmer
from Scholastic Inc.
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Caps for Sale
by Esphyr Slobodkina
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Carrot Seed
by Ruth Krauss & Crockett Johnson
from HarperCollins
Humorous Book on Botany for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (5 in stock)
Chick & the Duckling
by Mirra Ginsburg
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Word Books for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (8 in stock)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes
by Dubose Heyward
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Donkey's Dream
by Barbara Helen Berger
from Sandcastle Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Esther
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Everybody Cooks Rice
from First Avenue Editions
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Feast for 10
by Cathryn Falwell
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Fishing in the Air
by Sharon Creech
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll
by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
Revised from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
in Meteorology (Weather & Climate) (Location: SCI-WEA)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night
by Peter Spier
from Dragonfly Books
for Nursery-1st grade
1962 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Freight Train
by Donald Crews
from Mulberry Books
for Nursery-Kindergarten
1979 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Frog Alphabet Book
by Jerry Pallotta
from Charlesbridge
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Gideon
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Gift of the Magi
by O. Henry
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Realistic Fiction for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Gingerbread Boy
by Paul Galdone
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Gingerbread Boy
by Paul Galdone
from Clarion Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
God's Servant, Job
by Douglas Bond
from P&R Publishing
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$9.99
Gullywasher (bilingual)
by Joyce Rossi
from Luna Rising
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.95
Hanna's Cold Winter
by Trish Marx & Barbara Knutson
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$11.95
Hannah
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Happy Birthday, Moon
by Frank Asch
Revised from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Hardest Word
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Have You Seen My Cat?
by Eric Carle
from Aladdin Paperbacks
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Henry David's House
by Henry David Thoreau
from Charlesbridge
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Honey... Honey... Lion!
by Jan Brett
Reprint from Puffin Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
How Much is a Million?
by David M. Schwartz, Steven Kellogg
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Important Book
by Margaret Wise Brown
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $2.50 (3 in stock)
In the Small, Small Pond
by Denise Fleming
from Henry Holt and Company
Word Books for Nursery-Kindergarten
1994 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
It's About Time, Jesse Bear
by Nancy White Carlstrom
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
John Henry
by Julius Lester & Jerry Pinkney
from Puffin Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
1995 Caldecott Honor book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
John the Baptist
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Jonah
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Joshua
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
by Audrey Wood & Don Wood
Reprint from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
1986 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
King Midas and the Golden Touch
by Charlotte Craft, Illustrated by K. Y. Craft
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Lavender's Blue
by Kathleen Lines
New from Oxford University
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
Leo the Late Bloomer
by Robert Kraus
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Letters from Father Christmas
by J. R. R. Tolkien
Revised from Mariner Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$25.00
Life of Jesus for the Very Young
by Isobel Tallach
from Banner of Truth Trust
for Nursery-1st grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$3.00 $2.00 (1 in stock)
Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear
by Audrey Wood
from Clarion Books
Fantasy for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Little Nino's Pizzeria
by Karen Barbour
1st edition from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Little Pigeon Toad
by Fred Gwynne
from Scholastic Reference
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Little Toot
by Hardie Gramatky
from Penguin Putnam
Personification Stories for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Madeline and the Bad Hat
by Ludwig Bemelmans
from Puffin Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$9.99
Marshmallow
by Clare Turlay Newberry
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
1943 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Marshmallow
by Clare Turlay Newberry
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
1943 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Martha & Mary
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Mary
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
by Arnold Lobel
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Mixed-Up Chameleon
by Eric Carle
from HarperTrophy
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
More More More, Said the Baby
by Vera B. Williams
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1991 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
More More More, Said the Baby
by Vera B. Williams
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
1991 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Moses
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
My Mother is Mine
by Marion Dane Bauer
from Simon and Schuster
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs
by Tomie DePaola
from Puffin Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Nehemiah
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
One Grain of Rice
by Demi
from Scholastic Press
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$21.99 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm
by Alice and Martin Provensen
from Aladdin Paperbacks
New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$9.99
Paul the Wise Preacher
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Peter the Apostle
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Peter the Fisherman
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Play with Me
by Marie Hall Ets
from Puffin Books
for Nursery-1st grade
1956 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $2.00 (1 in stock)
Poems and Prayers for the Very Young
by Martha Alexander
from Random House
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
Poke in the I
by Paul Janeczko
from Candlewick Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$7.99 $5.50 (2 in stock)
Puss In Boots
by Charles Perrault & Fred Marcelino
from Square Fish Publishing
for Nursery-2nd grade
1991 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.75
Rabbits & Raindrops
by Jim Arnosky
from Scholastic Inc.
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Rebekah
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Relatives Came
by Cynthia Rylant
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Nursery-2nd grade
1986 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Ruth
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Samuel Eaton's Day
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-fiction for Nursery-2nd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Sarah Morton's Day
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-fiction for Nursery-2nd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Seven Chinese Brothers
by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng
from Scholastic Inc.
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Simon Peter
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: EAR-BTW)
Storm Book
by Charlotte Zolotow
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-3rd grade
1953 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Sunflower House
by Eve Bunting
1st Voyager Books Ed from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Swimmy
by Leo Lionni
from Dragonfly Books
for Nursery-1st grade
1964 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
Book 6
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Thimbleberry Stories
by Cynthia Rylant
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Three Bears
by Paul Galdone
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Three Billy Goats Gruff
by Paul Galdone
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Three Little Kittens
by Paul Galdone
from Clarion Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Three Little Pigs
by Paul Galdone
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Tomie dePaola's Book of Bible Stories
by Tomie dePaola
from Trumpet Club
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Tough Boris
by Mem Fox
from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
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