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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295 Items found Print
Active Filters: Preschool (Ages 4-5), Hardcover, New Books & Materials
"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"
by Patricia Thomas
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
101 Favorite Stories from the Bible
by Ura Miller
from New Leaf Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$14.99
20th-Century Children's Book Treasury
by Janet Schulman
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)
$44.99
Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Adventures of Beekle
by Dan Santat
from Little, Brown & Company
2015 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Alexander
by Harold Littledale, illustrated by Tom Vroman
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Animals of the Bible
by Dorothy P. Lathrop, text selected by Helen Dean Fish
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
1938 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes
Book 22
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
B is for Beaver
by Marie & Roland Smith, illustrated by Michael Roydon
from Sleeping Bear Press
for nursery-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$18.99 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave
by written by Marianna Mayer, Illustrated by K. Y. Craft
First Edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Babar and Father Christmas
by Jean De Brunhoff
1st edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Babar and His Children
by Jean De Brunhoff
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Ball for Daisy
by Chris Raschka
from Schwartz & Wade
for Preschool-2nd grade
2012 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Beak Book
by Robin Page
from Beach Lane Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$18.99
Beauty and the Beast
by M. Charlotte Craft, K. Y. Craft
from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Beetle Book
by Steve Jenkins
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$19.99
Beginner's Bible
by Karyn Henley, Kelly Pulley (illustrator)
from Zonderkidz
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$22.99
Benjamin Dilley's Thirsty Camel
by Roger Bradfield
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Berry Song
by Michaela Goade
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
2023 Caldecott Honor Book
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$18.99
Big
by Vashti Harrison
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
2024 Caldecott Medalist
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Big Picture Story Bible
by David Helm
from Crossway Books
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$29.99
Blackout
by John Rocco
from Disney-Hyperion
for Preschool-2nd grade
2012 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Blah Blah Black Sheep
by N. D. Wilson, illustrated by Forrest Dickison
from Canon Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Book With No Pictures
by B. J. Novak
from Penguin Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Boy, a Dog, a Frog
by Mercer Mayer
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Boy, a Dog, a Frog, and a Friend
by Mercer & Marianna Mayer
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Boy, a Mouse, and a Spider
by Barbara Herkert, illustrated by Lauren Castillo
from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$18.99
Bremen Town Musicians
by Ilse Plume retelling Brothers Grimm
Tra from Dragonfly Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1981 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Bubble Gum Bubble Gum
by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Cat in the Hat Comes Back
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes
Book 23
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Child of Books
by Oliver Jeffers, Sam Winston
from Candlewick Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Children of the Northlights
by Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, Ingri d'Aulaire
Reprint from University of Minnesota
for Preschool-4th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$16.95
Christmas in Noisy Village
by Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Ilon Wikland
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Christmas Is Here
by Lauren Castillo
from Simon and Schuster
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$12.99
Color Kittens
by Margaret Wise Brown
from Golden Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$4.99
Complete Brambly Hedge
by Jill Barklem
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$24.99
Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$32.00
Cranberry Christmas
by Wende & Harry Devlin
First Edition from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Cranberry Halloween
by Wende & Harry Devlin
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Cranberry Valentine
by Wende & Harry Devlin
from Purple House Press
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Creation Story for Children
by David & Helen Haidle
from Master Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$11.99
Cry, Heart, But Never Break
by Glenn Ringtved, illustrated by Charlotte Pardi
from Enchanted Lion Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$16.95
Cupid and Psyche
by M. Charlotte Craft & K. Y. Craft
from Morrow Junior Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Curious Garden
by Peter Brown
from Little, Brown & Company
for Nursery-2nd grade
E.B. White Read Aloud Award
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Curious George - Hardcover Boxed Set
by H. A. & Margret Rey
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
$39.99
D'Aulaires' Book of Animals
by Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, Ingri d'Aulaire
from New York Review of Books
for Preschool-4th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$19.95
Damon, Pythias, and the Test of Friendship
by Teresa Bateman
from Albert Whitman & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Day on Skates
by Hilda van Stockum
from Bethlehem Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
1935 Newbery Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins
by Barbara Kerley
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd Grade
2002 Caldecott Honor Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$19.99
Doodling Dragons
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$15.00
Dragon and the Garden
The Old Stories
by N. D. Wilson & Peter Bentley
from Canon Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$14.00
Dragon in a Dress
by Hannah Spuler; illustrated by Maegan Penley
from Canon Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Dragon Quest
by Allan Baillie, Illustrated by Wayne Harris
First US Edition from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Drawn Together
by Minh Le, illustrated by Dan Santat
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Early Readers Bible
by V. Gilbert Beers
Revised from Zonderkidz
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$18.99
Elephant and Piggie Biggie Volume 1
by Mo Willems
from Hyperion Books for Children
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Elephant and Piggie Biggie Volume 2
by Mo Willems
from Hyperion Books for Children
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Elephant and Piggie Biggie Volume 3
by Mo Willems
from Hyperion Books for Children
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Eloise Wilkin Stories
by Eloise Wilkin
from Golden Books
Nine Beloved Classics for Nursery-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$12.99
Emmanuel's Dream
by Laurie Ann Thompson & Sean Qualls
from Schwartz & Wade
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Fall Walk
by Virginia Brimhall Snow
from Gibbs M. Smith
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Nature Study (Location: NAT-GEN)
$16.99
Family-Time Bible in Pictures
by Kenneth N. Taylor
from Tyndale House
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$12.99
Farmhouse
by Sophie Blackall
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Finding Narnia
by Caroline McAlister, Illustrated by Jessica Lanan
from Roaring Brook Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$19.99
Finding Winnie
by Lindsay Mattick
First Edition from Little, Brown & Company
for Nursery-2nd grade
2016 Caldecott Winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Fire Engine Book
by Tibor Gergely
1st edition from Golden Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Fish Out of Water
by Helen Palmer
from Random House
Animal Fantasy/Rhyming Stories for Nursery-1st grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99
Flora and the Flamingo
by Molly Idle
from Chronicle Books
for Nursery-Kindergarten
2014 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Flora and the Peacocks
by Molly Idle
from Chronicle Books
for Nursery-Kindergarten
2014 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Flora and the Penguin
by Molly Idle
from Chronicle Books
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Flotsam
by David Wiesner
from Clarion Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
2007 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Flying Hockey Stick
by Jolly Roger Bradfield
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Foot Book
Bright & Early Books
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99
Friend Who Forgives
Tales that Tell the Truth
by Dan DeWit & Catalina Echeverri
from Good Book Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$16.99
George and Martha
by James Marshall
from HMH Books for Young Readers
in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)
$29.99
Gingerbread for Liberty!
by Mara Rockliff, Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.99
Giraffe That Walked to Paris
by Nancy Milton & Roger Roth
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Girl and the Bicycle
by Mark Pett
from Simon and Schuster
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Giving Tree
by Shel Silverstein
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
God’s Very Good Idea
by Trillia Newbell and Catalina Echeverri
from Good Book Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$16.99
Golden Plate
by Bernadette Watts
from NorthSouth
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.95
Goose
by Molly Bang
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$14.95
Grasshopper and the Ants
by Jerry Pinkney
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Gravity
by Jason Chin
from Roaring Brook Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$18.99
Guess How Much I Love You
by Sam McBratney, illustrations by Anita Jeram
from Candlewick Press
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Gus and the Baby Ghost
by Jane Thayer, illustrated by Seymour Fleishman
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.95
Gus was a Friendly Ghost
by Jane Thayer, illustrated by Seymour Fleishman
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.95
Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb
Bright & Early Books
by Al Perkins
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
He is Risen
by Patti Rokus
from Zondervan
for Preschool-1st grade
in Easter & Lent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$17.99
Hello Rock / ¡Hola, Piedrita!
by Roger Bradfield
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Hello, Goodbye Window
by Norton Juster
1st edition from Hyperion/Madison Press
for Preschool- 2nd Grade
2006 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Henry Explores the Jungle
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
Anniversary from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Henry Explores the Mountains
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
Anniversary from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Henry the Explorer
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
45th Anniversary Edition from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Press
for Nursery-1st grade
2008 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Hi Pizza Man
by Virginia Walter, illustrated by Ponder Goembel
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Hiawatha and the Peacemaker - Book and CD
by Robbie Robertson, Illustrated by David Shannon
from Abrams Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Home in the Woods
by Eliza Wheeler
from Nancy Paulsen Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Horton Hatches the Egg
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House
read-aloud poetry picture book for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
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