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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97 Items found Print
Active Filters: Nursery (Ages 2-4), 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
Alexander
by Harold Littledale, illustrated by Tom Vroman
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
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)
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
Big Picture Story Bible
by David Helm
from Crossway Books
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$29.99
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
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
Color Kittens
by Margaret Wise Brown
from Golden Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$4.99
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
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
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
Family-Time Bible in Pictures
by Kenneth N. Taylor
from Tyndale House
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$12.99
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
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
Foot Book
Bright & Early Books
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99
George and Martha
by James Marshall
from HMH Books for Young Readers
in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)
$29.99
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 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)
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
I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
If You Plant a Seed
by Kadir Nelson
from Balzer & Bray
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
In a Blue Room
by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Tricia Tusa
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Jesus Storybook Bible (Collector Edition)
by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Har/Com Dl from Zonderkidz
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$39.99
Jesus Storybook Bible Gift Edition
by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Special from Zonderkidz
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$24.99
Leaf Can Be . . .
by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Violeta Dabija
from Millbrook Press
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Let's Play!
by Herve Tullet
from Chronicle Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.99
Lion and the Mouse
by Jerry Pinkney
from Little, Brown & Company
for Nursery-1st
2010 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Little Mommy
by Sharon Kane
from Golden Books
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Miss Twiggley's Tree
by Dorothea Fox
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Mix It Up!
by Herve Tullet
from Chronicle Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.99
Montessori: Letter Work
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for Nursery-Kindergarten
$10.99 $6.50 (1 in stock)
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
Bright & Early Books
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House
for Nursery-1st grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99 $4.00 (3 in stock)
Mr. Gumpy's Outing
by John Burningham
1st edition from Henry Holt and Company
for 10th-Adult
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
My ABC Bible Verses from the Psalms
by Susan Hunt, Richie Hunt
from Crossway Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIB-STU)
$15.99
New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes
by Kenneth Taylor
Revised from Moody Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$16.99
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99
Once Upon an Alphabet
by Oliver Jeffers
First Edition from Philomel Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$26.99
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Other Side
by Jacqueline Woodson
from Putnam Juvenile
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Polar Opposites
by Erik Brooks
from Two Lions
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Press Here
by Herve Tullet
from Chronicle Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.99
Pumpkin Runner
by Marsha Diane Arnold & Brad Sneed
1st edition from Dial Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Read-Aloud Bible Stories Volume 2
by Ella K. Lindvall
from Moody Press
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$16.99
Read-Aloud Bible Stories Volume 3
by Ella K. Lindvall
from Moody Press
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$16.99
Read-Aloud Bible Stories Volume 4
by Ella K. Lindvall
from Moody Press
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$16.99
Read-Aloud Bible Stories Volume 5
by Ella K. Lindvall & H. Kent Pucket
from Moody Press
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$15.99
Real Story of the Exodus
by Paul L. Maier
from Concordia Publishing House
for Nursery-1st grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$16.99
Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever
by Richard Scarry
50th Anniversary Edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Mother Goose & Nursery Rhymes (Location: PIC-MG)
$16.99
Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy Town
by Richard Scarry
from Golden Books
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$17.99
Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
by Richard Scarry
from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$17.99
Richard Scarry's Funniest Storybook Ever
by Richard Scarry
2017 edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$16.99
Richard Scarry's Polite Elephant
by Richard Scarry
from Golden Press
for Nursery-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Richard Scarry's The Bunny Book
by Richard Scarry
from Golden Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Saggy Baggy Elephant
by B. Jackson, Kathryn Jackson
1st edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Scuffy the Tugboat
by Gertrude Crampton
from Golden Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Sidewalk Flowers
by Jon Arno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith
from Groundwood Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.95
Sign Painter
by Allen Say
1st edition from Houghton Mifflin
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.00
Sing a Song of Seasons
by Fiona Waters (selections), illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
from Nosy Crow
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$40.00
Sneetches and Other Stories
by Dr. Seuss
1St Edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
So Few of Me
by Peter H. Reynolds
from Candlewick Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.00
Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
Book 20
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Story of Miss Moppet
Book 21
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Tailor of Gloucester
Book 3
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Book 4
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Ginger and Pickles
Book 18
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
Book 9
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
Book 13
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Mr. Tod
Book 14
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
Book 11
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Tale of Pigling Bland
Book 15
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
Book 2
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
Book 10
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan
Book 17
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
Book 12
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Tale of Tom Kitten
Book 8
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Two Bad Mice
Book 5
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
by Simms Taback
Illustrated from Viking Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
1998 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
They All Saw a Cat
by Brendan Wenzel
from Chronicle Books
2017 Caldecott Honor book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Treasury of Picture Book Classics
by Tegen Katherine
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)
$35.00
Wacky Wednesday
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99
Waddle!
by Rufus Butler Seder
Brdbk from Workman Publishing
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$16.95
What Did You Do Today?
by Whitney Antis, illustrated by Hana Augustine
from Whitney Antis
for Nursery-1st grade
in Emotions for Kids (Location: BIB-CHEM)
$17.99
Wheels on the Bus
from Dutton Children's Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$24.99
Yellow Ball
by Molly Bang
25th Anniversary from Purple House Press
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
by Dr. Seuss
First Edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
You Are (Not) Small
by Anna Kang, Illustrated by Christopher Weyant
from Two Lions
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99