Children's Picture BooksIf your child is three years old or more he may well already love books, particularly if you have been reading to him from an early age. Now is the time to cement his love affair with books by reading him outstanding children's picture books which are not only entertaining but which introduce new words and experiences which your child may not have come across before. At this age children start to have strong preferences for the books they want to hear and will undoubtedly demand the same book again and again. This repetition helps them to start to make connections between the words they see in the book and what they hear you read. They will start to join in with certain words and will often learn favoured books by heart. They will begin to empathise with the characters and compare the story in the book with their own experiences. So what are the best children's picture books which should be on every child's bookshelf? 
To try to come up with a definitive list of the best picture books for kids I combined over 20 highly regarded lists of children's books including winners of prestigious children's books awards, reading lists from reputable sources and bestselling books of all time. Those books mentioned on more than one list are shown below, with books at the top receiving the most mentions. At the top of the list of children's picture books, with no less than nine mentions, is "Where the Wild Things Are", which was first published in the 1960s. The oldest book on the list is "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" which amazingly has been around for over 100 years. Of more recent authors, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler stand out with an impressive three books on the list: "Room on the Broom", "The Snail and the Whale" and "The Gruffalo". 
1. Where the Wild Things Are    by Maurice Sendak First published 1963 Activity using this book 
2. The Cat in the Hat  by Dr. Seuss First published 1956 
3. The Tale of Peter Rabbit  by Beatrix Potter First published 1902 Activity using this book 
4. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom  by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault illustrated by Lois Ehlert First published 1989 
5. Corduroy  by Don Freeman First published 1968 
6. Curious George  by H. A. and Margret Ray First published 1942 Activity using this book 
7. Green Eggs And Ham  by Dr Seuss First published 1960 
8. Guess How Much I Love You  by Sam McBratney illustrated by Anita Jeram First published 1994 
9. Olivia  by Ian Falconer First published 2000 
10. The Napping House  by Audrey Wood illustrated by Don Wood First published 1984 
11. The Snowy Day  by Ezra Jack Keats First published 1962 
12. Are You My Mother?  by Philip D. Eastman First published 1960 
13. Can't You Sleep Little Bear?  by Martin Waddell illustrated by Barbara Firth First published 1988 
14. Dogger  by Shirley Hughes First published 1977 
15. Grandfather's Journey  by Allen Say First published 1993 
16. Harry The Dirty Dog  by Gene Zion illustrated by Margaret Graham First published 1956 
17. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie  by Laura Numeroff illustrated by Felicia Bond First published 1985 
18. Love You Forever  by Robert Munsch illustrated by Sheila McGraw First published 1986 
19. Oh, the Places You'll Go!  by Dr. Seuss First published 1990 
20. Room on the Broom  by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Axel Scheffler First published 2001 
21. The Gruffalo  by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Axel Scheffler First published 1999 
22. The Little Engine That Could  by Watty Piper First published 1930 
23. The Mitten  by Jan Brett First published 1989 
24. The Snail and the Whale  by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Axel Scheffler First published 2003 
25. The Snowman  by Raymond Briggs First published 1978 
26. The Tiger Who Came To Tea  by Judith Kerr First published 1968 To find the best picture books for younger children, check out these preschool books for under threes. Or, if you child is older, he might enjoy these picture books for older readers, written for children aged five and above. If one of your favorite picture books for kids is not on the list, then please do share it with us. We'd love to hear about it. Just click here and follow the instructions. For more ideas of classic children's books, check out these lists of top children's books or winners of these children's book awards. Back from Children's Picture Books to Classic Children's Books Back from Children's Picture Books to Home Page Can't find what you're looking for? Try searching for it here. 
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