Children's Picture Books

If 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 to share your favorite children's picture books and follow the instructions.

For more ideas of classic children's books, check out these lists of top children's books or these Caldecott Award winners.