I’m a huge fan of children’s picture books. I loved them when I was a child, kept a few of my favorites through my teen and young adult years and splurged on them when my own children were young. Now that my kids are mostly grownup, I still have a bookcase (okay, two bookcases) filled with picture books. I was recently in a great independent bookstore near my home that specializes in children’s books. My young adult and teenage children were with me and none of them wanted to leave. Why? Because children’s books are so much fun! Seriously, well-written and illustrated picture books are right up there with chocolate and puppies when it comes to happiness.
I’ll bet if I asked you, you could still recommend a favorite picture book or two from your own childhood. My poor parents can still recite Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish thanks to my brother and I both loving it when we were young. And I still know most of the words to Deborah Guarino’s Is Your Mama a Llama? and Sandra Boyton’s The Going to Bed Book thanks to reading them over and over to my own children. Picture books make childhood memories that we cherish for a lifetime.
Since the holiday season is right around the corner, I’ve put together a list of picture book recommendations. Every book on this list is sure to bring a smile and even laughter to you favorite child. Reading to children is such a special and valuable experience for them. Children who are regularly read to are better readers themselves. And as important as being a good reader is, the other benefits of reading to your children are just as important. Spending some time together with an adult who cares for them enough to read fun books with them builds a child’s self-esteem. It makes them feel protected, secure, and loved. And these wonderful stories also fuel a child’s imagination and their sense of belonging in this world.
12 Perfectly Wonderful Picture Books
Please note that this post contains affiliate links. If you use the link and purchase the item, I may receive a small commission. It will not effect the price you pay. Please see disclosure page for details.
1.Anything by Mo Willems
Seriously, any book by Mo Willems comes highly recommended by me. I love the Elephant and Piggie series. The Pigeon series is also wonderful. Parents will appreciate Knuffle Bunny as much as the kids do. You can’t go wrong with one or more of Willems stories.
2. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
This is my latest find and I’ve been recommending it to every teacher and parent of young kids that I know. My daughter and I found it in one of my favorite local bookstores and we stood there giggling together as we read it. Please note: my daughter is 19. She still loved this book. If you don’t laugh while reading it, you might want to see a professional.
3. The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
A picture book with no pictures? Did I hear that right? Yes, there are no lovely illustrations in this one. But the words more than make up for it. This book made it to #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list. How? By being filled with silly words that require an adult to say them out loud. Giggles will ensue.
4. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
This is a great picture book for school-aged children. They’ll see the humor in the frustrated crayons and their protests to be treated with more care. I’ve read to kids of various ages and it never fails to get a smile and a cheer when I pull it out and begin to read. It’s also another New York Times bestseller.
5. The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith
I discovered this book the way most of the modern world has, by watching the Scottish Granny read it. If you haven’t seen the video, check it out here. And then check out the book for yourself and see if you can read it through without laughing out loud.
6. Dragons Love Tacos by Drew Rubin
There’s a whole lot of silly going on in this book. Who knew that dragons loved tacos so much? Just be careful not to feed them the spicy salsa or things might get too hot! If you know a child who loves dragons or tacos, this is a great pick for them.
7. How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan
This one brings a smile to my face because my dad was such a great babysitter for my children. They got him to do all sorts of things and it was usually pretty entertaining. I’m chuckling just thinking about it. This story is written from the child’s perspective. It gives all sorts of advice on how to keep a grandpa happy while you babysit him. There is a corresponding How to Babysit Grandma book. They’d make a great gift for any grandparent or grandkid.
8. Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Do you know a child who loves police officers or dogs? This charming story might make their day. Officer Buckle is a police officer who teaches important safety tips to school children. Unfortunately, his speeches are rather dry and boring. One day, he gets a new partner, a police dog named Gloria. Suddenly, his presentations are the talk of the school and everyone loves it when he visits. This picture book won the Caldecott Medal in 1996.
9. Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown
A young bear named Lucy finds a child in the woods and takes him home. She begs her mother to let her keep him and her mother warns that “children make terrible pets.” She keeps him anyway and names him Squeaker. This story is guaranteed to make you smile.
10. Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
This is the book that started the whole Click, Clack series and it’s still my favorite. The cows find an old typewriter in the barn and start sending their requests to Farmer Brown. Soon the chickens join them and the whole farm is disrupted. Duck gets involved as a neutral party. If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading this book, you need to get a copy and a child and read. Cronin is also the author of the Diary of a Worm series which is also very funny.
11. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
This is a retelling of the classic story told through the eyes of the Big Bad Wolf. It turns out that maybe he was just misunderstood. This is a great book for kindergarten and up. They’ll appreciate the twists to the story and so will their adults.
12. The Hiccupotamus by Aaron Zenz
A hippo gets the hiccups in this fun rhyming book. Hilarity ensues when all the other animals come up with various cures for hiccups.
Three More Fun Reads
That’s right. I couldn’t stop at twelve books. These last three aren’t particularly silly, but are still great reads. They are fun stories with a good message.
1. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
I used to read this to my art students. It’s the story of a girl who thinks she has no artistic ability and a wise teacher who teaches her an important lesson.
2. Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
This is one for dog lovers. Told via letters, a stray dog is looking for his forever home. Each person on the street has a reason why he can’t live with them. Finally, a letter arrives from a surprising source and the dog finds a warm and loving place to live.
3. 
Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners by Laurie Keller
Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners by Laurie KellerOne last recommendation, this book teaches the Gold Rule. Treat people how you want to be treated. In this story, Mr. Rabbit has new neighbors, and they’re otters. He’s not sure how to deal with otters. They’re so…different. But he finds that they have more in common than he thought.
If you have a child in your life, a great picture book is always a thoughtful gift. Or if you simply love children’s books, like
Thanks for reading and please share using the social media buttons provided. And if you have some good recommendations for more fun picture books, please include them in the comment section below.
