Our Favorite Picture Books for Kids

Check out some of our favorite picture books for kids! Classics you can read with the family over and over again!

Updated September 2024

Rereading children’s books can be one of the most joyful and meaningful routines in a family’s day. While adults might wonder if the repetition gets old, young children thrive on hearing the same stories repeatedly. Familiar tales offer comfort, deepen their understanding, and can spark new discoveries with each read.

What are your favorite picture books? Your classic go-tos?

Picture Books to Read Again and Again

• The Library by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small
• Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
• Jamberry by Bruce Degen

• Eloise by Kay Thompson, illustrated by Hilary Knight
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone, illustrated by Michael Smollin

• The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson
• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
• The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone

• Little Bear by Elsa Holmelund Minarik, illustrated by Maurice Sendak
• Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
• The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, illustrated by William Nicholson

• Richard Scarry’s Best Mother Goose Ever by Richard Scarry
• Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
• Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish, illustrated by Fritz Siebel

• Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
• The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

• Corduroy by Don Freeman
• Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

• Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Garth Williams
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr
• The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith

• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
• The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert

More Book Lists from the Artful Parent

• The Best Wordless Picture Books for Children
• The Best Art Books for Toddlers
• A Slightly Spooky Halloween Children’s Book List
• How to Create a Seasonal Home Library for Children
• The Best Books About Music for Kids

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