There market for picture books is huge: This article suggests (in no particular order) some authors and titles that are, simply, unmissable.
As the child grows in the understanding of the world, imagination and ability to use language, the books get more complex and more imaginative. The best picture books are made for the 3 to 6 age group, but there is no clear cut off point and different children will be ready at various ages: you will know when yours is ready.
Amazing Creatures
- Possibly the best picture book ever written and drawn, Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: surreal imagination, dream world and very realistic toddler psychology, combined with wonderful illustrations. A must for any child (and you can easily start at 2 years old with this one).
- Julia Donaldson have written many books, all of them good and some in the very stratosphere. The Gruffalo has monster of a genius design and a smart little mouse in a rhyming tale of woodland adventure. Great fun to read, and the underdog triumphs through imagination and brain power.
- Dr Seuss is an American institution and every child should read The Cat in the Hat. It has quirky illustrations, surreal mad-cap plot and playful, rhythmic, repetitive text written using just 236 words. It's slightly anarchic and will delight children while encouraging emerging readers to practice their skills.
- Judith Kerr gave us the delightful Mog, the Forgetful Cat (and a whole host of other delightful Mog books), but the price of place has to go to The Tiger That Came to Tea, and old fashioned tale of gentle mayhem with an incredibly compelling, magical big cat. Soon you'll be quoting whole paragraphs fro memory yourself.
- Lynley Doddis the creator of Hairy Maclaryfrom Donaldson's Diary, a must on any little bookshelf. It has fluent rhyme, great rhythm, beloved by children repetition and is lively, colorful and very funny.
- Emma Chichester-Clark has created the stories of Lily and her beloved Blue Kangaroo. Try them in It Was You, Blue Kangaroo, a simply but well written story for preschoolers combining every day life with a touch of magic. Pictures are vivid and elegant and the message relevant.
- Jez Alborough is best-loved for his simpler picture books for toddlers, but Some Dogs Do, still with the same bold, cuddly illustrations and wonderfully clear expressions on the characters' faces is well worth having. It has humour and magic; good rhythm, well flowing rhyme and a huge feel-good factor.
- Helen Cooper has written an instant classic in the Pumpkin Soup, a tale of friendship, loyalty, falling out and making up. Beautiful, lush, almost tactile illustrations and rhythmical text make for a fine book indeed.
- A hauntingly beautiful story with lovely pictures, The Sandhorseby Ann Turnbull tells a tale of art, magic and longing and deserves to be better known. This one will be also appreciated by slightly older readers.
...and one Boy
- Oliver Jeffers took the publishing world by storm with his incredibly stylish artwork and simple but spellbinding tales of Boy. How To Catch a Star is about dreams, waiting and triumphant imagination.
For a selection of great picture books for younger children look here.
You can have a look at the books and buy them directly from Amazon using this link.
Copyright Magdalena Healey. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Magdalena Healey - I have a BSc/MSc in psychology and a strong interest in cognitive science and linguistics. My professional background is in market ...
