100 Well Known Picture Books

ABUELA

Dorros, Arthur

While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City.

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY

Viorst, Judith

Recounts the events of a day when everything goes wrong for Alexander.

ANANSI AND THE MOSS-COVERED ROCK

Eric A., Kimmel

Anansi the Spider uses a strange moss-covered rock in the forest to trick all the other animals, until Little Bush Deer decides he needs to learn a lesson.

ANDY AND THE LION

Daugherty, James

The lion remembers Andy's kindness to him.

BARK, GEORGE

Feiffer, Jules

A mother dog worries about the strange noises her puppy is making.

THE BOSSY GALLITO: A TRADITIONAL CUBAN FOLK TALE

Gonzalez, Lucia M., retold by; illustrated by Lulu Delacre

In this cumulative Cuban folktale, a bossy rooster dirties his beak when he eats a kernel of corn and must find a way to clean it before his parrot uncle's wedding.

BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES

Hoban, Russell; illustrated by Lillian Hoban

Frances decides she likes to eat only bread and jam at every meal--until to her surprise--her parents grant her wish.

BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Martin, Bill, Jr.; illustrated by Eric Carle

Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a teacher looking at them.

BRUNO MUNARI’S ABC

MUNARI, BRUNO

Beginning with an "Ant on an Apple," illustrations, simple text, and a pesky fly who will not stay on his page introduce the letters of the alphabet.

BUZ

Egielski, Richard

When a little boy swallows a bug along with his cereal, pandemonium breaks out as the bug searches for an escape, the boy searches for an antidote, and Keystone Cops-like pills search for the bug.

CAPS FOR SALE; A TALE OF A PEDDLER, SOME MONKEYS AND THEIR MONKEY BUSINESS

Slobodkina, Esphyr

A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while he takes a nap under a tree.

THE CARROT SEED

Krauss, Ruth; illustrated by Crockett Johnson

A young boy plants a carrot seed and, although the adults tell him that nothing will happen, he just knows it will come up.

A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER

Williams, Vera B.

A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire.

CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM

Martin, Bill, Jr. and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert

An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.

CLICK, CLACK, MOO : COWS THAT TYPE

Cronin, Doreen

When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making demands, and go on strike when the farmer refuses to give them what they want.

COME ALONG, DAISY!

Simmons, Jane

Daisy the duckling becomes so engrossed in playing with dragonflies and lily pads that she temporarily loses her mother.

CORDUROY

Freeman, Don

A teddy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but, when a little girl finally buys him, he finds what he has always wanted most of all.

CURIOUS GEORGE

Rey, H. A.

The adventures of a curious monkey.

DINOSAUR ROAR!

Stickland, Paul and Henrietta

Illustrations and rhyming text present all kinds of dinosaurs, including ones that are sweet, grumpy, spiky, or lumpy.

DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!

Willems, Mo

When the bus driver leaves the bus for a while, the pigeon wants to drive the bus so badly that he starts to dream himself behind the steering wheel vroom-vroom-vroom.

DUCK ON A BIKE

Shannon, David

A duck decides to ride a bike and soon influences all the other animals on the farm to ride bikes too.

FIRE TRUCK

Sís, Peter

Matt, who loves fire trucks, wakes up one morning to find that he has become a fire truck, with one driver, two ladders, three hoses, and ten boots.

FREIGHT TRAIN

Crews, Donald

Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.

FROGGY GETS DRESSED

London, Jonathan

Froggy hops out into the snow for a winter frolic but is called back by his mother to put on some necessary articles of clothing.

THE GARDENER

Stewart, Sarah

A series of letters relating what happens when, after her father loses his job, Lydia Grace goes to live with her Uncle Jim in the city but takes her love for gardening with her.

GEORGE AND MARTHA

Marshall, James

Relates several episodes in the friendship of two hippopotamuses.

GO AWAY, BIG GREEN MONSTER!

Emberley, Ed

Die-cut pages through which bits of a monster are revealed are designed to help a child control nighttime fears of monsters.

GOIN’ SOMEPLACE SPECIAL

McKissack, Patricia

In segregated 1950s' Nashville, a young African American girl braves a series of indignities and obstacles to get to one of the few integrated places in town: the public library.

GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA

Rathmann, Peggy

An unobservant zookeeper is followed home by all the animals he thinks he has left behind in the zoo.

GOODNIGHT MOON

Brown, Margaret W.

A little bunny says goodnight to all the familiar things in his little room.

GOSSIE

Olivier, Dunrea

Gossie is a gosling who likes to wear bright red boots every day, no matter what she is doing, and so she is heartbroken the day the boots are missing and she can't find them anywhere.

GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY

Say, Allen

A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.

HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON

Johnson, Crockett

Harold goes for a walk in the moonlight with his purple crayon and created many fantastic adventures.

HARRY THE DIRTY DOG

Zion, Gene

A little dog who hates baths hides his scrubbing brush then becomes so dirty that his family does not recognize him.

THE HELLO GOODBYE WINDOW

Juster, Norton ; Raschka, Chris

The window in Nanna and Poppy’s kitchen is no ordinary window – it is a place where love and magic happen.

HENRY HIKES TO FITCHBURG

Johnson, D. B. (Donald B.)

While his friend works hard to earn the train fare to Fitchburg, young Henry Thoreau walks the thirty miles through woods and fields, enjoying nature and the time to think great thoughts.

HORTON HATCHES THE EGG

Seuss, Dr.

When a lazy bird hatching an egg wants a vacation, she asks Horton, the elephant, to sit on her egg--which he does through all sorts of hazards and waits until he is rewarded for doing what he said he would.

HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOOD NIGHT?

Yolen, Jane

Mother and child ponder the different ways a dinosaur can say goodnight, from slamming his tail and pouting to giving a big hug and kiss.

I KISSED THE BABY!

Murphy, Mary

Various animals tell how they saw, fed, sang to, tickled, and kissed the new duckling.

IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE

Numeroff, Laura J.

Relating the cycle of requests a mouse is likely to make after you give him a cookie takes the reader through a young child's day.

IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE: A YIDDISH FOLKTALE

Zemach, Margot, retold and illustrated by

Unable to stand his overcrowded and noisy home any longer, a poor man goes to the Rabbi for advice.

JOHN HENRY

Lester, Julius

Retells the life of the legendary African American hero who raced against a steam drill to cut through a mountain.

JULIUS

Johnson, Angela

Maya's grandfather brings her a pig from Alaska and the two of them learn about fun and sharing together.

KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON

Henkes, Kevin

When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it.

LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE

Kevin, Henkes

Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait a while before showing her new purse, she does something for which she is very sorry later.

THE LINE-UP BOOK

Marisabina, Russo

Sam lines up blocks, books, boots, cars, and other objects, all the way from his room to his mother in the kitchen.

THE LITTLE RED HEN: AN OLD STORY

Zemach., Margot

A retelling of the traditional tale about the little red hen whose lazy friends are unwilling to help her plant, harvest, or grind the wheat into flour, but all are willing to help her eat the bread that she makes from it.

LON PO PO: A RED RIDING HOOD STORY FROM CHINA

Young, Ed.

Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother.

LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE

Waber, Bernard

The helpful, happy crocodile living on East 88th St. causes a neighborhood feud.

MABELA THE CLEVER

MacDonald , Margaret Read

An African folktale about a mouse who pays close attention to her surroundings and avoids being tricked by the cat.

MACHINES AT WORK

Barton, Byron

During a busy day at the construction site, the workers use a variety of machines to knock down a building and begin constructing a new one.

MADELINE

Bemelmans, Ludwig

The story of a school girl in Paris.

MAISY GOES SWIMMING

Cousins, Lucy

The reader helps Maisy the mouse undress and put on her bathing suit for a dip in the pool.

MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS

McCloskey, Robert

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard found a quiet place to raise their babies then took them to the pond in the Boston Public Garden where there were peanuts to eat.

MAMA CAT HAS THREE KITTENS

Fleming, Denise

While two kittens copy everything their mother does, their brother naps.

MARTHA SPEAKS

Meddaugh, Susan

Problems arise when Martha, the family dog, learns to speak after eating alphabet soup.

MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL

Burton, Virginia L.

The story of an Irish steam-shovel artist and his old-fashioned steam-shovel.

MILLIONS OF CATS

Gág, Wanda

The story of a peasant who goes off in search of one kitten and returns with trillions of cats.

MISS NELSON IS MISSING!

Allard, Harry and James Marshall

The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.

MR. GUMPY'S OUTING

Birmingham, John

Mr. Gumpy accepts more and more animals on his boat until the inevitable occurs.

MUFARO'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS: AN AFRICAN TALE

Steptoe, John, retold and illustrated by

Mufaro's two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go before the king, who is choosing a wife.

MUNCHA! MUNCHA! MUNCHA!

Fleming, Candace

After planting the garden he has dreamed of for years, Mr. McGreely tries to find a way to keep some persistent bunnies from eating all his vegetables.

MY FRIEND RABBIT

Rohmann, Eric

Something always seems to go wrong when Rabbit is around, but Mouse lets him play with his toy plane anyway because he is his good friend.

THE NAPPING HOUSE

Wood, Audrey

In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite. Illustrated by Don Wood.

NO, DAVID!

Shannon, DAVID

A young boy is depicted doing a variety of naughty things for which he is repeatedly admonished, but finally he gets a hug.

OFF TO SCHOOL, BABY DUCK!

Hest, Amy

Baby Duck experiences the fear of the first day of school, but with a little help from Grampa, everything turns out okay in the end.

OLD BLACK FLY

Aylesworth, Jim

Rhyming text and illustrations follow a mischievous old black fly through the alphabet as he has a very busy bad day landing where he should not be.

OLIVIA

Falconer, Ian

Whether at home getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach, or at bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good.

OWEN

Henkes, Kevin

Owen's parents try to get him to give up his favorite blanket before he starts school, but when their efforts fail, they come up with a solution that makes everyone happy.

PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME

Carle, Eric

Monica's father fulfills her request for the moon by taking it down after it is small enough to carry, but it continues to change in size. Some pages fold out to display particularly large pictures.

PIERRE: A CAUTIONARY TALE

Sendak, Maurice

The story of a boy who learned to care.

THE POLAR EXPRESS

Van Allsburg, Chris

A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus.

PUSS IN BOOTS

Perrault, Charles

Translation of Chat botte´ illustrated by Fred Marcellino.

ARNOLD LOBEL BOOK OF MOTHER GOOSE (originally THE RANDOM HOUSE BOOK OF MOTHER GOOSE: A TREASURY OF 386 TIMELESS NURSERY RHYMES)

Lobel, Arnold

An illustrated collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes, including well-known ones such as "Bah, Bah, Black Sheep" and "Little Boy Blue" and less familiar ones such as "Doctor Foster went to Gloucester" and "When clouds appear like rocks and towers." Selected and illustrated by Arnold Lobel.

ROUND TRIP

Jonas, Ann

Black and white illustrations and text record the sights on a day trip to the city and back home again to the country.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN

Zelinsky, Paul O.

A strange little man helps the miller's daughter spin straw into gold for the king on the condition that she will give him her first-born child. Retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

THE SNOWY DAY

Keats, Ezra Jack

A story of a young boy explores the magic world of snow -- snowball fight, snowman making, sliding down the snow way, etc. He loves the snow fall.

SPOTS, FEATHERS AND CURLY TAILS

Tafuri, Nancy

Questions and answers highlight some outstanding characteristics of farm animals, such as a chicken's feathers and a horse's mane.

THE STORY OF FERDINAND

Leaf, Munro

The story of a bull that would rather sit quietly under a tree than fight.

THE STRAY DOG

Marc, Simont

A family befriends a stray dog, names him Willy, and decides to keep him. From a true story by Reiko Sassa.

STREGA NONA

De Paola, Tomie

A retelling of an old Italian tale about what happens when Strega Nona leaves her apprentice alone with her magic pasta pot, and he is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

SWIMMY

Lionni, Leo

Swimmy, the only black fish of the entire school, devises for himself and his adopted brothers and sisters a safer way to live in the sea.

SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE

Steig, William

In a moment of fright Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock but then can not hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again.

THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT

Potter, Beatrix

Peter disobeys his mother by going into Mr. McGregor's garden and almost gets caught.

TAR BEACH

Ringgold, Faith

A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. Based on the author's quilt painting of the same name.

TEN, NINE, EIGHT

Bang, Molly

A girl and her father count down to bedtime.

THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY

Tabak, Simms

Presents the traditional version of a famous American folk poem first heard in the U.S. in the 1940s with illustrations on die-cut pages that reveal all that the old lady swallows.

THE THREE BEARS

Galdone, Paul

Three bears return from a walk and find a little girl asleep in baby bear's bed.

TRASHY TOWN

Zimmerman, Andrea Griffing

Little by little, can by can, Mr. Gillie, the trash man, cleans up his town.

THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS BY A. WOLF

Scieszka, John

The wolf gives his own outlandish version of what really happened when he tangled with the three little pigs. Illustrated by Lane Smith.

TUESDAY

Wiesner, David

Frogs rise on their lily pads, float through the air, and explore the nearby houses while their inhabitants sleep.

UPTOWN

Bryan, Collier

A tour of the sights of Harlem, including the Metro-North Train, brownstones, shopping on 125th Street, a barber shop, summer basketball, the Boy's Choir, and sunset over the Harlem River.

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Carle, Eric

Follows the progress of a little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep.

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS

Zelinsky, Paul O., adapted and illustrated by

Through the use of movable illustrations, the wheels on the bus go round, the wipers swish, the doors open and close and the people go in and out in this adaptation of the traditional song.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

Sendak, Maurice

After Max was sent to bed for misbehaving, he escapes by imagining that he sails away to a wild land full of monsters.

WHERE'S SPOT?

Hill, Eric

It's time for supper, so Spot's mother searches for him.

WHISTLE FOR WILLIE

Keats, Ezra Jack

A little Black boy tries very hard to learn how to whistle for his dog.

THE WOLF’S CHICKEN STEW

Kasza, Keiko

A hungry wolf's attempts to fatten a chicken for his stewpot have unexpected results.

YOKO

Wells, Rosemary

When Yoko brings sushi to school for lunch, her classmates make fun of what she eats--until one of them tries it for himself.

ZOMO THE RABBIT: A TRICKSTER TALE FROM WEST AFRICA

McDermott, Gerald, retold and illustrated by

Zomo the Rabbit, an African trickster, sets out to gain wisdom.