Why Read 100 Picture Books?

One reason is because after reading 100 picture books, you will have a good sense as to what makes a good picture book. You’ll begin to see what makes a great and memorable character, and you’ll see how good writers make the most of only a few hundred words. This list is only a starting point, and contains older titles. Your local library will have many more titles to choose from.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – Judith Viorst
Walter the Farting Dog – William Kotzwinkle
Baseball Saved Us – Ken Mochizuki and Dom Lee
Smoky Night – Eve Bunting and David Diaz
Hachiko – The True Story of a Loyal Dog – Pamela S. Turner and Yan Nascimbene
Little Bear – Minarik and Sendak
Goodnight, Moon – Margaret Wise
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? – Bill Martin Jr
The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carle
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type – Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
Biscuit – Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Knuffle Bunny – Mo Willems
Fancy Nancy – O’Connor and Glasser
The Fabulous Bouncing Chowder – Peter Brown
Chowder – Peter Brown
The Gulps – Rosemary Wells
Henry’s Freedom Box – Ellen Levine
Moses – Carole Boston Weatherford
The Hello Goodbye Window – Norton Juster
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus – Mo Willems
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat – Simms Taback
In Daddy’s Arms I am Tall – Javaka Steptoe
Armando and the Blue Tarp School – Edith Hope Fine
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – Laura Joffe Numeroth
Jazz – Walter Dean Myers
Strega Nona – Tomie De Paolo
The Snowy Day – Ezra Jack Keats
How I Became a Pirate – Melinda Long
Pirates Don’t Change Diapers – Melinda Long
Alice the Fairy – David Shannon
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight – Jane Yolen
How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten – Jane Yolen
Owl Moon – Jane Yolen
Where the Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak
Earth Day Birthday – Patti Schnetzler
The Best Eid Ever – Asma Mobin-Uddin
Punk Wig – Lori Ries
Red, White, Blue Goodbye – Sarah Wones Tomp
Robots Everywhere – Denny Hebson
Anna the Bookbinder – Andrea Cheng
Clowns on Vacation – Nina Laden
Happy Birthday Lulu – Caroline Uff
Heat Wave – Helen Ketteman
Hello Lulu – Caroline Uff
Miss Malarky Won’t Be In Today – Judy Finchler
Naming the Cat – Laurence Pringle
Picky Mrs. Pickle – Christine M. Schneider
Little Yoga – Rebecca Whitford
The Velveteen Rabbit – Margery Williams
Tikki Tikki Tembo – Arlene Mosel
Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? – Bill Martin Jr.
That’s Good, That’s Bad – Margery Cuyler
In the Small, Small Pond – Denise Fleming
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? – Bill Martin Jr.
In the Tall, Tall Grass – Denise Fleming
The Colors of Us – Karen Katz
Mummy Math – Cindy Neuschwander
Lunch – Denise Fleming
Tracks in the Snow – Wong Herbert Lee
Knots on a Counting Rope – Bill Martin, Jr.
The Grateful Fred – Greg Trine
Mozart Finds a Melody – Stephen Costanza
Waiting for Baby – Harriet Ziefert