Let me begin by expressing my deep love for children’s books. I love the stories, illustrations, and the love & labor poured into creating them. Through preschool teaching, nannying, & mom-ing I’ve been exposed to some amazing books over the years. I’ve shared elsewhere about great chapter books to read aloud to your kids and great early reader series for your child to try out.

But today? Today is all about picture books.

What’s included in this list?

This post is a source I created that I’ve wanted in the past: A collection of books created by the parents/caregivers in the trenches (not random journalists or sellers) who have actually read the children’s books to their little ones day-in and day-out for years on end.

I like to shape our family library intentionally with a variety of characters, authors, illustration styles, and messages. But what I’ve listed today are not my favorite books that we own, but theirs. The ones my boys have gravitated to all on their own and never seem to get tired of.

(With the partial exception of the baby books because…they can’t talk for most of that year. For babes, I went off of how long the eye-contact lasted & whether they started fussing too much mid-book ;)).

This list is broken down by age, but of course that’s fluid. My nearly-5-year-old still requests and sits still on occasion for the board books listed for babies, and your toddler may want something far beyond the preschool books listed here. Do what works for your family!

Kids have such varying preferences and interests when it comes to their books & stories. I mean, duh. Little people are just people, and for goodness sakes we all have very different tastes in book genres, right? What my sons have LOVED and obsessed over may not captivate or spark joy in your children…but you never know!

Babies (newborn-12 months)

Senses & Sentiment: Give me all the flaps, bright colors, and cheesy books about family love. All of the books in this section are the board book version.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram

Oh this book. I love it to the moon, and back. I’m confident I’m not the only parent that has shed a few tears while reading this book to their new baby!

Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd

This would end up being great foreshadowing for my eldest that is truly always running away (to the next exciting thing) every time he is awake. My son will still request this sometimes.

Little Red Penguin: Colors written & illustrated by Angela Muss

My husband’s cousin & wife gave us this book when our oldest was a baby, and it was an immediate hit. It was the only thing that would keep my crawling babe on my lap during church services for awhile there. Animals, colors, flaps, and all the “things that go”…yes, yes, yes. It’s been loved to death and I’ve found it difficult to find a replacement copy! On the hunt…

The Very Hungry Caterpillar written & illustrated by Eric Carle

Everyone knows this classic. My babies have really loved poking their tiny fingers into the holes, or “bites” made by this very hungry caterpillar. I can’t find either of our versions but I have no doubt all of you can visualize it in your mind without the picture.

1-2 Year Olds

Sounds & Categories: Let’s learn animals, colors & rhymes

Fisher-Price Little People Lift the Flap Cars, Trucks, Planes, and Trains

Family members bought this for my oldest son and it has gotten so much love with both boys…far past the baby stage. The flaps are irresistible for little hands, and my kids love anything with wheels. There are other versions available, too (farm, zoo, school, etc.)

Bonus: It teaches shapes, counting, colors, and more.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd

Before I had kids I wondered why this book was so popular; how had it withstood the test of time when many other great bedtime books hadn’t? I still don’t have an answer. I just know that it’s catnip for young toddlers- mine, at least.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle

This is another one of my toddler’s top books right now. He goes through phases with sitting still for books// running wild and having zero interest. However, this book (ANIMALS! COLORS! VERY FEW WORDS!) is always a crowd-pleaser. He loves to go to that page at the end that lists all the animals and see if he can name the color and animal.

Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton

My toddler (both kids, actually) had a MAJOR phase of loving this book- and ONLY this book. It’s been read a loooot. It reads quickly, too, which is great for little ones’ short attention spans.

First 100 Books by Roger Priddy

There are several versions of this book: we have First 100 Words, First 100 Trucks & Things that Go, & First 100 Animals. They are all so loved that the covers and backs are gone but the kids refuse to move them off the shelf. When little else will hold my toddler’s attention, he will crawl up in my lap and go over these pictures.

Full disclosure: Before having children I didn’t understand these publications…just pictures? No story or illustrations? But I have changed my tune. These are FANTASTIC for toddlers. My son has improved his verbal skills significantly, I’m convinced, while asking & hearing about the various animals, objects, and cars.

Little Blue Truck & Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

I don’t know how many times we’ve read these books in our home, but I do know that my preschooler can very easily “read” [quote verbatim] both versions to my toddler…which is a win-win situation in my book! The farm animals in the original and the various vehicles in the second are just all that my two year old wants in his life. This second version is especially fun for my boys, having lived in big cities most of their little lives.

Bonus: The stories teach wonderful lessons!

2-3 Year Olds: Rhyming, Repetition, My Place in the World

Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney

Anna Dewdney is a mother, and it shows. The plots & dilemmas in these books are so relatable and sweet. The rhymes and humorous illustrations are hard to resist.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

We are on our second copy of this book because the first was loved to death. My toddler is obsessed with all construction vehicles and this book is his love language. The illustrations are fantastic, and the story expertly bounces from happy and upbeat to quieting down for bed.

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

These silly monkeys get into so much mischief together. The illustrations jump right off the page with the motion & facial expressions. [Pun not intended] Singing the song ensures my toddler will stay engaged the whole time; although he may also be jumping on the couch throughout.

This classic version is their favorite, but they also enjoy when the monkeys wash their car, go trick-or-treating, go shopping, or take a picnic.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

This book is great for learning letters, or just stomping around mimicking the “BOOM BOOM” (speaking from our own experience). It ages well with kids because the more they learn about letters, the more they want to come back & read this classic.

Maisy Books by Lucy Cousins

MAISY. Lucy Cousins is a genius as far as I’m concerned. There are very few books that hold the attention of both my 2 year old and 4 year old simultaneously, and with equal enthusiasm. These books fit that category. The clean, fun drawings and simple, matching words captivate my children. I could go on and on about these books. Every single one has been a hit for my boys (and there are quite a few).

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Dan Hanna

Under-the-sea creatures, vibrant illustrations, and best of all…the opportunity to say “blub, blub, bluuuuub” on repeat.

3-4 Year Olds: Sequence/Consequences, Silly Series

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper, new art by Loren Long

My kids have a deep love for trains. I think they get it from my grandpa. Although lengthy, the repetition in the writing & beautiful illustrations make it easy to sit through! We’ve had a few different versions of this classic tale but this one is by far all of our favorite.

Pete the Cat books by James Dean

These books are right up there with the Maisy series as far as entertaining a toddler and a preschooler simultaneously. The illustrations are funny! Something about this series really grabs their attention. Despite how grumpy Pete always looks, my kids find him so lovable!

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

Everyone knows this book. It was a favorite of mine in elementary school, and apparently it’s transferred over well to the next generation. Animals, food, hilarious consequences… it’s a clear recipe for book success. My son also likes If You Give a Moose a Muffin and the other books in this series.

Curious George by H.A. Rey & Margaret Rey

Curious George books have been on repeat here for a consistent 3 years. My son never tires of them. He loves the different places George goes as well as the silly predicaments George finds himself in. The classic, new series, and “adapted from TV” installments are all loved equally in our home.

Heads Up: We do some on-the-spot parent editing for the very oldest books in the series. Every once in awhile a line strikes us as outdated or culturally inappropriate (sexist, pro-colonization). The newer books don’t have these problems.

Clifford by Normal Bridwell

Clifford the Big Red Dog! We have a lot of these books (the older and newer versions). Like Curious George, Clifford has been around for awhile– the book on the left was my mom’s when she was little. My son really likes the Easter & Christmas Clifford stories.

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

This book was a gift from Paul’s grad school peers. It’s been so loved in our home. The illustrations are so unique. My son gets the biggest kick out of the story itself. The writing is beautiful, and its repetition allows for my son to quote it easily. He frequently chooses this book off the shelf and always gets off the couch to imitate those silly monkeys.

What do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry

These pages are filled to the brims with hilarious characters, silly scenes, and details for days. My sister gave it to us, and the spine is falling off from use. For any child that’s curious about how the world works, this book will be a surefire win. Included are funny stories about: how to bake bread, how to build a road, electricity, how plants grow, how clothes are made, and more. If we go on a trip and only bring one book, it’s this one. There are SO MANY stories jam-packed inside and they are all beloved favorites.

4-5 Year Olds: Series with Emotional Depth & Tons of Information

The Berenstain Bears by Stan & Jan Berenstain

These books have been entertaining children & teaching life lessons for decades. I loved them as a child, my kids at school liked them, and now my preschooler is captivated too. It’s a surprising amount of text compared to some other picture books, but he doesn’t have a problem sitting still for them. I love how there’s a book for each milestone or childhood event. For example, The Berenstain Bear book about getting shots at the doctor was so helpful before vaccinations!

Froggy series by Jonathan London, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

These are just pure fun. The sound effects, hilarious animations, and silly stories are major hits here. We faithfully check out at least 2 Froggy books every library visit.

Franklin series by Paulette Bourgeois, illustrated by Brenda Clark

I feel like Franklin does for 4-6 year olds what Daniel Tiger does for 2-4 year olds: process emotions and uncomfortable situations in a helpful way. Franklin is sometimes scared, frustrated, sad, or disappointed. I think the various animal characters are part of what make it interesting for my son, too.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett

I saw the 2009 movie before I ever read this original book. The styles of drawings and tone of the story are vastly different in movie version vs. book. The book is pretty dry and matter-of-fact while the movie was silly and over-the-top. This is another book with quite a bit of text, but my son is easily able to sit still for it. The concept of food falling from the sky is pretty spectacular. This story has never been an obsession, but more of a consistent friend that my son has picked out every few weeks (over several years).

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

This book is very popular, and for good reason. Most kids love colors, crayons, and inanimate objects coming to life. The personality infused in the writing is infectious. The sequel The Day the Crayons Came Home is also a big hit and makes my son laugh out loud.

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst, illustrated by Geoff Stevenson

This book was gifted by their aunt, who’d enjoyed having it in her elementary classroom. It was especially poignant for my children since we’ve always lived so far from grandparents, cousins, and aunts & uncles. The concept has stuck, and he and I still talk about “the invisible string” that connects us now that he goes to preschool during the day.

Cars, Trains, Ships & Planes Smithsonian Discovery Kids

Transportation has been a long-term Great Love for my kiddos (a la Win a Date with Tad Hamilton). Grandma bought this when my oldest was still a toddler, assuming he’d grow into it someday… but the pictures have captivated him from the start! Now as he’s older he loves hearing the captions and details about each and every bicycle, cruise ship, steam train, and race car.

Whatever your child’s Great Love, it’s never too early to have a massive encyclopedia-style book on their topic of choice!

Look Inside Your Body Usborne

My son loves that he can more-or-less “read” this book on his own, after several in-depth times reading it with with mom & dad. By “read” I mean he knows the basic deal with what each picture is showing.

The pictures are fantastic and it’s full of great facts that I didn’t even know. Who doesn’t want to know more about how their body works?? The flap-lifting keeps my son busy for quite awhile.

Katie’s Picture Show by James Mayhew

The entire Katie series by Mayhew is awesome. I remember these books read to the PreK/K kids when I was in the classroom, and my own preschooler has really taken to them as well. He often requests this as a bedtime story.

Katie is spunky and bold and not afraid to get into all sorts of trouble! He’s learned a lot about artists, museums, paintings, and different countries through these books, too.

The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen

Edutainment at its finest. My son makes sure I never miss any of the text bubbles & extra pictures and information on the sides…which can make for pretty lengthy reading sessions. He’s learned so much about weather, bats, dinosaurs, hurricanes, and more.

A Final Thought on Children’s Books:

Building a collection at home can add up and become pricy very quickly! Little hands can be pretty rough on books during the early years (at least in my home). We rely heavily on thrift stores/used bookstores to build out our home library. And of course (depending on your COVID situation) there is always the local library. Once you get a feel for what your child loves, you can confidently invest in a few Brand New books via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. or request them from loved ones for birthdays & holiday gifts.

What children’s books are most beloved in your homes by your babies, toddlers & preschoolers?

Let me know in the comments below!

Cover photo by Annie Spratt from Pixabay

Be sure to check out our other posts on books & stories for kids!