100 Great Picture Books

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Compiled by the New York Public Library

Excerpted from: National Reading Council, Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children’s Reading Success, National Academy Press, Washington DC, 1999.

Abuela by Arthur Dorros. Illustrated by Elisa Kleven. Dutton.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. Illustrated by Ray Cruz. Atheneum.
Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett. Illustrated by Ron Barrett. Atheneum.
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel. Illustrated by Janet Stevens. Holiday House.
Andy and the Lion by Juan Daugherty. Viking.
Ben’s Trumpet by Rachel Isadora. Greenwillow.
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. Viking.
The Bossy Gallito: A Traditional Cuban Folk Tale retold by Lucia M. Gonzalez. Illustrated by Lulu Delacre. Scholastic.
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban. Illustrated by Lillian Hoban. Harper Collins.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. Illustrated by Eric Carle. Holt.
Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina. HarperCollins.
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss. Illustrated by Crockett Johnson. HarperCollins.
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams. Greenwillow.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr., and John Archambault. Illustrated by Lois Ehlert. Simon & Schuster.
Corduroy by Don Freeman. Viking.
Curious George by H.A. Rey. Houghton.
The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka H. Noble. Illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Dial.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. Simon & Schuster.
Doctor De Sota by William Steig. Farrar.
Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbery. Candlewick Press.
The Fortune-Tellers by Lloyd Alexander. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Dutton.
Freight Train by Donald Crews. Greenwillow.
George and Martha by James Marshall. Houghton.
Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley. Little, Brown.
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. Putnam.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret W. Brown. Illustrated by Clement Hurt. HaperCollins.
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say. Houghton.
Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch. Simon & Schuster.
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. Harper Collins.
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion. Illustrated by Margaret Graham. HarperCollins.
Henny Penny illustrated by Paul Galdone. Clarion.
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss. Random House.
I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly illustrated by Glen Rounds. Holiday House.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura J. Numeroff. Illustrated by Felicia Bond. HarperCollins.
Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue? An Adventure in Color by Tana Hoban. Greenwillow.
It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folktale retold and illustrated by Margot Zemach. Farrar.
John Henry by Julius Lester. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Dial.
The Judge: An Untrue Tale by Harve Zemach. Illustrated by Margot Zemach. Viking.
Julius by Angela Johnson. Illustrated by Dav Pilkey. Orchard.
Komodo! by Peter Sís. Greenwillow.
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus. Illustrated by Jose Aruego. HarperCollins.
Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni. Astor-Honor.
The Little Dog Laughed and Other Nursery Rhymes by Lucy Cousins. Dutton.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. Illustrated by Megan Lloyd. HarperCollins.
Little Red Riding Hood retold and illustrated by Paul Galdone. McGraw-Hill.
Lunch by Denise Fleming. Holt.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber. Houghton.
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. Viking.
Masie Goes Swimming by Lucy Cousins. Little, Brown.
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Viking.
Martha Calling by Susan Meddaugh. Houghton.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia L. Burton. Houghton.
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág. Putnam.
Miss Nelson Is Missing by Harry Allard and James Marshall. Illustrated by James Marshall. Houghton.
Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham. Holt.
The Monkey and the Crocodile retold and illustrated by Paul Galdone. Clarion.
Morris’ Disappearing Bag by Rosemary Wells. Dial.
Mouse Paint by Ellen S. Walsh. Harcourt.
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale retold and illustrated by John Steptoe. Lothrop.
Mushroom in the Rain adapted from the Russian of V. Suteyev by Mirra Ginsburg. Illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. Simon & Schuster.
The Napping House by Audrey Wood. Illustrated by Don Wood. Harcourt.
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann. Putnam.
Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth. Illustrated by Stephen Gammell. Holt.
Over in the Meadow by John Langstaff. Illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky. Harcourt.
Owen by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow.
Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle. Simon & Schuster.
Perez and Martina by Pura Belpré. Illustrated by Carlos Sanchez. Viking.
Pierre: A Cautionary Tale by Maurice Sendak. HarperCollins.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Houghton.
The Random House Book of Mother Goose: A Treasury of 186 Timeless Nursery Rhymes selected and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. Random House.
Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins. Simon & Schuster.
Round Trip by Ann Jonas. Greenwillow.
Rumpelstiltskin retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dutton.
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young. Putnam.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Viking.
Stone Soup retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown. Simon & Schuster.
The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff. Random House.
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. Illustrated by Robert Lawson. Viking.
Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola. Simon & Schuster.
Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dutton.
Swimmy by Leo Lionni. Knopf.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. Simon & Schuster.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Warne.
Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang. Greenwillow.
There’s a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer. Dial.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by P.C. Asbjfrnsen and J.E. Moe. Illustrated by Marcia Brown. Harcourt.
The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer. Atheneum.
Tikki Tikki Tembo retold by Arlene Mosel. Illustrated by Blair Lent. Holt.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf as told to John Scieszka. Illustrated by Lane Smith. Viking.
Tuesday by David Wiesner. Houghton.
Two of Everything: A Chinese Folktale retold and illustrated by Lily Toy Hong. Whitman.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Philomel.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt retold by Michael Rosen. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. McElderry.
The Wheels on the Bus adapted and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dutton.
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Diane Goode. Dutton.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. HarperCollins.
Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill. Putnam.
Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats. Viking.
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale retold by Verna Aardema. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Dial.
Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott. Harcourt.