My Favorite Picture Books From Childhood
Picture books were my first window into the magic of storytelling—where vibrant illustrations and simple, yet profound narratives sparked my imagination and shaped my love for reading and eventually for writing my own picture books. In this post, I’m excited to share some of my all-time favorite picture books from childhood—stories that continue to inspire me and remind me of the great joy found in those early reading adventures.
There are reasons why I decided to become a picture book author. I suppose the most obvious one is that I enjoyed reading them as a kid. I had many favorites.
As I’ve returned to some of these picture books in recent years, I’m impressed by how there is still something in these stories that draws me back as an adult.
So, I’ve compiled a list below of my 10 favorite picture books from childhood! I’m keeping it to 10 books, and I’m keeping it to just picture books (so no early readers, like the Dr. Suess books, and no chapter books, like Frog and Toad).
My picture book years were in the 1990s, so most of these titles are going to be influenced by that timeframe (and before).
Regardless, these stories offer timeless themes that continue to ring into relevancy years after their first publication. I gather that’s why they have still earn their places on children’s bookshelves.
Reflecting on picture books that have made an impact on child-me is a fun dive into nostalgia. At the same time, it’s encouraged me to connect back to why they resonated with me then and why they still do today.
So, here it is – 10 picture books that I loved then and now. These are ones you and your kids can still buy from your local bookstores to add to your own shelf. (Read till the end to see my #1 favorite!)
A Bad Case of Stripes | Written and illustrated by David Shannon. 1998. Publisher: Blue Sky Press | Scholastic.
Shannon’s story about the pressures of conformity still stands strong long after its first publishing. Part of the reason is surely the outrageous predicament Shannon places his young protagonist in.
Camilla just wants to fit in and worries what other people think of her. But she has a rude awakening on her first day of school: She’s covered in stripes from head to toe!
Through the story, repeated teasing and name-calling turn Camilla’s body into a billboard for all sorts of designs, which creates a stir for the other kids in her class and for her many medical specialists.
Her dilemma progresses until she is a concoction of colors, feathers, branches, and tentacles!
The story reaches an optimistic note (and cure) by the end as Camilla learns that it’s more important to be comfortable with who she is rather than “fitting in”.
The word count may be a bit long compared to most modern picture books, but Shannon’s narration remains expertly paced.
As a kid, I remember this being a fun read aloud and enjoyed the crazy, zany things Camilla turned into. Shannon’s work remains an outpour of creativity and a literary anchor in the kidlit zeitgeist.
Chrysanthemum | Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. 1991. Publisher: Greenwillow Books.
Chrysanthemum is cherished by her parents and lives a charmed life. When she’s old enough, she learns to love her “perfect name”. That is, until she is given trouble for it at school.
Girls in her class pick on Chrysanthemum, saying her name is too long and that she’s only named after a flower. All of which causes Chrysanthemum to wrestle between being proud and ashamed of her once perfect name.
The story reaches a climax when the beloved and expecting music teacher, Miss Twinkle, confides to
the girls she is also named after a flower – Delphinium. She loves the name Chrysanthemum and thinks it’s perfect for her new baby. This causes the bullies to quickly change their tune.
I always admired the sweet-natured spirit of Chrysanthemum. I also remember enjoying Henkes’ bright, whimsical illustrations. The book’s message was compelling to my young self. Today, I admire it even more – Be proud of and true to who you are!
Guess How Much I Love You | Written by Sam McBratney. Illustrated by Anita Jeram. 1994. Publisher: Walker Books | Candlewick Press.
On first look, this is a simple book. But on a closer read, its message is profound. McBratney accomplishes the near-impossible by successfully showing his young readers the unlimited love a parent has for their child.
It’s a heartwarming back and forth as we watch Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare describe how much they love one another. Each time, the
greatness of their love grows. When Little Nutbrown Hare thinks he’s shown the greatest testament of his love that he can, Big Nutbrown Hare quietly returns his love with something even greater.
This story is one of my oldest memories of enjoying a picture book. The reading experience was like being wrapped in a warm hug. Today, its message still beats true. I can see why this book stands the test of time (and why it has even been given its own spin-off TV show!).
The Velveteen Rabbit | Written by Margery Williams. Illustrated by William Nicholson. 1922. Publisher: George H. Doran Company.
The Velveteen Rabbit is a literary classic. Most people in the U.S. have probably read a version of this story. It’s been republished multiple times since its original 1922 release.
A velveteen rabbit plush is gifted to a little boy. The Velveteen Rabbit soon makes friends with a wise old rocking horse who shares that with enough love, the rabbit may someday become “real”. Over time, the Velveteen Rabbit and the boy form a close bond.
But when the boy becomes ill (scarlet fever?), the rabbit is cast aside, now considered germ-ridden. Ultimately, because of his love and devotion to the boy, he is transformed into a real bunny, left to live out his days in the forest.
I think younger me was fascinated by this story. I could easily connect to the idea of bonding with a
beloved stuffed animal; it was an exciting thought to think that with enough love, one of them could come to life. The only thing I would have changed then was the ending; to have the Velveteen Rabbit and the boy continue to live together, with many more days of play.
Today, I recognize the undercurrent of this story: Being “real” is not about being perfect or new, or a bouncing bunny with actual hind legs. It’s found in the beauty of being truly loved and being able to love in return. Its message lives eternally in my heart.
Something From Nothing | Written and illustrated by Phoebe Gilman. 1992. Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
When Joseph is born, his grandfather makes him a wonderful blanket. However, told in a refrain that takes hold throughout the story, “as Joseph grows older, the wonderful blanket grows older too.” Before long, the blanket is worn and tattered, and his mother tells him to throw it out. But Joseph has Grandpa fix it. And with its material, Grandpa turns it into a jacket.
Grandpa turns Joseph’s wonderful blanket into a myriad of things as time goes by: From a jacket, down to a button. After the button, Joseph lovingly takes matters into his own hands.
Gilman’s story is based on a Jewish folktale. She breathed new life into the folktale and her illustrations enriched it even further. You see various floors of Joseph’s family home and vivid depictions of the town he lives in. In each chapter of the blanket’s life, these scenes change over time. I especially loved how in each variation of the blanket’s life, the mice on the bottom floor use the fabric scraps to further embellish their own home.
I remember having mixed feelings reading this story as a child. I admired how Grandpa would help Joseph keep the connection to his once beloved blanket, but I also felt sad when the blanket had to change.
This book is a tender story of the enduring family bond, but also how time and change are inevitable, and with it, comes pain and acceptance. This is a theme that spoke to my child self and continues to resonate with me as an adult.
The Mitten | Written and illustrated by Jan Brett. 1989. Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.
Nikki asks his grandma (Baba) to knit him white mittens. In the middle of a winter day, Baba warns that Nikki is sure to lose his mittens in the white snow.
Sure enough, on Nikki’s outing, one mitten falls. But it’s not long until forest animals begin to move into the snug, cozy mitten. One by one, a mole, a rabbit,
a badger, and many more creatures (a bear...?) find their way inside it. They remain scrunched together until a snafu emits them all from their little haven.
This story is humorous and sweet. And it involves a cast of adorable animals – How could young-me resist?? Even as I read this story today, I laugh out loud watching the mitten stretch to improbable proportions. I also have a new appreciation for the illustrations; through mitten-shaped lenses, we get to see both Nikki’s day and each animal’s journey to finding the mitten. This is one of the most precious books on this list.
The Runaway Bunny | Written by Margaret Wise Brown. Illustrated by Clement Hurd. 1942. Publisher: Harper & Brothers. Later, HarperCollins.
Margaret Wise Brown delivers a timeless tale in her telling of a little bunny determined to run away and his mother’s resolve to follow him.
We follow mother and son bunny through different machinations of what the runaway bunny would become and what the mother would become to
follow him. The situations become more playful and imaginative as the story moves along, until coming full circle, when the runaway thinks to become a little boy in a house. It’s natural to think what the mother becomes to follow him there...
Brown’s story is skillfully complemented by Clement Hurd’s creative visuals, which have captivated me since I was very young. Teetering between detailed black and white vignettes and full-color spreads, Hurd’s drawings contribute to the pace of Brown’s lyrical narrative.
Much like another story on this list (Guess How Much I Love You) this is a touching book about a parent’s unending love for their child. And no matter where their child may go in life, that love will follow.
Blueberries for Sal | Written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. 1948. Publisher: The Viking Press.
Sal and her mother go looking for blueberries on Blueberry Hill to can for the winter. But Sal can never keep blueberries in her pale for long! “Kerplink!” “Kerplank!” “Kerplunk!”
As it happens, a mother bear and her cub are also looking for blueberries on the same hill to eat their fill for the winter.
We have a humorous mix up when Sal is separated from her mother and finds mother bear. The same thing happens to the cub who, after being separated from mother bear, finds Sal’s mother instead.
Robert McCloskey creates a fun-filled story that invites his readers to join in the happy romp through Blueberry hill. All is righted by the end, and we cheer for Sal who has, by that time, had her share of adventure and fill of berries.
Sal was easily relatable to my young self, who understood perfectly well why she prioritized eating the blueberries rather than saving them in her pale. Reading McCloskey’s story now, I recognize a master of his craft, who successfully created a seemingly simple, light-hearted tale that has continued to resonate with children for more than 75 years after its first publishing.
The Rainbow Fish | Written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister. 1992. Publisher: NordSüd Verlag | North-South Books.
This story was one of my absolute favorites. The message was digestible enough. But… the real reason I loved this book? The genius layers of holographic foil that dappled the illustrations. They made up the sparkling scales of the Rainbow Fish, and I was mesmerized.
The Rainbow Fish is the story of a fish who is admired as the most beautiful fish in the sea. However, when another fish asks the Rainbow Fish to share one of his scales, he angrily refuses. This quickly diminishes his popularity. And soon afterwards, the Rainbow Fish becomes dissatisfied with his beauty because there is no one left to admire it.
When the Rainbow Fish meets an octopus (a wise elder character) who encourages him to share some of his beautiful scales, he initially resists. But once he begins to hand out the scales, he gains a new level of self satisfaction and renews his relationships with the other fish.
I have mixed feelings about this book today. I still think it’s a children’s classic and definitely worth picking up! It wouldn’t be on my list otherwise, and it was genuinely a book I loved as a child. But there are things to consider.
In recent years, The Rainbow Fish has received criticism for how the protagonist remedies the conflict: He gives up a part of himself to be accepted by the other fish. I don’t see the book’s message that black and white. Although, I think if the Rainbow Fish had an actual item/object rather than a part of his body that others coveted – and then he finally decided to share that with them by the end – the message would have been better served today. I also think the story would have been stronger if the Rainbow Fish had come to his own conclusions rather than another character telling him what he should do.
Writing this section, I realize I could write a whole piece on just The Rainbow Fish! But overall, as a kid, this was my favorite book on this entire list… With the exception of the book (my #1 favorite!) that I’m about to talk about next.
Stelaluna | Written and illustrated by Janell Cannon. 1993. Publisher: Clarion Books.
My favorite picture book from childhood.
Stelaluna is the story of a fruit bat who is separated from her mother at birth. It’s a dramatic getaway in the night that leaves her hanging all by her lonesome. Having no recollection of what’s happened, she’s soon taken in by a family of birds.
It’s then an ugly duckling situation as Stelaluna desperately tries to thrive as a bird. Eating bugs and,
against better judgement, leaning into her instinct to sleep from her feet. Her batty behavior gets her into all sorts of trouble with the parent birds who think she’s a bad influence on their other actual-bird children (who also try to hang from the branches).
Stelaluna is a humorous, light-hearted, and loving story of a bat discovering who she is and coming into her own. All the while, gaining perspective about what life is like as a bird; making unlikely friendships with her found siblings. The reunion with her mother, who has been looking for her through the duration of the book, is the cherry on top.
I’m not sure what in this book captivated me more as a child: Whether it was the illustrations that hit the perfect balance of playful whimsy and detailed realism, or the fun tale of mistaken identity… Reading the book now, I have a newfound appreciation for all the information about fruit bats that Cannon sprinkles throughout.
Everything about Stelaluna was and is great, and contributes to an excellent story that I still adore to this day.