Classic picture books
Favourite stories that are too good to miss!
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1990s: featured titles
Our complete list of classic picture books from the 1990s
Baseball Bats for Christmas
Michael Kusugak
Never having seen trees, the children in Repulse Bay, Nunavut, decide that the funny things sent them one year must be baseball bats.
Martha Speaks
Susan Meddaugh
When she wins a call-in radio contest, Martha-the-talking-dog and her family go for a vacation and manage to change the "no dogs allowed" policy.
Max's Dragon Shirt
Rosemary Wells
On a shopping trip to the department store, Max's determination to get a dragon shirt leads him away from his distracted sister and into trouble.
Officer Buckle and Gloria
Peggy Rathmann
The children at Napville Elementary School always ignore Officer Buckle's safety tips, until a police dog named Gloria accompanies him when he gives his safety speeches.
Owl Babies
Martin Waddell
Three owl babies whose mother has gone out in the night try to stay calm while she is gone.
The Rainbow Fish
Marcus Pfister
A vain, lonely rainbow fish relinquishes his pride and gives away almost all of his special shiny scales to gain friends.
Stellaluna
Janell Cannon
After she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother.
Tuesday
David Wiesner
Frogs rise on their lily pads, float through the air and explore nearby houses while everyone sleeps.
1980s: featured titles
Our complete list of classic picture books from the 1980s
Alfie Gets in First
Shirley Hughes
Alfie accidentally locks his mother and baby sister Annie Rose outside and can't reach the latch to let them in. Soon the whole neighbourhood is involved in getting the door open.
Chester's Way
Kevin Henkes
Chester and Wilson do things exactly the same way until Lilly moves into the neighborhood and shows them that new ways can be just as good.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Bill Martin Jr.
A catchy, rhyming chant relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree. Illustrated by Lois Ehlert
Doctor De Soto
William Steig
Dr. De Soto, a mouse dentist, copes with the toothaches of various animals except those with a taste for mice, until the day a fox comes to him in great pain.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Laura Joffe Numeroff
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. Illustrated by Felicia Bond
Mister Magnolia
Quentin Blake
Mister Magnolia is a wonderfully lovable comic character who has all kinds of possessions - but only one boot.
Mortimer
Robert Munsch
It's Mortimer's bedtime, but he would much rather sing his rowdy song. Mom, Dad and even the police can't get him to quiet down, until they become so distracted by each other that Mortimer drifts off to sleep.
The Polar Express
Chris Van Allsburg
A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa.
Where's Spot?
Eric Hill
Very young children will love lifting the flaps and following the search for Spot in his first and most famous adventure.
1970s: featured titles
Our complete list of classic picture books from the 1970s
The Caboose Who Got Loose
Bill Peet
Katy Caboose is tired of being last, and one day a freak accident allows her to realize her dream of peace and solitude.
The Church Mouse
Graham Oakley
A lonely mouse living in a church with only a friendly, sleepy cat for company devises a plan to get all the mice in town to move in with him.
Each Peach Pear Plum
Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Rhymed text and illustrations invite the reader to play "I Spy" with a variety of characters from folklore and Mother Goose rhymes.
Freight Train
Donald Crews
Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colourful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities and over trestles.
Frog and Toad are Friends
Arnold Lobel
It is time for Frog and Toad to begin a whole new year together as best friends. From their search for Toad's lost button to a summertime swimming adventure, they are always there for each other.
George and Martha
James Marshall
Relates several episodes in the friendship of two hefty hippos.
Ira Sleeps Over
Bernard Waber
A little boy is excited at the prospect of spending the night at his friend's house but worries how he'll get along without his teddy bear. 
Mr. Gumpy's Outing
John Burningham
Despite Mr. Gumpy's warnings to the many animals and children on his barge, the outing turns soggy when the boat capsizes.
1960s: featured titles
Our complete list of classic picture books from the 1960s
Amelia Bedelia
Peggy Parish
A literal-minded housekeeper causes chaos in the Rogers' household when she attempts to make sense of some instructions.
Bread and Jam for Frances
Russell Hoban
Frances decides she likes to eat only bread and jam at every meal until, to her surprise, her parents grant her wish.
Corduroy
Don Freeman
A teddy bear explores the wonders of a department store late at night as he looks for a lost button.
Petunia
Roger Duvoisin
A silly goose walks around the barnyard with a book, believing it will make her look wise.
Rosie's Walk
Pat Hutchins
Although unaware that a fox is after her as she takes a walk around the farmyard, Rosie the hen still manages to lead him into one accident after another.
The Snowy Day
Ezra Jack Keats
The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle
Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep.
Where the Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak
Max is sent to bed without supper and imagines sailing away to the land of Wild Things, where he is made king.
1950s: featured titles
Our complete list of classic picture books from the 1950s
The Cat in the Hat
Dr. Seuss
A visiting cat arrives at the house, bringing fun and magic to a brother and sister's cold, rainy day.
Crictor
Tomi Ungerer
A boa constrictor named Crictor arrives in a small French town and becomes the much-loved pet of Madame Bodot.
Danny and the Dinosaur
Syd Hoff
A little boy is surprised and pleased when one of the dinosaurs from the museum agrees to play with him.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Crockett Johnson
Harold goes for an adventurous walk in the moonlight with his purple crayon.
Harry, the Dirty Dog Gene Zion
When a white dog with black spots runs away from home, he gets so dirty his family doesn't recognize him as a black dog with white spots.
Little Bear
Else Holmelund Minarik
First in a series of easy readers about Little Bear, Mother Bear and other woodland friends. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak.
Little Blue and Little Yellow
Leo Lionni
A little blue spot and a little yellow spot are best friends, and when they hug each other they become green.
A Tree is Nice
Janice May Udry
A celebration of all the wonderful things a tree provides.
1940s: featured titles
Our complete list of classic picture books from the 1940s
Caps for Sale
Esphyr Slobodkina
A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while the unsuspecting man naps under a tree.
The Carrot Seed
Ruth Krauss
Despite everyone's dire predictions, a little boy has faith in the carrot seed he plants.
Curious George
H.A. Rey
The curiosity of a newly-captured monkey gets him into considerable trouble.
Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown
A little rabbit says goodnight to everything and everyone in his moonlit room.
Horton Hatches the Egg
Dr. Seuss
It's the talk of the jungle when an elephant hatches an egg.
Make Way for Ducklings
Robert McCloskey
The busy Boston streets are too dangerous for eight little ducklings! But with a little help from a friendly policeman, Mrs. Mallard and her family arrive safely at their new home.
It Looked Like Spilt Milk
Charles G. Shaw
"Sometimes it looked like a sheep. But it wasn't a sheep." So what was it? In this imaginative book, a cloud appears to be a bird, a tree, an ice-cream cone and other objects familiar to children.
Stone Soup
Marcia Brown
When three hungry soldiers come to a town where all the food has been hidden, they set out to make soup of water and stones, and all the town enjoys a feast.
1930s: featured titles
Our complete list of classic picture books from the 1930s
And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
Dr. Seuss
A boy imagines a series of incredible sights on his way home from school so that he will have an interesting report to give his father.
The Little Engine that Could
Watty Piper
Although he is not very big, the Little Blue Engine agrees to try to pull a stranded train full of toys and food over the mountains.
Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain
Edward Ardizzone
Follows the adventures of a stowaway boy, including his friendship with captain and crew and near shipwreck during a violent storm.Madeline
Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline, smallest and naughtiest of the 12 little charges of Miss Clavel, wakes up one night with an attack of appendicitis.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Virginia Lee Burton
Mike Mulligan proves that, although dated, his steam shovel is still useful.
The Story About Ping
Marjorie Flack
A little duck finds adventure on the Yangtze River when he is too late to board his master's houseboat one evening.The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant
Ludwig Bemelmans
An orphaned baby elephant goes to live in the city with an old lady who gives him everything he wants, but he eventually returns to the forest where he is crowned king of the elephants.
The Story of Ferdinand
Munro Leaf
Ferdinand likes to sit quietly and smell the flowers, but one day he gets stung by a bee and his snorting and stomping convince everyone that he is the fiercest of bulls.
1920-1929: featured titles
Millions of Cats
Wanda Gag
How can an old man and his wife select one cat from a choice of millions and trillions? 
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Beatrix Potter
Peter disobeys his mother by going into Mr. McGregor's garden and almost gets caught.