Reading Themes - > CLASSIC PICTURE BOOKS

Old & New Classic Picture Books at the Northville District Library

Asch, Frank. MOONCAKE. [Picture Book AS]
A bear builds a rocket to take him to the moon so he can taste it.

Baker, Keith. HIDE AND SNAKE. [Picture Book BA]
A brightly colored snake challenges readers to a game of hide and seek as he hides among familiar objects.

Bemelmans, Ludwig. MADELINE. [Picture Book BE]
Set in picturesque Paris, this tale of a brave little girl's trip to the hospital is as appealing today as it was in 1940. The combination of spirited heroine, timelessly appealing art, cheerful humor, and rhythmic text makes "Madeline" a perennial favorite with children of all ages.

Brett, Jan. THE MITTEN.  [Folklore/Fairytales B]
The story of Nicki, a young boy who has lost a mitten in the snow, and the curious menagerie of animals who try to make a home of it.

Briggs, Raymond. THE SNOWMAN. [Picture Book BR]
When his snowman comes to life, a little boy invites him into his home and in return is taken on a flight high above the countryside.

Brown, Margaret Wise. GOODNIGHT MOON. [Picture Book BR]
A gentle bedtime story as little rabbit says goodnight to each of the objects in the great green room: goodnight chairs, goodnight comb, goodnight moon.

Brown, Marica. STONE SOUP. [Folklore/Fairytales B]
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.

Brunhoff, Jean de. STORY OF BABAR. [Picture Book BR]
The classic tales of the elephant extraordinaire have thrilled generations of children. This first Babar adventure describes how he lost his mother and was crowned King of Elephants.

Burningham, John. MR. GUMPY’S OUTING. [Picture Book BU]
Mr. Gumpy accepts more and more riders on his boat until the inevitable occurs.

Burton, Virginia Lee. CHOO CHOO: THE STORY OF THE LITTLE ENGINE WHO RAN AWAY. [Picture Book BU]
A little engine decides it could be much faster without pulling all the other cars, so it takes off by itself.

Burton, Virginia Lee. LITTLE HOUSE. [Caldecott Picture Book BU]
Caldecott Medal-winning story about a cozy country home that passes through the seasons, becomes engulfed by urban sprawl and is subsequently restored to a suitably rural setting.

Burton, Virginia Lee. MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL. [Picture Book BU]
Since it was first published in 1939, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel has delighted generations of children. Mike and his trusty steam shovel, Mary Anne, dig deep canals for boats to travel through, cut mountain passes for trains, and hollow out cellars for city skyscrapers -- the very symbol of industrial America. But with progress come new machines, and soon the inseparable duo are out of work. Mike believes that Mary Anne can dig as much in a day as one hundred men can dig in a week, and the two have one last chance to prove it and save Mary Anne from the scrap heap. What happens next in the small town of Popperville is a testament to their friendship, and to old-fashioned hard work and ingenuity.

Carle, Eric. VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR. [Picture Book CA]
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, to emerge as something entirely different.

Cooney, Barbara. MISS RUMPHIUS. [Picture Book CO]
As a child Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the last being the most difficult of all.

Crews, Donald. FREIGHT TRAIN. [Picture Book CR]
Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.

Degen, Bruce. JAMBERRY.  [Picture Book DE]
They're off... a boy and an endearing, rhyme-spouting bear, who squires him through a fantastic world of berries. And their adventure comes to a razzamatazz finale under a starberry sky.

DePaola, Tomie. STREGA NONA: AN OLD TALE.  [Folklore/Fairytales D]
When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

DeRegniers, Beatrice Schenk. MAY I BRING A FRIEND? [Caldecott Picture Book DE]
In this Caldecott Award winning story, a well-mannered little boy, frequently invited to visit the king and queen, always asks to bring a friend--and the friends are always wild animals--and always well-behaved.

Ehlert, Lois. GROWING VEGETABLE SOUP. [Picture Book EH]
In pictures as bright as sunshine, a father and child share the simple joy of planting, watering, and watching seeds grow in the family garden.

Flack, Marjoire. ASK MR. BEAR. [Picture Book FL]
Ask Mr. Bear is all about a little boy who was hunting for a present. 'Good morning, Mrs. Hen, ' says Danny, 'can you give me something for my mother's birthday?' So he asks all the animals and nothing seems right for a present until at last he meets Mr. Bear. It is fun to guess what Mr. Bear whispered to Danny, and of course the last picture shows.

Flack, Marjorie. STORY ABOUT PING. [Picture Book FL]
The charming story of Ping, a Chinese duck, who lived on a house-boat

Fleming, Denise. BARNYARD BANTER. [Picture Book FL]
From pasture to hayloft, cows moo, kittens mew, hens cluck, and pigs muck. As energetic text filled with rhyming barnyard noises invite young readers to chime in. This exuberant picture book bursts with color, texture, and playful sounds.

Freeman, Don. CORDUROY.  [Picture Book FR]
A toy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but when a little girl finally buys him he finds what he has always wanted most of all.

Gag, Wanda. MILLIONS OF CATS. [Picture Book GA]
An enchanting tale of the very old man who sent off in search of one kitten and returned with hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.

Galdone, Paul. THREE LITTLE KITTENS. [Picture Book GA]
Galdone's bold and colorful illustrations, combined with the comforting cadence of the text, will captivate young children.

Henkes, Kevin. CHRYSANTHEMUM. [Picture Book HE]
Chrysanthemum loved her name . . . until she went to school. "I'm named after my grandmother", said Victoria. "You're named after a flower". Chrysanthemum wilted. Nothing got any better--until the students met their music teacher, Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle.

Henkes, Kevin. LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE. [Picture Book HE]
Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait a while before showing her new purse, she does something for which she is very sorry later.

Hill, Eric. WHERE’S SPOT? [Picture Book HI]
Spot's mother searches for the irascible puppy at dinnertime. Where could he be? Includes fun lift-flaps.

Holabird, Katherine. ANGELINA BALLERINA. [Picture Book HO]
Angelina loves to dance and wants to become a ballerina more than anything else in the world.

Johnson, Crockett. HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON. [Picture Book JO]
An ingenious and original picture story in which a small boy out for a walk--happily with crayon in hand--draws himself some wonderful adventures.

Joyce, William. GEORGE SHRINKS. [Picture Book JO]
George Shrinks is ten years old and small for his age. In fact, he's only three inches tall! But George has always been a remarkable little boy, and he doesn't mind being small. He loves a challenge, Lucky for him, his life is filled with challenges.

Keats, Jack Ezra. SNOWY DAY. [Picture Book KE]
In this book sparkling with atmosphere, a small boy experiences the joys of a snowy day.

Lionni, Leo. FREDERICK. [Picture Book LI]
While other mice are gathering food for the winter, Frederick seems to daydream the summer away. When dreary weather comes, it is Frederick the poet-mouse who warms his friends and cheers them with his words.

Martin, Bill. BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR WHAT DO YOU SEE? [Picture Book MA]
A big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck all parade across the pages of this delightful book. Combined with text, the boldly colored collages create unforgettable images of these endearing animals.

Martin, Bill. CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM. [Alphabet/Counting Picture Book MA]
In this bright and lively rhyme, the letters of the alphabet race each other to the top of the coconut tree. When X, Y and Z finally scramble up the trunk, however, the weight is too much, and down they all tumble in a colorful chaotic heap: ``Chicka Chicka . . . BOOM! BOOM!''

McCloskey, Robert. BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL. [Picture Book MC]
Little Sal and Little Bear both lose their mothers while eating blueberries and almost end up with the other's mother.

McCloskey, Robert. MAKE WAY FOR DUCKINGS. [Caldecott Picture Book MC]
One of the merriest picture books told in very few words of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard proudly returning to their home in the Boston Public Garden with their eight offspring.

Mosel, Arlene. TIKKI TIKKI TEMBO. [Folklore/Fairytales M]
When an eldest son fell into a well and too much time was spent trying to pronounce his long name instead of helping him out, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.

Piper, Watty. LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD. [Picture Book PI]
Although he is not very big, the Little Blue Engine agrees to try to pull a stranded train full of toys over the mountain.

Potter, Beatrix. TALE OF PETER RABBIT. [Picture Book PO]
Everyone loves the classic tale of the little bunny who gets caught in Mr. McGregor's garden.

Rey, H.A. CURIOUS GEORGE. [Picture Book RE]
In this, the original book about Curious George, the curiosity of the newly-captured monkey gets him into continual trouble with hilarious results.

Rosen, Michael. WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT. [Picture Book RO]
Brave bear hunters go through grass, a river, mud, and other obstacles before the inevitable encounter with the bear forces a headlong retreat.

Sendak, Maurice. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. [Caldecott Picture Book SE]
A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king.

Suess, Dr. CAT IN THE HAT. [Suess Picture Book SE]
Two children sitting at home on a rainy day are visited by the Cat in the Hat who shows them some tricks and games.

Slobodkina, Esphyr. CAPS FOR SALE. [Picture Book SL]
A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while he takes a nap under a tree.

Steig, William. DOCTOR DE SOTO. [Picture Book ST]
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.

Steig, William. SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE. [Caldecott Picture Book ST]
In a moment of fright, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn into a rock but then can not hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again.

Tafuri, Nancy. SPOTS, FEATHERS AND CURLY TAILS.  [Picture Book TA]
Questions and answers highlight some outstanding characteristics of farm animals, such as a chicken's feathers and a horse's mane.

Thompson, Kay. ELOISE. [Picture Book TH]
Eloise is a precocious six-year-old who lives at the Plaza Hotel and gets into all kinds of mischief.

Viorst, Judith. ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY.  [Picture Book VI]
It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Nothing at all was right. Everything went wrong, right down to lima beans for supper. What do you do on a day like that? Well, you may think about going to Australia. You may also be glad to find that some days are like that for other people too.

Waber, Bernard. LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE. [Picture Book WA]
Lyle is perfectly happy living with the Primms on East 88th St. until irritable Mr. Grumps next door changes all that.

Waddell, Martin. FARMER DUCK. [Picture Book WA]
Farmer duck has it hard because his owner takes it so easy. While the duck is out hoeing, ironing, and collecting the eggs, the farmer is in bed stuffing his face with bonbons, reading the tabloids, and occasionally calling out, "How goes the work?" to which the duck replies with a weary, "Quack." One day, the duck grows so weepy and sleepy and tired that the cows, hens, and sheep decide in true Animal Farm fashion to take matters into their own hands. In a hilarious fashion, they roust the lazy farmer out of his bed and chase him down the lanes, through the fields until he disappears.

Waddell, Martin. OWL BABIES. [Picture Book WA]
When three baby owls awake to find their mother missing, they can’t help but wonder, and worry, where she has gone and when she will be back, until she gracefully swoops back down to the nest.

Williams, Linda. LITTLE OLD LADY WHO WAS NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING . [Halloween Holiday Picture Book WI]
Rhythmic prose with a folk-tale-like quality brings to life a spirited heroine who conquers her fear with a clever solution.

Wood, Audrey. NAPPING HOUSE. [Picture Book WO]
In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite.

Young, Ed. SEVEN BLIND MICE. [Folklore/Fairytales Y]
Using bold, playful primary colors, Caldecott winner Ed Young creates seven blind mice that will steal the hearts of the very youngest readers. This is a warm and entertaining fable of seven tiny creatures who set out to discover the "Something" by the pond--but who each come back with a different answer.