Since Blake will be starting kindergarten this fall I thought I would look up the 100 picture books to read before starting school. (I have looked at lists like this in the past) Problem is, I found multiple lists with very different books.
Any sane person would have browsed the lists and just marked down a few to get at the library. But not me.
I am a list person, and a book person…so this is right up my alley. I spent more time than I’d like to admit combining the lists and marking the ones we’ve read, own, etc. I will check out everyone of these books from the library this year. And happily with the past 4 years of reading we have covered a bunch of them already.
Without further ado, here is the most detailed list EVER of picture books, alphabetized for your easy pleasure.
Bold = books we own
Italics = books we’ve read
* = books to read
Books that made all 3 lists: (28 – we’ve read 22)
* Ten, Nine, Eight by Bang, Molly
Madeline by Bemelmans, Ludwig
Goodnight, Moon by Brown, Margaret Wise
* Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by Burningham, John
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Carle, Eric
Freight Train by Crews, Donald
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Cronin, Doreen
* Strega Nona by De Paola, Tomie
Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Emberley, Ed
Olivia by Falconer, Ian
Corduroy by Freeman, Don
Millions of Cats by Gag, Wanda
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Henkes, Kevin
Where’s Spot? by Hill, Eric
The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Kasza, Keiko
The Snowy Day by Keats, Ezra Jack
* The Carrot Seed by Krauss, Ruth
Froggy Gets Dressed by London, Jonathan
Make Way for Ducklings by McCloskey, Robert
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Numeroff, Laura
Good Night, Gorilla by Rathmann, Peggy
Curious George by Rey, H. A.
Where the Wild Things Are by Sendak, Maurice
Caps for Sale by Slobodkina, Esphyr
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by Steig, William
* Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Viorst, Judith
The Napping House by Wood, Audrey
* Harry, the Dirty Dog by Zion, Gene
Books that made 2 lists: (37 – we’ve read 23)
Where’s My Teddy? by Alborough, Jez
Miss Nelson is Missing by Allard, Harry
Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Barrett, Judi
The Three Bears by Barton, Byron
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Burton, Virginia Lee
* Abuela by Dorros, Arthur
Bark, George by Feiffer, Jules
* Is Your Mama a Llama? by Guarino, Deborah
Bread and Jam for Frances by Hoban, Russell
* Is it Red? Is it Yellow? Is it Blue? An Adventure in Color by Hoban, Tana
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Johnson, Crockett
* The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Kent, Jack
* Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock by Kimmel, Eric
Leo the Late Bloomer by Kraus, Robert
The Story of Ferdinand by Leaf, Munro
* Swimmy by Lionni, Leo
* Mabela the Clever by MacDonald, Margaret
George and Martha by Marshall, James
Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom by Martin, Bill
Guess How Much I Love You by McBratney, Sam
* Martha Speaks by Meddaugh, Susan
The Little Engine That Could by Piper, Watty
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Potter, Beatrix
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Rosen, Michael
* Grandfather’s Journey by Say, Allen
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Duck on a Bike by Shannon, David
* No, David! by Shannon, David
* It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Shaw, Charles
Polar Express by Van Allsburg, Chris
* Lyle, Lyle Crocodile by Waber, Bernard
Mouse Paint by Walsh, Ellen Stoll
* Yoko by Wells, Rosemary
Knuffle Bunny by Willems, Mo
I Went Walking by Williams, Sue
* A Chair for My Mother by Williams, Vera B.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Yolen, Jane
Books that made 1 list: (141 – we’ve read 36)
* Each Peach Pear Plum by Ahlberg, Janet and Allan
Happy Birthday, Moon by Asch, Frank
* Old Black Fly by Aylesworth, Jim
* Machines at Work by Barton, Byron
* The Little Red Hen by Barton, Byron
I Like Myself by Beaumont, Karen
* Little Gorilla by Bornstein, Ruth
The Mitten by Brett, Jan
Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Bridwell, Norman
Stone Soup by Brown, Marcia
* Turtle’s Race with Beaver: A Traditional Seneca Story by Bruchac, Joseph
The Little House by Burton, Virginia
* Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Carle, Eric
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Christelow, Eileen
* Uptown by Bryan, Collier
* Miss Rumphius by Cooney, Barbara
Maisy Goes Swimming by Cousins, Lucy
* Today I Feel Silly by Curtis, Jamie Lee
* Happy Birthday, Jamela! by Daly, Niki
* Andy and the Lion by Daugherty, James
Jamberry by Degen, Bruce
* The Empty Pot by Demi
* Rap a Tap Tap : Here’s Bojangles-Think of That! by Dillon, Leo
* Bed Hogs by DiPucchio, Kelly
Are You My Mother? by Eastman, P. D.
Go, Dog, Go! by Eastman, P.D.
* A Handful of Sunshine : Growing a Sunflower by Eclare, Melanie
* Buz by Egielski, Richard
* Feathers For Lunch by Ehlert, Lois
* Growing Vegetable Soup by Ehlert, Lois
* Mean Soup by Everitt, Betsy
* Ask Mr. Bear by Flack, Marjorie
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Fleming, Candace
* The Everything Book by Fleming, Denise
* Lunch by Fleming, Denise
* Mama Cat has Three Kittens by Fleming, Denise
* The Magic Hat by Fox, Mem
* The Three Bears by Galdone, Paul
* The Three Little Pigs by Galdone, Paul
* The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Galdone, Paul
* The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Gerstein, Mordicai
* The Bossy Gallito: A Traditional Cuban Folk Tale by Gonzalez, Lucia M
* Barnyard Song by Greene, Rhonda
* A First Picture Book of Nursery Rhymes by Harbour, Elizabeth (Illustrator)
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Henkes, Kevin
Owen by Henkes, Kevin
* Off to School, Baby Duck! by Hest, Amy
* Bedtime for Frances by Hoban, Russell
Miss Mary Mack by Hoberman, Mary Ann
Rosie’s Walk by Hutchins, Pat
* You’ll Soon Grow Into Them, Titch by Pat Hutchins
* Biggest, Strongest, Fastest by Jenkins, Steve
* Julius by Johnson, Angela
* Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by Johnson, D. B.
* Round Trip by Jonas, Ann
* Splash! by Jonas, Ann
* Mama, Do You Love Me? by Joosse, Barbara
* Jump, Frog, Jump! by Kalan, Robert
Whistle for Willie by Keats, Ezra Jack
* I Took My Frog to the Library by Kimmel, Eric
* Over in the Meadow by Langstaff, John
* Tacky the Penguin by Lester, Helen
* John Henry by Lester, Julius
* A Color of His Own by Lionni, Leo
* Frog and Toad All Year by Lobel, Arnold
* Frog and Toad are Friends by Lobel, Arnold
* The Random House Book of Mother Goose by Lobel, Arnold
* The Stray Dog by Marc, Simont
* The Line-Up Book by Marisabina, Russo
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Martin, Bill
All By Myself by Mayer, Mercer
* Raven : a Trickster Tale From the Pacific Northwest by McDermott, Gerald
* Zomo The Rabbit: A Trickster Tale From West Africa by McDermott, Gerald
* Flora McDonnell’s ABC by McDonnell, Flora
* Widget by McFarland, Lyn
* Too Much Noise by McGovern, Ann
* Goin’ Someplace Special by McKissack, Patricia
* Growing Colors by McMillan, Bruce
* I stink! by McMullan, Kate
Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! by McPhail, David
* Sylvia Long’s Mother Goose
* Bruno Munari’s ABC by Munari, Bruno
* I Kissed the Baby! by Murphy, Mary
* The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Neitzel, Shirley
* The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Noble, Trinka
Gossie by Olivier, Dunrea
* Diez deditos / Ten Little Fingers by Orozco, Jose
Amelia Bedelia by Parish, Peggy
* Bee-Bim Bop! by Park, Linda
* Do’s and Don’ts by Parr, Todd
Kermit the Hermit by Peet, Bill
* The Kissing Hand by Penn, Audrey
* Puss in Boots by Perrault, Charles
* The Rainbow Fish by Pfister, Marcus
Not a Box by Portis, Antoinette
* Mouse Mess by Riley, Linnea
* Tar Beach by Ringgold, Faith
* The Toolbox by Rockwell, Anne
My Friend Rabbit by Rohmann, Eric
* Dog Heaven by Rylant, Cynthia
* The Relatives Came by Rylant, Cynthia
Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Scarry, Richard
* Richard Scarry’s Best First Book Ever by Scarry, Richard
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs By A. Wolf by Scieszka, John
* Pierre: A Cautionary Tale by Sendak, Maurice
* Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
* Spicy Hot Colors = Colores Picantes by Shahan, Sherry
* Lizard’s Song by Shannon, George
* Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Sharmat, Mitchell
* I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Sherry, Kevin
* Come Along, Daisy! by Simmons, Jane
* Fire Truck by Sis, Peter
* Imogene’s Antlers by Small, David
* Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by Steptoe, John
* And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon by Stevens, Janet
* The Gardener by Stewart, Sarah
Dinosaur Roar! by Stickland, Paul and Henrietta
A Hat for Minerva Louise by Stoeke, Janet
* The House in the Night by Swanson, Susan
* Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Taback, Simms
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Taback, Simms
* Spots, Feathers and Curly Tails by Tafuri, Nancy
* Who’s Counting by Tafuri, Nancy
Pigsty by Teague, Mark
* Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Titherington, Jeanne
* Farmer Duck by Waddell, Martin
* Owl Babies by Waddell, Martin
* Mr. Cookie Baker by Wellington, Monica
Noisy Nora by Wells, Rosemary
The Three Pigs by Wiesner, David
* Tuesday by Wiesner, David
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Willems, Mo
Bear Snores On by Wilson, Karma
Owl Moon by Yolen, Jane
* Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China by Young, Ed
* Seven Blind Mice by Young, Ed
* Rumpelstiltskin by Zelinsky, Paul O.
* The Wheels on the Bus by Zelinsky, Paul O.
* It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folktale by Zemach, Margot
* The Little Red Hen: An Old Story by Zemach, Margot
* Trashy Town by Zimmerman, Andrea Griffing
And here are a few I’m surprised didn’t make it.
Seriously, I’ve read some of the classic stories like Mike Mulligan and the Ferdinand one to my kids and they didn’t like them. Then some really good ones get cut out. Weird.
I was also surprised they had these series represented: Curious George, Clifford, and Little Critter. But nothing from the Berenstain Bears or Arthur series, which are two favorites in our home.
Oh well, 206 books were listed and we’ve only read 81. We’ve got some work to do!