the best picture books

for preschool through 2nd grade

Early Years Picture Books on theschoolnest.com

The Early Years bookshelf is a collection of our favorite, well-loved picture books.

Ideal for ages 2-8, but it’s never too early or too late for any of these books!

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Fables, Fairy Tales, & Folk Tales

Aesop’s Fables Illustrated by Charles Santore

Aesop’s Fables for Children Illustrated by Milo Winter

Beauty and the Beast by Mahlon F. Craft

The Children’s Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett

Cinderella by Kinuko Y. Craft

The First Strawberries by Joseph Bruchac

The Folk Tale Classics Heirloom Library (The Three Little Pigs, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Gingerbread Boy) by Paul Galdone

The Folk Tale Classics Keepsake Collection (The Three Bears, Three Little Kittens, The Little Red Hen and The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse) by Paul Galdone

The Magic Nesting Doll by Jacqueline K. Ogburn

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe

Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth

History, Biographies, & Culture

Children Just Like Me by DK

Geography from A to Z by Jack Knowlton

Give Your Child the World by Jamie C. Martin (a resource for you)

Global Babies by The Global Fund for Children

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney

People by Peter Spier

Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco

Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zietlow Miller

Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi

The Story of Johnny Appleseed by Aliki

A Weed is a Flower by Aliki

Literature

Adventures in Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon

Andrew Henry’s Meadow by Doris Burn

A Year in Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem

The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco

Brave Irene by William Steig

Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey (mindfulness resource)

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Chanticleer and the Fox by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit by Chandler Harris

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

Corduroy by Don Freeman

The Empty Pot by Demi

Feelings by Aliki

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Homeplace by Anne Shelby

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown

Luba and the Wren by Patricia Polacco

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

The Magical World of Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Make Way for McCloskey by Robert McCloskey

Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Otis by Loren Long

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

Pooh’s Library (Box Set) by A. A. Milne

The Raft by Jim LaMarche

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco

When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

The World of Peter Rabbit (Collection) by Beatrix Potter

Math

Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno

Math for All Seasons by Greg Tang

Preschool Math at Home by Kate Snow (playful math activities)

Poetry

A Child’s Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Gyo Fujikawa

Eloise Wilkin’s Poems to Read to the Very Young by Eloise Wilkin

A House Is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies

Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman

Sing a Song of Popcorn by Mary Michaels White

Science & Nature

Air Is All Around You (Let’s Read and Find Out Series) by Dr. Franklyn M. Branley

The Berenstain Bears’ Big Book of Science and Nature by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Big Tracks, Little Tracks (Let’s Read and Find Out Series) by Millicent E Selsam

Clouds (Let’s Read and Find Out Series) by Anne Rockwell

Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Animal Habitats by Jim Arnosky

Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Birds by Jim Arnosky

From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Let’s Read and Find Out Series) by Deborah Heiligman

From Seed to Pumpkin (Let’s Read and Find Out Series) by Wendy Pfeffer

The Golden Glow by Benjamin Flouw

How Do You Lift a Lion? by Robert E. Wells

Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is? by Robert E. Wells

Mossy by Jan Brett

My Five Senses (Let’s Read and Find Out Series) by Aliki

A Nest Full of Eggs (Let’s Read and Find Out Series) by Priscilla Belz Jenkins

Pond by Jim LaMarche

Rabbits and Raindrops by Jim Arnosky

Raccoon On His Own by Jim Arnosky

Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Rachel Williams

The Usborne Flip Flap Body Book by Alastair Smith and Judy Tatchell

What’s Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? by Robert E. Wells

Where Are the Night Animals? (Let’s Read and Find Out Series) by Mary Ann Fraser

The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice Provensen