Ready to settle down and read your kids a cozy bedtime story? Looking for some new and fun ideas? When choosing a picture book, some things to look for are a high quality story, great illustrations, and a tale that teaches without being preachy. And the very best books bring a smile to the face of adults as well as children.
Here are some fantastic picture book authors we’ve covered in Reformed Perspective over the years, and why they’re great. Since not every book by an author can be a winner, we also break down a few books to be cautious about, or to avoid so click on the author names for detailed reviews on which books are their very best. That’s also where you’ll find the full list of their recommended books.
These authors have so many books to love – more than a 170 are recommended below. Exploring their works will give you enough bedtime reading for nights and nights to come! So grab hold of your library card, and let’s go!
Keiko Kasza: All about cartoon critters (12 titles)
Keiko Kasza’s skill is in sharing a gentle moral in a playful way! Colorful illustrations of furry and feathered friends fill the pages of her books, and each story builds to a fun punchline. This makes them a joy to read.
Check out Ready for Anything, where Raccoon wants to be prepared for every disaster while Duck can only imagine all the good things that could happen. Or try The Dog Who Cried Wolf, where the family dog learns that living like a wolf is not all the fun he imagines it would be!
Jerry Pinkney: Making the classics kindle (10 titles)
We often want to introduce our children to classics, but that can be challenging because even classic children’s stories can cover all kinds of mature (and dark!) topics. Introducing Jerry Pinkney, who makes these stories more approachable for younger readers. And by adding his own spin, he brings in his creativity instead of simply retelling these stories.
Some of the classic stories he covers are Aesop’s Fables, Three Billy Goats Gruff, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (by Rudyard Kipling). Even adults might find a new appreciation for some of these stories!
Virginia Lee Burton: Queen of nostalgia (4 titles)
Nostalgia can be fun to indulge in, and Virginia Lee Burton’s stories excel at presenting an idyllic yesteryear. Even better, parents might remember reading some of these stories from their own childhood. We might have to remind our children that everything in the past is not necessarily better than the present, but with that in mind, these stories are delightful.
Katy and the Big Snow is a classic, where a red crawler tractor named Katy saves the day by clearing snow off the road for police cars, ambulances and more. And Maybelle the Cable Car imagines the life of a cable car in San Francisco.
David Wiesner: Weird and wonderful (7 titles)
Children’s books that aren’t predictable! This is the achievement of David Wiesner, whose stories are full of living clouds, flying frogs, artistic lizards and super creativity. And if you’re on the hunt for a few wordless picture books, some of his works are excellent options.
Art & Max is an incredibly creative story about two lizards, one who can paint and one who wants to learn. Max, who wants to learn, is challenged to figure it out quickly when he needs to help out his friend. If you’re looking for a wordless book to try, check out Free Fall, where you get to come alongside a little boy in his dreams.
Jan Brett: Picture books’ peak (20 titles)
Illustrations are a huge part of what makes picture books come alive, and that means Jan Brett needs to be mentioned! Brett excels at using the edges of pages to give hints about what’s coming next, which rewards children who pay extra attention to all the details on the page.
Some standout books are The Mittens: A Ukrainian Folktale, which follows what happens to a lost mitten, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where Brett goes into detail about exactly how the bears knew Goldilocks had been in their chairs and beds.
David Macaulay: Author and architect (14 titles)
Does your child have an inquisitive mind that needs to know how things work? That’s exactly who David Macaulay’s books are for. He’s explored how pyramids, jet planes, our bodies, and even toilets work.
Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction is his first and a classic. It dives into every detail of the whole construction process, complete with illustrations. As cathedrals took over a hundred years to build, the book covers a lot of ground, and even adults can learn something. Another fantastic book to explore is Castle: How It Works, which explores the construction of a castle in a similar way. Excellent books for budding engineers.
Cynthia Rylant: Mr. Putter & Tabby’s sweet stories (25 titles)
Cynthia Rylant has created a sweet series of stories about two lovely seniors and their pets. Mr. Putter and Tabby are the main male and cat pair, and they go on adventures with Mrs. Teaberry and her dog, Zeke. Throughout the stories they bake cakes, pick pears, paint a porch and more.
Some intriguing titles in this series are Mr. Putter and Tabby Dance the Dance and Mr. Putter and Tabby See the Stars.
Mo Willems: So many to choose from! (51 titles)
Mo Willems has worked for Sesame Street and Nickelodeon, so it’s no surprise he has a knack for creating fun and entertaining picture books for kids. Christian parents might wonder if that means his books are suitable for their children, and thankfully they are. His most well known characters, Elephant and Piggie, and Pigeon, are well on their way to becoming classic children’s book characters.
The stories are all simple, energetic tales full of silly fun. Pick up Let’s Go for a Drive! to find out what Elephant and Piggie think they’ll need to take on a trip, or We Are in a Book!, which is an inventive story in which Elephant and Piggie actually realize they are inside a book. For even more Mo Willems ideas, check out the books which feature Pigeon as well!
Amy Krouse Rosenthal: The Ginger Rogers of picture books (19 titles)
Amy Krouse Rosenthal published more than 30 picture books before her death at 51 in 2017 and there are so many innovative and fun selections in her works. Take I Scream! Ice Cream!: A Book of Wordles, which pairs up soundalike words and invites the reader to guess them. Another, This Plus That, creates fun “equations” like “1 + 1 = us” and “somersaults + somersaults + somersaults = dizzy.” Having fun with words and pictures through her books makes story time interactive and exciting. Check out our review for all of her best, as well as a few that can be skipped.
Demi’s fresh folk tales (11 titles)
We’re so used to Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs, that it can be quite a treat to hear folks tales from lands further afield. Demi’s selection from India, Russia, and especially China will be a treat to both young and, maybe more so, old, who will appreciate getting to read something they haven’t read a million times before. As refreshing as Demi’s folk tales are, her output isn’t all good, so do be sure to click through for which of her books are recommended and which are rejected.
Conclusion
There you have it – more than 170 picture books to fill your story times for a long time to come! These authors have many tales to delight you, make you laugh, and teach you something new. We hope you enjoy reading them, and if you have any other authors Reformed Perspective should check out, be sure to let us know at ReformedPerspective.ca/contact.