By Angela D., Youth Collection Development Librarian
Happy National Picture Book Month! We LOVE picture books and believe these fun, gorgeous stories not only make the tiniest humans giggle during storytime but also engage an older child with the life of a fascinating figure in history. Picture books contain multitudes and are the perfect way to get your child ready to read on their own with shared reading time at home.
Education is buzzing anew with Science of Reading initiatives, which gather the best science research on learning to read, incorporating phonics amongst other aspects, yet going beyond basic drills. Children develop language comprehension and word recognition to become skilled readers. Success comes from building background and vocabulary knowledge that can be developed by reading picture books at home!
You don’t have to be an expert on the reading science to raise a reader. In fact, just reading aloud a picture book a day can get your child ready to read in many ways! Getting excited for stories and rhymes, talking about what you see and hear, and exposing your child to vocabulary that is richer than most daily conversations helps them develop fluency and other reading skills.
The Reading Rockets website breaks it down easily with their parent guides on Reading 101 and “10 Things You Can Do to Raise a Reader.”
Reading aloud to your child gets them ready to read on their own, and we want to celebrate National Picture Book Month by sharing some of our favorite recent titles. Check them out!
Picture Books
The Last Zookeeper by Aaron Becker
NOA, a compassionate construction robot who is the caretaker of the Earth’s remaining zoo, builds an ark from the wreckage in search of new land and a new home, only to discover something even more profound. Wall-E meets the Noah’s Ark in this cool wordless tale.
There’s No Such Thing as Vegetables by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi
Hilarious, talking veggies give Chester a lesson on the parts of plants.
Catside Up, Catside Down by Anna Hrachovec
A gentle, rhyming story that poses knitted cats in hilarious situations, all while kids learn about prepositions.
Exactly as Planned by Tao Nyeu
Moose and Fox are about to have tea together, and each wants to make something special for the other. Read one story two different ways and watch how things don’t always go according to plan.
Clara and her cousin spend the summer with their Grandma and learn about tribal history and the generations within which the family tipi are passed down.
Noodles on a Bicycle by Kyo Maclear and Gracey Zhang
Who makes piles and piles of noodles all while balancing them for speedy delivery? The demae of Japan! A cool love letter to the history of bicycle delivery long gone.
Crunch the Shy Dinosaur by Cirroco Dunlap and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
With giggle-inducing kid appeal, this story draws out the shy dinosaur Crunch, who hides himself in the shrubbery until he receives some patience and kindness.
Six Dots: the Story of Young Louis Braille by Jen Bryant
Louis Braille was just five years old when he lost his sight, yet wanting to read more than anything, he cleverly created an entirely new system of writing that could be read by touch.
You and the Bowerbird by Maria Gianferrari and illustrated by Maria Wicks
Follow the Satin Bowerbird as he searches for the perfect welcome mat for his new home!
The Dictionary Story by Sam Winston and Oliver Jeffers
Dictionary wants to create their own stories, but everything gets into a jumble until their friend Alphabet comes along.