| Picture books are fun and brilliant works of | | | | door to three children (he speaks with a slight |
| literature, or at least they can be. As with all | | | | panda accent) and the friendship the develops |
| books there are some great ones some ok ones | | | | between them. |
| and some really bad ones. These are ten of the | | | | "Doctor De Soto" William Steig |
| greatest for children and adults. Stories which you | | | | The story of a mouse dentist who takes on a |
| must read and see the visual narrative of, for | | | | fox as a patient, and the game of fox and mouse |
| they are wonderfully touching stories, beautiful, or | | | | between them as Dr. De Soto (the mouse) |
| just plain funny. These are not necessarily the ten | | | | avoids being eaten. |
| best picture books they are however ten of the | | | | "Snowflake Bentley" Illustrated by Mary Azarian, |
| best visual narratives with stories you will cherish | | | | text by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. |
| forever. | | | | With beautiful illustrations, this book tells the story |
| Blueberries For Sal by Robert McCloskey | | | | of the man who discovered the photographic |
| A fantastic visual narrative and well written text | | | | techniques for taking pictures of snowflakes. |
| makes this one of the greatest picture books of | | | | "Repunzel" by Paul O. Zelansky |
| all time. It tells a simple story of a mother and | | | | With stunningly beautiful illustrations done in the |
| child picking berries and meeting a pair of bears. | | | | Renaissance style this picture book tells the |
| The simplicity of the story is what makes it work | | | | favorite fairy tale story as nothing else before |
| so well as a short story, and what makes it so | | | | has been able to. |
| appealing. | | | | "Jumangi" by Chris Van Allsburg |
| Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey | | | | Thanks to the movies based on his books |
| Another McCloskey story, this book even has a | | | | Allsburgs stories are well known of, even if they |
| statue dedicated to it in Boston, for it tells the | | | | are not well known themselves. His art is so |
| story of a family of ducks living in this city in a | | | | hyper real and well rendered as to appear almost |
| wonderful and whimsical way. | | | | dreamlike. "Jumangi" tells the story of a brother |
| A Letter to Amy by Jack Keats | | | | and sister that find a magical board game that |
| The story of a boy who for the first time wants | | | | brings the jungle and all its creatures crashing |
| to invite a girl to his birthday, and the difficulty of | | | | through their home. |
| mailing the letter himself. Jack Keats had a special | | | | Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" |
| ability to discuss the common concerns of children | | | | by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith |
| in ways that made his stories unique. | | | | A post modern style picture book that plays with |
| Floatsom by David Wiesner | | | | the third wall both in its illustrations and its text. |
| Wiesner is perhaps the most imaginative creator | | | | For example the acknowledgments page includes |
| of children's literature today. With three Caldecott | | | | the narrator saying that no one reads the |
| medals he is a must see, for his stories are often | | | | acknowledgments anyways so he just wrote |
| only visual narrative with no or little text. Floatsom | | | | them upside down. He goes on to tell the reader |
| is the story of a boy who discovers a camera in | | | | that "if you want to read them you can just |
| the ocean, and of the magical world that the | | | | stand on your head." If one is reading this book |
| camera shows him, from aliens to mermaid | | | | with a child it might be fun to actually stand on |
| kingdoms this book take the viewer into a lavishly | | | | ones head to read these. |
| illustrated and imaginative journey. | | | | These are just a few of the great picture books |
| Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth | | | | that exist and it is important to always look for |
| A fun picture book it provides a number of | | | | more, because beautiful and fun visual narratives |
| Chinese Parables in a way that is fun and unique. | | | | are something we should never grow out of. |
| It all begins when a Panda Bear moves in next | | | | |