Top 100 Picture Books

As is usually the case with me, I started out meaning to simply highlight books I've read from this list, and yet this post turns out to be just a bit more. : )

Top 100 Picture Books

Rebecca over at Lostinbooks has this up at her site- She originally read it on Carolinebookbinder So I thought I might as well join in. Between my own childhood, reading to my children, then in the library to various classes and finally to my grandchildren, how many of these have I read? I know I've seen a lot of these titles, but how many have I actually read? I will highlight my reads in ......BLUEish (my favorite color). And of course, I will note the books that are in our library.


# 1: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963)
# 2: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (1947)
# 3: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1979)
# 4: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (1962) POC author?no, but**
# 5: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems (2003)
# 6: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (1941)
# 7: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (1955)
# 8: Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)
# 9: Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag (1928)
#10: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems (2004)

#11: The Story of Ferdinand by Monroe Leaf, ill. Robert Lawson (1936)
#12: Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (1994)
#13: Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (1948) *shelved this one*
#14: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, ill. Lane Smith(1989)
#15: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (1996)
#16: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (1987)
#17: Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (1947)
#18: In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (1970)
#19: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (1982)
#20: George and Martha by James Marshall (1972)

#21: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer (1999)
#22: The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone, ill. by Mike Smollin (1971)
#23: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban (1964)
#24: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, ill. Lois Ehlert (1989)
#25: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1942) *shelved this one*
#26: Corduroy by Donald Freeman (1976) POC characters, POC author?***
#27: The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902)
#28: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, ill. Ray Cruz(1972)
#29: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (1969)
#30: Brown, Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr., ill. Eric Carle(1967)

#31: No, David by David Shannon (1998)
#32: Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, ill. by Betsy Lewin (2000)
#33: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi and Ron Barrett (1978)
#34: Olivia by Ian Falconer (2000)
#35: Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel, ill. Blair Lent (1968)
#36: Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, ill. Lane Smith (1992)
#37: Eloise by Kay Thompson, ill. Hilary Knight (1955)
#38: Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, ill. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1956)
#39: The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood (1984)
#40: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton (1939)

#41: The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, ill. Stephen Gammell (1985)
#42: Curious George by H.A. Rey (1941)
#43: Tuesday by David Wiesner (1991) *shelved this one*
#44: Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola (1975)
#45: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (1985)
#46: Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt (2006)
#47: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (1985)
#48: The Big Orange Splot, by Daniel Pinkwater (1977)
#49: King Bidgood is in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood, ill. Don Wood (1985)
#50: Black and White by David Macaulay (1990) *shelved this one*

#51: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg (1981)
#52: Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard, ill. James Marshall (1977)
#53: The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (1978)
#54: The Three Pigs by David Wiesner (2001)
#55: The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, ill. George & Doris Hauman (1961) #56: Frederick by Leo Lionni (1967)
#57: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, ill. Harry Bliss (2003)
#58: Flotsam by David Wiesner (2006)
#59: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears (1975) by Verna Aardema, ill.Leo and Diane Dillon (1975)
#60: Chicken Soup With Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak (1962)

#61: Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers (2005)
#62: The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack (1933) The first book I ever bought - 60cents from Scholastic Books through the school. I was so excited, and in first grade.
#63: Traction Man is Here!, by Mini Grey (2005)
#64: “I Can't,” Said the Ant: A Second Book of Nonsense by Polly Cameron (1961)
#65: Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (2003) **my puppy's named after this**
#66: Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (1995)
#67: Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni (1959)
#68: The Arrival by Shaun Tan (2006) POC author?
#69: We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, ill. Helen Oxenbury (1989)
#70: Miss Fanshawe and the Great Dragon Adventure by Sue Scullard (1986)

#71: The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, ill by Michael Martchenko (1980)
#72: The Little Brute Family by Russell Hoban, ill. Lilian Hoban (1966)
#73: The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant (1933) by Jean de Brunhoff
#74: Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (1942)
#75: Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss (1940)
#76: Zoom at Sea by Tim Wynne-Jones, ill. Eric Beddows (1983)
#77: The Library by Sarah Stewart, ill. David Small (1995)
#78: How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
#79: Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm, by Alice and Martin Provensen (1974)
#80: The Jolly Postman: or, Other People's Letters by Janet Ahlberg (1986)

#81: Possum Magic by Mem Fox, ill. Julie Vivas (1983)
#82: Who Needs Donuts? by Mark Alan Stamaty (1973) (the po-po?, sorry, couldn't resist!)
#83: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (1971)
#84: Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes (1988)
#85: Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats (1964) *shelved this one* POC author?**
#86: Yoko by Rosemary Wells (1998)
#87: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (2004)
#88: Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (1993)
#89: A Hole is to Dig: A First Book of First Definitions by Ruth Krauss, ill. Maurice Sendak (1952)
#90: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis (2006)

#91: Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures With the Family Lazardo by William Joyce (1988)
#92: Swimmy by Leo Lionni (1963)
#93: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (1964)
#94: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey and Don Wood (1984)
#95: The Gardener by Sarah Stewart, ill. David Small (1997)
#96: The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle (1990)
#97: Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox, ill. Judy Horacek (2004)
#98: Anatole by Eve Titus (1956)
#99: Little Pea by Amy Krause Rosenthal, ill. by Jen Corace (2005)
#100: Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley (1992)
#101: More, More, More Said the Baby: Three Love Stories by Vera B. Williams

*we have this book in the school library, I've shelved it often*

**quoted from the Ezra Jack Keats website "Long before multicultural characters and themes were fashionable, Ezra Jack Keats crossed social boundaries by being the first American picture-book maker to give the black child a central place in children’s literature." His very first published book, My Dog Is Lost, features a Puerto Rican boy named Juanito, who loses his dog, speaks only Spanish and comes into contact with a diverse cast of characters while he is looking for his dog. I've never read this book, in fact, just heard of it. I'm going to look for this one. There is a page featuring the books written by Ezra Jack Keats, listed with covers. We have a few of his books in our library, not all of them, but a few. I'm going to make it a point to read them to the classes this year. Becuase they were published in the 60's, I haven't read them. I tend to put older books on low priority, especially when we get new books in. I need to remember that there's some quality older picture books that just might interest some of our new readers.

***I also find it interesting that Donald Freeman was an obviously caucasion man who wrote a book with a poc character and a bear. (Corduroy). Unlike Ezra Jack Keats, I didn't find any mention at all about the multicultural aspect of this book. It was mentioned in the story behind Corduroy, that this book and illustrations were rejected by Donald Freeman's main publisher (Viking Press), and many others until finally Viking Press bought the book. No reason given except for..." who for one reason or another also rejected...". Makes me wonder - it was the 70's after all.

67 out of 101 picture books I've read so far, and some of them have been read by me over and over, and over - such as SkippyJon Jones. Most of the books that I've read happen to be in the school library.

Strangely, unless they've been numbered wrong, there seems to be really 101 books listed. Okay, who snuck one in? : )