Children's Picture Books first published in the 1940s and before. An easy accessible list of those books read in childhoods.

Picture Books by Decade:
2020s, 2010s, 2000s, 1990s, 1980s, 1970s, 1960s, 1950s, 1940s and before

Picture Books by Year:
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Caldecott Contenders aka Mock Caldecotts by year:
2009
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025

See also:
Best Popular Picture Books on Goodreads
Best Picture Books
Charlotte Zolotow Award Winners and Honors
Children's Picture Books With Beautiful illustrations
Caldecott Medal Winners
Caldecott Honor Books
Wordless Picture Books
1

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3

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6

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7

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8

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9

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10

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11

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12

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13

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14

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15

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16

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17

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4.16 avg rating — 43,365 ratings
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18

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4.19 avg rating — 49,983 ratings
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19

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4.12 avg rating — 5,542 ratings
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20

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4.17 avg rating — 94,813 ratings
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21

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4.02 avg rating — 15,695 ratings
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22

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4.19 avg rating — 583,910 ratings
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23

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4.31 avg rating — 272,102 ratings
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24

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4.21 avg rating — 53,847 ratings
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25

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4.13 avg rating — 83,560 ratings
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26

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27

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3.84 avg rating — 4,892 ratings
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28

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29

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4.08 avg rating — 9,872 ratings
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30

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3.96 avg rating — 8,979 ratings
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31

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32

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33

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3.87 avg rating — 2,259 ratings
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34

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35

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4.23 avg rating — 220,877 ratings
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36

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37

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4.08 avg rating — 16,239 ratings
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38

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4.14 avg rating — 21,107 ratings
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39

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4.21 avg rating — 17,206 ratings
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40

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3.79 avg rating — 3,332 ratings
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41

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4.15 avg rating — 12,526 ratings
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42

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4.14 avg rating — 7,252 ratings
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43

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4.08 avg rating — 12,179 ratings
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44

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4.33 avg rating — 10,707 ratings
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45

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4.05 avg rating — 14,085 ratings
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46

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4.04 avg rating — 5,808 ratings
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47

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4.26 avg rating — 2,737 ratings
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48

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4.15 avg rating — 8,799 ratings
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49

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4.03 avg rating — 4,990 ratings
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50

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3.67 avg rating — 1,495 ratings
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51

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3.91 avg rating — 17,902 ratings
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52

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4.02 avg rating — 1,071 ratings
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53

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4.27 avg rating — 2,694 ratings
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53

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4.17 avg rating — 23,904 ratings
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55

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3.93 avg rating — 5,678 ratings
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56

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3.33 avg rating — 164 ratings
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57

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4.09 avg rating — 4,794 ratings
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58

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3.87 avg rating — 525 ratings
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59

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3.47 avg rating — 1,429 ratings
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60

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4.08 avg rating — 3,217 ratings
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61

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3.92 avg rating — 4,850 ratings
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62

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4.29 avg rating — 6,892 ratings
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63

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4.17 avg rating — 1,196 ratings
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64

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3.81 avg rating — 996 ratings
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64

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4.13 avg rating — 43,131 ratings
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66

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4.07 avg rating — 7,388 ratings
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67

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4.14 avg rating — 11,715 ratings
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68

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4.18 avg rating — 633 ratings
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69

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4.33 avg rating — 36,248 ratings
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70

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71

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72

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72

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74

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75

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76

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3.78 avg rating — 194 ratings
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77

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4.30 avg rating — 20,649 ratings
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78

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4.19 avg rating — 2,778 ratings
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79

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3.86 avg rating — 154 ratings
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80

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4.24 avg rating — 12,624 ratings
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81

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81

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4.03 avg rating — 2,489 ratings
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83

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3.79 avg rating — 1,252 ratings
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84

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4.21 avg rating — 1,094 ratings
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84

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3.54 avg rating — 321 ratings
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86

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4.37 avg rating — 846 ratings
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87

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4.23 avg rating — 29,658 ratings
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88

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3.83 avg rating — 548 ratings
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89

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4.16 avg rating — 736 ratings
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90

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4.08 avg rating — 1,387 ratings
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91

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3.34 avg rating — 180 ratings
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92

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4.11 avg rating — 1,537 ratings
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93

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4.08 avg rating — 2,645 ratings
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94

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4.13 avg rating — 176 ratings
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94

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3.95 avg rating — 827 ratings
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96

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4.06 avg rating — 284 ratings
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97

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4.11 avg rating — 364 ratings
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98

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99

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4.26 avg rating — 3,073 ratings
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100

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4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings
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291 books · 38 voters · list created April 3rd, 2019 by Calista (votes) .
19 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Calista 10356 books
3165 friends
Cmf 4473 books
53 friends
AnnainCA 62 books
24 friends
Vicki 10402 books
67 friends
~☆~Autumn 8095 books
154 friends
Elke 12851 books
72 friends
Cheryl 20935 books
378 friends
Katelyn 4588 books
32 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-10 of 10 (10 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl The Little Prince is short and has pictures but is def. not a picturebook. Wee Gillis is even shorter but is still more text than illustration and so doesn't qualify imo.

I would not include The Rooster Crows or Paddle-to-the-Sea (or anything by Hollings) myself but I do understand why they're here so ok.

For ease in finding childhood favorites, I wonder if narrower lists might help more. Great concept though!!


message 2: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Someone added Peter Pan, so I removed that one. That's in no way a picture book.


message 3: by Calista (new)

Calista Cheryl wrote: "The Little Prince is short and has pictures but is def. not a picturebook. Wee Gillis is even shorter but is still more text than illustration and so doesn't qualify imo.

I would not include The ..."


It does get to be a little bit of a grey area what is and isn't a picture book. I see your point. I'll leave the decision to you. Thanks for all your help.


message 4: by Calista (new)

Calista Rainbowheart wrote: "Someone added Peter Pan, so I removed that one. That's in no way a picture book."

Thank you Rainbowheart. I agree with you. Thanks for the help.


message 5: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl Calista, are you the creator? I won't mess with a list if the creator is monitoring it. (How does one know who the creator is?)


message 6: by Calista (new)

Calista Cheryl wrote: "Calista, are you the creator? I won't mess with a list if the creator is monitoring it. (How does one know who the creator is?)"

Hi Cheryl. I did start the list, but I cannot edit it unless it is a book I added and doesn't have any other votes. I am basically powerless over the list. I guess I can ask for a book to be removed, but I can't do that. Thanks.


message 7: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl Huh.
Well, I deleted The Little Prince, but left the others on.
Thanks for monitoring, and if you want any other help please ask!


message 8: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart I also removed The Water Babies. That's quite a long children's novel, not a picture book.

Calista, what do you think about The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales? Two people have added it, but it's 880 pages.


message 9: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl fwiw, I would delete the Grimm... picture-books are supposedly about the integration of the illustrations with the story, the enhancement they provide. But Grimm's stories don't need them, and are also fine no matter who, with what style, illustrates which scenes.

imo

Btw, good catch on Water Babies and totally agree.


message 10: by Calista (new)

Calista Rainbowheart wrote: "I also removed The Water Babies. That's quite a long children's novel, not a picture book.

Calista, what do you think about The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales? Two people have added it, but it's 880..."


Hello,

I would agree that Grimm's fairy tales are too long. People all the time take one story and illustrate it for kids and plus that isn't from the 40's, but it is much older. Thanks!


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