10 of Our Family's Favorite Picture Books

Piling on a bed with my girls, alongside a stack of my kids’ favorite books, is one of my the memories I will cherish forever. It is an easy way for me to slow down and soak them up in these little years because as we all know, it goes so fast.

When I read to the girls, I want to read books that are fun, engaging and enriching, bonus points if the story rhythms. I want to share 10 of our favorite picture books with you.

Naptime and bedtime are two times of each day that are easy to incorporate reading time. Other spontaneous requests do happen while waving a new library book, “Can you read this book to me, Mom?”

I have always enjoyed looking at other families’ book lists and discovering new titles as well as seeing titles that my own family loves. So I am excited to share these with you and hope you spot a new one that you can cuddle up and read to your own kids.

List of 10 Family Favorite Picture Books

This wonderful rhyming story is easy and fun to read! When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the circus animals must stagger to the shore of a small island. At first the townspeople view them with suspicion, but it’s not long before locals and animals are sharing the island in harmony. Loosely based on a true historic event, The Circus Ship is a story about the bonds of friendship and community.

A black and white classic that my youngest at 2 years of age requested over and over again. Sal and her mother are picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mother bear preparing for her own long winter. Meanwhile Sal’s mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?

The only thing better than a Dr. Seuss book is six of them in one! The easy words, engaging rhymes and bright art can turn any kid into a reader. Enjoy six stories, including I Am Not Going to Get Up Today, Wacky Wednesday, Maybe You should Fly a Jet! Maybe You should be a Vet!, Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog, I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, and Great Day for Up

*This funny story is sure to draw a smile to your face. A girl and her dog are happier than two buttons on a new shirt―until her new baby brother shows up. A rip-roarin’ sibling tale for storytime*.

Rabbit arrives home one day to hear a loud voice coming from inside his burrow: I’m the Giant Jumperee and I’m scary as can be shouts the stranger. Rabbit’s friends Cat, Bear, and Elephant come to help, but they’re no match for the mysterious, booming voice. But who is the Giant Jumperee?

A playful story of of a unique fall friendship between a girl . . . and her squash On a trip to the farmers’ market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents’ gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes. What’s a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?

The girls’ loved this one for bedtime because it allowed for one last wiggle session ;). Little ones will jump at the chance to join this menagerie of zany animals and children as they stomp, wiggle, roar, and spin their way through the day, as the rhyming text reinforces important concepts.

Such a tender story about aspiring to do your part to make the world around you more beautiful in some way. This story tells of Alice Rumphius, who longed to travel the world, live in a house by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful and it has a timeless quality that resonates with each new generation.

A reminder that sometimes, there is a good reason to break the rules. . . .This winsome pairing of text and illustration is a natural for storytime. Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren’t any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor. He makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour. And he never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how.

A funny picture book about solving—finally!—a growing family’s picky-eater problem! Peter wants only milk, Lucy won’t settle for anything but homemade lemonade, and Jack is stuck on applesauce…Each new addition to the household brings a new demand for a special meal. What’s a mother to do?

I look forward to making more of these lists of our favorites as we continue to discover new books.

Happy Reading!