With this list, the Reinberger Children’s Library Center celebrates 100 picturebooks, which we feel are exceptional pieces of work, promotes social and emotional learning, widens and enriches a child’s own character, explores the character and life of others, fosters learning and develops literacy skills.
It is always difficult to settle on a final list of 100, but this list is a good start! A great way to expand on this list is to follow the Association for Library to Children’s (ALSC) Book and Media Awards and Children’s Notable List. You can also look for books by the same author or illustrator from this list. Titles are linked to World Cat so that you can find a copy in your local library.
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Alma and How She Got Her Name, by Juana Martinez-Neal
Beautiful Blackbird, by Ashley Bryan
Because by Mo Willems, illustrated by Amber Ren
Ben’s Trumpet by Rachel Isadora
Big Cat, little cat by Elisha Cooper
The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros by Pat Mora, Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B Williams
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
The Crane Wife by Odds Bodkin, illustrated by Gennady Spirin
Crown an Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble and Steven Kellogg
The Day You Begin, by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael Lopez
A Different Pond by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui
Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle and illustrated by Mike Gordon and Carl Gordon
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! By Mo Willems
Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle and Rafael Lopez
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
Dude! By Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat
Eloise by Kay Thompson, illustrations by Hilary Knight
Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson and Sean Qualls
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
Freedom in Congo Square, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Carole Boston Weatherford
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinex-Neal
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly
Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Daniel Minter
Grandfather’s Journey, by Allen Say
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram
The Hallo Wiener, by Dav Pilkey
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham
The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, illustrated by Chris Raschka
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, illustrated by Laura Freeman
Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho, illustrated by Holly Meade
I Love My Hair! By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, illustrated by E. B. Lewis
If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrations by Felicia Bond
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Kiss the Cow by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson
Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester, illustrated by Karen Barbour
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood, illustrated Don Wood)
The Lizard and the Sun/ La Lagartija y el Sol by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Felipe Dávalos
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story From China by Ed Young
Love you Forever by Robert Munsch
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by Isabel Campoy, illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
More More More, Said the Baby: Three Love Stories by Vera Williams
Officer Buckle & Gloria by Peggy Rathman
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illustrated by Paola Escobar
Please baby, please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, illustrated and written by Javaka Steptoe
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Stephen Gammell
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy E Shaw illus by Margo Apple
Sitti’s Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
They All Saw a Cat, illustrated and written by Brendan Wenzel
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel, illustrations by Blair Lent
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith
The Undefeated, by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco, illustrated by William Nicholson
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett
Where Are You Going? To See My Friend! by Kazuo Iwamura, illustrated by Eric Carle
Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne, illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard
Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
Yoko’s Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells