Growing up, I distinctly remember my mom telling me that she was a “Bibliophile” (or lover/collector of books). I enjoyed reading, but before I became a mother myself, I just didn’t get it. Now, I do. I’m a “Bibilophile” through and through.
I want to have a living library of beautiful and educational picture books in my home to use as read-alouds for my children, for them to study the pictures (hopefully remembering the story), and someday to read to themselves. The best way to describe the kind of books I want to have in my home is a definition that Charlotte Mason coined over a century ago. She called these books “living books”.
Note: This series will be specifically devoted to picture books with text, but not chapter books.
Living picture books must meet three different criteria:
First, living books are the opposite of textbooks, which tell you about something in dry terms. A living book will teach you about the subject through a story.
Next, living books involve your emotions, and take the reader into the story almost like you were there yourself. You may find yourself laughing or crying, and the story normally sticks with you a long while after the story has been read.
Finally, living books have illustrations that take you back to the pictures time and time again. Intricate details, sweeping panoramas, and vibrant colors that make you want to stop and stare.
With so many children’s books out there, don’t waste your time reading books that aren’t truly deserving of attention. To avoid this, I’ve embarked upon the delightful task of finding (and hopefully, collecting) as many as I can to share with my children and with you!
I’ve grouped these engaging books into categories, and I’ll share them in a number of installments over the next year. This will be a fun journey.
Let’s just dive right into one of my favorite categories, Nature and Science!
The Best Of the Best – 42 Children’s Nature & Science Living Picture Books:
Blueberries for Sal
by Robert McCloskey
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
The Bee Tree
by Patricia Polacco
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Slow Down
by Rachel Williams
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Grow: Secrets of our DNA
by Nicola Davies
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Find the Constellations
by H.A. Rey
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
The Very Quiet Cricket
by Eric Carle
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Birds
by Jane Werner Watson
Buy on Amazon | Buy on Thriftbooks (and get a free book!)
Mossy
by Jan Brett
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Be Nice to Spiders
by Margaret Bloy Graham
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children
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Play With Me
by Marie Hall Ets
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The Very Clumsy Click Beetle
by Eric Carle
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes
By Nicola Davies
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
The Little Island
by Margaret Wise Brown
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The Home Builders
by Varsha Bajaj
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Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said the Sloth
by Eric Carle
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Humphrey the Lost Whale
by Wendy Tokuda and Richard Hall
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An Egg is Quiet
by Dianna Hutts Aston
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Because of an Acorn
by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Squeak!
by Laura McGee Kvasnosky
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Outside Your Window
by Nicola Davies
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Water is Water
by Miranda Paul
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
One Morning in Maine
by Robert McCloskey
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
This is the Tree We Planted
by Kate McMullan
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth
by Nicola Davies
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
A House for Hermit Crab
by Eric Carle
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
The Mystery of the Monarchs
by Barb Rosenstock
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
A Butterfly is Patient
by Dianna Hutts Aston
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
A Tree is Nice
by Janice May Udry
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The Important Book
by Margaret Wise Brown
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Possum and the Summer Storm
by Anne Hunter
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
A Nest is Noisy
by Dianna Hutts Aston
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Flowers Are Calling
by Rita Gray
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The Keeper of Wild Words
by Brooke Smith
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
On the Same Day in March
by Marilyn Singer
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Mel Fell
by Corey R. Tabor
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
A Beetle is Shy
By Dianna Hutts Aston
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Song of the River
by Joy Cowley
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
Over and Under the Pond
By Kate Messner
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
From Seed to Plant
By Gail Gibbons
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
The Hike
By Alison Farrell
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
The Big Book of Blooms
by Yuval Zommer
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
A Seed is Sleepy
By Dianna Hutts Aston
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
The Golden Glow
by Benjamin Flouw
Buy on Amazon | Buy on ThriftBooks (and get a free book!)
As you can see, there are so many wonderful books out there, and this is just one topic. I will be posting more book posts in the future, hopefully about one per month. I will link all future book posts here, so that you can find them for easy reference.
Please share your favorite living picture books on any subject so that we can include them in future book posts!
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~Dr. Seuss
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ~Jane Austen
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Mrs. Sandy Peterson
Thank you for this amazing list, Rebecca.
Unfortunately I really struggled with finding good books when my kids were younger despite being in the home school arena, and the library wasn’t much help either. Perhaps I just missed information at the conferences, but having a list like this would have really been appreciated.
I think it’s never too late to start collecting for the next generation, so again, thank you. I look forward to your future posts.