Picture Book Favorites #1

Even if you are not very familiar with children's picture books, most everyone has heard of favorites like Dr. De Soto, Blueberries For Sal, and Make Way For Ducklings. I am not, therefore, going to spend time reviewing these classics. This post includes a brief review of several picture books that have been some of my kids' favorites that may be unfamiliar to you. Hope you can find a new title that interests you. Happy reading!

Nine For California
Author: Sonia Levitin
Illustrator: Cat Bowman Smith
Genre: Picture Book
Age Level: 3-9 years

It is twenty-one days by stagecoach from Missouri to Californ-y. No one in their right mind would take five young’uns so far! Despite the neighbor ladies’ warnings, Mama is determined to take her family to join Papa who is working in the California gold fields. When the fellow passengers see who will be crowding into the coach with them, they are dismayed. However, perhaps Mama and her children can prove them all wrong.

This delightful story, told from the perspective of the oldest daughter, will leave children wishing that they could ride across the country in a stagecoach. Parents will come away feeling relieved that they never had to!

The Rattlebang Picnic
Author: Margaret Mahy
Illustrator: Steven Kellogg
Genre: Picture Book
Age Level: 4-9 years

Mr. and Mrs. McTavish can’t afford to buy a good car and have a large family, so they decide to compromise and have only seven children and make do with an old rattlebang. This adventurous family loves to have picnics at unlikely places like Shark Park, Mount Fogg, and Tornado Valley. When, at a critical moment, their rattlebang loses one of its wheels, it’s a good thing they have so many children who can quickly come up with a creative solution!

This entertaining story, with hilarious pictures by Steven Kellogg, makes for a very fun read-aloud.

Jillian Jiggs
Author: Phoebe Gilman
Illustrator: Phoebe Gilman
Genre: Picture Book
Age Level: 3-7 years

Jillian Jiggs is a wonderfully imaginative young girl. The only problem is that her creative play leaves behind quite a mess. One day her exasperated mother tells her to clean up her room. Jillian promises to do it. Her friends promise to help. But will she ever be able to pull herself away from her play long enough to get it done?

The rhyming and cadence of this book make it a fun read-aloud. The pictures, also, are quite entertaining. Parents and children alike can relate to this classic battle of wills. If you enjoy this book, you may like to try reading other stories in the Jillian Jiggs collection found in A Treasury of Jillian Jiggs.