Best illustrated books all over the world
The Little House is a 1942 children’s picture book written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton. Published by Houghton Mifflin, it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1943. Author Virginia Lee Burton has stated that “The Little House was based on our own little house which […]
“Finders Keepers” is a joint effort between artist Nicholas Mordvinov and writer William Lipkind; the book was published in 1951 and won the Caldecott Medal in 1952. Stylish illustrations in four colors – gold, red, white and black – were drawn by the American artist of Russian origin Nicholas Mordvinov. […]
Original title: Приключения Алисы в Стране Чудес “Carroll’s book, in my opinion, is not a fairy tale. A fairy tale is devoid of paradox; it has a firm ethical foundation, and its plot is of the wandering kind. First, Alice is not a folk tale but rather a folkloric stylization. […]
Original title: Спящая красавица The main thing is the idea of a fairy tale in general and the child’s memory of what a real fairy-tale prince should be like, what a real fairy-tale princess should be like. I am convinced that children’s illustrations should not be stylized to match the […]
The timeless and brilliantly illustrated classic that teaches the importance of kindness, perseverance, and familial love. Let the Mallard family waddle right off the page and into your child’s heart! Mrs. Mallard was sure that the pond in the Boston Public Gardens would be a perfect place for her and […]
Original title: Каштанка
Undine is a novel by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué concerning Undine, a water spirit who marries a Knight named Huldebrand in order to gain a soul. It is an early German romance, which has been translated into English and other languages. The novel served as inspiration for two operas […]
Arlene Sardine follows a small fish with a peculiar goal: she wants to become a sardine in a can. The story traces each step of her path — she is caught, sorted, salted, smoked, and packed in oil, until her plan is realized. The handwritten text moves with her thoughts, […]
The Caldecott Medal–winning collection of classic American rhymes, songs, and jingles. Beautifully rendered illustrations accompany well-known nursery rhymes, counting-out games, skipping-rope songs, finger games, and other schoolyard classics beloved by generations of American children. Collected from across America, The Rooster Crows features rhymes both old and new, and will be […]
The Big Snow tells the story of how the woodland animals prepare themselves for the upcoming winter. The animals, after noticing the falling leaves and how quickly the days begin to darken they know that it is wintertime. The geese fly south looking for sunshine and a clear sky while […]
What Do You Say, Dear? is a delightfully humorous picture book that teaches children manners in a playful and imaginative way. Through a series of whimsical scenarios—ranging from fancy tea parties to encounters with wild animals—the book asks, “What do you say, dear?” at just the right moments. Maurice Sendak’s […]
Can’t Sleep, written by Chris Raschka, is a quiet story about a little bear who just can’t fall asleep. His friend, an older bear, stays with him — talking softly, offering comfort, and reminding him that it’s okay to rest when he’s ready. The book is very gentle, almost like […]
This wordless picture book by Dutch artist Friso Henstra is about a pair of mice determined to build a cute little house out of a red cabbage. After much effort, the house is finally ready — but unexpectedly it attracts someone else and suddenly becomes the dinner of a cunning […]
Original title: Чудесница
Little Tree brings together the quiet poem of E. E. Cummings and Chris Raschka’s unusual pictures. The words move slowly, almost like a soft chant, following a small evergreen from the forest into a family’s home. Raschka paints with sharp shapes — triangles, squares, shifting patches of color. The tree, […]
Charlie and Charlotte and the Golden Canary, published in 1967 by Oxford University Press, is a modern fairy tale about two friends who grew up together on the same street and are suddenly separated when Charlotte’s family moves into a new block of flats. A sad Charlie buys himself a […]
Matthew Cordell’s picture book “Wolf in the Snow” was published in 2017. The story tells of a girl and a wolf cub lost in a snowstorm. The girl helps the wolf cub return to her parents, who in turn bring help to the girl herself. A comparison of Cordell’s fairy […]
The Big Green Book tells the story of a boy who finds a strange book in his uncle’s library. It turns out to be full of magic, letting him play tricks and even outsmart the adults around him. Maurice Sendak’s drawings make the story feel even more playful. They are […]
Once upon a time, there was a special place in Baghdad: the House of Wisdom, or Bayt al-Hikmah, where scholars, translators, and thinkers gathered together during the Islamic Golden Age. They studied medicine, alchemy, physics, mathematics, and more. Ideas traveled across languages and cultures, bringing new knowledge and discoveries to […]
