Best illustrated books all over the world
This book feels more like music than a story. Chris Raschka takes a few simple words — “Charlie Parker played be bop” — and mixes them with playful sounds and rhythms that bounce across the page like a saxophone solo. The text begs to be read out loud, chanted, or […]
Moosey Moose bursts with the voice of a little moose who suddenly decides: “I’m going to sit here!” He is loud, stubborn, and full of energy, and the rhythm of the words matches his mood perfectly — short, emphatic, almost like stomps on the page. Raschka’s brushstrokes echo that energy. […]
Original title: Волшебник Изумрудного города “The Wizard of the Emerald City” is a fairy tale story by Alexander Melentyevich Volkov, written in 1939 based on the fairy tale by the American writer Lyman Frank Baum “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” with some changes. The illustrator of the original edition of […]
Swiss artist Alois Carigiet was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Prize, the most prestigious award in the field, for his contribution to the development of children’s literature. The category for illustrators was introduced in 1966, ten years after the prize was founded, and Carigiet became its first laureate. In fact, […]
This is the story of Jennie, a little Sealyham terrier who feels she has everything a dog could want — but still believes “there must be more to life.” She leaves home to search for adventure and finds herself in a series of odd and sometimes puzzling encounters, all leading […]
Chris Raschka’s Elizabeth Imagined an Iceberg (1994) is an unusual picture book. A girl named Elizabeth rides her bike and encounters a strange woman called Madam Uff Da, who behaves in a pushy, unsettling way. Elizabeth feels uncomfortable and threatened. To cope with her fear, she imagines an iceberg—huge, cold, […]
This book joins together two old nursery rhymes, illustrated and expanded by Maurice Sendak. In both, ordinary verses turn into strange little adventures: Hector Protector, who is “dressed all in green,” and the traveler who “went over the water,” each stumble into odd and sometimes unsettling situations. Sendak’s pictures make […]
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, a fairy tale has a solid ethical basis, and its plot is wandering. In any case, “Alice” is not a folk tale, but rather a folkloric […]
Original title: Spyashchaya krasavitsa 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
