Children’s Picture Books: All-Time Top 50

First posted 2/17/2019; updated 2/19/2019.

image from delawarelibrary.org

These are the top 50 children’s pictures books based on an aggregate of titles’ appearances on more than a dozen best-of lists specifically about children’s picture books, 25+ more general children’s book lists, and another 50+ general book lists. Words and pictures are both by the same person unless noted otherwise (w = words, p = pictures).

1. Maurice Sendak Where the Wild Things Are (1964)
2. Eric Carle The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969)
3. Margaret Wise Brown (w)/ Clement Hurd (p) Goodnight Moon (1947)
4. Dr. Seuss The Cat in the Hat (1957)
5. Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham (1960)
6. Shel Silverstein The Giving Tree (1964)
7. Beatrix Potter The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1901)
8. Ezra Jack Keats The Snowy Day (1962)
9. Shel Silverstein Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974)
10. Judith Viorst (w)/Ray Cruz (p) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (1972)

11. H.A. & Margaret Rey Curious George (1941)
12. P.D. Eastman Go, Dog, Go! (1961)
13. Robert McCloskey Make Way for Ducklings (1941)
14. Crockett Johnson Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955)
15. Don Freeman Corduroy (1976)
16. Laura Numeroff (w)/Felicia Bond (p) If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1985)
17. Dr. Seuss The Lorax (1971)
18. Ludwig Bemelmans Madeline (1939)
19. Robert Munsch (w)/Sheila McGraw (p) Love You Forever (1986)
20. Jon Scieszka (w)/Lane Smith (p) The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (1989)

21. Esphyr Slobdkina Caps for Sales (1947)
22. Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault (w)/Lois Ehlert (p) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989)
23. Russell Hoban (w)/Lillian Hoban (p) Bread and Jam for Frances (1964)
24. Harry Allard (w)/James Marshall (p) Miss Nelson Is Missing! (1977)
25. Ian Falconer Olivia (2000)
26. Munro Leaf (w)/Robert Lawson (p) The Story of Ferdinand 1936)
27. Sam McBratney (w)/Anita Jeram (p) Guess How Much I Love You (1994)
28. Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1964)
29. Chris Van Allsburg The Polar Express (1985)
30. Bill Martin Jr. (w)/Eric Carle (p) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967)

31. William Steig Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1969)
32. Watty Piper (w)/George & Doris Hauman (p) The Little Engine That Could (1930)
33. Dr. Seuss Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (1990)
34. Jean de Brunhoff The Story of Babar (1933)
35. Judi Barrett (w)/Ron Barrett (p) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (1978)
36. Virginia Lee Burton The Little House (1942)
37. David Shannon No, David! (1998)
38. Arnold Lobel Frog and Toad Are Friends (1970)
39. Philip C. Stead A Sick Day for Amos McGee (2010)
40. Chris Van Allsburg Jumanji (1981)

41. P.D. Eastman Are You My Mother? (1960)
42. Dr. Seuss One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960)
43. Dr. Suess Hop on Pop (1963)
44. Virginia Lee Burton Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939)
45. Jan Brett The Mitten (1989)
46. Gene Zion (w)/Margaret Bloy Graham (p) Harry the Dirty Dog (1956)
47. Wanda Gag Millions of Cats (1928)
48. Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who! (1954)
49. Margery Wlliams (w)/William Nicholson (p) The Velveteen Rabbit (1922)
50. Mo Willems Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (2003)

---