All book reviews on this site are written and revised by Cheryl Rainfield.
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Good picture books—books that are well-written, have engaging art, and contain encouraging messages—can be nurturing and healing for both children and adults.
Picture books can offer comfort, encouragement, gentle guidance, and positive messages through story—a method that makes messages easier to absorb. Books are powerful. They can help bring good feeling, boost self-esteem, remind the reader of what's important in life and how to cope with problems, all while entertaining and uplifting the reader.
I pick books that, to me, contain the most delight and healing. I hope you'll check them out.
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Subject
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Titles A Alligator Boy
Another Perfect Day Art Augustus and His Smile B
A Bad Case of Stripes (by David Shannon)The Best Book to Read (by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom, illustrated by Michael Garland)Billy's Bucket (by Kes Gray, illustrated by Garry Parsons)The Blue Day Book For Kids: A Lesson In Cheering Yourself Up Bobbie Dazzler The Boy From the Sun (by Duncan Weller)The Boy Who Was Raised By Librarians C Chester by Melanie WattChickens to the Rescue (by John Himmelman)
Chowder Clara and Asha Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type Courage (by Bernard Waber) Courage of the Blue Boy (written and illustrated by Robert Neubecker)
D Dear Fish Dog Eared (by Amanda Harvey)Do Not Open This Book! (by Michaela Muntean, illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre) Duck at the Door (written and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic)
E Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct Ella, Of Course! Estelle Takes a Bath (by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma)F Five Little Fiends Flotsam (by David Wiesner)
Fly, Little Bird Flyaway Katie G The Girl In the Castle Inside the Museum (by Kate Bernheimer, illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli)Good Boy, Fergus! A Good Day Goodnight, Sweet Pig Go To Bed, Monster! (by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz )Green as a Bean
(by Karla Kuskin, illustrated by Melissa Iwai)Guji Guji H Hip, Hip, Hooray for Annie McRae! (by Brad Wilcox, illustrated by Julie Hansen Olson)Hippo! No, Rhino! How the Moon Regained Her Shape (written by Janet Ruth Heller, illustrated by Ben Hodson)I If You Were a Parrot (by Katherine Rawson, illustrated by Sherry Rogers)
I Like Myself (written by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow)
The Incredible Book-Eating Boy (by Oliver Jeffers)Is a Worry Worrying You? (written by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz, illustrated by Marie Le Tourneau)Imagine a Day (written by Sarah L. Thomson, illustrated by Rob Gonsalves)
I'm Special, I'm Me (by Ann Meek, illustrated by Sarah Massini)Ish J Jane and the Dragon (by Martin Baynton)Jeffrey and Sloth Jitterbug Jam (by Barbara Jean Hicks, illustrated by Alexis Deacon)K The Kiss That Missed L The Lamb Who Came For Dinner Learning to Fly Leonardo the Terrible Monster Library Lion Lights Out Like A Windy Day (by Frank Asch and Devin Asch)The Louds Move In (by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by Regan Dunnick)Love Is a Handful of Honey The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster (written by A. W. Flaherty, illustrated by Scott Magoon)M Mama, If You Had a Wish Marc Just Couldn't Sleep (written by Gabriela Keselman, illustrated by Noemi Villamuza)Martha Speaks Max Max's Words McDuff Moves In Monkey Business (by Wallace EdwardsMonkey With a Tool Belt (by Chris Monroe)Mrs. Biddlebox: Her Bad Day . . . And What She Did About It! (by Linda Smith, illustrated by Marla Frazee)Mrs. Crump's Cat My Beautiful Child , (written by Lisa Desimini, illustrated by Matt Mahurin)
My Book Box My Cat Copies Me (by Yoon-duck Kwon)My Cat, The Silliest Cat In the World My First. . . (by Eva Montanari)My First Flip-Flap Book of Numbers (illustrated by Robert Salanitro)My Favorite Sounds From A to Z (written by Peggy Snow, illustrated by Brian Barber)N Not a Box No Matter What by Debi GlioriNot So Tall For Six (by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Frank W. Dormer)O Oscar and the Mooncats (by Lynda Gene Rymond, illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli)Oliver Has Something To Say (written by Pamela Edwards, illustrated by Louis Pilon) Once Upon an Ordinary School Day (written by Colin McNaughton, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura)
P Peanut Penguin
(by Polly Dunbar)The Pink Refrigerator Princess SmartyPants Pssst! (by Adam Rex)Q R Rainstorm The Red Book The Red Tree Ryan's Mom Is Tall S
Sebastian's Roller Skates (by Jean de Deu Prats, illustrated by Francesc Rovira)The Sheep In Wolf's Clothing The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley (by Colin Thompson, illustrated by Amy Lissiat)Silly Billy (by Anthony Browne)Sink or Swim (by Valerie Coulman, illustrated by Roge)
Skinny Brown Dog (by Kimberly Willis Holt, illustrated by Donald Saaf) Slugs In Love (by Susan Pearson, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley)Some Helpful Tips for a Better World and a Happier Life (by Rebecca Doughty)Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch Some Dog! (by Mary Casanova, illustrated by Ard Hoyt)
Sometimes Bad Things Happen (by Ellen Jackson, photographed by Shelley Rotner)Space Boy (by Leo Landry)Splat the Cat (by Rob Scotton)Superhero Superhero ABC (by Bob McLeod)T And Tango Makes Three (by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole)
There Is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me (by Alice Walker, illustrated by Stefano Vitale)There's NO Such Thing as a Dragon (A Golden Classic) Tudley Didn't Know U Un-Brella (by Scott E. Franson)V W Walk On: A Guide for Babies of All Ages (by Marla Frazee)
What Elephant? (by Geneviève Côté) When Giants Come to Play (by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes)When I Feel Sad (The Way I Feel Books) Is a Worry Worrying You? X Y You Can't Take a Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum Z The Zoo Back to Top
Authors A Peanut Like A Windy Day Not So Tall For Six (illustrated by Frank W. Dormer)(Love Is a Handful of Honey , illustrated by Vanessa Cabban)
B (My Cat, The Silliest Cat In the World )
Goodnight, Sweet Pig Max's Words Jane and the Dragon When Giants Come to Play (illustrated by Kevin Hawkes) (I Like Myself , illustrated by David Catrow)
The Girl In the Castle Inside the Museum (illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli)The Best Book to Read (co-authored by Susan Bloom, illustrated by Michael Garland)The Best Book to Read (co-authored by Debbie Bertram, illustrated by Michael Garland) Chowder Silly Billy (Fly, Little Bird )
C Some Dog! (illustrated by Ard Hoyt)
(Guji Guji )
(Princess SmartyPants )
What Elephant? Sink or Swim (illustrated by Roge)The Louds Move In (illustrated by Regan Dunnick)(Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type , illustrated by Betsy Lewin)
D (My Beautiful Child , illustrated by Matt Mahurin)
Sebastian's Roller Skates (illustrated by Francesc Rovira)Some Helpful Tips for a Better World and a Happier Life (Flyaway Katie ), (Penguin )
(Five Little Fiends ) E Oliver Has Something To Say (illustrated by Louis Pilon)Monkey Business (The Pink Refrigerator) Estelle Takes a Bath (illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma)F The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster (illustrated by Scott Magoon)Un-Brella (Walk On: A Guide for Babies of All Ages )
G Dear Fish (Lights Out ) No Matter What (Max )
Billy's Bucket (illustrated by Garry Parsons) (The Blue Day Book For Kids: A Lesson In Cheering Yourself Up ) H Dog Eared (How the Moon Regained Her Shape illustrated by Ben Hodson) (A Good Day )
(Jitterbug Jam , illustrated by Alexis Deacon) (My Book Box )
(Tudley Didn't Know ) ; Chickens to the Rescue )
(Skinny Brown Dog, illustrated by Donald Saaf)J Sometimes Bad Things Happen (photographed by Shelley Rotner)The Incredible Book-Eating Boy Ryan's Mom Is Tall K (There's NO Such Thing as a Dragon )
(Marc Just Couldn't Sleep , illustrated by Noemi Villamuza) (Library Lion , illustrated by Kevin Hawkes)
Green as a Bean
(illustrated by Melissa Iwai)(My Cat Copies Me ) L Space Boy (The Zoo )
(The Red Book ) , (Rainstorm )
The Sheep In Wolf's Clothing M (
Another Perfect Day )
(Art ) (Superhero ABC ) (Once Upon an Ordinary School Day) (illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura)
(Martha Speaks )
I'm Special, I'm Me (illustrated by Sarah Massini)(The Kiss That Missed )
(Learning to Fly )
(Mama, If You Had a Wish , illustrated by Robin Spowart) Monkey With a Tool Belt My First. . . The Boy Who Was Raised By Librarians Do Not Open This Book! (illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre)N (Courage of the Blue Boy )
(Hippo! No, Rhino! ) O P Slugs In Love (illustrated by Kevin O'Malley)(Not a Box )
And Tango Makes Three (co-authored by Justin Richardson, illustrated by Henry Cole)R If You Were a Parrot (illustrated by Sherry Rogers)Augustus and His Smile (Ish )
(Pssst! )
And Tango Makes Three (co-authored by Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole)(Clara and Asha )
(Alligator Boy ) (illustrated by Diane Goode)
Oscar and the Mooncats (illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli)S (Is a Worry Worrying You? , co-written with Ferida Wolff, illustrated by Marie Le Tourneau).Splat the Cat (Good Boy, Fergus! A Bad Case of Stripes )The Lamb Who Came For Dinner (Mrs. Crump's Cat , illustrated by David Roberts);
Mrs. Biddlebox: Her Bad Day . . . And What She Did About It! (illustrated by Marla Frazee)My Favorite Sounds From A to Z (illustrated by Brian Barber) (When I Feel Sad (The Way I Feel Books) , illustrated by Kathy Parkinson)(Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch ) (illustrated by Paul Yalowitz)
T (The Red Tree ) Superhero
The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley (illustrated by Amy Lissiat)Sarah L. Thomson (Imagine a Day , illustrated by Rob Gonsalves)
U (Duck at the Door )
V W Courage
There Is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me (illustrated by Stefano Vitale)Chester (Ella, Of Course!) (illustrated by Doug Cushman)
(You Can't Take a Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum , illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser)
The Boy From the Sun McDuff Moves In (Flotsam )
Hip, Hip, Hooray for Annie McRae! (illustrated by Julie Hansen Olson)Bobbie Dazzler (Leonardo the Terrible Monster ) (Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct )
(Go To Bed, Monster!) (illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz )(i>Jeffrey and Sloth , (illustrated by Ben Hodson)
(Is a Worry Worrying You? , co-written with Harriet May Savitz, illustrated by Marie Le Tourneau).Z Back to Top
Illustrators A (Peanut ) Like A Windy Day B (My Cat, The Silliest Cat In the World )
My Favorite Sounds From A to Z (written by Peggy Snow) (Jane and the Dragon ) (Chowder ) (Silly Billy ) (Fly, Little Bird )
C (Love Is a Handful of Honey , written by Giles Andreae)(I Like Myself , written by Karen Beaumont)
Oscar and the Mooncats (written by Lynda Gene Rymond);
The Girl In the Castle Inside the Museum (written by Kate Bernheimer) (Princess SmartyPants ) (What Elephant? ) And Tango Makes Three (co-authored by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson) (Guji Guji ) (Ella, Of Course!, written by Sarah Weeks)
D (Bobbie Dazzler )
(written by Margaret Wild) (Ryan's Mom Is Tall , written by Heather Jopling) (Estelle Takes a Bath ) (written by Jill Esbaum)(Jitterbug Jam , written by Barbara Jean Hicks)Not So Tall For Six (written by Dianna Hutts Aston)Some Helpful Tips for a Better World and a Happier Life (The Lamb Who Came For Dinner , written by Steve Smallman)
(The Louds Move In , written by Carolyn Crimi)(Flyaway Katie ), (Penguin )
Sarah Dyer (Five Little Fiends ) E Monkey Business (The Pink Refrigerator ) F Un-Brella (Walk On: A Guide for Babies of All Ages ) ;
Mrs. Biddlebox: Her Bad Day . . . And What She Did About It! (by Linda Smith)G (Dear Fish ) The Best Book to Read (co-authored by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom) (Lights Out ) (You Can't Take a Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum , story by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman) No Matter What (Max )
(Alligator Boy , written by Cynthia Rylant)
(Imagine a Day , written by Sarah L. Thomson)H (Dog Eared) (Library Lion , written by Michelle Knudsen); (When Giants Come to Play , written by Andrea Beaty) (A Good Day )
(My Book Box )
(Tudley Didn't Know ; Chickens to the Rescue )
Jeffrey and Sloth , written by Kari-Lynn Winters); (How the Moon Regained Her Shape , written by Janet Ruth Heller)
Some Dog! (written by Mary Casanova)
I Green as a Bean
(written by Karla Kuskin)J The Incredible Book-Eating Boy (McDuff Moves In , written by Rosemary Wells)
K (Go To Bed, Monster!) (written by Natasha Wing) (There's NO Such Thing as a Dragon ) (Once Upon an Ordinary School Day , (written by Colin McNaughton) (My Cat Copies Me ) (Max's Words , written by Kate Banks) L Space Boy The Zoo (The Red Book ) , Rainstorm (Do Not Open This Book! , written by Michaela Muntean) (Is a Worry Worrying You? , written by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz).(Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type , written by Doreen Cronin)
The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley (written by Colin Thompson)M (
Another Perfect Day )
The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster (written by A. W. Flaherty)(My Beautiful Child , written by Lisa Desimini) (Goodnight, Sweet Pig ) (written by Linda Bailey)
I'm Special, I'm Me (written by Ann Meek)(Art ) (Superhero ABC ) (Martha Speaks )
(The Kiss That Missed )
(Learning to Fly )
Monkey With a Tool Belt My First. . . The Sheep In Wolf's Clothing N (Courage of the Blue Boy ) Hippo! No, Rhino! O Hip, Hip, Hooray for Annie McRae! (by Brad Wilcox ) Slugs In Love (by Susan Pearson)P (When I Feel Sad (The Way I Feel Books) , written by Cornelia Maude Spelman)Billy's Bucket (written by Kes Gray)Oliver Has Something To Say (written by Pamela Edwards ) (Not a Box )
Q R Augustus and His Smile (Ish ) Pssst!
David Roberts (Mrs. Crump's Cat , written by Linda Smith)
Sink or Swim (written by Valerie Coulman)If You Were a Parrot (written by Katherine Rawson ) (Clara and Asha )
Sometimes Bad Things Happen (by Ellen Jackson)
Sebastian's Roller Skates (written by Jean de Deu Prats)S
(Skinny Brown Dog , written by Kimberly Willis Holt)My First Flip-Flap Book of Numbers Splat the Cat (Good Boy, Fergus! A Bad Case of Stripes )The Boy Who Was Raised By Librarians (Mama, If You Had a Wish ) , written by Jeanne Modesitt) T (The Red Tree ) Superhero U (Duck at the Door )
V (Marc Just Couldn't Sleep , written by Gabriela Keselman, illustrated by )
There Is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me (written by Alice Walker)W Courage Chester The Boy From the Sun (Flotsam ) (Leonardo the Terrible Monster ); (Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct ) X Y (Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch ) (written by Eileen Spinelli)
Z
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