48 Picture Books for the Well-Rounded Catholic Child
Three years ago, I became a grandmother for the first time. In just under a month from now, my fourth grandchild will be born. One of the many great things about having grandchildren is revisiting the joy of picture books — the same joy I shared with their parents so many years ago.
I keep a book wish list for each of my grandchildren. (Yes, I’m passing my bibliophileness onto them.) Every birthday, Christmas, baptism, holy day, Groundhog Day, etc., is a reason to gift a child with a book. Right?! Keeping the wish lists helps me remember what I’ve bought, for whom, and what still needs to be presented.
Looking it over this morning, I realized, “This is a pretty good list for any parent or grandparent.” So, here I am sharing a portion of it with you. I picked a variety of books that cover a variety of topics to help form a well-rounded child.
These are books that are already on my shelves. Books I shared with my own children. Books I cherish and will not part with. They remain at Grammy’s house for as long as Grammy is here. I’m buying them all over again, so they are also on the shelves of my adult children and their children.
It is my hope that this list inspires you to buy good-quality picture books for your children and/or grandchildren. Or, perhaps, your great-grandchildren.
I suggest printing this list and taking it to the library. Then, when you find a favorite, put that on your wishlist.
Titles are in no particular order. Click on the book title to read reviews at Amazon.
Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre and His World of Insects by Matthew Clark Smith (Author), Giuliano Ferri (Illustrator)
The Princess and the Kiss: A Story of God’s Gift of Purity by Jennie Bishop
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
A Day on Skates: The Story of a Dutch Picnic by Hilda van Stockum
The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith by Josephine Nobisso (Author), Katalin Szegedi (Illustrator)
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (Author), Robert Lawson (Illustrator)
Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman (Author), Ben Hatke (Illustrator)
Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle
Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish (Author), Fritz Siebel (Illustrator)
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden (Author), Barbara Cooney (Illustrator)
The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop (Author), Preston McDaniels (Illustrator)
Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Saint Jude: A Friend in Hard Times by Michael Aquilina (Author), Keith Neely (Illustrator)
The Empty Pot by Demi
Picture Book of Saints by Lawrence G. Lovasik
Book of Greek Myths by the D’Aulaires
Rocks in His Head by Carol Otis Hurst (Author), James Stevenson (Illustrator)
Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Christopher Raschka
The Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi
Raphael (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia
Peter Tchaikovsky (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (A Math Adventure) by Cindy Neuschwander and Wayne Geehan
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz (Author), Tomie dePaola (Illustrator)
The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica by Kathleen Norris (Author), Tomie dePaola (Illustrator)
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Author), Clement Hurd (Illustrator)
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Bible for Young Catholics by Anne Eileen Heffernan (Editor), Deborah J. White (Illustrator)
Little Robot by Ben Hatke
Saint Brendan and the Voyage Before Columbus by Michael McGrew (Author), Marnie Litz (Illustrator)
The Miracle of St. Nicholas by Gloria Whelan (Author), Judith Brown (Illustrator)
The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Brigid’s Cloak by Bryce Milligan (Author), Helen Cann (Illustrator)
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Curious George by H. A. Rey
Little Bear by Elsa Holmelund Minarik (Author), Maurice Sendak (Illustrator)
But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton
Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing by Amy Welborn (Author), Ann Kissane Engelhart (Illustrator)
The Mass Book for Children by Donna Piscitelli and Rosemarie Gortler (Authors), Mimi Sternhagen (Illustrator)
That’s Me in Here by Jean Darby
The Father Brown Reader: Stories from Chesterton by Nancy Carpentier Brown (Editor), Ted Schluenderfritz (Illustrator)
Children’s Prayers to Mary by Lawrence G. Lovasik
Though this list contains 48 books, it is not exhaustive. There are a great many other picture books worth your time and effort. Explore other titles by the same author or by looking at Amazon’s “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” suggestions. Ask your friends for their favorites and search for other Catholic reading lists online.
If I’ve left off your favorite picture book, let me know at the Homeschool Connections Community.
