6 Beautiful Picture Books that I’d Love to Own!

As Greta is getting older, we’ve enjoyed reading more and more picture books.  As I wrap up this series on 31 Days that Inspire Learning (only 2 more to go!), I thought I’d share 6 books that we’ve read several times to the boys that I found at either the library or someone else’s home, that I’d love to add to our collection.  As I wrote about this summer, kids benefit from reading the same book over and over again.  The trick is finding books that you as the parent don’t mind reading for the upteenth time.  Here are a few beautiful and engaging options:

1.  The Snail and the Whale – This is another favorite that we check out every year and read over and over again.  The story is mesmerizing and the words slip off the tip of my tongue in an effortless beautiful kind of way. Even now, I practically have it memorized and I don’t mind one bit reading it over and over again.  Someday, I’ll be reading this one to my grandchildren!

2. The Velveteen Rabbit – I loved this book as a girl and cried the first time I read it to Xander.  Oh yes, I blogged about the experience back in the vintage 2006 days of this blog.

3. Each Peach, Pear, Plum – This delightful book is sort of an “I Spy” book for fairy tale characters.  Beautifully illustrated, it lends itself to precious memory making moments as you study the illustrations together.  I enjoyed reading this to Xander and ‘gasp’ totally forgot about it until now. It is high time that I caught the next three kids up on this beautiful book.

4. The Giraffe that Walked to Paris – I discovered this book when we were learning about world geography almost 4 years ago.  At the time it was out of print and in such great demand that one had to pay over $50 to buy a used copy.  I had to request it through inter-library loan.  I noticed that it is back in print and I’d love to add this engaging true story about the giraffe that walked to Paris!

5. Roxaboxen – I fell in love with this book from the moment I first read it.  I love books that inspire kids to get out in nature.  Most children’s books however center around life in the forest and next to bubbling brooks.  Well, here in the Arizona desert our nature play doesn’t quite look like that.  Roxaboxen takes place in Yuma, Arizona which is in the south western part of our state.  It beautifully illustrates the power of children’s imaginations no matter the surroundings.  For the number of times we’ve checked this out of the library, I think it deserves a permanent place in our home.  If you love imaginative play and the outdoors, this book is a MUST READ!

6. Children of the Forest – Elsa Beskow is considered the Beatrix Potter of Sweden. Her nature-infused illustrations are simply magical.  My sister first introduced me to this whimsical book about a tiny forest family, specifically a family with four children.  I hope Greta becomes enchanted with these little forest children and their imaginative romps through the forest.  You can get the mini-book version (7×5) on Amazon, but to get the big 9×11 books, you have to go to Ebay or a specialty store like A Toy Garden.

To check out the whole series: