I'm a picture book enthusiast. I collect them. I founded a nonprofit in Oklahoma that gives books to underserved populations of all ages and I read to groups on a regular basis. I love that Bark, George is included on this list because it is one of my favorite read alouds. I have a large dog puppet that I bring out when I read it. I also love The Story of Ferdinand, Stellaluna and so many others on this list. I also think there are fabulous picture books being written today.

Oh! “Big Red Lollipop!!” How wonderful! My family just discovered that one in the last 3 months, when I grabbed it in a big pile of picture books selected at random in a library visit; I’d decided to try to squeeze every drop out of the last bit of picture books reading time with/ reading to my youngest since she is learning to read on her own. It’s about experiences as siblings when the younger wants to do what the older is invited to do. At random, about two weeks ago, my nine year old was upset about something the eleven year old had been invited to, and the five year old was joining in…. When my sixteen year old threw out, “I think this is a Big Red Lollipop situation!” And I gave thanks that somehow all six kids get little tastes of picture books when they help with or listen to bedtime reading for The Youngest [intentionally capitalized as one would The Queen]. So often raising children is challenging and it was a momentary bright flare of joy at teaching kids to love reading and connect across ages thanks to a book teaching life lessons. Thank God for books!!

If you are ever in Kansas City go to The Rabbit Hole! It is many of these books in life size hands on exhibits - It’s amazing!

One thing that really irks me is when Internet People gripe that "There are no more good picture books being written" These are people who have never read "Mr Watson's Chickens", Kevin Henke's Seasons books, "Little Witch Hazel," or Karma Wilson's Bear books. Thanks for sharing this. Putting some of these on hold at the library now (Both old AND new ones). Also, on one episode of the podcast you recommended the audiobook versions of the Frog and Toad books read by Arnold Lobel. I borrowed it from the library before a long car trip this past summer in which we would have our two year old and our 11 year old niece. We now own it on a Yoto card and the toddler insists on listening to it every single night. It's the one thing that reliably gets her to sleep. If she wakes up and has trouble settling she asks for "Tog and froad" and it usually helps. And true to your experience, certain phrases from the books are becoming part of our family lexicon, especially Frog's sympathetic but a little annoyed "Yes. Tomorrow will be a very hard day for you" which my wife and I use whenever one of us feels particularly whiny about the things we have to do.

So here is one wall of my children’s library, which is in the third bedroom in my house. My “kids” are 32 and 28. I’m a former teacher and I now run a book nonprofit. I read to kid groups all the time. I love picture books and I have a Narnia type wardrobe in my garage that is full of picture books. In line with this article, I did a summer camp session this past summer where the theme was “decades”. I went through the past 100 years and selected picture books from each decade to read aloud and to share. I read to a group of young adults with developmental disabilities once per month and they loved the decades theme and the books. I also love the increase in nonfiction picture books over the last couple of decades. I just did a theme about the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where the Ferris Wheel was introduced and there’s a great picture book titled Mr. Ferris and his Wheel that I used. Picture books can be great introductions to a topic. I learn a lot from reading them and looking at the illustrations. I sometimes do a picture book “random read” where I go into a library and select 5-10 picture books and sit down right there and read them.

We (our youngest is twelve) had nearly every book on that list through 1975 and then after that just 1985’s “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”. We got surprised by a few occasions of content we found objectionable in newer books, so decided to just stick with older titles, which we knew were safe. Our kids weren’t in the picture book phase for too long, so it wasn’t really a limitation—we still had many for them. I’ve no doubt there are great titles we missed, but applying a publication date rule was a simple (and lazy) way for us to screen quickly at library and garage sales.

I'm going to have such a hard time letting go of picture books!

Kathryn Russell some good ones here!!

That's actually a decent list! This made me really happy to see!

My background: I came to classical education later in life (thanks to finding The Well-Educated Mind), and I have strong feelings about the need for education to return to classical roots. I enrolled my youngest son in a classical Christian school even though I am not religious, and according to one silly online quiz I am even more politically to the left than my college-aged children. We had to sign a pledge/mission statement for the school to enroll him. My wife, who is a Christian, signed it, even though the garbage in the document bothered her even more than it did me. We felt like we had no choice. Public school was a disaster, and there were no secular (or at least non-partisan) classical options in our area. My Opinion: To put it succinctly, I think that classical education reform has been hijacked by people unfit to lead the effort (or any other effort). I have been enjoying my personal journey in classical education so much, and I see its value. I’m taking a break from my morning study time right now to write this. I’m working through The Hebrew Bible. Yes, this atheist wakes up early every morning to read The Bible. I can see that theology was missing from my own childhood education, along with history and the great books (although I read a lot on my own). So yes, there is something missing in modern education that shows the sweeping story of how modern times came about in the west, and yes, America’s unique position in it. But, I don’t think the people spearheading the reform now care much about that. It seems more like trying to notch win marks in their belt in the culture war than pursuing real education. I’ve noticed two broad groups in classical education since I became involved. One is incredibly educated, and the other is simply drawn to the idea of teaching a religious text in the classroom because they feel disillusioned with pluralism in modern life. I think one group is healthy, and one is not. I think the second group is the monkey on the back of the classical education movement, and indeed the United States for the moment.

If one were truly non-bias, one would resist the subtly emotive language used in this, such as "the *damaging* effects" and "This is our opportunity to help the Department of Education refine its understanding definition of patriotic education", after that definition has already been declared to be one of "narrow conception". Any University-trained student of history has no doubt already been hammered into repeating the mantra that any "narrow" view is inherently evil, so the choice of the word "narrow" to this specific audience of people is deliberate, albeit not easily obvious, manipulation. If one is, in fact, not unbiased, but actually left-leaning, please just be open about it💛🙏

Thank you so much for sharing this. I am absolutely appalled and alarmed at this proposal, and have submitted a comment at the linked site.

What’s the problem with learning the foundation of our great nation?

Jamila Cazadora Thank you for sharing this information Susan!

The Federal government shouldn’t be interfering in (which includes funding) public education anyhow… it’s the responsibility of the states. The Feds can’t politicize it every change in Executive administration, if they aren’t involved to start with.