Celebrating Children's Picture Book Day

For many of us, our earliest memories are being read to from our favorite picture book. We can still vividly remember our favorite artwork, and sometimes, we still may even be able to recite back some of our favorite verses. 

Founded in 1967 by Switzerland's International Board on Books for Young, Children's Picture Book Day is celebrated on April 2nd. Aimed to bring about love and interest in the written word for children, the movement spread and is now celebrated all over the world. 

In honor of Children's Picture Book Day, we asked some of the Sandy staff to share with us their favorite Children's Picture books. 

Sarah McIntyre
Library Director

2 of my favorites as a kid were What Do You Do, Dear and What Do You Say, Dear written by Sesyle Joslin and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.  Though they were simply books about etiquette and manners, I loved the whimsical nature of each of the scenarios the author put forth in the book.

One of my favorite books to read to kids is Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems.  I find the pigeon very easy to identify with and anthropomorphize.

Monica Smith
Children's Librarian

As far as picture books that had an impact on me as a kid: Anything by Richard Scarry. I was totally obsessed with his illustrations. I also loved the book, We Were Tired Of Living In a House by Liesel Moak Skorpen. The original version, with Pen and Ink illustrations, is what was read to me and I loved it. 

It would be hard for me to choose a picture book that I love the most now because there are so many! But I love Bark George by Jules Feiffer. There Are Cats In This Book by Viviane Schwartz is also really clever ad fun 

Maureen Houck
Reference Librarian

Both of my girls love Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. We have probably read it 1000 times, and it is one they often ask me to get from the library. 

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola is another favorite of theirs. That one we were reading so much we had to buy our own copy! 

One of my favorites from when I was a kid is Swimmy by Leo Lionni. 

Lara Wilent 

Library Clerk

One of MY favorites, and I think theirs (children), too, was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin. Another of my favorites was How Many Trucks Can a Tow Truck Tow? by Charlotte Pomerantz. Also, any Richard Scarry or Thomas the Tank Engine books. 

Joanna Beitler

On-Call Library Clerk

My kids always liked Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin and the Flat Stanley books by Lori Haskins Houran. The Lady Bug Girl books by David Soman and the Eric Carle books like the Hungry Caterpillar and the Grouchy Caterpillar are favorites of my grandkids. My youngest granddaughter loves all the Mo Willems books and now that she's reading we read them together!

Chris Wilhelmi

Assistant Library Director

When I was young, a friend of the family gave us first editions of:

A Hole is to Dig by Ruth Krauss

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

What Do You Say, Dear and What Do You Do, Dear by Sesyle Joslin

We didn't own a lot of kids books and the library was very far away, so we read those all the time. And my favorite gift for a new baby is Peek-a-Who by Nina Laden. 

Molly Espenel

Library Clerk

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

The Serendipity books by Cosgrove

Dianne Downey

Library Assistant

Two books my daughter had me read over and over to her were:

Plain Noodles by Betty Waterton and The Tub People by Pam Conrad. They were really fun books! 

Kat Aden

On-Call Library Clerk

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg, The Arrival by Shaun Tan, and Heckedy Peg by Audrey and Dan Wood. 

Brianna Chase

Library Clerk

Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall

Rebecca Hanset

Librarian

After the Fall by Dan Santat

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassan

Check out our library catalog to explore some of these Children's Picture Book selection. 

And let us know below what some of your favorite children's picture books that we missed are!