2024 Favourite Storytime Picture Books

A Flock of Gulls, a Chorus of Frogs

by Roy Henry Vickers and Lucky Budd

Part of the First West Coast Books series by Vickers (Tsimshian, Haida and Heiltsuk) and Budd, the duo known for high contrast illustrations and rich, descriptive language. This is a board book so it’s best used with small groups. For mixed-age groups the little ones learn the animal names and the older kids learn the animal group names.

Animal Snuggles: Affection in the Animal Kingdom

by Aimee Reid; illustrated by Sebastien Braun

A super sweet nonfiction title that works great in baby and toddler storytime. Each page has a short phrase describing how animals show affection, and you can have families replicate all of them as you read along. If you’re group is up for it, you can also read the one-sentence info bite on each page. A wonderful choice if you’ve got new caregivers in the group!

Bhangra Baby

by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal; illustrated by Ani Bushry

A baby-led dance instruction manual that is begging to be read while standing up. A link to Bhangra videos is included for those who want to practice before sharing in storytime. Grab this one for your mixed age groups with lots of energy.

Big Gorilla: A Book of Opposites

by Anthony Browne

Toddler storytime gold! Big group gold! Reminiscent of Browne’s illustrations in Little Beauty, this one is a simple but beautiful depiction of opposites. The pages are huge, the sentences simple, the concepts perfect for little learners. A just right storytime book. 

Boozhoo! / Hello!

by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley; translated by Mary Ann Corbiere

Pawis-Steckley (Anishinaabe) introduces readers to a variety of water and woodland animals in this bilingual (Anishinaabemowin and English) story. Reminiscent in structure to the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, this book would be great for toddlers on up. I love the bold illustrations that make it easy to see from far distances.

Bunny Loves Beans

by Jane Whittingham

Whittingham is a Storytime Author to Know. Great for all ages, this picture book features colourful photographs of animals and kids tasting the rainbow. The jaunty text was made for reading aloud! Ask families to share their favourite foods as you go colour by colour. Backmatter has built-in early literacy tips about back-and-forth conversations, a plus for librarians and caregivers alike.

Can You Do This? An Imagination Play Book

by Megan Roy

Get ready to move and grove as you read, perhaps while standing up with your storytime crowd! Questions prompt different activities such as touching toes, hopping like a bunny, dancing, and flapping arms. A few activities will take a little room, so be sure to prompt with instructions for group safety. A quick choice for getting the wiggles out with all ages. 

Cinnamon Bun, I Love You 1

by Amy Schwartz

My new favourite babytime book! Count up to ten with adorable little rhymes. Because the text is so short you can easily stop on each page to count, encouraging caregivers to count on baby’s appendages. Honestly, this would work just as well with toddlers too!

Clive Penguin

by Huw Lewis Jones; illustrated by Ben Sanders

Clive, a penguin who is cold, decides to leave home in search of something warm. This book has been described as “drily witty” and I agree, you need to read it in a deadpan voice for the giggles. I especially loved the pop of fluorescent orange throughout the book. A great choice for winter preschool storytimes.

Dog Vs. Strawberry

by  Nelly Buchet; illustrated by Andrea Zuill  

Shout-out to Betsy Bird for introducing me to this funny animal vs. inanimate object race that begs to be read in a BOOMING voice to preschoolers and grade school kids. It’s on the longer side, but the humour and dramatic twist of events will keep the kids hooked. 

Doris

by Lo Cole

A journey of discovery and self-discovery! Doris the elephant doesn’t want to stand out which leads to an interactive seek-and-find game for families at storytime. The colours pop and will read from far away. A great choice for toddlers and preschoolers.

Eye Guess

by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes

A nice-sized board book version of a 2005 lift-the-flap picture book.  No flaps in this one, but it still works well – a simple descriptive sentence with the repeating question, “Who am I?” The bold illustrations and simplicity of the text make it a great interactive read for an all ages group. 

Follow My Food Series

by Deborah Chancellor, illustrated by Julia Groves

A British import that just made its landing in North America! A wonderful nonfiction series that includes the titles Polly Bee Makes Honey (my favourite one), Granny Root Grows Fruit, Milly Cow Gives Milk, and Shelly Hen Lays Eggs. These are short, sweet, boldly illustrated and would work well with toddlers and preschoolers. Follow it up with Fruit Salad or Bananas Unite!

Goodnight Sun

by Eoin McLaughlin; illustrated by Morag Hood

The perfect pick for pajama storytime! Kids will relate to Sun’s reluctance to turn out the lights in this bright and bold picture book. The amount of text is great for a toddler/preschool mix, and I could see some fun rainbow science tie-ins if using in a STEM program. 

Hello, Face!

by Aya Khalil

Part of an adorable board book series featuring photographs of diverse families and babies, this is a great choice for babytime. The high contrast images make up for the small size of the book, and there are so many interactive elements that invite caregivers to interact with their little one. First board book I’ve seen featuring a newborn with a feeding tube. 

Hen in the Bed

by Katrina Charman; illustrated by Guilherme Karsten

An animal themed version of the classic song Ten in the Bed. So fun for groups! You can sing the book, get families to make the animal sounds, or count the animals.  Recommended for toddlers and preschoolers.

Here are the Seeds

by JaNay Brown-Wood; illustrated by Olivia Amoah

This cumulative story of growing a garden includes perfect-for-storytime interruptions of “oh no!” that allow families to make guesses about what has gone wrong. Large, bright illustrations will translate for big groups. A wonderful spring and summer title for toddlers and preschoolers.

Honk Honk Woo Woo

by Emma Garcia

What a shame that this book is only available in board book format! Nevertheless, Garcia returns with another sound-filled vehicle adventure, this time featuring emergency vehicles. Great choice for a small group of babies and toddlers. Publishers, please give us the brilliantly large picture book version we so desperately need!

I Am Wriggly

by Michael Rosen; illustrated by Robert Starling

I think you have to read this book standing up!  The perfect choice for a group that likes to move. Big, bright illustrations paired with quick, short sentences make a toddler storytime gem. Rosen made the list last year with another title in this series, and I hope he keeps it up.

It Bears Repeating

by Tanya Tagaq; illustrated by Cee Pootoogook

Say hello to my new favourite counting book. Tagaq (Inuk) and Pootoogook (Kinngait) share the English and Inuktitut for polars bears up to 10. Some of the descriptions lend themselves to acting out as a storytime group, plus all the interactive opportunities to count together. It bears re-reading!

It’s Powwow Time!

by Martha Troian; illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

A young boy experiences his first Powwow in this lively depiction of Indigenous life by Troian (Lac Seul First Nation) and Pichette (Mushkego Cree). Get your storytimers doing the repetitive “thump, thump, thump” as you read about the singing, dancing, and drumming at Powwow. The text is brief enough for a mixed-age group of toddlers and preschoolers, and the images will pop for larger groups. 

Jam, Too?

by JaNay Brown-Wood; illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

Get the families at storytime to clap, pat, and dance along with the rhythm! Practice reading this one a few times to get a feel for the rhymes before sharing with a group. Great for toddlers and preschoolers. Brown-Wood is a storytime favourite these days, so keep an eye on everything she writes.

Let’s Go! Haw êkwa!

by Julie Flett

Flett (Cree-Métis) uses onomatopoeic language to capture a child’s introduction to skateboarding.  The pronunciation guide can help you lead your group in saying the repeating title phrase together. Due to length, recommended for preschoolers up to grade 3. 

Lucky Duck

by Greg Pizzoli 

Preschool to school-age kids will love this funny tale of a duck who almost gets eaten by a wolf only to be saved by their “unlucky” accidents throughout the book. Pizzoli writes books meant to be read aloud with a repetitive narrative structure and opportunities for dramatic pause. A great choice for an older audience who is ready to settle in for a story. 

The Most Boring Book Ever

by Brandon Sanderson; illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi

What a great choice for an elementary class visit where you really want to get the kids on board.  The text is short and sweet; the illustrations tell a different story, one older children will delight in watching unfold as you deadpan read the text. A wonderful foray into picture books by these two creators known for their chapter book and graphic novel work. 

Paint with Ploof

by Ben Clanton and Andy Chou Musser

If your storytimers loved the first one, they will also love this follow-up interactive title. Kids help Ploof paint their first rainbow, a challenge that causes lots of big emotions. Pass out a set of paintbrushes to your crowd and have them “paint” along for even more audience engagement.

Pasta! These Names are Fun to Say

by Felice Arena; illustrated by Beatrice Cerocchi

You’ll definitely need to practice before reading, but I think this one is a hoot. List off different types of pasta and then get everyone chanting “Pasta!” A surprisingly good way to encourage phonological awareness while celebrating every toddler’s favourite food. Great for all ages. 

The Pelican Can

by Toni Yuli

Before reading this one try teaching your group the title phrase chant which is repeated on every other page. Short, simple sentences make this the perfect toddler read aloud. A sneaky way to learn about this seaside bird. Excellent nonfiction choice for your littlest storytimers.

Rainbow Bear

by Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson; illustrated by Nathalie Beauvois

Simple concepts? Check. Bold, bright colours? Check. Repetitive text the whole group can say together? Check. Look, these two know what they are doing. A particularly great book for those of us in bear territory. Great for babies and toddlers.

Rainbowsaurus

by Steve Antony

Follow two dads and three kids as they encounter an array of noise-making animals as they search for the titular character. A great choice for mixed-aged storytimes where you can get everyone oinking and gobbling along with you. The author shared a way to sing the book!

The Robbery

by Joaquin Camp

You know when you need a book that has enough absurdity and humour that a Grade 4 class will love it? Look no further. A tale of foiled plans and budding friendships, this is a great choice for the kids who think they are “too old” for picture books. I LOL’s multiple times!

Thank You

by Jarvis

Nice large pages and simple sentences make this a great choice for mixed-age groups. I love the focus on gratefulness, even when things appear the opposite. I’ll be reading this one when I need a reminder of how lucky I am. 

This Is Not My Lunch Box!

by Jennifer Dupuis, illustrated by Carol Schwartz 

A stand-out nonfiction title that gets kids guessing who eats what. I am always looking for books that encourage interaction! I use it for mixed-age groups and really stress the repetitive “No, thank you!” for the littlest listeners.

The Top Spot

by  Frank Weber

If you’re a lover of folk tales, this original parable asks the question: “Is winning always worth it?” A great choice for K – Grade 2 classes who can engage in a discussion about the moral of the story. When reading, pay attention to the eyes of the ibex – they are small but convey a lot!

Towed by Toad

by Jashar Awan

Awan made my list last year and is becoming a Storytime Author to Watch! Perfect for preschoolers, this story follows Toad’s day of helping others until it’s Toad’s turn to receive a helping hand. Told in short punchy sentences with engaging illustrations, this is a winner.

Watch Out! There’s a Monster Coming!

by Karl Newsom; illustrated by Zehra Hicks

Silly and fun, this green monster is coming to get you (but not really, it’s all about the cake). I recommend reading it as the first book to a mixed-age storytime group. Encourage families to “play” the story at home by taking turns being the monster and chasing each other around.