Foreword

One of the very greatest pleasures of parenthood – and grandparenthood, godparenthood, uncle-/aunthood – is reading picture books to and with small children. In fact it brings such joy, to both adult and child, that I am tempted from time to time to borrow the occasional child expressly for this purpose.

Reading with small children is never just about reading words. It is about sharing the story, looking at the pictures, anticipating favourite moments, repeating well-loved pieces of text, finding new things in the illustrations. These are all great sources of pleasure in themselves, and they are also valuable skills that will help children when they come to learn to read.

In fact, reading picture books has a lot to teach adults about the nature of story. Accustomed as we are to reading ‘grownup books’, we are inclined to focus on text, and to think that stories can only be told in words. Small children can rediscover for us the joy of ‘reading’ the pictures along with the words.

Children who have grown up on picture books have an endless source of pleasure that they can draw on all their lives. No child is ever ‘too big’ for picture books. If you think about the pleasure you get yourself from reading with young children, you will realise that the joy of picture books can continue way beyond the early years. Returning to picture books that they enjoyed when they were younger and the world was an easier place is a great comfort to a child who is finding the going tough. There are also many, many wonderful picture books that are intended for older readers. In fact, children can continue to enjoy the special pleasure of picture books, alongside their other reading, right into their teenage years and beyond.

In every library and bookshop there is such an array of picture books that it’s sometimes difficult to know where to start. That’s where a guide like this is so valuable. You can be sure that all the books recommended here are excellent of their type, and the thematic arrangement will help you to find the books that will appeal to your child and suit his or her interests or needs. And finding one book by an author or illustrator that you like is only the start of it. You and your children can then move on to read other books by the same author and from there can venture to new authors and new artists.

Let this book be your guide on a wonderful journey through the picture-book section of your library, and I promise you that you will find books to enchant you and your children for now and for years to come.

Siobhán Parkinson

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