Picture books are some of the most underrated books out there. They whittle a complete story—beginning, middle, end, problem, tension, climax, resolution, comic relief—down to an average of 1000 words or less. In thirty-two pages, they entertain, inform, inspire, and deepen the reader’s understanding of the world.

At least, that’s what the good picture books do.

Like every genre, there is no one-size-fits-all picture book. There are some fantastic picture books out there, and quite a few that are not-so-fantastic. Some picture books are brilliant and meaningful, others are quirky but hilarious, and still others are just mediocre.

But here are a few that stand out from the rest. These titles range from spiritually insightful to goofy and engaging—and all are creative and imaginative. Enjoy!

Don’t Wake the Bear!

Steve Smallman, Caroline Pedler

A sweet, rhyming story of some forest friends that want to throw a party to welcome spring. Their only problem is that the big, scary bear is still sleeping away right where they want their party to be. They sneak around, making their preparations, but one overly-enthusiastic friend accidentally wakes up the Bear. The animals are terrified that Bear will be angry and scary, but what happens next surprises everyone. A sweet look at making new friends.

Found

Sally Lloyd-Jones, Jago

While The Jesus Storybook Bible is really in its own category, Lloyd-Jones has several other treasures that belong to the picture book genre. One of the most poignant is Found, a simplified retelling of Psalm 23. The short sentences paired with sweet and simple illustrations visually show all that the Shepherd does for His sheep. Young children will likely understand Psalm 23 better and feel its implications in their own relationship with God through reading Lloyd-Jones’ story.

You Are Special

Max Lucado, Sergio Martinez

A charming children’s picture book from Max Lucado. Punchinello was one of the wooden Wemmicks who spent their days giving each other dot stickers and star stickers. If someone was beautiful or impressive, they got star stickers. If someone wasn’t good at anything (like Punchinello) or their wood was scratched (like Punchinello), they were given dot stickers. Punchinello only had dots, never stars. One day he meets a wooden person named Lucia who has no dot or star stickers – and when other Wemmicks tried to give her a sticker, it wouldn’t stick. Punchinello was amazed, and decided to follow Lucia’s advice and visit the woodcarver. The woodcarver made all the Wemmicks, and he reminds Punchinello that it is not important what other Wemmicks think of him, but what his maker thinks of him.

The Boy and the Ocean

Max Lucado, T. Lively Fluharty

An allegorical look at the bigness of God’s love. A little boy and his parents visit the ocean and the mountains. The boy’s parents tell him that God’s love is like the ocean and the mountains: always here and never-ending. Then one night they lay on the ground and look at stars. This time the little boy tells his parents that God’s love is like the night sky. Very, very sweet story.

What to Do with a Box

Jane Yolen, Chris Sheban

One of the most creative book designs ever. While the rhyming text of this board book shares all the wonderful things you can do with a box, the pages fold out in different directions. Once you’ve read the entire book, you can fold it into the shape of a box. Kids are always amazed to see the book become a box, then return to its book look.

Guess Again!

Mac Barnett, Adam Rex

Barnett has authored several engaging, imaginative books for children, and Guess Again! is a unique take on the popular rhyming style of many picture books. This short book follows a short clue-then-answer format, but while the illustrations and rhyming clues work together to convince the reader what the answer is, each answer is a surprise. Some younger children do not always understand the humor of this style, but those who “get” it always love it.

Goodnight, Gorilla

Peggy Rathmann

This almost-wordless picture book is always a favorite. A sneaky gorilla follows the zookeeper around the zoo, and as the sleepy zookeeper tells each animal goodnight, the gorilla opens each cage. Children love “figuring out” what the gorilla is doing through the illustrations.

Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash