What makes a good book for tonight? Sometimes it’s a page that makes everyone laugh. Sometimes it’s a picture your child wants to stop and talk about. These three picture books offer different ways to share a few pages together.
How this guide was made. This is a research-based buying guide. EdCaptain checked publisher descriptions and edition details. The suggestions are based on the kind of reading each book invites.
Affiliate disclosure. EdCaptain may earn a commission from the marked Amazon link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Borrow a book first
Try your library, school book corner or a swap with another family. Search by title and author, then use the ISBN if you want the specific edition below. Already have a picture book on the shelf? Let your child choose a page, look at it together and take turns noticing things. That counts as a read-aloud evening too.
For a child who loves making sound effects
Gajapati Kulapati, written and illustrated by Ashok Rajagopalan, is about an elephant with a very big sneeze. Tulika’s English edition is ISBN 9788181468352. The repeated sounds give children an easy way to join in before they know the words. Try pausing just before the sneeze and giving your child the cue. Search the publisher’s catalogue if your family would prefer another language.
See the English edition at Tulika Books.
For a child who likes guessing what happens next
The Gruffalo, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, follows a mouse who talks its way past larger animals in the woods. The Pan Macmillan paperback is ISBN 9781509804757. Pause when the mouse meets an animal and ask what your child thinks it will say. If the monster pictures feel a bit much at bedtime, look at a sample together in daylight first.
See the paperback at Pan Macmillan.
For a child who asks questions about everyday life
Last Stop on Market Street, written by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson, follows CJ and his grandmother on a city bus ride. The US hardcover is ISBN 9780399257742. Try leaving some space for your child to notice details in the pictures or compare the bus ride with a trip you take together.
See the hardcover and sample at Penguin Random House. View this hardcover on Amazon US (paid link).
Before you buy
Check the language and format on the listing. A board book, paperback and audio edition can have different ISBNs. If two children are listening, let one pick the book and the other pick a favourite picture to talk about. Next time, swap.
Read EdCaptain’s guide to choosing books for a multilingual family.
