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Age 0 to 2

The Little Red Hen (Ladybird-published version) “Such a lot of repetition, it’s great.”

The Big Sneeze by Ruth Brown

“It’s fun, with a lot of interaction and super pictures.”

Age 3 to 5

Fat Cat, A Danish Folktale by Margaret Read MacDonald

“It’s lovely, and one of my all-time favourites.”

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

“Also great with lots of repetition.”

Age 6 to 8

The Paper Bag Prince by Colin Thompson

“Very environmental and ecological, as well as a good read. An interesting layer beyond the story and a good discussion starter.”

Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker

“Great for this age when children are asking why, how and what is ...”

Age 9+

The Rabbits by John Marsden

“The stylised design and tale of colonisation is very much for older kids.”

The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan “Absolutely fascinating.”

Picture book picks

Long-term librarian Janet Mann shares her recommendations.

the value created by regular exposure. “I would say that my kids have an increased vocabulary, and just a real love of books,” she says. “That’s very important to me.”

Readers and picture books

Older children should be given opportunities to pick their own stories, says John McKenzie, an arts and literacy professor at New Zealand’s University of Canterbury, who spoke about picture books at the second Asian Festival of Children’s Content. “Children need the chance to examine who they are, what they are, and what is their place in the world,” he says.

Books they become attached to and request can indicate they are addressing an issue that speaks to them. For instance, a child who favours Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak could be seeing himself in the main character, suggests John. In the story Max, a young boy, gets sent to bed for misbehaving. While in his room, he invents a world where he rules “the wild things” as a way to maintain control.

“What touches the child is often due to their own issues, even if parents are not aware of what they might be. Encourage choice in libraries, even if that choice is a struggle,” says John. “The aim is to empower the child to latch on to stories that touch them.”

There is a natural push for children to move beyond picture-based books to text-based books as they begin reading, says John, but that strategy doesn’t work with every child. Visual learners, for instance, prefer to communicate by drawing rather than writing, and naturally glean more meaning from books with pictures. Often boys favour a different route, too. “They may move from comics or manga to playing cards, games and through to richly-illustrated non-fction,” he says. What matters is that a child is vested in what he is reading, says John. “Many kids can read, but they choose not to if they don’t understand the point.”

And even as children become readers, they should not be encouraged to forget picture books. Mio, who also runs writing workshops in schools, is a fan of using them to help students explore story arcs and composition. Douglas Royle, a teacher at German Swiss International School, has used picture books in numerous ways with his upper primary students. From introducing new writing genres, such as biography, to encouraging speech and description using wordless picture books with ESL students, he fnds them an invaluable resource.

Older readers discovering, discussing and studying new, challenging topics can also access books with

pictures. The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a moving, no-word picture book about immigration, and Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman covers the holocaust. “I suppose it’s like anything,” says Douglas. “You need a balanced diet. A diet of chapter books and non-fction and picture books, too.” So go ahead and make room for those chapter books, but leave a little space on the shelf for some all-important, often under-valued, picture books.

Picture books designed to be read aloud for pre- or

emergent readers contain rich language and vocabulary.

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