Poetry: Picture Books for Birth to Five

A selection of recent poetry books for little listeners.

Updated February 28, 2025
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Animal albums from A to Z
Bell, Cece
Paper Book
From the inimitable creator of El Deafo, this all-ages alphabet book is also a hand-wrought, high-fidelity, hilariously tongue-in-cheek homage to the golden days of album cover art. Cece Bell loves music and collecting old record albums, her introduction explains,...
Jam, too?
Brown-Wood, JaNay
Paper Book
Lustrous illustrations and a rhythmic text featuring a cumulative list of sounds bring to life the thrill of an impromptu jam session and the joy of making music together. A drum circle is forming on the beach, and one fascinated child would love to join in. Soon there's...
Yellow Dog blues
Duncan, Alice Faye
Paper Book
The New York Times New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books Award (2022) A lyrical road trip through the Mississippi Delta, exploring the landmarks that shaped one of America's most beloved musical traditions. One morning Bo Willie...
At the pond
Elliott, David
Paper Book
A lyrical narration and breathtaking illustrations transport us to the world of a pond with all its sights, sounds, and pulsing life. The red-winged blackbird spreads his tail and sings his hello morning song; he has sung it since the bright ...
Zoobilations! : animal poems and paintings
Florian, Douglas
Paper Book
Discover the poetry of the animal kingdom in this seriously silly picture book full of clever puns and curious illustrations by celebrated poet Douglas Florian. Come horse around and live out your ele-phant-asies in this utterly original collection of animal poems....
Wait -- and see
Frost, Helen
Paper Book
Longtime collaborators Helen Frost and Rick Lieder team up for a breathtakingly beautiful glimpse at the praying mantis--and entice us to take the time to open our eyes to the world in front of us. The creators of Step Gently Out and many other acclaimed picture books join...
When I wrap my hair
Grant, Shauntay
Paper Book
In the vein of I Am Enough and Hold Them Close, this inspiring and beautiful picture book celebrates how hair wrapping ties together past and present. When I wrap, my roots run deep. As deep as an African marketplace or a city sidewalk or the...
You are the loveliest
Hagen, Hans
Paper Book
Sometimes our feelings are so big, our dreams and our worries so wide, that we can't find the words to express them. How MUCH love we feel; what a new sibling will bring; exactly what it's like to take a hard tumble, or to want the sun to shine on a rainy day. ...
Remember
Harjo, Joy
Paper Book
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER .AN AMERICAN INDIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION HONOR BOOK.A BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK HONOR AWARD . NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY School Library Journal . Publishers Weekly . The Horn Book .NPR . The Bulletin . Kirkus Reviews
The proper way to meet a hedgehog : and other how-to poems
Janeczko, Paul B.
Paper Book
Toast a marshmallow, be a tree in winter, read braille -- Paul B. Janeczko and Richard Jones invite you to enjoy an assortment of poems that inform and inspire. Today I walked outside and spied a hedgehog on the hill. When she and I met eye to eye,<...
Photo Ark 1-2-3 : an animal counting book in poetry and pictures
Levy, Debbie
Paper Book
A delightful number-themed picture book pairing spectacular animal photos by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore with lively poems by New York Times best-selling author Debbie Levy. Count your way from 1 to 20 through the animal kingdom, meeting striped, spotted,...
Climbing the volcano : a journey in haiku
Manley, Curtis
Paper Book
Through haiku, a young boy narrates his family's invigorating hike to the peak of Oregon's South Sister volcano. For centuries, haiku has offered meditation on the grace and majesty of nature. In Climbing the Volcano, old meets new as a young protagonist uses the poetic...
Steppin' out : jaunty rhymes for playful times
Oliver, Lin
Paper Book
Capturing the magic and fun of early childhood, this lively collection of toddler-centric poems, from the creators of Little Poems for Tiny Ears, is a book to be treasured. Being a toddler means days full of discovery every time you step out of your door. It's a time filled with...
Bright brown baby : a treasury
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
Paper Book
A rhythmic, whimsically illustrated celebration of Black and brown babies and the joy, tender moments, and boundless love shared between children and their caregivers, from New York Times bestselling and award-winning duo Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney. Brown baby, born...
If not for the cat : haiku
Prelutsky, Jack.
Paper Book
Seventeen haiku composed by master poet Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by renowned artist Ted Rand ask you to think about seventeen favorite residents of the animal kingdom in a new way.  On these glorious and colorful pages you will meet a mouse, a skunk, a beaver, a...
A great big cuddle : poems for the very young
Rosen, Michael
Paper Book
Curl up with a playful collection of poems from best-selling children's author and poet Michael Rosen, perfect for sharing with young friends. In this exuberant compilation, Michael Rosen invites children to joyfully celebrate sounds and the infinite possibilities of language....
Lion of the sky : haiku for all seasons
Salas, Laura Purdie
Paper Book
you gasp as I roar, my mane exploding, sizzling-- lion of the sky! Haiku meet riddles in this wonderful collection from Laura Purdie Salas. The poems celebrate the seasons and describe everything from an earthworm to a baseball to an apple to...
Wind is a dance
Shumaker, Debra Kempf
Paper Book
You can feel wind ... but you can't see it. What is wind?' This exploration of different types of wind pairs lyrical descriptions of wind types with accessible, informational sidebars about each. The whimsical narrative uses metaphor to help readers visualise wind's characteristics: 'Wind is a...
Dear treefrog
Sidman, Joyce
Paper Book
Capturing the joy of finding a kindred spirit, this stunning picture book by Newbery Honor-winning poet Joyce Sidman tells the story of a lonely girl moving into a new home and the little treefrog that helps her connect to the beautiful world around her. Perfect for fans of A...
This land is a lullaby
Simpson, Tonya
Paper Book
★"In warm, soothing language, a mother speaks to her infant, poetically describing their ancestral surroundings and reflecting on traditional Cree knowledge...Luxuriantly alive with glowing colors and textured patterns, Dumont's (Onion Lake Cree Nation) exquisite pointillist illustrations...
It's time to hush and say good night
Soundar, Chitra
Paper Book
Lull a little one to sleep with gentle rhyming verses and a mesmerizing swirl of imagery from the natural world, as a loving parent takes a child on a dreamlike journey. I give this kiss from me to you, to keep you safe till morning dew. At sunrise...

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