Never Too Old:
Picture Books to Share
with Older Children and Teens

Compiled by Megan Schliesman
© 2007 Cooperative Children's Book Center. Revised annually.

Think picture books are just for young children? Think again! Some picture books are created with an older audience in mind. Others embody a level of sophistication in the text or art that offers intrigue for older children and/or teens even as they also appeal to a younger audience. Still others offer outrageous humor that can be enjoyed by readers of many ages.

This bibliography is not exhaustive. It is meant to introduce some titles for sharing with older children and teens, and to encourage thinking about ways picture books can be incorporated into the curriculum. While a number of titles have application and appeal in more than one way, they have been placed in one of the following categories:

• Visualize This: Books about the Arts

• Notes on a Page: Books about Music

• Into the Past: Books about History

• Theories and Revelations: Books about Math and Science

• Challenges and Change: Stories of Politics, Identity, and Understanding

• Seriously Surreal: Tales of (Im)possibility

• Over-the-Top: Sly and Sophisticated Humor

• All Cracked Up: Fractured Fairy Tales and Fables

The books on the list are all in a picture book format and are generally 40 pages or fewer in length. Some have shorter texts typical of most picture books, while others have more subtantive texts but are still fully illustrated. The age recommendations listed for each book do not necessarily reflect the older child/teen focus of this bibliography. They were based on recommendations made when promoting the books for general use. All of the books on this list have been selected for use with older children and teens in mind.

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Click on underlined book titles to see the CCBC review of the book, and/or the cover image.

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Visualize This: Books about the Arts

Browne, Anthony. Willy's Pictures. U.S. edition: Candlewick Press, 2000. Ages 6 - 12

Byrd, Robert. Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer. Dutton , 2003. 48 pages. 10-14

Cha, Dia and Chue and Nhia Thao Cha . Dia's Story Cloth: The Hmong People's Journey to Freedom. Denver Museum of Natural History/Lee & Low, 1996. Ages 8 - 11

Freymann, Saxton and Joost Elffers . How Are You Peeling? Food with Moods. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic Press, 1999. Age 4 and older

Geisert, Arthur. The Etcher's Studio. Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin, 1997. Ages 5 - 9

Greenberg, Jan and Sandra Jordan . Action Jackson . Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. Roaring Brook Press, 2002. 32 pages. 7-10

Littlechild, George. This Land Is My Land. Children's Book Press, 1993. Ages 9 - 14

Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. Snowflake Bentley. Illustrated by Mary Azarian. Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Ages 4 - 9

Warhola, James. Uncle Andy's . Putnam, 2003. 32 pages. 6-10

Whitehead, Kathy. Art from Her Heart: Folk Artist Clementine Hunter. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. Putnam, 2008. 32 pages. Ages 5-9

Winter, Jonah. Frida. Illustrated by Ana Juan. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic Press, 2002. Ages 6 - 10

Notes on a Page: Books about Music

Anderson, M. T.. Strange Mr. Satie . Illustrated by Petra Mathers. Viking, 2003. 36 pages. 7-11

George-Warren, Holly. Honky-Tonk Heroes & Hillbilly Angels: The Pioneers of Country & Western Music. Illustrated by Laura Levine. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 32 pages. Ages 6-10

Gerstein, Mordicai. What Charlie Heard. Frances Foster Books / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002. Ages 6 - 10

Igus, Toyomi. I See the Rhythm. Illustrated by Michele Wood. Children's Book Press, 1998. Ages 9 - 14

Kushner, Tony. Brundibar. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Hyperion, 2003. 56 pages. 10 and older

Myers, Walter Dean. Jazz. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. Holiday House, 2006. 44 pages. Age 10 and older

Myers, Walter Dean. Blues Journey. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. Holiday House, 2003. Ages 9 - 14

Price, Leontyne, reteller. Aida. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Harcourt Brace , 1990. 32 pages. 7-14

Raschka, Chris. Mysterious Thelonious . Orchard Books, 1997. 32 pages. 7 to adult

Winter, Jonah. Dizzy. Illustrated by Sean Qualls. Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic, 2006. 48 pages. Ages 7-10

Into the Past: Books about History

Chandra, Deborah and Madeleine . George Washington's Teeth. Illustrated by Brock Cole. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2003. Ages 7-11

Feelings, Tom. The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo. Dial, 1995. Ages 14 to adult

Gerstein, Mordicai . The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Roaring Brook Press, 2003. 40 pages. 5-10

Hamilton, Virginia . The People Could Fly : The Picture Book . Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. 32 pages. Ages 5-12

Lawrence, Jacob. The Great Migration: An American Story. HarperCollins, 1993. 48 pages. 9 and older

Myers, Walter Dean. Patrol. Illustrated by Ann Grifalconi. Ages 11 and older

Myers, Walter Dean. Harlem: A Poem. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. Scholastic, 1997. Ages 12 and older

Provensen, Alice. My Fellow Americans: A Family Album. Browndeer Press/Harcourt Brace, 1995. Ages 5 - 14

Shange, Ntozake. ellington was not a street. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Simon & Schuster, 2004. 32 pages. Ages 6-18

St. George, Judith. So You Want to Be President?. Illustrated by David Small. Philomel, 2000. Ages 7 - 12

Thimmesh , Catherine. Madam President: The Extraordinary, True (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics. Illustrated by Douglas B. Jones. Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 80 pages. Ages 9-13

Woodson, Jacqueline. Show Way. Illustrated by Hudson Talbott. Putnam, 2005. 40 pages. Ages 5-9

Theories and Revelations: Books about Math and Science

Brown, Don. Odd Boy Out : Young Albert Einstein . Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 32 pages. Ages 6-9

Geisert, Arthur. Roman numerals I to MM. Houghton Mifflin, 1996. 32 pages. 4-9

Love, D. Anne. Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia. Illustrated by Pam Paperone. Holiday House, 2006. 32 pages. Ages 6-9

Massin, . Fun with 9umbers. Illustrated by Les Chats Pelés. Creative Editions/ Harcourt Brace, 1995. 32 pages. 7-11

Scieszka, Jon and Lane Smith . Science Verse. Viking, 2004. 40 pages. Ages 6-17

Scieszka, Jon. Math Curse. Illustrated by Lane Smith. Viking, 1995.

Sis, Peter. Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei. Frances Foster Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1996. Ages 8 - 12

Sis, Peter. The Tree of Life: A Book Depicting the Life of Charles Darwin: Naturalist, Geologist, & Thinker. Frances Foster Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003. Ages 10 - 16

Wiesner, David. June 29, 1999. Clarion, 1992. 32 pages. 4-9

Challenges and Change: Stories of Politics, Identity, and Understanding

Bang, Molly. Nobody Particular. Henry Holt, 2000. Ages 8 - 14

Browne, Anthony. Voices in the Park. DK, 1998. 32 pages. Ages 7 - 10

et al. , Maya Angelou. Soul Looks Back In Wonder. Illustrated by Tom Feelings. Dial, 1993. 32 pages. 9 and older

hooks, bell. skin again. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Hyperion, 2004. 32 pages. Ages 5 - 10

Lester, Julius. From Slave Ship to Freedom Road. Illustrated by Rod Brown. Dial, 1998. 40 pages. 11-15

Muth, Jon J. and Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy . The Three Questions. Scholastic Press, 2002. Ages 6 - 10

Rosen, Michael. Michael Rosen's Sad Book . Illustrated by Quentin Blake. Candlewick Press, 2005. 32 pages. Ages 6-15

Rumford, James. Silent Music: A Story of Bagdhad. A Neal Porter Book / Roaring Brook Press, 2008. 32 pages. Ages 7-9

Sis, Peter. The Three Golden Keys. Doubleday, 1994. 56 pages. Ages 5 and older

Sis, Peter. Tibet : through the red box . Farrar Straus Giroux, 1998. 58 pages. 11 and older

Sís, Peter. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. Frances Foster Books / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. 48 pages. Age 9 and older

Skarmeta, Antonio. The Composition. Illustrated by Alfonso Ruano. U.S. edition: A Groundwood Book/Douglas & McIntyre, 2000. Ages 9 - 16

Woodson, Jacqueline. The Other Side. Putnam, 2001. Ages 5 - 8

Seriously Surreal: Tales of (Im)possibility

Collington, Peter. The Coming of the Surfman. Knopf, 1994. 32 pages. 8-12

Crew, Gary. The Watertower. U.S. edition: Crocodile Books, 1998. 32 pages. Ages 9-14

Gaiman, Neil. The Wolves in the Walls. Illustrated by Dave McKean. HarperCollins, 2003. Ages 7 - 11

Lehman, Barbara. The Red Book. Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 32 pages. Ages 5 - 10

Lehman, Barbara. Museum Trip. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 40 pages. Ages 6-9

Tan, Shaun. The Arrival`. U.S. edition: Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic, 2007. 128 pages. Age 10 and older

van Allsburg, Chris. The Widow's Broom. Houghton Mifflin, 1992. 32 pages. 6-11

Wiesner, David. Flotsam. Clarion, 2006. 40 pages. Ages 5-9

Wiesner, David. Tuesday. Clarion, 1991. Ages 3 - 8

Wild, Margaret. Woolvs in the Sitee. Illustrated by Anne Spudvilas. U.S. edition: Front Street, 2007. 40 pages. Age 11 and older

Over-the-Top: Sly and Sophisticated Humor

Amato, Mary . The Chicken of the Family . Illustrated by Delphine Durand. Putnam, 2008. 32 pages. Ages 4-7

Cronin, Doreen. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Simon & Schuster, 2000. 32 pages. Ages 4 - 8

Cronin, Doreen. Diary of a Worm. Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Joanna Cotler Books / HarperCollins, 2003. Ages 5 - 9

Fleischman, Paul. The Dunderheads. Illustrated by David Roberts. Candlewick Press, 2009. 55 pages. Age 8 and older

Gaiman, Neil. The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish. Illustrated by Dave McKean. HarperCollins, 2004. 54 pages. Ages 6-10

Geisert, Arthur. Nursery Crimes. Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Ages 4 - 8

Geisert, Arthur. The Giant Ball of String. Walter Lorraine Books / Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Ages 5-10 pages.

Geisert, Arthur. Lights Out. Walter Lorraine Books / Houghton Mifflin, 2005. 32 pages. Ages 5-9

Grey, Mini. Traction Man Is Here!. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 32 pages. Ages 5-9

Hume, Lachie. Clancy the Courageous Cow. U.S. edition: Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 6-10

Hurston, Zora Neale and Joyce Carol Thomas . The Six Fools. Illustrated by Ann Tanksley. HarperCollins, 2006. 32 pages. 5-8

Hurston, Zora Neale and Christopher Myers . Lies and Other Tall Tales. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. HarperCollins, 2005. 40 pages. Ages 10-15

Kalman, Maira. Chicken Soup Boots. Viking, 1993. Ages 4 - 8

Keller, Laurie . The Scrambled States of America. Henry Holt, 1998. 32 pages. 6-10

Macaulay, David. Black and White. Houghton Mifflin, 1990. 32 pages.

Macaulay, David. Shortcut. Houghton Mifflin, 1995. 32 pages. Ages 4 - 10

McLeod, Bob. SuperHero ABC. HarperCollins, 2006. 32 pages. Ages 5-10

Pennypacker, Sara. Pierre in Love. Illustrated by Petra Mathers. Orchard Books / Scholastic, 2007. 40 pages. Age 5-9

Rex, Adam. Pssst! . Harcourt, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 5-9

Scieszka, Jon. Cowboy & Octopus. Illustrated by Lane Smith. Viking, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 5-9

Shulman, Mark. Mom and Dad are Palindromes: A Dilemma for Words … and Backwards. Illustrated by Adam McCauley. Chronicle Books, 2006. 28 pages. Ages 5-9

Smith, Lane. John, Paul, George & Ben. Hyperion, 2006. 40 pages. Age 7 and older

Soto, Gary. Chato's Kitchen. Illustrated by Susan Guevara. Putnam, 1995. Ages 4 - 8

Willis, Jeanne. Tadpole's Promise. Illustrated by Tony Ross. Atheneum, 2005. 28 pages. Ages 5-10

Wood, Nancy. Mr. and Mrs. God in the Creation Kitchen. Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering . Candlewick Press, 2006. 32 pages. Age 6 and older

All Cracked Up: Fractured Fairy Tales and Fables

Alley, Zoe B.. There's a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales. Illustrated by R. W. Alley. A Neal Porter Book / Roaring Brook Press, 2008. 34 pages. Ages 5-10

Browne, Anthony. Into the Forest. Candlewick Press, 2004. 28 pages. Ages 6 - 10

Graham, Bob. Dimity Dumpling: The Story of Humpty's Little Sister. U.S. edition: Candlewick Press, 2007. 40 pages.

Grey, Mini. The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon. Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. 32 pages. Ages 7-10

Hartman, Bob. The Wolf Who Cried Boy. Illustrated by Tim Raglin. Putnam, 2002. Ages 4 - 8

Lamm, C. Drew . The Prog Frince. Illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Orchard, 1999. Ages 6 - 9

Palatini, Margie. The Cheese. Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 6-9

Petach, Heidi. Goldilocks and the Three Hares. Putnam & Grosset, 1995.

Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. Illustrated by Lane Smith . Viking, 1999. 32 pages.

Scieszka, Jon. Squids will be Squids : Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables . Illustrated by Lane Smith . Viking, 1998. 48 pages. 7-12

Scieszka, Jon. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. Illustrated by Lane Smith . Viking, 1992. 56 pages. 6-11

Stanley, Diane. Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter. Morrow, 1997. 32 pages. 4-8

Wiesner, David. The Three Pigs. Clarion, 2001. Age 7 and older

This list may be reproduced and distributed by educational and/or nonprofit organizations so long as credit is given to the Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.