Picture Books - They're Not Just for Preschoolers Anymore

Rethinking the Role of Picture Books

Although there are still many children's books being published about bedtime, the first day of school, and the adventures of cute, furry animals, there is also a segment of children's book authors focusing on some heavy-duty issues. This may come as a surprise for some people, who might walk into the picture book section of a library or bookstore thinking that the titles shelved there are primarily aimed at the preschool set. In actuality, there are many picture books designed specifically to be shared with older children, in upper elementary grades and higher.

Historical Fiction

For parents and teachers wishing to enhance a child's study of history, picture books can be a wonderful tool to spark interest and understanding. Basing stories in a specific time period and either building characters and situations from actual events or ones that could have happened, authors are able to breathe a life into the past that textbooks cannot. Kids can learn about the American Revolution with Trinka Hakes Noble's The Scarlet Stockings Spy, and students will be amazed at the story of Henry "Box" Brown, a Virginia slave who mailed himself to Philadelphia in Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine. Try John McCutcheon's touching account of the 1914 unofficial Christmas Eve "truce" between British and German soldiers in Christmas in the Trenches. Readers have their choice of many compelling picture books based on World War II events, among them Patricia Polacco's The Butterfly, Karen Hesse's The Cats in Krasinski Square, and Angela Johnson's Wind Flyers. Learn about a famous friendship in Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan and see a leader for social change through his sister's eyes in Christine King Farris' My Brother Martin. These are just a handful of the well-written titles available in this genre -- picture books that provide a different look at history and allow us to discover the people, ideas, and emotions behind past events.

Social Issues