100+ Best Picture Books for Boys: Books They Will Absolutely Love!

Rounding up 100 of the best picture books for boys was no easy task but we did it! We chose very carefully to find the best books – the ones they would want to read again and again.

Everyone will have a different opinion about what books are best. I pulled together this list based on my many years of working in libraries, the extensive amount of book lists I create for this site and my experience as a homeschooler and boy mom. These really are the best of the best!

When we do our best books for boys list we go through a lot of books before choosing the ones that are high quality, have great boy appeal and will keep their attention. One of the main goals of Brian Power Boy is to get, and keep, boys reading.

I hope you enjoy browsing this list and find the best picture books for your boy.

How to Choose The Best Picture Books for Boys

There are three main steps to choosing the best picture books for boys.

1. Keep your boy’s interests in mind. Finding a book that is based on his interests is a sure way to get him interested in reading it.
2. Choose excellent, high quality books. This list is a safe bet for excellent picture books as we took the time to make sure these titles all had boy appeal. Make sure you are choosing books that are engaging, have compelling illustrations and a wonderful storyline.
3. Let him choose his own books. Show him this list and let him pick some titles that he thinks he would like. Boys are much more likely to want to read a book that they had a hand in choosing. Read our article on book choice for more information.

On to the 100 best picture books for boys!

Navigating the 100 Best Picture Books for Boys List

I broke the list down into sections so it is easier for you to find what you want.

There are over 100 picture books on this list. Only the very best books for boys made our list.

Under each section I have included links to additional book lists that fit the category. If your boy is interested in a specific topic be sure to check out those links for more titles he will enjoy.

100 of the Best Picture Books for Boys

Board Books, Alphabet Books and Counting Books

Best Board Books

I still have a good portion of Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do You See memorized. That tells you how many times this book was read. Bold colored images by Eric Carle and the “what do you see,” “I see a ___ looking at me” pattern is perfect. Boys will soon be repeating what you read and this is one book that is helpful for getting them on the path to reading.

Moo Baa La La La is described as “serious silliness for all ages” and I totally agree. It is funny, Sandra Boynton’s illustrations are perfect and it is super fun to read aloud! Oh, and you need to get this board book. It is a keeper.

 

In Little Blue Truck your boy will want to make the truck sounds and animal noises right along with you as you read this book of Blue a trusty pickup who gets stuck in the mud while helping push a dump truck out.

The Robot Book is a delight. Even the cover has interest and one simply has to open this book and play around with it. There are a lot of neat things to move about such as nuts and bolts, and gears, gears and more gears. The ending is sweet and this book is a winner! Be sure to use the link above to order as there is another copy that doesn’t include the gears which really make the book all the more neat.

Hello Ninja is a surprise hit. Oh so many boys just love ninjas and this little fellow is a charmer for sure.  Ninjas chop, shop (picture a ninja barreling out of the store in a shopping cart filled watermelons,) and belly flop. Fun rhymes abound in this bedtime book for young ones.

Best Alphabet Picture Books

I’m sure many of you are familiar with Animalia by Graeme Base.  If you don’t own it, you should. We pull it off the shelf often as it is simply an amazing book.  A is for “an armoured armadillo avoiding an angry alligator.”  You can then look about the page and find an abacus, an ace, an ape, an ambulance, and ant and many, many more “A” words.  Inspired, incredible, ingenious . . . you get the picture.  Highly Recommended!

 

This is an oldy but a goody. We spent a lot of time reading this book when my son was young.  In Alphabet City the illustrations are very realistic with a painterly photography-type feel. Each letter is found in New York City. Boy will love the city images and trying to find the letters. This alphabet book is a gem.  A 1996 Caldecott Honor Book.

 

Great alphabet book! Alphabeasties: And Other Amazing Types is full of typefaces and has animals and letters turned into word pictures.  We spent a lot of time exploring this book and had a ball.

 

I saved the Z  for last for several reasons.  End of the alphabet and all that, but also because this is a super book for boys who like a bit of adventure and intensity to their books.  Poor letters . . . The B was badly bitten, and C was cut to ribbons! We found The Z Was Zapped: A Play in Twenty-Six Acts fun! You get to look at the picture and try to figure out what the phrase is before turning the page to see if we were right.  Alphabet theatre with all the drama older boys will enjoy.

Best Counting Picture Books

Have You Seen My Dragon is a book sure to delight!  There is a boy. There is a dragon. Really, what more could you ask for! Well, there is a lot more, rest assured. The pen and ink drawings are worth the price of admission and the saturated colors on parts of the pages make them all the more wonderful.

 

A companion book to Alphabet City (highlighted in alphabet books,) City by Numbers is a counting book perfect for boys who like to seek and find and those who like the big city. Numbers zero through twenty-one are shown in the book.

Full of number goodness is The Water Hole. It is more than just a counting book as it also includes puzzles. The artwork is fantastic and overall it is a super fun book to use for learning numbers. It will be especially great for boys who like animals.

Make your way from 1 to 100 starting with 1 bunny. Richard Scarry’s Best Counting Book Ever is packed with his trademark illustrations. Sure to be family favorite and guaranteed to get wiggly boys interested in checking the pictures again and again.

Award Winning and Classic Picture Books for Boys

Award Winning Picture Books

Should this book be under award winners, imagination or adventure?  It is all of the above, but we decided to put it here. What if one day you found a game and when you played it whatever happened on the board came to life right in your living room? Jumanji is that game and this book is a treat for boys who like to think things like that could really happen. (note: may be a bit scary for sensitive or young boys.) (Caldecott Medal Winner)

You knew this one would be on the list, right? Where the Wild Things Are is such a classic that I really don’t need to say much about it. However, there are always people who have not yet read a book or have, perhaps, forgotten about an old friend. That is why these lists are so important. “Let the wild rumpus start!” (Caldecott Medal winner)

Make Way for Ducklings has been making Mrs. Mallard part of families since 1941! It is just as good now as it was then. Mrs. Mallard needs a home for her ducklings and finding a home in Boston is not an easy task. Follow along as she moves into Boston’s Public Garden. This quaint book is loved by many. (Caldecott Medal winner)

Quirky in a good way, The Curious Garden is a good book for boys who have a naturalistic learning style.  The illustrations have style! We start out in a dreary brown town where Liam finds a struggling garden and decides to take care  of it. Soon the illustrations change as vibrant colors and unusual plants spread throughout the town. (Andrew Carnegie Medal winner)

Classic Picture Books

When ever someone tells you that you can’t do something, read: The Carrot Seed. A young boy has a carrot seed but everyone tells him that it won’t grow. Faith, perseverance, determination and triumph in a strong boy. A classic for a reason.

Go, Dog Go!is a family favorite and a beloved book for many boys. This book is funny, has wonderful illustrations and a great ending. I personally have read this one so very many times that I still remember the lines. In Go, Dog Go! the story is all about dogs! Red, green blue, fast, slow, and one dog that amusingly keeps asking “do you like my hat?” Boys will love it. This is one book I will never get rid of.

As with Curious George, I once again find myself at a standstill trying to figure out which Frog and Toad book to include in this list and cannot pick just one. Since this book is a better value and includes all of the good stories, I am going with Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury. Frog and Toad are friends and these simple books teach a lot as we read along. They deal with all of the little things our boys have to deal with such as resisting the temptation to eat to many yummy cookies or losing something or simply being a good friend. The books are gentle and slow-paced with memorable characters.

Little Bear is a charmer. Several enduring stories are included in the first book aptly called Little Bear. The relationship between Little Bear and his mother is lovely and the stories will have your boys asking for more. There is a whole series of books so don’t stop reading after the first one.  My favorite story in this book is Little Bear Goes to the Moon. It is the perfect imagination story for young boys.

Best Picture Books for Boys by Popular Topic

Animal Picture Books

If you have a boy with a BIG imagination or want to encourage imaginary play (and you totally should!) you should take a look at the Skippyjon Jones books. Skippy Jon Jones is a kitty, but he is no ordinary kitty for he is the great El Skippito the sword fighter. His adventures are silly fun and his closet? Oh yes, his closet is a magical place indeed.

If you have not given Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes a try yet, you should consider doing so. Bright amusing illustrations pair nicely with the upbeat story of Pete who loves his white shoes. Then he walks in blueberries and strawberries and his shoes are no longer white! Great for colors and keeping an upbeat attitude.

Curious George had to make an appearance on this list! We picked The Complete Adventures of Curious George because we just couldn’t decide which book would be the best adventure to feature. Sometimes a treasury is just the right way to go. The antics of this curious little monkey will be enjoyed by all.

It is night-time at the zoo and the perfect bedtime book for zoo animals and little boys is Goodnight Gorilla. I’ll tell you what, this book can be enjoyed by all ages. Gorilla has the keys and is letting the animals out tonight. The zookeeper’s wife will be in for quite a surprise. Harry the Dirty Dogdoesn’t like baths. He also is a bit of a rebel and boys just love him. As he is not about to be forced into a bath, Harry takes off and digs and rolls and gets very, very dirty. So dirty in fact, that he isn’t exactly recognizable as the white dog with black spots that he is.

Can’t get too far on a picture books for boys list without throwing in Monkey in a Tool Belt. Details, details, details! There is so much to see in these books (there are several) that your boy is going to want to read it a lot and look at it a lot more. My favorite part what his tool belt and the list of things that are in there! Chico Bon Bon is a monkey and he has a tool belt and it is quite amazing what he can do with that belt.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! has been a winner since it first debuted in 2003. Meet the bus driver. He tells you not to let the pigeon drive the bus. Meet the pigeon. Oh how he wants you to tell him it is ok to drive the bus and he just won’t let up! Funny stuff.

Astronaut Picture Books

If You Decide To Go To The Moon has some non-fiction details but is a picture book and is very approachable. It gives good advice your boy may need if he decides he is taking a trip to the moon soon!

When his world becomes too loud for him to take, Leo, aka Space Boy packs a lunch and goes to space. This cute fantasy with charming illustrations will appeal to boys who like things quiet or love to image themselves taking off for a short trip to outer space.

Because there a so very many things young boys can’t do because of their size, it is nice to let them know that sometimes being small is important. When they are small you can cuddle them in your lap! In Mousetronaut being small saves the day during a emergency during a space mission. This book was actually written by an astronaut that spent time in space with mice. Neat, right?

Cowboy Picture Books

Yee Haw! Let’s start out with a classic. Cowboy Small by Lois Lenski is a book that your young cowpokes will just love. It has simple text with nice clear illustrations. Cowboy Small does all the things a cowboy should do including taking good care of his horse.

Let’s face it folks, cowboys and pirates don’t speak the same language! Here is a funny cowboy book for ya. Pirates vs. Cowboys has the pirates searching for their buried treasure when who should they meet but the cowboys who incidentally don’t take kindly to scurvy pirates invading their town. I’m not too fond of the illustrations here but this book isn’t for me lol and the boy moms I talked to said their kids love it.

Dinosaur Picture Books

When I started this best picture books for boys list, I knew the very first dinosaur book that I was adding to it. Dinosaur Roar! This is one mighty fine opposite book! Paul Stickland knows dinsoaurs and he draws them often. He is a pro at these books and Dinosaur Roar has surprises your dinosaur lovin’ boy will enjoy.

How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight is just one in a series of How do Dinosaurs books that you should keep your eye out for. So exactly how does a dinosaur say goodnight? Does is slam his tail and pout? Um, lol. One thing that I really like about this picture book, beyond the colorful and amusing illustrations, is that they have pictures of all the dinosaurs with their real names. Dino fans will love that!

Nothing can stop Dinosaur.  Well, almost nothing. Dinosaur vs. Bedtime features plenty of roars and bright colorful illustrations with real photos included (love that!)  Your boys will be roarin’ for more!

Dinosaur!  is a book about bathtime and imagination and dinosaurs. The first smile will come from the back view of our little bather on his way into the bath and they will keep smiling right though the end of this one.

In Danny and the Dinosaur, Danny visits a museum and wishes he could play with a dinosaur. While that is not particularly unusual, what is unusual is that the dinosaur says it would be nice to play with Danny!

Knight and Dragon Picture Books

This picture book version of St. George and the Dragon is filled with so many beautiful illustrations that I wouldn’t blame you if you got the book only for the artwork. It is what made me pick it up in the first place. However, you and your boys will not be disappointed in the story either. Princess, dragon, knight – oh yes, they are all there.

What do you do if you are a knight that doesn’t exactly know how to fight a dragon? Go to the castle library of course! The Knight and the Dragon puts reading at the front of the story which is a nice twist. The dragon also has to search for info on how to fight a knight. Funny, with a good story line.

Another funny book for you and your boys.  Dragons Love Tacos is one of those books that you sort of wonder how it became so popular (New York Times Bestseller.) It is about dragons who eat tacos. I mean, that is a bit odd, right? But, popular it is! And the boys I know think it is a total hoot.

The Egg is so good. So good. This is a favorite. If your boy likes dragons, you need to seek out this title. This fantasy book has George (after St. George from the book above perhaps?!) finding an enormous egg in the hen house. The egg hatches and George sets about to teach his dragon in the ways of dragonhood.  I love a book with beautiful illustrations and these are a delight.

Pirate Picture Books

Seriously this book list is taking me back to wonderful places. Edward and the Pirates is a book I have fond memories of. I love this book and read it so many times to my son who also loved it when he was big into pirates. The family in the story is very memorable and I really always enjoyed that Edward was big into reading.  There are books and adventure and a white horse and sword-waving pirates. What more could one ask for! Highly Recommended.

Imagine building a sand castle and suddenly being asked to go along on a pirate adventure. How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long is a super popular pirate book. Boys will enjoy the fun humor and the very idea that someday, maybe- just maybe, they could have a fun thing like that happen to them!

How to Be a Pirate is an instructional picture book in all things pirate-y. No more toothpaste! Farewell, bath! Once ye choose the pirate path! The rhyming is well-done and the pictures are old-fashioned and fun to look at. Keep an eye on that parrot!

Robot Picture Books

Dan Yaccarino is the illustrator of this book and when he is involved in a book, I find it and read it. Boy and Bot is one of those “must be included” books in any respectable robot books for boys list. After all it has a boy, and a robot, and it is nifty as well. A wonderful friendship book too.

Robots Robots Everywhere

Doug Unplugged is a great robot book for boys. Plug him in to give him a ton of information vs going unplugged and experiencing life–pretty interesting eh? Boys will find it a fun read and it can provide a platform for interesting converstions about watching, learning and doing.

Let’s see. How to explain Cookiebot. If you want cookies but you can’t reach the jar what do you do? Build a cookiebot of course! I’m sure nothing could possibly go wrong. Um . . . well, read to find out. Oh and check out those Retro Illustrations – pretty cool eh?

Sports Picture Books

This is an enjoyable sports picture book with a nice message that showing one’s talents matter even if they are not exactly sports talents. In Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit Randy loves baseball, but he isn’t too good at it. Yet, he is really good at science. See how baseball and science come together in this neat story. p.s. there is a robot in there too!

Abbot (a bear) and Costello (a rabbit) lead us through the classic Who’s on First comedy routine. Who’s on First? This is great!

Superhero Picture Books

Traction man sets out to save the day in his super cool outfits, until . . . a gift from Grandma sort of cramps his style. Traction Man Is Here! is so good.  Keep in mind that Mini Grey’s books are a tad odd–but in a good way!

Vehicle Picture Books

If you like Lois Lenski you will certainly enjoy The Little Fire Engine. This book is part of her Mr. Small series. Mr. Small does it all and becomes the hero of Tinytown. Your young boy will enjoy the charming Mr. Small.

I remember the first time I saw I Stink. I knew right away it was going to be a big hit with boys. You have stinky, smelly garbage, a tough talkin’ garbage truck and super read-aloud language with fun to view text. Winner!

Aw, this one is so cute and it makes a sweet gift for a young boy.  Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site has darling illustrations to go with the story. It will be read many, many times at bedtime and beyond.

Oh Mike! Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Progress is about to move Mary Ann to the scrap heap but Mike can’t let that happen. Small town goodness and hard work provide the backdrop for this classic.

Yes, we are Richard Scarry fans and this is his second book on our best picture books for boys list. Cars and Trucks and Things that Go is full of wondrous vehicles and oh so much to look at.

Do you have a boy that loves fire trucks so much that he almost wishes he was one? is all that and more.

Vroom, Beep! Crazy, wildly unique Cars Galore features vibrant colorful illustrations (they are great!) and fun rhyming text for a title they will race to read.

Best Picture Books for Boys by Type

Adventure Picture Books

Here is a favorite! Henry the Explorer and his dog Angus are going exploring in the snow. One of the things I love is that Henry reads books that lead to him having wonderful adventures. Yes, they are very different than modern books. They are unique and delightful. Seek them out! The stories, so full of imagination and wonder, will captivate your boy and get him thinking about doing some exploring of his own.

My Father’s Dragon is the first book in the classic trilogy. I have fond memories of reading this with my son. The illustrations are charming and the story is unusual enough to hold a boy’s attention. In the first book we meet Elmer Elevator (unusual eh?) and a talking cat and find out about Wild Island and hear about a dragon. It is a Newbery Honor Book. Read them! (link to trilogy)

Ah, The Salamander Room. A treat indeed. The illustrations make the book and contribute heavily to the story of a boy who finds a salamander and decides to bring it home. His room, through imagination, becomes the perfect salamader habitat. See what happens.  I never could get this one out of my mind.

Friends Wendell and Floyd are late for school again but they have a really good excuse!  Afterall they took The Secret Shortcut! And the secret shortcut had alligators! Super fun book.

Westlandia. You kind of need to say it in a deep respectful tone. It is a place of wonder. A place where Wesley, a young boy out of school for the summer, spends his days. He turns over some earth and intriguing seeds begin to grow. Soon he is having the summer he will never forget.

Edward in the Jungle is so very caught up in his book that he doesn’t notice a crocodile sneaking up on him. Getting rescued by The Lord of the Jungle is just the start of this fun adventure book for boys.

Introduce your boy to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe with this seriously well-done picture book edition. Let the magic begin.

Here is an older one that many people are not aware of. I was introduced to this recently and liked it immediately. The premis of Fortunately is a bit of cause and effect mixed with a dramatic way to get to a party. It begins “Fortunately, Ned was invited to a surprise party. Unfortunately, the party was a thousand miles away.” and goes back and forth between fortunate events and unfortunate events throughout the book. It is enjoyable, even after you have read it a few time. Very boy-friendly.

Art Picture Books

A magical bag of Chalk changes three children’s ordinary day at the playground into anything but ordinary. Many boys will like the somewhat startling dinosaur sceen but sensitive or young boys may find it a bit scary.

Nice touches in Draw include the boys name: Leonardo, imagination run wild, a friendly elephant and adventures in the jungle that all start with a book the boy is reading. Excellent! note: if you are choosing between this and Chalk (above) I give the edge to this title.

Could I have a best picture books for boys list and not include Harold and the Purple Crayon? No way! Harold and his purple crayon have been delighting readers since 1955 and this is one book I think will always be in publication.

Art is the perfect addition to the art section of this picture books for boys list. Honestly, what could be better than a book about a boy named Art who creates art?  Written by Patrick McDonnell of Mutts fame, Art features rhyming text and plenty of colorful boy drawn art. I love the ending so much.

Funny Picture Books

John Scieszka knows what boys like! The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales is filled with crazy bits like upside down pages, yelling hens, crazy and a bit weird illustrations and more. The fairy tales are mixed up and wonky like “Jack’s Bean Problem” and “The Tortoise and the Hair.” Funny and strangely interesting it has a ton of boy appeal.

Another Scieszka tale in which the wolf gets a chance to tell his side of the story. True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Arnie might have the wrong idea about exactly what is going to happen when a customer comes to take him home! Arnie the Doughnut is zany and funny and worth a read.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a book that can help kids put things back into perspective. Everyone has bad days, everyone has bad things happen to them. Boys get upset and angry. It is Normal! Sharing this book and having a good discussion about days that have gone horribly wrong for you will help them out. They will laugh at this one.This version of The Three Pigs is not exactly what you might expect. Oh, it starts off like the traditional story but then you have a bit of zany antics by the pigs who break out of the story and everything gets all twisted up in humor.

I am not a big Sesame Street fan but I do like Grover. The Monster at the End of This Book is funny. The anticipation of Grover not wanting you to turn the page because of the monster is just what toddlers and young boys will like. For some reason, even though after one read everyone knows what is at the end of the book (don’t want to spoil it, so I’m not telling!) it gets the same reaction again and again. It’s just fun to read.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type is a hoot. I remember the first time we read this one. We finished and turned to the front of the book and read it again. Farmer Brown has an issue with his cows. They are typing him notes! With demands. Which he ignores. See how the cows respond to that.

If your boy is a Star Wars fan this is not to be missed. Darth Vader and Son is seriously a winner through and through. Actually it is perfect for Star Wars fans young and old. Anyone up for light saber baseball? It is laugh-out-loud funny.

Holiday Picture Books

The Polar Express always makes me cry. Sappy, right? Well, the message is a good one. My son got this when he was only about 1 and we have read it every year at Christmas-time. Briefly: A boy, a Christmas train, a bell and the wonder of the season with spetacular illustrations by Chris Van Allsburg. The version I am linking to includes an audio book download and an all-aboard ornament.

Anything Toot and Puddle is a good choice for boys but I’ll Be Home for Christmas is perfect for Christmas reading. Toot is off to Scotland while Puddle stays home to get the house ready for Christmas. Will Toot be able to make it back in time in the huge snowstorm? Perhaps, with a little Christmas magic he will. Written by Holly Hobby (remember Holly Hobby?!)

A Christmas book about a boy, santa and learning to read? Yes! Santa’s Book of Names is a lesson in patience and persistence. Learning to read can be tough but if you instill confidence in your boys abilities it makes all the difference. Boys who are just starting to read will enjoy this as will boys who have already broken the code. It is a good one.

In A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas it is fitting that these pirates have visions of treasure chests dance in their heads. This is the perfect pirate rendition of the Night Before Christmas rhyme. You even have pirates named Jolly and Roger!

Here is a Valentine’s title for you. It is very funny and comical right down to the heart underwear! A Crankenstein Valentine is a great read aloud with lots of monster noises and grumpyness that will have boys laughing and laughing.

Imagination Picture Books

It Looked Like Spilt Milk is a classic, it is also a title that is all about using your imagination. White splashes of milk on a blue page or . . . something else entirely. How to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary is a lesson I certainly want my son to learn. We enjoy it and I hope you do too.

If I said this is a book with simple line drawings about a box you might be inclined to pass it by. But that would be a big mistake. Not a Box is complex and wonderful. It is imagination personified. It is complex in its simplicity. It is an important book for boys to read. Um, yes. I do love it and think you should buy it!

Below has illustrations that are photographs and drawings combined. I always like that in a picture book! This is all about a boy’s imagination as he plays with his action figure Guy. It has a thoroughly enjoyable storyline and since so very many young boys like to tell stories with their action figures and/or minifigs this one is a must see.

Musical Picture Books

There is no better story and composition combination than that of Peter and the Wolf. It has been a beloved piece of music in many a boy household. We have listened to this so many times in various renditions. Try our selection which includes a picture book: Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf.

Another musical book that your boy will enjoy is from a Norwegian composer named Edvard Grieg. It is about a curious boy who goes exploring. In the Hall of the Mountain King is worth seeking out.

Relationship & Friendship Picture Books

I am so taken with this beautiful book.  I’m not sure if it is the whimsical illustrations, the message, or the sparkles that follow the young boy throughout the book or, more likely, the combination of all of these things but Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You is one I will not soon forget. I don’t know who will enjoy it more, you or your boy.

If I were to go on and on and on about a wonderful book series about friendship for boys this would be the one. Toot and Puddle is simple, gets the messages across without seeming to even have a message and these two little pigs will work their way into your family’s hearts.

Perfect for boys to read with their grandpa, How to Babysit a Grandpa is a twist on grandpa coming and taking care of his grandson. It covers the concern of mom and dad leaving, snacks such as ice cream with cookies on top, and other fun ideas for making sure grandpa will be ok until the parents come back. Cute.

Here Comes Grandma! and this is no ordinary grandma! A fun and lively grandma is showing all the ways that she would take to get to her grandson. It is perfect for an upcoming visit from grandma or makes for an enjoyable read for the two of them. Your boys will know that grandmas will go out of their way to get to spend time with them.

If your boy looks up to his dad you simply must try this imaginative story is a perfect fit. Daddy is My Hero shows a father doing ordinary things such as cooking, cleaning, shopping and his son seeing his dad battle dragons and taking care of outlaws. Nice!

Pete is grumpy because since it rained he can’t play with his friends. Dad to the rescue! Pete’s a Pizza is a dad’s way of getting Pete to cheer up by making him into a pizza. Let’s see you have to kneed the dough (plenty of tickle time here,) and you need to put some sauce on (it’s really water) etc. until Pete and everyone reading are indeed cheered up.

Wordless Picture Books

Did I save the best for last?  I guess it depends on what you are looking for but I will say that wordless picture books are some of my all time favorite books for boys. They are filled with amazing illustrations, boys get to tell the story and change it up as they see fit, the books are read again and again and are sure fire winners. Yes, I love these and I think you will too!

Flotsam by David Wiesner is a Caldecott Medal Book.  This is our all-time favorite classic wordless picture book for boys and that is saying a lot!  A curious boy on vacation at the beach discovers a camera.  The images captured on the camera are astonishing and I wish they were real!  This book is delightful and Highly Recommended.  I will even go so far as saying this is a must read book. Your boys will want to read it again and again.

target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”The picture book Zoom is totally neat.  You and your boys really should check it out. I consider it a must read classic if you like wordless picture books.  Starting with the comb on a rooster this book zooms out over and over.  Very fun to look at with plenty of visual appeal.

Hank Finds an Egg   Oh my, I think I love Hank 🙂  Hank is a little bear who finds an egg.  He tries to put the egg back where it belongs but runs into a bit of trouble doing so. This is a sweet and wonderful book.

We are big fans of Barbara Lehman books and Rainstorm is no exception.  Her storytelling style really appeals to us.  In Rainstorm a young boy is alone and a bit bored in a big house . . . until he finds a key.  Fun and imaginative.

Free Fall is about a boy and a wonderful journey.  A boy is in bed sleeping with a book in his arms.  Quilts turn into landscapes and the magic begins.  There is chess, plus knights, a dragon, aliens, and more. I hope you will let me know if your boy likes it.

We have read Rain so very many times. A brother and sister experience a rainstorm throughout the day. I think boys like it so much because of the pure freedom of exploration shown in the book. It’s a winner.

You have reached the end of the 100 best picture books for boys list. However, I sincerely hope this is just the beginning. The beginning of your boy’s journey with books.

Buy him books! Lots and lots of books. Make sure he has his own library. Read to him and get him reading.

You will be giving him a gift that will last a lifetime.

Best wishes,
Sheila