How to read with your eyes shut: picture books to read aloud

Books for years 1 - 3

Jez Alborough, Duck in the truckcover
A duck in a truck is stuck in the muck.
Watch out! Big Bro's coming!
What can possibly have scared the mouse so much?
Nicholas Allan, You're all animals
Billy Trunk finds it hard starting school where everyone is different. He wants a friend just like him.
Tedd Arnold, Help! I'm falling apart!
What's happening? Bits are falling off my body - hair, fluff, teeth - I must be falling apart!
Lauren Child, I will not ever never eat a tomato
A fussy eater decides to eat carrots after being persuaded that they're really orange twiglets from Jupiter.
Jane Cornish, Emily's wonderful pie
Everyone wants a bite of Emily's pie.
Joy Cowley, Nicketty-nacketty, noo-noo-noo
An ogre called Gobbler Magoo takes on more than he bargains for when he meets the wee wishy woman. Nicketty-nacketty, noo-noo-noo.
Doreen Cronin, Click, clack, moo: cows that type
Whoever heard of cows that type? Then go on strike for a better deal?
Julia Donaldson, The Gruffalocover
Nobody wants to meet the Gruffalo, especially the snake, the owl, the fox and - just maybe - the mouse.
Geoff Havel, Ca-a-r c-a-a-a-a-r
There's been a terrible accident but the farm animals know all about it.
Mem Fox, Boo to a goose
"I'd feed my pajamas to giant piranhas, but I wouldn't say, 'Boo!' to a goose.
Nick Sharrat, Cheese and tomato spider
Flip and mix picture halves.

Books for older children

Gavin Bishop, The house that Jack builtcover
Jack Bull Esq. arrives in New Zealand in 1798. As his story unfolds, Jack's house grows, but the spirit of the Earth Mother, Papatuanuku, weakens and fades.
John Marsden, Norton's hut
A party of young trampers find refuge from a sudden snowstorm in an isolated hut that contains a strange secret.
The rabbits
The rabbits came many grandparents ago. They spread across the country. No mountain could stop them, no desert, no river.
Angela Shelf Medearis, The ghost of Sifty Sifty Sam
Deep down in the East Texas woods, there stands a beautiful old house that folks in those parts say is haunted by the ghost of Sifty Sifty Sam.
Kevin O'Malley, Velcome
So you vant to be scared a leetle?
Jon Scieszka, The true story of the 3 little pigs!
The story of just what did happen with those pigs, as told by A. Wolf.
Margaret Wild, Fox
Magpie and Dog are friends, and Magpie rides with Dog, flying across the land. Fox waits and watches…

See also the booklist Picture this: picture books for older readers