Parents, educators, and librarians are a big part of the picture book audience. They are the gatekeepers to children’s bookshelves. So, picture books must cater to adults in one way or another. I do not put an age limit on who can enjoy a picture book. I read picture books regularly because I love them. I appreciate their beauty, simplicity, direct storytelling, and the messages they convey. As an avid picture book reader, these are my favorites. You can find picture books with aspects that appeal directly to adults exclusively. Let me point out those aspects in my list of Picture Books That Adults Will Enjoy:

Grown-Up Themes

House Held Up By Trees If you are not familiar, Ted Kooser is a poet, elected poet laureate in the US in 2004. The story is about the passing of time, something adults will relate to better than children. The illustrations and the text are sophisticated, deep, and somewhat melancholy. This is an example of a picture book with a “grown-up” theme. By Ted Kooser Illustrated by Jon Klassen

Dark Humor

I Want My Hat Back My opinion is that dark, shocking humor is better spent on adults than on children. Young children simply won’t understand the joke. Nevertheless, I want my hat back will appeal to children because of the graphic art style and simple text. It is also a good example of a story that can be re-read over and over again. By Jon Klassen

Nostalgia

Are You Scared Darth Vader? Nostalgia is for adults. On one hand, nostalgia is often used to compensate for bad storytelling. On the other hand, Are You Scared Darth Vader? Is written and illustrated very well. Because Star Wars is a franchise that keeps on coming, the jokes will not fall flat on children either. ​By Adam Rex

Re-Read Power

The Pigeon Series ​There is something to be said about books with re-read power. Picture Books are meant to be read a lot, and parents are quick to tire from them. Books like the Pigeon Series are short, funny, and exciting to read out loud. ​By Mo Willems

Art Book

I Talk Like a River I Talk Like a River is illustrated in watercolor. A beautiful display of soft and intellectual art. I would show it off on a coffee table or mount it on a shelf. By Jordan Scott Illustrated by Sidney Smith

Irreverence

All My Friends Are Dead The irreverent picture book is not my cup of tea, but All My Friends Are Dead defies the genre. You will get a chuckle from this not-so-kid-friendly picture book. By Avery Monsen ​Illustrated by Jory John

Recap:

Unfortunately, there is no real answer to this question. It may take days or years for you. No one can tell you how long it will take. But I understand why you might be asking this question. You want to have a goal in mind. That you can do. When I was younger my dad took me on cycling trips that could last all day. When the destination was familiar, I worked harder and faster to get there, but when the destination was unknown, hill after hill felt like it could go on forever and I tired out quickly.

Set SMART Goals

Set Your Milestones

Set a Schedule for Your Milestones

Set Up a Backup Plan

Set Yourself Up For Success

Recap:

"Before they read words, children are reading pictures." -David Wiesner David Wiesner is the illustrator of the infamous wordless picture book, ​​Flotsam, and the recipient of three Caldecott Medals. Tuesday, my favorite of his wordless picture books, is about a surreal adventure that takes place over a Tuesday night. ​ The illustrations are cinematic, and though the story takes place across a single scene, it feels rich and deep. Books like Tuesday provide insight into what makes a good wordless picture book. I have rounded up what makes a good wordless picture book below, as well as examples.

A Universal Message

For example:

Wolf in the Snow ​This book is about a child who leaves home, following the cries of a young wolf. The child helps the wolf get back to its family. When the child also struggles to get home, the wolves reciprocate in kind. ​ The value of Wolf in the Snow is in the emotions that the images evoke. Fear. Loneliness. Kindness. Universal messages that readers won't miss. By Matthew Cordell ​

Clarity

Chalk ​When a group of kids finds magical chalk on the playground, they discover that their illustrations come to life. Chalk is worth mentioning because the art is so realistic and detailed. There is no ambiguity about what is going on. Most children would love to tell this story and they would feel confident doing so. By Bill Thomson

Sequential Illustrations

Flotsam A child discovers a camera on the beach, and opens up an underwater world full of secrets and mysteries. The illustrations are very very tight, even more so than Tuesday. They are laid out across the pages like a comic book. In addition to building clarity, sequential images help move the story along when you don't use words. By David Wiesner

Freedom to Tell the Story in Different Ways

Journey Trilogy This is an epic tale across three books following a boy and girl with magic colored markers that allow them to make their imaginations a reality. Journey is fun to read out loud because it is full of little details and discoveries hidden within the illustrations. There are many opportunities to read it in different ways and talk about the things you see. ​By Aaron Becker

Slow Pacing

For example:

Another ​ Another is about a child who follows their cat into a wacky dream world, with portals everywhere and mirror universes. Another is very simple and so it leaves a lot of room for elaboration. You can take your time looking at all the children playing. The story is tight in parts, almost like a flipbook. But with fewer images than Flotsam, it is very slow, giving you the chance to dig into each image. By Christian Robinson

All Other Storytelling Guidelines Apply

Float Float follows a child on a rainy day when he loses his paper boat and goes searching for it. Wordless picture books are like any other picture book in many ways: They have a clearly defined audience, a consistent tone throughout the book, an internal and an external plot. Float, like many other books on this list, calls back to the beginning of the book at the end. This gives the story depth outside of the short moment that the author chose to illustrate. It establishes an external plot. By Daniel Miyares

Recap:

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Where do you find your inspiration?

Do you have any influences?

Can you describe your process?

Who is your favorite artist / illustrator?

Do you keep a sketchbook or a writing journal?

Is there any story that you wish you could retell or illustrate?

What do you do when you are not writing or illustrating?

What do you think makes a good story?

What makes a good author or illustrator?

What is one thing that others don’t know about you?

Are you working on any projects that you can talk about right now?

“We have an obligation to read aloud to our children. To read them things they enjoy. To read to them stories we are already tired of. To do the voices, to make it interesting, and not to stop reading to them just because they learn to read to themselves. Use reading-aloud time as bonding time…” -Neil Gaiman

Tips Do Reading Out Loud

"Even in front of nature, one must compose." -Edgar Degas

Good composition is merely the strongest way of seeing. -Edward Weston

“If the animal is small, they can easily tag along and participate in fights without solving the hero’s problems for them. As long as they help out, it’s okay if they cause trouble or need rescuing occasionally. A good animal companion has a distinctive personality that plays well with the hero and creates fun or touching scenes for the audience to enjoy.”

"Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of."
​-Kurt Vonnegut 

"The only purpose of the first line, is to get the reader to the second line."

"A writer needs to lead the reader by the hand."

"[The opening line] might have:
been clever
been thought-provoking
brought an immediate smile (or stab) of recognition
struck me as poignant
painted a really cool word picture
set up an intriguing mystery
introduced a character I want to know better
made me laugh
drawn me into an unfamiliar world
​used words in a beautiful way"

Ten Ways to Hear Snow Written by Cathy Camper

"When Lena woke up, everything was quiet."

“Quiet is the tenth way to hear snow.”

Lubna and Pebble Written by Wendy Meddour

"Lubna's best friend was a pebble. It was shiny smooth and gray."

The Wolf, The Duck and The Mouse Written by Mac Barnett

"Early one morning, a mouse met a wolf, and he was quickly gobbled up." - The Wolf, The Duck, and The Mouse, written by Mac Barnett ​

 "The purpose of the opening line is to get readers to the end."