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Children's Literature -- Picture Book Genres

Montgomery Library's Guide to Children's Picture Books
Predictable Books
Children love predictable books because they invite the reader (or listener) to participate in the story.

Predictable books come in many types:

  • Circular stories - the story comes full-circle.
  • Cumulative stories - each section builds on the one before, and all previous sections are repeated.
  • Familiar sequence- a common theme emerges, such as days of the week.
  • Pattern stories - sections are repeated with variations.
  • Question & answer stories - a question is repeated.
  • Repetitive stories - words, phrases, and sequences are repeated.

Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. Columbus: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

 

 

Selected Books

These predictable picture books and many more can be found in the Children's Collection on the main floor of Montgomery Library.

Predictable Books

Find these predictable picture books and many others in the Children's Collection on Montgomery Library's main floor.

 

Circular Stories

Caps for sale / Esphyr Slobodkina   PZ 7 .S6334 Cap 1985
If you give a mouse a cookie / Laura Numeroff   PZ 7 .N964 If 2000
Leave me alone! / Vera Brosgol   PZ 7.1 .B788 Le 2016
My friend rabbit / Eric Rohmann   PZ 7 .R64 My 2002
Today is Monday / Eric Carle            PZ 8.3 .C1945 To 1993
Who is the beast / Keith Baker              PZ 8.3 .B715 Wh 1990
Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears / Verna Aardema   PZ 8.1 .A213 Wh 1975
Why the sun was late / Benjamin Elkins   PZ 7 .E426 Wh 1966
You can't be too careful / Daniel Hahn   PZ 7 .M516252 Yo 2017

 

Cumulative Stories

Bear came along / Richard T. Morris PZ 7 .M822862 Be 2019
Bringing the rain to Kapiti Plain: a Nandi tale / Verna Aardema PZ 8.3 .A123 Br 1981
The doorbell rang / Pat Hutchins PZ 7 .H96165 Do 1986
Drummer Hoff / Barbara Emberley PZ 8.3 .E515 Dr 1967
Jack's garden / Henry Cole PZ 7 .C67345 Jac 1997
The judge, an untrue tale / Harve Zemach PZ 8.3 .Z38 Ju 1969
The little old lady who was not afraid of anything / Linda Williams  PZ 7 .W6668 Li 1986
The napping house / Audrey Wood  PZ 7 .W846 Nap 2004
One fine day / Hogrogian, Nonny PZ 7 .H6844 On 1971
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly / Simms Taback PZ 8.3 .T33 1997

 

Familiar Sequence

The carrot seed / Ruth Krauss                                    PZ 7 .K875 1973
The grouchy ladybug / Eric Carle   PZ 7 .C21476 G 1977
The only way to make bread / Cristina Quinter; Sarah Gonzales    TX 769 .Q56 2023
Red leaf, yellow leaf / Lois Ehlert   PZ 7 .E3225 Re 1991
The three billy goat's gruff / Ellen Appleby   PZ 8 .C228 Th 1998
Today is Monday / Eric Carle   PZ 8.3 .C1945 to 1993

 

Pattern Stories

The carrot seed / Ruth Krauss                   PZ 7 .K875 1973
Joseph had a little overcoat / Simms Taback   PZ 7 .T1115 Jo 1999
Millions of cats / Wanda Gag   PZ 7 .G1214 Mi 1977
The runaway bunny / Margaret Wise Brown   PZ 10.3 .B7656 Ru5 1972
The upside down hat / Stephen Barr   PZ 7.1 .B37263 Up 2022
When a wolf is hungry / Christine Naumann-Villemin   PZ 7 .N176 Whe 2017
Yellow dog blues / Alice Faye Duncan   PZ 7 .D8947 Ye 2022

 

Question & Answer Stories

Are you my mother? / P.D. Eastman      PZ 10.3 .E1095 Ar 1960b
Ask Mr. Bear / Marjorie Flack   PZ 7 .F593 As2 1932
Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? / Bill Martin, Jr.   PZ 8.3 .M418 Br 1992
From head to toe / Eric Carle   GV 481 .C38 1997
Green eggs and ham / Dr. Seuss   PZ 8.3 .G276 Gr 1960
Have you ever seen a flower? / Shawn Harris   PZ 7.1 .H374775 Hav 2021
Wonder walkers / Micha Archer   PZ 7.1 .A728 Wo 2021

 

Repetitive Stories

The ABC bunny / Wanda Gag       GR 486 .G33 1933
Abiyoyo / Pete Seeger   PZ 8.1 .S453 Ab 2001
A BIG Mooncake for Little Star / Grace Lin   PZ 7 .L644 St 2017
The chick and the duckling / V. Suteev and Mira Ginsburg   PZ 10.3 .S9378 Ch 1991
Goodnight moon / Margaret Wise Brown   PZ 7 .B8163 Go 1947
Hello lighthouse / Sophie Blackall   PZ 7 .B5319 Hel 2018
A house is a house for me / Mary Ann Hoberman   PZ 8.3 .H66 1978
King Bidgood's in the bathtub / Audrey Wood   PZ 7 .W846 Ki 1985
Rap a tap tap: here's Bojangles / Dillon, Leo   PZ 8.3 .D585 Rap 2002
Silly Sally / Audrey Wood   PZ 8.3 .W848 Si 1992
Thank You Omu / Oge Mora   PZ 7.1 .M6682 Th 2018
They all saw a cat / Brendan Wenzel   PZ 7.1 .W436 Th 2016
The very busy spider / Eric Carle   PZ 7 .C21476 Vc 1984

 

 

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