Some Favorite Picture Books by Kerri Forney

Kerri Forney, a member of the Alveary curriculum team and a CMI Board member, started collecting books for herself and others over 25 years ago. And many have enjoyed transferring some of her finds to their homes through her regular book sales at CMI conferences over the years.

Although Kerri loves all types of books, she is especially fond of picture books. She loves that picture books are accessible for everyone, no matter who or where they are (or how old). Picture books are for kids in public schools, private schools, or at home. They can be read with grandparents, spouses, parents, friends, colleagues, siblings, or alone. They belong in offices and out of doors. And, as Kerri points out, they allow us, as adults, to foster our own living education as we enter into new realms of relationship and delight through the powerful simplicity, depth, and beauty of these little books. One can only wish Charlotte Mason could have lived to experience the many wonderful picture books which have been published in the last century.

Earlier this summer, Kerri spoke on picture books at the Living Education Retreat, and since she has spent so much time thinking about picture books recently, she graciously agreed to share some of her current favorites here in this post.

• The Illustrated Voyageur by Howard Sivertson
• Schomburg: The Man Who Built A Library by Carole Boston Weatherford
• Do Re Mi: If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido d’Arezzo by Susan Roth
• Rachel’s Journal by Marissa Moss
• The Mad Potter George E Ohr Eccentric Genius by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
• The Flower Hunter William Bartram, America’s First Naturalist by Deborah Ray
• Sanctuary: The Story of Three Arch Rocks by Mary Ann Fraser
• One Step, Two… by Charlotte Zolotow
• The Sailor Who Captured the Sea: A Story of the Book of Kells by Deborah Nourse Lattimore
• How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz
• William’s House by Ginger Howard
• Theodoric’s Rainbow by Stephen Kramer
• The Secret Life of a Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht
• It’s a Snap! George Eastman’s First Photograph by Monica Kulling
• I, Matthew Henson Polar Explorer by Carole Boston Weatherford
• Anno’s Hat Tricks by Akihiro Nozaki and Mitsumasa Anno
• Small Beauties by Elvira Woodruff
• Library on Wheels by Sharlee Glenn
• Houses from the Sea by Alice Goudey
• The Cataract of Lodore illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
• Close to the Wind: The Beaufort Scale by Peter Malone
• Reading to Matthew by Jacqueline Vivelo
• Gramma’s Walk by Anna Grossnickle Hines
• A Library for Juana by Pat Mora
• Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
• The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
• Stepping Stones A Refugee Family’s Journey by Margriet Ruurs
• Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude by Louise Borden
• Life on a Fishing Boat: a sketchbook by Huck Scarry
• Audubon by Jennifer Armstrong
• Peter’s Old House by Elsa Beskow
• The Art of Miss Chew by Patricia Polacco
• Sequoyah by James Rumford
• The Journey that Saved Curious George by Louise Borden

You can also find the entire list on Amazon here, and most of the titles here at Bookshop.org as well (which will give CMI a small affiliate commission at no cost to you).