Instead of focusing on themes or words for this top three, I thought it might be interesting to focus on the pictures. So here we go…

My Top Three Favourite …. Illustrated Books

This is simply my opinion on the picture books with my favourite illustrations. By this, I mean the illustrations that you could look at for hours and imagine that you are actually in the scene. And speaking of “imagining” … *cue segue*

1. Imagine by Alison Lester

I’m not sure how many hours I have spent reading this book at bedtime with my kids and trying to identify all the different animals on the pages. Lucky there are “answers” at the back! I learn something new every time I read it. Sometimes I’ve had to impose a two-animal limit per page, otherwise I’d never get the kids to bed on time!

2. Runaway Train by Benedict Blathwayt

In this story, Duffy the train driver is running late one morning, and when he gets to the station, everyone is already there waiting for him to start. Before taking off, he steps off his train momentarily to help someone. But he forgets to put the brake on, and the train goes rolling away outside of the city and into the country side. He runs after the train and tries to get help from various town folk – a truck driver, some cyclists, and a farmer. I don’t know what it is about the countryside pictures in this book, but I just wish I could jump inside.

3.Bee & Me by Alison Jay

This book is about a little bee who accidently flies into a little girl’s bedroom. While the girl is terrified at first, soon they become the best of friends. I love this book not only for the beautiful illustrations, but also because there are absolutely no words. Now why would a writer like a book that has no words in it? Because I get to make up the words each time I “read” the book! The story is also a great way to show kids how important bees are for the future of our planet, rather than something to be feared. If we want flowers, fruits, and vegetables, we need the bees! Did you know there’s a World Bee Day? https://www.worldbeeday.org.au

Of course, our tastes in illustrations are all subjective, but these are just some of the picture books that I love.