Concept Books

The books recommended below were published within the last few years. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is the real criterion.

Z Goes Home written and illustrated by Jon Agee (di Capua/Hyperion)
On the way home from the zoo, the twenty-sixth letter has twenty-five encounters; outsize illustrations and powerful lines gracefully and humorously conjure the alphabetical entries. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Fed Up! A Feast of Frazzled Foods written and illustrated by Rex Barron (Putnam)
An alphabet book with some bite, the darkly comic text and sleek, dimly lit illustrations show the life of food items. Exhibit A: "Anxious Apples" stare in horror at a discarded apple core. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

Ten Seeds written and illustrated by Ruth Brown (Knopf)
This gardening-themed counting book takes readers through the life cycle of a sunflower. The gentle illustration's impeccable detail provides an opportunity to hone scientific observation skills. Grade level: Preschool. 24 pages.

One Red Dot written and illustrated by David A. Carter (Little Simon)
In this counting book, readers are encouraged to find the hidden red spot among the fragile, abstract paper-engineering effects. Grade level: K–3. 18 pages.

Matthew A.B.C. written and illustrated by Peter Catalanotto (Jackson/Atheneum)
A cumulatively wacky alphabetical rundown of distinctive traits explains how a teacher tells a classroom full of students all named Matthew apart. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Opposites written and illustrated by Robert Crowther (Candlewick)
Eight spreads use clever, interactive pull-the-flap alterations to showcase fifteen common pairs of opposites. Grade level: Preschool. 16 pages.

Alpha Bravo Charlie: The Military Alphabet written and illustrated by Chris L. Demarest (McElderry)
This boy-friendly alphabetic tribute to the armed forces features action-filled illustrations and contextual sentences. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

Firefighters A to Z written and illustrated by Chris L. Demarest (McElderry)
In a smoothly rhyming text, this exciting alphabet book details in robust illustrations what happens from the time the alarm sounds to the "zip into bed". Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

One Ted Falls Out of Bed written by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Anna Currey (Holt)
In this gentle counting book, a simple, lulling rhyme tempers the enthusiastic play of nighttime objects and toys. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Q is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game written by Mary Elting and Michael Folsom, illustrated by Jack Kent (Clarion)
This unconventional alphabet book matches various animals with unexpected letters to form a word association game enhanced by simple, humorous cartoon art. Grade level: Preschool. 64 pages.

The Wing on a Flea: A Book about Shapes written and illustrated by Ed Emberley (Little)
In this full-color new edition of the author's first foray into children's books, familiar shapes leap from black pages. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book written and illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst (Simon)
In this bold, graphic alphabet, readers, invited to rotate the book, can discover multiple interpretations of each letter. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

Alphabet under Construction written and illustrated by Denise Fleming (Holt)
Exuberant Mouse takes on the alphabet industriously and joyfully, building letters in the well-designed, topically suited art. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

The First Day of Winter written and illustrated by Denise Fleming (Holt)
In this seasonal counting book, a young gift-giver bestows clothing and natural accessories on a snowman. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

The Racecar Alphabet written and illustrated by Brian Floca (Jackson/Atheneum)
The ABCs provide a nifty framework for showcasing racecars over the past one hundred years. Grade level: Preschool–2. 40 pages.

A Pig Is Big written and illustrated by Douglas Florian (Greenwillow)
Each spread in this appealing book about size ends with a query — what’s bigger? — allowing the author to move from animals and vehicles to the "whole wide earth" and the universe. Grade level: Preschool. 24 pages.

ABC for You and Me written by Meg Girnis, photographs by Shirley Leamon Green (Whitman)
Featuring photos of children with Down syndrome, this alphabet book is particularly suited to readers with developmental delays due to the absence of distracting details. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Orange Pear Apple Bear written and illustrated by Emily Gravett (Simon)
The title's four words are ingeniously combined for engaging wordplay, the minimal text inspiring fresh, spontaneous art. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

My Little Sister Hugged an Ape written by Bill Grossman, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Knopf)
The narrator's younger sibling goes on an alphabetically arranged "hugging spree" in this playful rhyming text. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

Siesta written by Ginger Guy, illustrated by Rene King Moreno (Greenwillow)
A brother and sister gather different-colored items for a nap in this simple bilingual text that alternates between Spanish and English. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Up Bear, Down Bear written by Trudy Harris, illustrated by Ora Eitan (Houghton)
The story of a little girl spending the day with her stuffed animal is relayed using only the three titular words. Grade level: Preschool. 24 pages.

How Big Is It?: A Big Book All about Bigness by Ben Hillman (Scholastic)
Cleverly composed photos juxtapose unfamiliar animals, objects, and places with the familiar, giving readers a concrete but whimsical way of determining just how big a polar bear (or a redwood, or the Hindenburg, etc.) really is. Grade level: K–5. 48 pages.

Butterfly, Butterfly written and illustrated by Petr Horacek (Candlewick)
Lucy tries to find a rainbow-colored butterfly, but instead discovers differently colored insects and animals. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

A Second Is a Hiccup: A Child's Book of Time written by Hazel Hutchins, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (Levine/Scholastic)
With kid-friendly analogies and lilting text, the author moves from seconds to minutes and so on through a year. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

1 2 3 Pop! written and illustrated by Rachel Isadora (Viking)
This companion to ABC Pop! uses pop art to depict the numbers one through twenty, one hundred, five hundred, one thousand, and one million. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

What Pete Ate from A–Z written and illustrated by Maira Kalman (Putnam)
The author uses the alphabet to loosely structure a catalog of the outrageous items eaten by an unruly dog. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

Invisible illustrated by Katja Kamm (North-South)
In this deft wordless book, characters move across solid and patterned backgrounds that alternately conceal and reveal clothes, surroundings, and even people. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

One More Sheep written by Mij Kelly, illustrated by Russell Ayto (Peachtree)
One stormy night, Sam brings in his ten sheep to count before sleep, but cannot stay awake to finish the job. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

A is for Salad written and illustrated by Mike Lester (Putnam)
An atypical alphabet in which the illustrations reveal the real answer and the reader can feel smarter than the text. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

Follow the Line through the House written and illustrated by Laura Ljungkvist (Viking)
A black line travels from page to page, introducing and transforming the wilds of a refrigerator, a closet, a toolbox, and other objects. Grade level: Preschool–2. 32 pages.

One Lighthouse, One Moon written and illustrated by Anita Lobel (Greenwillow)
Days, months, and numbers are explored in this three-part tale of cat Nini and her home near the sea. Grade level: Preschool. 40 pages.

Do Your ABC's, Little Brown Bear written by Jonathan London, illustrated by Margie Moore (Dutton)
Papa Brown Bear models an interactive style of preschool learning as he teaches his son what letters stand for. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Achoo! Bang! Crash! written and illustrated by Ross MacDonald (Porter/Roaring Brook)
This alphabet book explodes with raucous humor, as each letter facilitates a slapstick vignette. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

All Aboard!: A Traveling Alphabet written and illustrated by Bill Mayer (McElderry)
The relevant letter is incorporated into each travel-themed image in this magnetic, art deco–style abecedarian homage to travel posters of the 1920s. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

A Closer Look written and illustrated by Mary McCarthy (Greenwillow)
Illustrations start large and then zoom out on three different objects in this question-and-answer guessing game concept book. Grade level: Preschool. 40 pages.

SuperHero ABC written and illustrated by Bob McLeod (HarperCollins)
Over twenty-six superheroes of both genders and a host of species do good in alphabetical order. Grade level: Preschool. 40 pages.

City 1 2 3 written and illustrated with photographs by Zoran Milich (Kids Can)
Each number is featured, spelled, and photographically portrayed in a variety of ways. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

The City ABC Book written and illustrated with photographs by Zoran Milich (Kids Can)
This photographic alphabet book hides letters in gritty and humorous urban locations.. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Bruno Munari's ABC written and illustrated by Bruno Munari (Chronicle)
The internationally acclaimed artist uses crisp lines to make this alphabet book a visual treat even for the very young. Grade level: Preschool. 48 pages.

Some Things Change written and illustrated by Mary Murphy (Houghton)
A penguin child explores different sorts of changes with his family, ranging from physical changes like growing taller to the less tangible, like changing moods.Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Who's Hiding? written and illustrated by Satoru Onishi (Kane/Miller)
Eighteen animals in six different colors camouflage themselves on differently colored pages, change expressions, and otherwise challenge readers’ memory and perception. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Elephant Elephant: A Book of Opposites written by Francesco Pittau, illustrated by Bernadette Gervais (Abrams)
The titular elephants cleverly demonstrate the meanings of thirty-five pairs of words, most of which are antonyms. Grade level: K–3. 80 pages.

Agent A to Agent Z written and illustrated by Andy Rash (Levine/Scholastic)
The animated letterform spies discover each other clipping the wire from a bomb, crawling up a wall using suction cups, and so on. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

Ten Puppies written and illustrated by Lynn Reiser (Greenwillow)
The young dogs are grouped to demonstrate paired integers whose sum is ten and to invite readers to analyze the differences the pups embody.Grade level: Preschool. 40 pages.

Come to My Party and Other Shape Poems written by Heidi B. Roemer, illustrated by Hideko Takahashi (Holt)
Young guests celebrate the seasons in this introduction to concrete poetry. Grade level: K–3. 48 pages.

First the Egg written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Porter/Roaring Brook)
Seeger's book about the order of things features minimal text and builds from concrete to abstract pairs. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Walter Was Worried written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Porter/Roaring Brook)
As the weather outside worsens, alphabetically distinct children react with alliterative emotion in this ambitious, multifaceted concept book. Grade level: Preschool. 40 pages.

Lemons Are Not Red written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Porter/Roaring Brook)
Pairs of colored objects are first shown in the wrong color through a die-cut hole, then correctly on the next page, for an interactive experience. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

The Hidden Alphabet written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Porter/Roaring Brook)
Seeger plays with perception and illusion in this clever lift-the-flap ABC in which each alphabetical image is revealed to be part of the letter it represents. Lift the flaps and foreground becomes background as abecedarian images become the negative space defining the letter form. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

White Is for Blueberry written by George Shannon, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (Greenwillow)
This ingenious book invites the very young to rethink absolutes. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

City Lullaby written by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Carll Cneut (Clarion)
This lullaby/find-the-hidden-object/counting book celebrates everything we love and loathe about the city as it counts down from ten cacophonous city noises to one as a baby sleeps through it all. Grade level: Preschool–2. 32 pages.

Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten written by Joseph Slate, illustrated by Ashley Wolff (Dutton)
The beloved teacher and her twenty-six alphabetically distinct students celebrate last-day rituals and activities as this beloved series comes to a close. Grade level: Preschool. 40 pages

1 Is One written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor (Simon)
Greenaway-esque children and animals introduce the numbers from one to twenty in this Caldecott Honor–winning counting book. Grade level: Preschool. 40 pages.

Snail, Where Are You? written and illustrated by Tomi Ungerer (Blue Apple)
Readers must find the snails (a different number on each page) hidden beneath flaps and die cuts. Grade level: Preschool. 24 pages.

Mouse Count written and illustrated by Ellen Stoll Walsh (Red Wagon/Harcourt)
A hungry snake counts from one to ten as he collects ten clever mice in a jar — and then counts back down as they escape. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Max's ABC written and illustrated by Rosemary Wells (Viking)
The expressive bunny siblings search for ants; the alphabet is seamlessly incorporated into the design, dialogue, and action. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Emily's First 100 Days of School written and illustrated by Rosemary Wells (Hyperion)
Emily’s teacher announces the class will "make a new number friend" every day for one hundred days; Wells manages fresh, engaging presentations for the many numbers. Grade level: K–3. 60 pages.

I Went Walking/Sali de paseo written by Sue Williams, illustrated by Julie Vivas (Libros Viajeros/Harcourt)
A new bilingual edition of the 1990 guessing-game concept book in which a child collects a procession of colorful animals. Grade level: Preschool. 32 pages.

Hide & Seek written by Janet S. Wong, illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine (Harcourt)
A boy and and his dog look for better places to hide while Dad counts to ten. Grade level: Preschool. 40 pages.

Ten Little Mummies: An Egyptian Counting Book written by Philip Yates, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Viking)
Ten engagingly individual mummies cavort in the desert and along the Nile where, as the couplets reveal, their numbers quickly decrease thanks to police, baboons, and a sandstorm. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

More lists of Recommended Books