For as long as I can remember I have loved picture books. As a child I would study the illustrations of my favorites – Blueberries for Sal, The Bremen-town Musicians, Caps for Sale, Go, Dog. Go! – I can still remember pictures and hear my mom’s voice saying, “kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk!” and “Caps for Sale! Caps! Fifty cents a cap!“.Picture books are pure magic.My sophomore year of college my best friend and I shared an apartment. She brought a couch, coffee table, tv; I brought a small stack of favorite picture books. Now looking back, this seems like a strange thing for a 19 year old to travel with from Washington to Southern California, but I guess I felt they were important at the time. I don’t know if I ever opened the books that year, but they sat next to the couch and I saw them everyday. Fun fact: those same books from way back then are up on Audrey’s shelves today.We have so many favorite books. I thought it might be fun and helpful to have a big list of favorites, all of which are included in our little library.So, in no particular order, here are 48 must-haves for your picture book collection:The Jolly PostmanYou’re All My FavoritesGuess How Much I Love YouKing Hugo’s Huge Ego (get this one!)Toot + Puddle Elephant and PiggiePeek-A-Boo!Sam and Dave Dig A Hole (get this one, too!)Kiki + Coco In Paris (so adorable)Lulu + PipLearning To Ski With Mr. MageeTelephoneBaby Wren and The Great GiftTriangle (we love everything by this author/illustrator combo)Extra YarnI Want My Hat BackWe Found A HatThe Day The Crayons Quit (clever, clever, clever)The Day The Crayons Came HomePaul Meets BernadetteAngelina BallerinaPenguin ProblemsGastonThe Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, And The Big, Hungry BearI Had A Favorite Dress (best illustrations)Birdie’s Big Girl ShoesBirdie’s Big Girl DressJust Being AudreyAlphabeastiesMr. Tiger Goes WildThe Book With No PicturesThe Circus Ship (love this one)Bear Snores OnLlama Llama Red PajamaWe’re Going On A Bear HuntSleepy BearsBats At The BallgameHow Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?Today I feel SillyBlueberries For SalImogene’s AntlersWhere The Wild Things AreIf You Give A Mouse A CookieThe Napping HouseJulius, The Baby Of The WorldThe Princess And The PigHenry’s Bright IdeaPress HereWell, that was fun! I hope this list is a helpful resource for adding books to your collection!