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50 Favorite Historical Picture Books

We’ve rounded up our very favorite living history picture books. These short but powerful stories open up the past in beautiful, accessible ways. From richly illustrated biographies to historical snapshots and folktales rooted in real events, these books are perfect for sparking interest in young learners and building foundational knowledge through story.

Ox, House, Stick: The History of Our Alphabet

Delightful story of how our alphabet developed through several ancient civilizations

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Gilgamesh The King

Part 1 of a charming retelling of the Mesopotamian Gilgamesh epic for young readers

Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Hieroglyphics

Picture book about one of the men who deciphered hieroglyphics

The Pharaoh vs. the Felines

Delightful retelling of the true story of how the Persians used cats to help them win the Battle of Pelusium

Sky Cloud City

Fun retelling of a famous classical Greek play

Zhang Heng and the Incredible Earthquake Detector

Biographical picture book about a Han Chinese inventor

Barbarians!

Excellent introduction to various “barbaric” tribes in Roman times

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village

Engaging overview of life in a medieval village from many perspectives

The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane

Gorgeous picture book about a monk discovering how to make ink for illuminated manuscripts

The Elephant from Baghdad

Delightful true story of Charlemagne’s pet elephant and his journey from Baghdad

The House of Wisdom

Wonderful story about a boy growing up in Baghdad’s famous library

The Race of the Birkebeiners

Gorgeously-illustrated true story from medieval Norway

A Thousand Glass Flowers

Gorgeous introduction to a real medieval artisan from Venice

A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters

A story about Aztec books and book-making, with wonderful illustrations

Stone Giant: Michelangelo’s David and How He Came to Be

Engaging story of Michelangelo’s creation of David

Leonardo and the Flying Boy

Exciting story based on da Vinci’s flying machine design

Beyond the Sea of Ice: The Voyages of Henry Hudson

Exciting story of Hudson’s voyages, with real diary entries and a fold-out map

Will’s Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk

Excellent introduction to Shakespeare’s impact on the English language

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker

Inspiring story of Hiawatha, who brought peace to warring Iroquois Nations

Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers

Story of a girl on the journey between Kyoto and Edo

The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower, or John Howland’s Good Fortune

Gorgeous story of the Mayflower journey from the perspective of a real boy

Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad

Journey on the Amistad from the fictionalized point of view of a child aboard

Jonas Hanway’s Scurrilous, Scandalous, Shockingly Sensational Umbrella

Delightful story of a London innovator

Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word

Excellent introduction to Thomas Paine and his ideas

Cook’s Cook: The Cook Who Cooked for Captain Cook

Story of Cook’s journey through the eyes of his cook, with recipes

Gingerbread for Liberty! How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution

Cheerful story of a baker and his contributions to the Revolution

An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin & Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Delightful story of Ben Franklin and Noah Webster’s attempt to revolutionize American spelling

Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Hunt

Delightful true story about Thomas Jefferson’s search for mammoth bones

Tricking the Tallyman

Humorous story about the first American census, illuminating the hopes and fears of a new nation

Napoleon vs. the Bunnies

Fun true story about a real Napoleonic event, for younger readers

Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

True story of an enslaved boy who mailed himself to freedom

Only the Names Remain: The Cherokees and The Trail of Tears

Illustrated introduction to the Trail of Tears

Snowflake Bentley

Award-winning story of an early American scientist who cataloged snowflakes

Of Walden Pond: Henry David Thoreau, Frederic Tudor, and the Pond Between

Lyrical story of two neighbors on Walden Pond, representing different threads in early American experiences

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale

Delightful story from Lincoln’s childhood, with an unexpected lesson

The Long March: The Choctaw’s Gift to Irish Famine Relief

Moving picture book about a gift from the Choctaw to the Irish

The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem

Engaging true story of the engineer who fixed a stinky problem in Victorian London

The Pig War

Whimsical true story of a conflict that almost broke out between the US and England over a pig

Fannie in the Kitchen

Charming story about a girl learning about Fannie Farmer’s innovation- precise measurement

Jacob Riis’s Camera: Bringing Light to Tenement Children

Compelling picture book about a journalist and reformer whose photographs captured life in tenement slums

Finding Winnie

Award-winning story about the real WWI bear who inspired Winnie the Pooh

Erosion

Exciting story of a soil scientist who helped end the Dust Bowl

Benno and the Night of Broken Glass

Introduction to Kristalnacht and the Holocaust through the eyes of a neighborhood cat

Baseball Saved Us

Story of interred Japanese Americans building a baseball field

The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art

Story of a secret rock garden built by a partition refugee

When Spring Comes to the DMZ

Story juxtaposing the natural beauty of the DMZ with its military function after the Korean War

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins

Story of a girl witnessing the Greensboro lunch counter sit-in protests

The Buffalo Are Back

Gentle overview of the buffalo across American history

Four Feet, Two Sandals

Story of two Afghan girls forming a friendship in a refugee camp

One Giant Leap

Great introduction to the moon landing for young readers

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