Every year around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday the world celebrates International Children’s Book Day. The holiday was created in 1967 to inspire a love of reading in children at a young age.

There are many reasons for a child to start reading early. Bernie’s Book Bank came up with a list of 18 important reasons. At the top of the list, National Commission on Reading did a study that claimed that “the single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.” It makes a lot of sense. If a child develops a love for reading early on, then they are most likely going to keep that love of books throughout the rest of their lives.

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But aside from being beneficial towards future success, some of the most precious childhood memories come from the first books we were ever introduced to. So here is a list of the best children’s picture books to ever be made. Taking into consideration both art and story, these books include the most memorable, the most educational, and the ones that are the most fun to look at.

Did your favorite make the list?

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