Fabulous “F” Authors {Picture Book Tour}

In one of the libraries that we frequent, we have now rounded the corner to a new bookshelf with the passing of the “F” section! We’ve discovered some fabulous books on this stop! I hope you find some new gems for your bookworms in this roundup of our favorites by authors whose last names start with F.

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Floca, Brian. (toddler-mid elem) My, that’s a big age range, isn’t it? I love when you find an author you can grow with!  And in this case, an illustrator you can grow with. My Toddler Bookworm loves Five Trucks, which teaches ordinal numbers and the behind the scenes work of preparing an airplane for liftoff. The Racecar Alphabet is another young bookworm hit! My Preschool Bookworm adored Locomotive when he was 2, although the current toddler doesn’t share the train interest, and I know we will come back to this later when they can better comprehend the historical content. Floca has illustrated many excellent authors’ work (Avi, Patricia MacLachlan, Dick King-Smith), as well as a few of our favorite early chapter books: The Hinky Pink and Princess Cora and the Crocodile. (Find those in the chapter book section listed by their authors, and on my list of favorite first chapter books to read aloud.) Also look for the highly reviewed, Caldecott Honor Moonshot.

Freeman, Don. (toddler, preschool, early elem) Corduroy is a perennial favorite and likely Freeman’s most popular title (based on the myriad of spin-offs available). But my bookworms and I have grown to love Freeman’s other offerings just as much! Simply put, Don Freeman is a master storyteller. He weaves wholesome tales with just enough suspense for his audience and sweet conclusions. Look for Fly High Fly Low (Caldecott Honor), Norman the Doorman, Dandelion, Bearymore. 

Fleming, Candace. (toddler-upper elementary) Candace Fleming (not to be confused with Denise Fleming who also writes for the preschool crowd- see below) has a varied bibliography! One of my all-time favorite read alouds is Muncha, Muncha, Muncha; this book taught me the elements of a winning read aloud back in my library school days when I was first reading to groups of kids: repetition, predictable refrains, suspense, opportunities to predict, clues in the illustrations, and a twist ending! I also adore Imogene’s Last Stand (which is on my list of Books About Strong Girls That I Read to My Sons). For older readers, The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School is a memorable read aloud with a fun way of introducing (reintroducing?) fables to older kiddos.

Fleming, Denise. (baby, toddler, preschool) This Fleming is a toddler and preschool homerun hitter! Her illustrations are bright and eye catching, her text is sparse and engaging. We especially love Alphabet Under Construction, Under Ground, and In the Small, Small Pond (Caldecott Honor book).

Fox, Mem. (baby-elementary) Mem Fox is prolific. She’s been writing for a long time (Possum Magic celebrated its 30th anniversary) but she shows no signs of slowing down. She has written such a variety of picture books from many genres and target ages. One of my very favorite stories ever of unconditional love is Koala Lou, which is also a star for reading aloud. She’s an Australian writer, so my bookworms have enjoyed the different animals she features in her stories (kookaburra, emu, platypus). She’s also a cheerleader for reading aloud and has written a few books for adults, most notably Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever. Look also for the picture book Wombat Divine (which is on my list Christmas Books for a Two Minute Attention Span).

For a printable list to take to your library or bookstore, click here. 

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Books mentioned in this post should be readily available at your library, or at the affiliate links provided. Thanks for supporting the blog if you choose to purchase!

For a listing of all the stops on our tour, check out the index page here.