Some of my first and fondest literary memories come from the moments spent in my parents laps joined by the likes of children’s book characters. At an early age I fell in love with The Lorax, The Sneetches and all of the Seuss-ian characters whose rhymes danced along beautifully illustrated pages. I’ll never forget when I discovered exactly who the monster was at the end of the book and the Little Prince’s adventures are as vivid to me today as they were those many years ago. When a children’s book is both well written and beautifully illustrated it has a way of sticking with us and shaping our literary lives. Children’s Authors and Illustrators week kicks off on February 1, and to celebrate we’re sharing some perfect books to read not just this week, but any time, regardless of your age.

As previously mentioned, Dr. Seuss is a staple in many young readers’ lives and all of his classic rhyming books are available through OverDrive. The same goes for countless Sesame Street Titles. A newer series that highlights important historical figures in an approachable way is Brad Meltzer’s Ordinary People Change the World series, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Whimpy Kid series is another series with a truly iconic look that young readers will love.

If you’re looking for some recent award-winning books, we’ve created a full list of the ALA Youth Media Award Winners including Radiant Child , Six Dots and many more. Another beautiful choice is Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell and illustrated by Christina Robinson.

We asked some of our staff librarians for their favorite children’s book quotes and created some wonderful social media graphics that you’re welcome to use to promote your Children’s Authors and Illustrator’s Week curated collections. If you need any help creating lists be sure to contact your Collection Development Analysts here at OverDrive.