Collecting first edition children's picturebooks is one of the hottest areas of book collecting. Many picturebooks published in the past decade sell for hundreds of dollars, and a first edition Jumanji or Polar Express can reach over $1,000 in today's market. The Children's Picturebook Price Guide provides values for nearly 23,000 books, covering over 700 children's book illustrators dating from 1929 to 2006 (click for Price Guide Sample). For owners of picturebooks, the price guide is an essential tool to identify and assess their value.

The Children's Picturebook Price Guide explains in understandable terms the methods to correctly identify first edition Dr. Seuss and Caldecott Medal books, which can bring over $5,000 in today's market. The Caldecott Medal has been awarded annually since 1937 by the American Library Association "to the artist of the most distinguished American picturebook for children published in the United States during the preceding year". Winners include such picturebook classics as Where The Wild Things Are, Make Way For Ducklings, Madeline's Rescue, The Biggest Bear, Jumanji, and Polar Express. Many adults have fond memories of growing up with these books and might unknowingly own valuable collectible copies.

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"A very useful guide to booksellers searching for hidden paper gold"

"A straightforward guide for book buyers and book sellers, featuring current market prices for over 22,000 illustrated children's books, including Caldecott Medal and Honor books that are individually worth over a thousand dollars. The first one hundred pages also discuss such topics as how to identify first edition books, particularly Caldecott Medal books and Dr. Seuss books, where to find first edition picturebooks, key factors affecting a book's value,and much more. Enthusiastically recommended for serious picturebook collectors, and a very useful guide to booksellers searching for hidden paper gold."
Midwest Book Review, Sep. 2006 (Oregon, WI USA)

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Today's picturebook collecting market is similar to where the comic book market was in 1970, when Bob Overstreet published his first price guide. The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide became the definitive guide to the hobby and helped to institutionalize values. The general population now has an understanding of the value of collectible comic books. James Beckett published his first price guide to baseball cards in 1979. Once considered a child's plaything, hardly anyone would now sell their Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays cards for pennies. In the case of both comic books and baseball cards, a large and vibrant collector base existed at the time of the respective price guide's publication—however the general population was not aware of the value for either. The price guide helped to get the message out.

According to the Children's Picturebook Price Guide, the most valuable picturebook is Where The Wild Things Are, with a first edition copy valued at over $10,000 in today's market. The price guide lists forty-four picturebooks with a market value over $1,000.

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Children's Picturebook Price Guide is more than a price guide, as the book's first 100 pages provides an overview to collecting children's picturebooks (click for Table of Contents). This overview includes a brief history of how the picturebook came to be the picturebook, and concludes with an explanation for why today is the golden era of the picturebook. Today there are more illustrators and authors who make their living by creating picturebooks then at anytime in the past.

Chapter 2, "Factors Affecting Collectibility", provides details about the six key factors which impact a first edition book's collectibility and value. This is important, since it clearly and concisely provides the reader with information to assess a book's collectibility. Usually, a first edition book's value is prescribed through some altogether unknown process. By providing factors the reader can weigh, they can make more educated purchase decisions—and acquire books they feel the market is currently undervaluing.

Subsequent chapters describe different strategies or approaches to collecting picturebooks; identifying first editions; grading books; and also discussion/lists of the most valuable children's picturebooks, categorized by decade (i.e. "The Most Valuable Picturebooks of the 1990's").

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Most Valuable Books

Childrens Book Values
Lists the forty-four picturebooks with market value over $1,000.

Caldecott Medal Values
Lists the value for each Caldecott Medal book. The illustrator links to eBay search auctions for collectible books. The book's title links to it's first edition points.

Dr. Seuss Values
Lists the value for Dr. Seuss books. The book's title links to it's first edition points.

Beginner Book Values
Lists the value for the first fifty Beginner Books. The book's title links to it's first edition points.

Completed eBay Auctions
Lists fifty completed eBay auctions for first edition children's picturebooks. Covers some of the actual auctions with final values over $200, from 1999 to 2006.

Newbery Award Books, with illustrations.
Lists Newbery Medal or Honor award winning books which also include illustrations by one of the illustrators covered in this price guide.

Identifying First Edition Books

Identifying First Editions
Explains how to identify contemporary first edition books (post-1970 publication)

First Edition Identification Points
Index of links to first edition identification points for key children's picturebooks, including Dr. Seuss and Caldecott award books.

Book Collecting Information

Factors Affecting A Book's Collectibility
Identifies six key factors which affect a book's collectibility and value

Illustrators
Lists the one hundred most prolific children's picturebook illustrators.

First Edition Blog
Blog with first edition idenfication points for key books, notes on book prices, and general topic related to collecting children's picturebooks.

On each of the web pages, the title of the book links to it's first edition identification points. In many cases, the points will include photographs of the book's essential identifying points. Our intention is to post first edition points for Dr. Seuss, Caldecott award, and other key children's picturebooks at the rate of two to three per week.

Links Are Our Friends

Linda and Stan Zielinski are "serious collectors having fun with fun books." They have collected children’s picturebooks for over fifteen years, and spent six years combing bookstores, libraries, and the internet acquiring data for the Children's Picturebook Price Guide.

The information offered on the website and blog is offered free of charge. If you find the information useful, then kindly share the link with a parent, teacher, librarian, bookseller, or collector. Thank You.