This is a list of children’s picture books from the 1970s.
“Scratch and Sniff” books (also called “scratch-and-sniff” or “sniffy” books) were something new in children’s picture books for this decade. They were based on the same principle as scratch and sniff stickers from the same decade, which were based on a process invented in the 1960s. Certain pages in children’s books had special patches of material encapsulated with certain scents that were released when scratched. Usually, they were food or plant scents, like different kinds of fruit or flowers, but there were lots of other possibilities, too. Eventually, after a lot of use, many of these patches would wear out and lose their scent. However, I do have some books that are decades old that still have at least some of their scents. I think that scratch-and-sniff books are still being made in the 21st century.
Among the popular picture book characters and series of this decade were the Berenstain Bears and Clifford, both from the previous decade. New characters and series for this decade were the Mr. Men and Little Miss Books and the Arthur Adventure Series, which would continue to be popular for decades and eventually become a children’s cartoon show that lasted into the 21st century.
Individual Books
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (1972)
Everything is going wrong for Alexander today! Will it ever end, or will he have to move to Australia to escape this awful day?
Annie and the Old One (1971)
A Native American girl comes to terms with her grandmother’s impending death. By Miska Miles.
Anno’s Journey (1977)
Anno takes a journey across Europe, with many details for readers to notice in the pictures. There are almost no words in this book. By Mitsumasa Anno.
Ben’s Trumpet (1979)
A young boy dreams of playing a trumpet like one of the jazz musicians at the local club. By Rachel Isadora.
The Big Orange Splot (1977)
All of the houses on Mr. Plumbean’s street look alike, and the neighbors pride themselves on how “neat” their street looks. Then, one day, a seagull drops a bucket of orange paint on Mr. Plumbean’s house, leaving a big, orange splot. Mr. Plumbean has to repaint his house, but instead of painting the house to look like the other houses again, he paints it to resemble his dreams. When his neighbors try to persuade him to be more sensible and paint his house the uniform colors again, Mr. Plumbean instead persuades them to paint their houses according to their dreams. By Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Button Soup (1975)
Uncle Scrooge has a reputation for never sharing with anyone, but his visiting niece, Daisy, gets him to throw a feast for the entire town. Retelling of a folktale. By Walt Disney Productions.
Clocks and More Clocks (1970)
A man can’t figure out why all the clocks in his house show different times until a clock maker shows him a watch. By Pat Hutchins.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (1978)
A grandfather tells his grandchildren a story about a place where food rains down from the sky. Unfortunately, when the weather turns bad, so does the food! By Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett.
The Clown of God (1978)
A legendary Italian juggler becomes famous, but in his old age, when he has been forgotten, gives the best performance of his life for the Christ Child. By Tomie dePaola.
The Desert is Theirs (1975)
Although the desert can be harsh, people and animals still call it home.
Everyone Goes as a Pumpkin (1977)
Emily loses her costume on the bus before a Halloween party. Nothing else seems as good as the costume she lost, and she doesn’t want to go as something ordinary, like a pumpkin, just like everyone else. What can she do? By Judith Vigna.
Freight Train (1978)
About the colors and parts of a freight train. By Donald Crews.
Ginger’s Upstairs Pet (1971)
A little girl claims that she has a strange new pet, but her mother doesn’t believe her until she sees it for herself.
Hester the Jester (1977)
A little girl tries out the various rolls of a jester, a knight, and a king before deciding that what she really wants is to be herself.
How Many Dragons Are Behind the Door? (1977)
The young daughters of a duke and duchess adopt baby dragons. Written and illustrated by Virginia Kahl.
The Hundred Penny Box (1975)
A distant great aunt who is one hundred years old comes to live with Michael and his parents, sharing memories connected to her penny collection. By Sharon Bell Mathis.
In the Night Kitchen (1970)
A boy has a strange dream in which he must fly an airplane made of dough to retrieve milk for the cooks in the night kitchen.
Ira Sleeps Over (1972)
A young boy who is spending the night at a friend’s house worries that his friend will think that his teddy bear is silly.
Jenny, the Halloween Spy (1979)
One Halloween, Jenny goes to visit Nancy, a woman who local people say is a witch, and discovers that she has a way to see fairies. When the fairies discover that Jenny can now see them too, they decide to give her the biggest Halloween scare of her life.
Leo the Late Bloomer (1971)
A young tiger worries because he can’t do things that other young tigers can do. His father thinks maybe there’s something wrong with him, but his mother knows that he’s just a late bloomer and will learn to do thing in his own good time. By Robert Kraus.
The Lorax (1971)
A boy in a polluted city seeks a way to restore the trees. By Dr. Seuss.
The Lost Doll Book (1972)
A girl named Emily finds her lost doll with the help of various people in a big city. By Peggy Mann, illustrated by Thomas Di Grazia.
Lowly Worm Sniffy Book (1978)
Lowly Worm and his friends explore the scents of different seasons in this children’s sniffy picture book. By Richard Scarry.
Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now! (1972)
It’s time for Marvin K. Mooney to go, but he absolutely refuses. By Dr. Seuss.
The Missing Piece (1976)
A sort of pie-shaped creature with a piece missing in the shape of a slice of pie decides to go searching for his missing piece so he can feel whole, but when he finds the missing piece, he realizes having something isn’t as much fun as looking for it. By Shel Silverstein.
Mr. Gumpy’s Outing (1970)
Mr. Gumpy decides to go for a boating trip, and he is joined by a menagerie of children and animals.
No One Noticed Ralph (1979)
A parrot named Ralph flies out a window one day, in search of attention when his family is out, and becomes a hero by alerting people to a fire.
Peter and the Wolf (1974)
A boy in Russia is determined to catch one of the wolves in the woods near his home. An adaption of a Russian musical symphony for children by Walt Disney Productions.
Phoebe the Spy (1977)
A young black girl in New York in 1776 must become a spy to save the life of George Washington.
Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Doghouse (1975, 1983)
Scooby-Doo’s new doghouse may be haunted! By Jean Lewis, illustrated by Richard Lowe.
Seashells for Katie and Andy (1973)
A couple of children look for seashells on the beach with their grandmother, and she tells them a little about each of the shells they find. By Solveig Paulson Russell, illustrated by Marjorie Cooper.
The Snowman (1978)
This book contains no text, but the pictures show how a boy builds a snowman, and in the boy’s dreams, the two of them take a magical journey together. By Raymond Briggs.
“Stand Back,” Said The Elephant, “I’m Going To Sneeze!” (1971)
Animals panic when the elephant prepares for an elephant-sized sneeze. A funny story told in rhyme. By Patricia Thomas.
When Clay Sings (1972)
This children’s picture book is a salute to the ancient makers of Native American pottery, dedicated to these makers and the museums that preserve their work. By Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Tom Bahti.
Where Will All the Animals Go? (1978)
A boy visiting his grandfather’s farm wants to know where animals go when there’s a storm. Little Golden Book.
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (1975)
A retelling of an African folktale in which a mosquito’s tall tales accidentally lead to the death of a young owl.
William’s Doll (1972)
A boy is teased for wanting a doll, but it’s because what he really wants to be is a father when he grows up.
Will It Be Okay? (1977)
A young girl keep asking her mother about various types of problems that she might encounter, everything from snakes to snowstorms, asking her what she would do if each of these things happen and if everything will be okay.
A Woggle of Witches (1971)
Witches live in a dark forest, sleeping in hammocks in trees, until it’s time for their flight on Halloween. By Adrienne Adams.
Series
The adventures of Arthur the aardvark and this family and friends. By Marc Brown. 1976-2011.
A family of bears teaches children life lessons. By Stan and Jan Berenstain. 1962-Present.
Clifford is a giant red dog who has adventures with his owner, a girl named Emily Elizabeth. 1963-2015.
A teddy bear finds the right owner for him and has adventures with toy friends. 1968-2011.
Maggie, her grandmother, and Mr. Whiskers the sailor have adventures in the small town of Cranberryport. By Wende and Harry Devlin. 1971-1995.
Gus is a friendly ghost who lives in an old house that has been turned into a museum along with his friends, a mouse, a cat, and Mr. Frizzle, who manages the museum. By Jane Thayer. 1962-1989.
A sweet, kind schoolteacher has a substitute who is a nightmare, but they are really the same person. 1977-1985.
A young bear loves the moon, but he is easily confused by natural phenomena. 1978-2014.
The characters of Misterland use their distinctive personality traits to teach moral lessons. Created by Roger Hargreaves and continued by Adam Hargreaves. 1971-Present.
Mr. Pine is a sign-painter, and in his picture books, he has funny adventures with the things he paints. By Leonard Kessler. 1961-1986.
A witch who haunts an old house is horrified when someone buys it to turn it into a tearoom, but they end up becoming friends. By Wende and Harry Devlin. 1963-1972.
The adventures of a young African American boy growing up in New York City. By Ezra Jack Keats. 1962-1972.
Classic Little Golden Book children’s series about a little puppy and his adventures with his siblings. 1942-1985.
Strega Nona is a witch in a small town. Big Anthony is an assistant that she hired to help her with chores but sometimes messes up because he doesn’t know what he’s doing or doesn’t listen to what Strega Nona says. 1975-2013.
Jestress's Forgotten Books and Stories 