Books from the 1980s that are for young children or focus heavily on pictures.
“Scratch and Sniff” books (also called “scratch-and-sniff” or “sniffy” books) were something relatively new in children’s picture books for this decade. They were based on the same principle as scratch and sniff stickers from the 1970s, 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.
The Spot books also introduced and popularized the concept of the modern lift-the-flap book for children.
Some of the books on this page were featured on Reading Rainbow (I have a list of others). Reading Rainbow was an educational children’s television program on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) in the United States that encouraged young children to read. The show ran from 1983 to 2006 and was an iconic part of childhood to kids who grew up during those decades, introducing many of us to some of our favorite childhood books. The show usually introduced a particular picture book, and then, the host would take readers to a place associated with that book or topics in the book. For example, after reading a book about animals to the audience, the host would go to a zoo and talk to zookeepers about animals. There would also be a segment where several real children would introduce the audience to their favorite picture books and tell a little about them.
Individual Books
The 13th Clue (1988)
A young girl follows a series of clues created by her friends to a special birthday surprise.
All in a Day (1986)
A boy on an island near the International Date Line considers what children around the world are doing for the New Year as he waits for rescue. By Mitsumasa Anno and others.
Animalia (1986)
The book is largely pictures, each one themed on animals starting with a different letter of the alphabet. Readers are invited to notice the details in the pictures, finding all of the things that start with that page’s letter of the alphabet, and the author himself, who is somewhere on each page. By Graeme Base.
Apple Tree Christmas (1984)
A farm family loses their apple tree during a terrible storm, but they manage to turn the remains of the tree into special Christmas presents. By Trinka Hakes Noble.
Baker Smurf’s Sniffy Book (1982)
The Smurfs bake plenty of treats for Papa Smurf’s surprise birthday party. A scratch-and-sniff picture book! By Peyo.
Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? (1988)
A little bear can’t sleep because he’s afraid of the dark, and his father helps him to see that night isn’t scary.
A Chair for My Mother (1982)
After their home is destroyed by fire, Rosa and her family save their money to buy a new comfortable chair. By Vera B. Williams.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989)
The letters of the alphabet try to climb a coconut tree. Children’s picture book.
A Child’s First Book of Poems (1981)
A collection of children’s poems by various authors. Pictures by Cyndy Szekeres.
A Child’s Garden of Verses (1989)
This is a reprinting of the classic collection of children’s poems by Robert Louis Stevenson. Illustrated by T. Lewis and Sara Gutierrez.
Clever Tom and the Leprechaun (1988)
Tom Fitzpatrick thinks that his fortune is made when he is lucky enough to catch sight of a leprechaun one day. If a person can manage to catch hold of a leprechaun and frighten him, the leprechaun will hand over his gold. But, the leprechaun might be more clever than Tom is.
The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash (1980)
A girl comes home from a class field trip and tells her mother the exciting events caused by her friend Jimmy’s pet boa constrictor.
Detective McGruff Sniffs Out a Thief (1983)
Detective McGruff helps to sniff out a thief when a shopping bag holding a chocolate cake is stolen. Has scratch-and-sniff scent patches.
Drac and the Gremlin (1988)
A girl and her younger brother play in their backyard, but in their imaginations, they’re on a grand space adventure.
An Early American Christmas (1987)
Not all Christian groups in the early United States celebrated Christmas. In this book, one family shares their German Christmas traditions with their new neighbors. By Tomie dePaola.
Edward the Emu (1988)
A bored emu at a zoo tries living with different animals and acting like them until he realizes that the best thing he can be is himself.
The Egyptian Cinderella (1989)
A variant of the Cinderella story where a young slave girl in Ancient Egypt marries the Pharaoh. By Shirley Climo, illustrated by Ruth Heller.
The Eleventh Hour (1989)
A picture book with hidden clues, codes, and puzzles. Can you find the thief who stole the feast from Horace the elephant’s birthday party? By Graeme Base.
The Elves and the Shoemaker (1981)
A retelling of a folktale. A pair of elves secretly help a shoemaker every night. Story adapted by Lucy Kincaid, illustrated by Gillian Embleton.
Emma (1980)
Emma is a lonely grandmother but discovers a new interest in life when she becomes a painter. By Wendy Kesselman, illustrated by Barbara Cooney.
Fin M’Coul (1981)
Fin M’Coul’s clever wife helps him to defeat the giant Cucullin. Retold and illustrated by Tomie de Paola.
Five Secrets in a Box (1987)
Little Virginia Galilei looks at the instruments that her father, Galileo, uses to study the night sky. By Catherine Brighton.
Flossie and the Fox (1986)
A fox gets away with stealing eggs until he meets a smart girl named Flossie who insists that she won’t be afraid of him until he proves that he’s really a fox. By Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Rachel Isadora.
Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport (1980)
A boy moving from one side of the United States to the other has misconceptions of what he’s going to find when he goes west. By Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.
Heckedy Peg (1987)
A witch steals away children while their mother is at the market, and the mother must correctly guess what types of food the witch has turned them into in order to save them.
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (1985, 1989)
Hershel finds a way to trick a group of goblins haunting an old synagogue and helps the nearby village celebrate Hanukkah. By Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
Hilda’s Restful Chair (1981)
Hilda takes a rest from gardening in her special chair, but all of the animals join her. By Iris Schweitzer.
I Hate English (1989)
When Mei Mei’s family moves from Hong Kong to New York, she finds herself forced to go to a school where no one else speaks Chinese. She is expected to learn English and to read, write, and speak in English, and she hates it! How will she learn to communicate with others in her new home? By Ellen Levine, illustrated by Steve Bjorkman.
I Like Things (1982)
A young girl enjoys collecting all kinds of things, sorting them, and sharing them with other people.
Imogene’s Antlers (1985)
A girl named Imogene discovers one morning that she has suddenly sprouted antlers.
The Invitation (1989)
A boy named Leo finds an invitation to a fancy restaurant in his cereal box, and it turns out to be a memorable evening for everyone! By Nicola Smee.
Jessica the Blue Streak (1989)
Jessica the new puppy is a wild ball of energy when her family brings her home for the first time.
Jumanji (1981)
A brother and sister find a jungle board game in the park that comes to life as they play it.
King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub (1985)
King Bidgood loves being in his bath, but one day, he just doesn’t want to get out! By Audrey Wood.
Knots on a Counting Rope (1987)
A blind Navajo boy asks his grandfather to tell him the story of when he was born.
The Legend of Old Befana (1980)
An old woman is given the chance to accompany the Wise Men to see the Christ Child, but she is late leaving. An Italian Christmas folktale. By Tomie dePaola.
The Legend of the Bluebonnet (1983)
This is a story about the Comanche People in what is now Texas, based on an old folktale. By Tomie dePaola.
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush (1988)
A retelling of a Native American folktale about the origins of a flower. Retold and illustrated by Tomie DePaola.
Linnea in Monet’s Garden (1985, 1987)
A young girl travels with a family friend to visit Monet’s Garden in France, learning about his life and art. By Christina Bjork, drawings by Lena Anderson.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything (1986)
This is a cute picture book based on word and sound repetition. A brave lady ventures out into the woods one day, and as she makes her way home again when it gets dark, she begins to encounter some strange things. By Linda Williams.
Max, the Bad-Talking Parrot (1986)
Max the parrot thinks that a friend has insulted him, so he returns the insult. However, his friend is still his friend and helps him when he needs it most.
Mirandy and Brother Wind (1988)
Mirandy thinks she knows who would be the perfect partner for the cakewalk – Brother Wind! Includes historical information about cakewalks. By Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.
The Missing Wedding Dress featuring Barbie (1986)
Barbie and her sister Skipper are helping a friend get ready for her wedding. Their friend needs some last-minute repairs to her wedding gown, but by mistake the box with her gown is switched with one containing pairs of shoes. Can they manage to track down the wedding gown in time for the wedding?
Miss Rumphius (1982)
After a life of travel, Alice Rumphius settles down in a house by the sea and is called the Lupine Lady because of her love of the flowers and for scattering seeds wherever she goes. By Barbara Cooney.
Moira’s Birthday (1987)
Everyone at school wants to come to Moira’s birthday party, but what are they going to do when everyone really shows up? By Robert Munsch.
Monster Manners (1985)
A little monster has trouble acting like a monster because she’s too polite, but her politeness has benefits. By Joanna Cole.
Moonflute (1980, 1986)
A little girl is having trouble sleeping when the moon gives her a magical flute. By Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood.
Mrs. Armitage on Wheels (1987)
Mrs. Armitage loves her bicycle, but she can think of many ways to improve it. How much improving can one bike take until the improvements aren’t improvements?
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (1987)
Mufaro has two beautiful daughters, but only one with the kindness and humility to be the queen. Based on an African folktale.
Murmel, Murmel, Murmel (1982)
When Robin finds a baby in her backyard sandbox, she has to find someone suitable to take him. By Robert Munsch.
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (1984)
A mysterious man leaves a series of illustrations with a publisher, promising to return with the stories that accompany the illustrations. However, the man disappears, leaving the publisher to wonder just what the stories are really about.
The Mysterious Giant of Barletta (1984)
In this Italian folktale, a statue comes to life to defend his town with a clever trick. By Tomie dePaola.
Norma Jean, Jumping Bean (1987)
Norma Jean, a young kangaroo, loves to jump everywhere, but it causes problems for her friends until she realizes that there are times and places for jumping and not jumping.
The Nutcracker (1816, 1987)
A young girl receives a magical nutcracker for Christmas and learns how to break the spell that has changed him from a human prince. By E.T.A. Hoffmann, retold by Anthea Bell.
Owl Moon (1987)
A father takes his child out at night to look for owls. By Jane Yolen.
Owly (1982)
A curious young owl asks his mother questions about things that can’t be measured, like the number of stars in the sky, and it helps him to understand how much she loves him.
Pecos Bill (1986)
A Western American tall tale where a boy raised by animals becomes a legendary cowboy. Retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg.
Peter Rabbit’s Sniffy Adventure (1984)
Peter Rabbit and his cousin Benjamin visit Mr. McGregor’s garden and get into trouble. Has scratch-and-sniff scent patches.
The Polar Express (1985)
A boy rides a magical train on Christmas Eve and goes to the North Pole to meet Santa and receive the first gift of Christmas.
Possum Magic (1983)
A young possum, Hush, was turned invisible by her grandmother to protect her when she was little, but now, Hush wants to be seen. What will they have to do to turn her visible again? By Mem Fox.
The Prince and the Golden Ax (1988)
A boastful prince leads his island to destruction in Minoan Greece. By Deborah Nourse Lattimore.
The Prince Who Knew His Fate (1981)
A retelling of an Ancient Egyptian story about a prince and a prediction regarding his death with an unknown ending, although the author has provided one. By Lise Manniche.
Princess Furball (1989)
Confronted by a wedding that she doesn’t want, a princess asks for four seemingly-impossible gifts and uses them to run away and seek a better destiny. By Charlotte Huck and illustrated by Anita Lobel.
The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy (1985)
A puppy wants a boy of his own for Christmas and sets out to find one, finding a very special home with more boys than he dreamed! Reprint of a book from 1958 with different illustrations.
The Purple Coat (1986)
Gabby decides that she wants something different and unusual for her new coat this year.
The Quilt Story (1985)
A special quilt comforts generations of a family as they move to new homes. By Tony Johnston and Tomie dePaola.
The Reluctant Dragon (1983)
A boy befriends a peaceful and lazy dragon and helps him when the townspeople get St. George to come fight him. By Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Michael Hague.
Saint George and the Dragon (1984)
St. George, the Red Cross Knight, defeats a fearsome dragon and wins the hand of Princess Una. Retold by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
Scary, Scary Halloween (1986)
One Halloween night, unseen watchers observe children in costume trick-or-treating. The mother cautions her children to remain hidden because of all the strange creatures that are out and about on Halloween. By Eve Bunting.
Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Doghouse (1975, 1983)
Scooby-Doo’s new doghouse may be haunted! By Jean Lewis, illustrated by Richard Lowe.
Six Crows (1988)
A farmer and crows try to scare each other in a battle over the farmer’s wheat until the owl convinces them to talk it over. By Leo Lionni.
Song and Dance Man (1988)
A grandfather tells his grandchildren about his time as a vaudeville performer and shows them his old act.
The Spooky Halloween Party (1981)
Albert thinks that it will be easy to guess his friends’ identities at Nicky’s Halloween party, but it turns out to be harder than he thinks, and he’s in for a few scares and some big surprises before the night is over!
Stone Soup (1986)
When villagers refuse to share their food with hungry travelers, the travelers come up with a plan to inspire them to share. Retold by Marilyn Sapienza, illustrations by Hans Wilhelm.
The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South (1989)
Similar to the Mother Holle folktales, young Blanche is rewarded for following a witch’s instructions, but her mean sister is punished for making fun of the old woman. By Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.
That Terrible Halloween Night (1980)
A grandfather tells a story to scare his grandchildren after their attempts to frighten him on Halloween fail. By James Stevenson.
Thomas’ Snowsuit (1985)
Thomas hates his new snowsuit, and everyone’s attempts to make him wear it end in hilarious disaster! By Robert Munsch.
The Vanishing Pumpkin (1983)
An old man and woman search for their missing pumpkin on Halloween, asking various strange creatures. By Tony Johnston, pictures by Tomie dePaola.
When I Was Young in the Mountains (1982)
A woman remembers what life was life when she lived with her grandparents in rural West Virginia as a child. By Cynthia Rylant.
Which Witch is Which (1989)
This is a cute picture book/puzzle book. A pair of twins, Ella and Emily, are invited to a friend’s costume party, but they come dressed as witches in identical (or nearly identical) costumes. Using provided clues, readers are invited to figure out which twin is which. By Pat Hutchins.
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree (1988)
Ruthie and her mother wait for her father to return home from WWI, wondering if he will make it in time for Christmas. By Gloria Houston, pictures by Barbara Cooney.
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.
A spooky little series of stories about different children and the monster stories they invent and tell each other. It’s fun to be scared! By Rose Impey. 1988-2004.
This is a series of picture books about various people and events from history and legend. 1984-1988.
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.
Little, doll-like people who live in a magical land on the other side of bedroom mirrors teach children lessons about love and friendship. These books were written to accompany a series of dolls. 1985.
Children have dreams in which their stuffed animals come to life and teach them important life lessons.
Little Witch is a young witch in a family of witches. She is sometimes nicer than her family wishes that she would be and has adventures with her human children friends. By Deborah Hautzig. 1984-2004.
A spunky little girl attends a boarding school in an old house in Paris with her friends. 1939-2013.
A series of picture books for girls with accompanying charm necklaces. 1988-1998.
An educational series. Ms. Frizzle takes her students on impossible field trips in a magic school bus to teach them science lessons. 1986-Present.
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.
This is a loose series of picture books about young mice who experience life, growing up, and school, much like young human children. 1986-2013.
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.
Stuffed animal friends have adventures together and teach children lessons. By Jane Hissey. 1986-2016.
Classic Little Golden Book children’s series about a little puppy and his adventures with his siblings. 1942-1985.
The Sherlock Street Detectives are a group of neighborhood friends who live on Sherlock Street and like to solve mysteries. The stories are educational, and the kids use basic scientific concepts to solve their mysteries. By Mary Blount Christian. 1989-1991.
Spot is a puppy who has fun and adventures with his parents and animal friends. 1980-2013.
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 
thanks for this great list. I’m looking for a book about a tinkerer—a man who made things out of odds and ends and found objects. I can’t remember the title.
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It’s not ringing any bells at the moment, but I’ll give it some more thought. Is it from the 1980s, or do you think it could be older?
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