17 Favorite Dog Picture Books

Dog picture books seem to be in much more abundance than cat picture books, but I did find a few that combined both dogs and cats. I’m giving away most of these newly published picture books. Please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom to win.

How about you? What are your favorite dog or cat picture books?

17 Favorite Dog Picture Books

To Dogs, With Love: A Love Letter to the Dogs Who Help Us by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Ishaa Lobo

From reading dogs to therapy dogs to prison dogs to dogs that just love us, this is a tender love story for all the dogs that help us. Author Maria Gianferrari has adopted many rescue dogs and this is her book for her dog, Becca, whose loss is felt every day. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

Jump for Joy by Karen Gray Ruelle, illustrated by Hadley Hooper

Joy wishes for a dog. Jump, a dog, wishes to belong to a kid. They make facsimiles out of natural materials of their ideal dog/kid in the park but the sculptures don’t last. Will they find each other? They do! And neither of them wilt, melt, scatter, splatter, or wash away! Hooray![picture book, ages 3 and up]

Friend by Gavin Bishop

Explore emotions through the relationship between a dog and a child and their expressive faces. [board book, ages 1 and up]

Bow-Wow-Meow by Blanca Lacasa, illustrated by Gómez

I thought I’d start off my cat and dog picture book list with this hybrid picture book about a dog who is really a cat deep down inside. It’s a story about being true to yourself, and the gratification when your family does as well. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Raymond by Yann & Gwendal Le Bec

My husband says that in his next life, he wants to come back as our family dog. It’s true. Our dog has it made. Raymond in this picture book doesn’t realize how good his doggy life was until he gets a high-powered job in Dogue Magazine and becomes a Very Important Dog. Sometimes the simple pleasures in life are best. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

A Day With Dogs by Dorothée de Monfreid

Kids who like Richard Scarry’s books will like this similar type of information book with everything labeled. In this case, though, it’s a dog’s world and they are running the show. The dogs take us through a house and all its rooms AND the items in each room. This is perfect for little ones who are learning words and how the world works. [picture book ages 2 and up]

Migloo’s Weekend by William Bee

Fans of Where’s Waldo? will enjoy searching for Migloo and other items indicated on the pages. Unlike Where’s Waldo, there’s more of a storyline. In this case, it’s about Migloo’s busy weekend. For more search-and-find picture books, see my Top 5 Best Seek-and-Find Picture Books list.[search and find picture book, ages 3 and up]

One Hundred Sausages by Yuval Zommer

Scruff the dog loves sausages but when one hundred sausages go missing from the butcher’s shop and he is blamed, he has to take matters into his own paws and find the real culprit. I love the illustrations in this funny dog caper story! For more humorous dog & cat picture books, please check out this list by Maria Gianferrari: 10 Hilarious Dog and Cat Picture Books. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Kings of the Castle by Victoria Turnbull

Have you noticed how dogs help us make friends? It’s the case for George, who meets a monster from the sea but has trouble communicating with it. His dog Boris bridges the gap, and they all work together to build that amazing sand castle of George’s dreams. Kids who like friendly monsters will love this book! [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Pour Louie by Tony Fucile

Things take a turn for the worse for Chihuahua Louie when an interloper enters his home in the form of a new baby! Adjusting is hard! I have other books for those about acquiring a new sibling, but I love this one because it’s funny and easy to relate to. [picture book, age 3 and up]

Barkus by Patricia Maclachlan, illustrated by Marc Boutavant

This looks like a picture book from the outside in terms of size and illustrations but it’s actually an early chapter book! Try this with young kids who are reading independently at an early age. The stories are short, fast-paced, and funny. And they all tie in at the end. [early chapter book series, ages 5 and up]

The Rise of the Rusty Robo-Cat by Mike Lowery

This is a great book for summer reading because it’s both a story and a doodle journal combined but in the form of a graphic novel. Kids that like to draw will enjoy this series. [early chapter book series, ages 7 and up]

Young Wolf’s First Howling by Laura McGee Kvasnovsky & Kate Harvey McGee

Since the wolf is the dog’s ancestor, I’ve included this picture book about a young wolf learning to howl, but with its own musical twist. This parent/child tutoring session reminds me of teaching my oldest how to drive! Pair with Maria Gianferrari’s Coyote Moon for another picture book to explore dogs’ wild ancestors. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

The Dog Book by Lorenzo Clerici and The Cat Book by Silvia Borando

In the same way that Press This gets kids to interact with a regular book without pull tabs or flaps, this book gets the reader to respond to the dog/cat on the pages. It’s a fun concept and especially good for kids who want a dog/cat as a pet. [picture book, age 2 and up]

Shake, Wiggle & Roll, and Heads and Tails by Carli Davidson

Photographer Carli Davidson captures 9 different dog friends in each of these two charming board books. She has both mixed breeds and pure breeds at play in her books. [board books, ages 1 and up]

My Dog, Hen by David Mackintosh

Hen is a dog from an animal rescue shelter and he’s getting used to his new life! Hen’s a great dog but he can be destructive. Gran makes him a giant toy from all Hen’s chewed-up dog toys. This picture book has a secondary refrain about upcycling that is reflected in the need to rescue pets in animal shelters. They are just as good as new! And sometimes, even better! This is not my favorite book on this list but someone with a destructive dog will be able to relate to this story. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Huge Dog and Cat Picture Book Giveaway

I’m giving away three book bundles from the books in this post. To win, please fill out the Rafflecopter below. I can only mail to U.S. addresses due to the high cost of shipping.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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p.s. Related posts:

Book Lists Around a Particular Animal

Favorite Owl Children’s Books

Five New Rescue Dog Books

5 Picture Books Around Pet Adoption

Top 10: Best Dragon Children’s Books

Top 10: Favorite Duck Picture Books

Our Favorite Dinosaur Books

Hamsters and Guinea Pigs in Early Chapter Books

Top 10: Crocodile Books for Kids

Top 10: Zoo Books for Kids

Top 10: Pokémon Books

10 Hilarious Cat and Dog Picture Books

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My books:

 Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

• • • Junior Library Guild Gold selection
    • Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
    • Starred review from School Library Journal
    • Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
    • 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
    • Green Earth Book Award longlist
    • Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

 Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me