No nursery or child’s room, we feel, would be complete without a well-curated collection of books. We love the color, the sense of play, and the imagination-sparking energy books bring to a space — that’s why just about every one of our Nursery Projects puts a little one’s library prominently on display.

Today, in celebration of a few of our favorites, we’ve rounded up a list of fourteen treasured children’s titles with a little something for everyone: from babies to big kids to the grown-ups reading the bedtime stories, too. A bonus: On top of their wonderful words, these books are so beautiful you may find yourself keeping them out to be admired — or even displaying them, gallery-style, on the wall.

1. Home, written and illustrated by Carson Ellis

Carson Ellis, a Portland artist (and “illustrator-in-residence” for rock band The Decemberists), illustrates all the many interpretations of home: from castles to log cabins, igloos to artists’ studios.

2.Bruno Munari’s Zoo, written and illustrated by Bruno Munari

Take a trip to the zoo with legendary artist and designer Bruno Munari, whose poetic words are just as striking as his bright, buoyant illustrations.

3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, written by Bill Martin, Jr. and illustrated by Eric Carle

This colorful classic, published in 1967, features collage illustrations by then-unknown artist Eric Carle (who later went on to write and illustrate The Very Hungry Caterpillar).

4. The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats

Published in 1962, this story — about a little boy’s discovery of the wonders of a wintry day — is iconic not only for its unmistakeable artwork and words, but also for being the first full-color US kids’ book to feature a black child as its central figure.

5. Along a Long Road, written and illustrated by Frank Viva

Artist Frank Viva (whose work has been featured on the cover of The New Yorker) made his debut into the world of children’s books with this bicycle-themed bestseller. Fun fact: The entire book was illustrated using only five colors.

6. The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts, written and illustrated by Maja Säfström

Packed with peppy illustrations by Swedish artist Maja Säfström, this little blue book offers up heaps of awe-inspiring animal facts — did you know, for instance, that seahorses hold each other’s tails as they move through the water? (We didn’t, either.)

7. Seeing Things: A Kid’s Guide to Looking at Photographs, written by Joel Meyerowitz

For more advanced readers, this kids’ guide to photography — written by seasoned pro Joel Meyerowitz — features images by Mary Ellen Mark, William Eggleston, and more.

8. One Thousand Things, written and illustrated by Anna Kovecses

A true treat for the eyes, this “visual encyclopedia” contains 80 pages’ worth of vividly illustrated people, places, and things.

9. Sparkle and Spin, written by Ann Rand, illustrated by Paul Rand

A 1950s ode to the magic of words, Sparkle and Spin pairs author Ann Rand’s lively prose with the vibrant illustrations of her husband, midcentury graphic designer Paul Rand.

10. I Want My Hat Back, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen

Follow this charming bear on a search for his missing hat, through playful illustrations from Jon Klassen (also the author of This Is Not My Hat and We Found a Hat).

11. A Sick Day for Amos McGee, written by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

In a charming tale of friendship, a cast of caring (and exquisitely illustrated) animals tends to their cherished zookeeper as he nurses a cold.

12. My Friends, written and illustrated by Taro Gomi

A ponytailed little girl is the star of this irresistible board book, sharing lessons she’s learned from her many friends — a jumping dog, swinging monkey, and sleepy crocodile included.

13. Lost and Found, written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Beloved author Oliver Jeffers’s dreamy watercolors and simple, stirring words tell the story of a little boy and his new friend, as they journey to the South Pole and back again.

14. Gaston, written by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Though the adorable cover art is reason enough to take Gaston home, it’s the sweet story about the bonds of family that’ll have little readers hooked.

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If you read our blog, you know we love working with Matt Monroe of Monroe Workshop. Over that last several years, we’ve used his handmade furniture in many of our projects – a beautiful log bench in our Wolf Pup Room for Siblings, a custom live edge kids’ desk for our Cabin Inspired Kid’s Room featuring Baby Horse and Baby Horse Little Darling, an original, custom floating shelf/changing table for our Baby Wallaby Nursery, and our favorite Credenza sits below our majestic 30”x40”American Buffalo limited edition print in our Dining Room Makeover.

To say we have a working relationship with Monroe Workshop is accurate, but it doesn’t nearly describe how fond we are of Matt and his crew. Seriously, you couldn’t find a nicer guy who happens to be insanely skilled! 

So, we’re thrilled to pull the spotlight away from his furniture for a moment to feature Monroe Workshop’s new series of Toys – a charming coterie of critters. The genesis of Monroe Workshop’s first two toys–his robot horse and robot monkey–was a clever way to minimize waste. Matt says: 

“As a fan of wood, I hated to throw our scrap away–all the toys are made of furniture grade hardwood. So, I started making the toys to give as gifts to family and friends.”

Matt featured the robot monkey on instagram and the demand was immediate. He and his crew have been working like busy elves this year and have unveiled a charming new collection of animals to add their menagerie. Here are our favorites!

Cecily the Pig is giving our Piglet a run for her money. We love Cecily’s mismatched ears which Matt sources from a local shoe manufacturer’s scraps of Italian leather.

Matt gave Avinash the Elephant a huge dose of personality. Not dissimilar to our Baby Elephant.

You can almost hear Jean Pierre the Longhorn Bull bellowing. His stare is just as intense as our Long Horn Steer Close-Up.

Ravi the Rhinoceros may be small, but he’s every bit the brute our Baby Rhino is.

We think Gemma Lou the Giraffe would get along with our Baby Giraffe just fine.

The toys are named after family members. Well, all except for Gary the Robot Monkey. Matt says, “I just like the name Gary.”

All of the toys are made of domestic hardwoods in Monroe Workshop’s Los Angeles shop. They’re available at monroeworkshoptoys.com.

Matt says to keep an eye out for a barn and possibly a jungle-scape tree house for more play opportunities. We can’t wait!

For our latest wallpaper pairing, we returned to one of our favorites: Baby Deer. She was one of our first Animal Print Shop prints and even though she has lots of company now, our love for her hasn’t diminished. We’ve been chomping at the bit to use a Hygge & West wallpaper (BTW, Hygge is pronounced: Hoo-Ga) and knew we’d found the perfect compliment in their soft blue Petal Pusher pattern. Even better, Petal Pusher is a design by the uber talented Joy Cho of Oh Joy Studios.

Hygge & West was founded by childhood friends Christiana Coop and Aimee Lagos – loving the vibe of Danish design, they created their wallcovering company around it – Hygge is a Danish concept loosely translating to life’s small pleasures, be they cozy homes in winter or bedtime stories with your kids. The “West” in Hygge & West is western as in the United States. We love that their wallpapers are all hand silk screened AND Hygge & West works with so many talented designers. Oh Joy finds herself in amazing company next to Julia Rothman, Rifle Paper Co., Heath Ceramics, Justina Blakeney, and many others. 

Petal Pusher pairs beautifully with Oeuf’s clean-lined, modern Rhea Crib. We especially appreciate the slight Danish taper of the legs. The sweet polka-dot crib sheet is from Etsy seller Holkuda who hand prints on the softest fabric ensuring restful sleep for the little slumberer. And our favorite detail is the pop of fuchsia from a custom Kantha baby blanket made by our good friend Heidi Merrick (we’re trying to convince her to make them for sale!). And if blue isn’t the direction your design is headed, Petal Pusher also comes in a range of other gorgeous colors, from gold to blush to black.

Finally, if you follow our blog, you know that we love ourselves a vintage nod. In this pairing, we used two: the brick pattern vintage Moroccan rug and a large white Gainey pot from the 60’s. We’d never seen a rug with such a vibrant, rich blue color, let alone in a brick pattern (if you’re in Los Angles, you can pick this rug up at Hannoun Rugs in Culver City). The Gainey pot is from Sharon’s own collection. Sadly, Gainey stopped making their signature ceramic pots in 2013, so if you spot one at a thrift store, don’t hesitate to buy it!

The finishing touch is a delicate mobile from Brooklyn’s Fort Makers. The designer, Noah Spencer, says he takes inspiration from human fascination with the universe. We love its delicate lines and gentle movement, and we think it is the perfect compliment to the pairing of Baby Deer and Petal Pusher. We also think Petal Pusher pairs beautifully with Baby Camel! 

To introduce the newest addition to our menagerie of baby animals, Baby Zebra, we sought to design a feminine nursery of soft pink, natural materials, and wood tones. For Baby Zebra’s nursery (the eigth in our Nursery Project series) Sharon drew inspiration straight from Baby Zebra –“She’s so sweet and if you look at her stripes where the white and black meet, she almost looks pink!” Says Sharon of her newest muse.

Designing the room in layers as she always does Sharon continues:  “I knew I wanted a wallpaper to compliment Baby Zebra without competing with her stripes or soft feel. The perfect wallpaper would be a tonal pink with a subtle pattern so it wouldn’t distract the eye from Baby Zebra.” Kremelife had the perfect palette and a pattern that fit the bill in their Diamondettes line.

And, for a touch of sophistication, Sharon adorned the dresser with a vintage brass tea light globe. “The globe light is on a dimmer and fills the room with a soft glow.” Perfect for taking advantage of the curated library and reading a bedtime story in the coral colored Togo chair by Ligne Roset. The sisal rug “really ties the room together,” kids Sharon ala The Big Lebowski. The space called for a round rug and she found the perfect one at West Elm.

With a nod to Safari themes, Baby Bengal Tiger, Lion Cub, Baby Monkey, and Baby Elephant hang above an Oeuf Rhea crib. “I’m kind of obsessed with macrame right now.” Sharon confesses. “I discovered Sara of The Forest Fern, who makes the most beautiful pieces, including the lantern style we selected for this space.”

The crib sheet is handmade by Petal and Branch. “It was a perfect match to the wallpaper without being too ‘matchy-matchy’, but still similar – I really love the soft feel and color.” Of the blanket, softies and trash can, Sharon explains, “The last details for me are not afterthoughts, but the final layer.” We love the blanket’s little pop of bright pink, and the two rascals in the crib: you can almost hear them scheming!

(Photos ©The Animal Print Shop)

Our customers often ask if it’s okay to group horizontal and vertical prints. Well, designer Andria Fromm artfully answers that question with an Animal Print Shop feature wall in Baby Harley’s nursery beautifully photographed by Alyssa Rosenheck.

Designed last fall by interiors expert Andria Fromm of REDO Home & Design, baby Harley’s nursery is playful, but still manages to be soothing and stylish, cozy and composed with crisp details. “Harley’s mother knew what she was having,” says Andria, “but we didn’t want the room to scream ‘boy.’ The process was more about mixing prints and patterns, textures and fabrics, wallpaper and artwork, so that the room could grow with the baby over the years.”

“We started by selecting a color palette based on the ottoman fabric,” Andria continues. “It had these great rust tones, with gold and navy. I love pulling inspiration from a pattern.” Other details close to the designer’s heart: grasscloth wallpaper from Cowtan & Tout; a multihued pom-pom mobile (made by mom); and a sweet, snug reading nook. “Children need small spaces to tuck into,” she says. “They’re comforting.” We especially love the Devon crib in deep blue, which converts to a toddler bed. We also can’t help but wonder where the little coral colored doors lead!

And what about the set of six Animal Print Shop baby animal pals keeping watch on the wall above the dresser? “They’re the main feature,” Andria says. “We wanted to create a wall of interest, so we started with the grasscloth and layered with modern frames filled with Sharon’s beloved animal photography. Mixing both horizontal and vertical formats give the space a lovely element of interest and works so well with the elevation change in the ceiling. Harley’s brother, Barrett, loves all the baby animal prints most. He always wants to go in and look at them — and he’s learned quite a few of his animals based on that wall. He’s obsessed with Baby Monkey Little Darling in particular — every time they pass by, he has to say hello.” How sweet is that?

The balmy days of summer are behind us and we’re cozying up to the crisper conditions with this modern cabin-inspired room, the latest in our ongoing Nursery Project series. Happy, homey, and handsomely appointed, it’s perfect for welcoming two brand-new babies to our Print Shop family: Baby Bengal Tiger No. 1 and Baby Bengal Tiger No. 2. 

Bathed in a serene deep blue (Benjamin Moore’s Blue Note, to be exact), the space features a fireplace on a wall of wood siding, a built-in changing table, and a host of gender-neutral accents, including a pair of brass and wood mobiles by Print Shop favorites Julie Burtonand Fort Makers. It’s enough to keep our tiger cubs (and their tiny bunkmate) enveloped in warmth that’ll last through winter—and well beyond.

(Photos by Joe Schmelzer for The Animal Print Shop)

Second in our brand-new series of print-and-wallpaper pairings: the vibrant Apothecary’s Garden pattern from Trustworth Studios as backdrop for our sprightly Baby Horse. Originally designed in 1926 by famed English designer CFA Voysey, it’s full of life, color, and nature-inspired detail — just right, we think, for Wolf Pup, Baby Monkey, and Baby Fox Little Darling, too.

There’s no denying the statement-making effect of well-designed wallpaper. Dedicated followers of this blog may have noticed that several of our featured nurseries pair our prints with patterned paper – a combination we’ve come to love so much that we’re dedicating an entire series to its charms. In it, we’ll match some of our favorite wallpapers on the market with the cuddly creatures who complement them best. And as always, layering in beautiful pieces (like a stylish crib and modern floor lamp) to bring everything together!

Up first: Makelike’s stunning, slate-gray design meets our beloved Baby Giraffe. While we’re at it, we think its playful zig-zags suit Flamingo, Baby Elephant, Lion Cub Little Darling, and Baby Zebra Little Darling just fine, too.

In keeping with tradition, The Animal Print Shop is celebrating the release of its newest addition — bright-eyed Baby Wallaby — with a custom nursery designed to match her energetic spirit.

When it came to designing the space, Sharon enlisted the help of her close friends Fitz and Su, the husband-and-wife team behind the living design store Fitzsu. In went a dose of gender-neutral color, with wooden wall hooks in yellow and pink; a mobile with a bright constellation of felted spheres; and a white oak crib whose citron support flips over to become a desk (for when sleeping infants transition to student-hood).

Adding to the atmosphere of lighthearted sophistication: a band of Donna Wilson lambswool animals; a woolen day bed; and smart, recycled-bottle storage bins soft enough for small fingers. (Two Print Shop mainstays — Duckling Little Darling and Baby Kangaroo Little Darling — make appearances, too.) Welcome home, Baby Wallaby.

(Photos by Joe Schmelzer for The Animal Print Shop)