"First lines are really important. 

First lines are essentially the opportunity any reader has of creating cerebral fusion. That’s when the reader’s brain and the storyteller’s brain essentially become one even though no one’s in the same space together.

 It feels like magic. It’s leveraging imagination. 

It’s really really important."

Cecilia Lyra
Literary Agent with PS Literary
During a Books with Hooks episode of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast

January 2025

Welcome! I'm so glad you stopped by.
I hope you find this collection of picture book first lines inspiring and motivational.

If you'd like your book included in a future collection, click here.

Elements of a great first line

Stuck! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits

Words by Joyce Uglow, art by Valerya Milovanova
Published by Bushel & Peck Books
First line: Thousands of years ago,
unsuspecting ice age animals
were drawn to shallow water…
only to find oozing, oily stickiness.
Elements used: establishes the setting of the story, engages multiple senses, and makes the reader wonder something

Read Joyce's revision journey here.

Who Needs a Statue?

Words by Eve LaPlante and Margy Burns Knight, art by Alix Delinois

Published by Tilbury House 

First line: One hundred statues of famous Americans, two from each state, stand in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Elements used: establishes the setting of the story

BARNABY Unboxed!

By Terry, Eric & Devin Fan

Published by tundra

First line: Barnaby lived inside a box.
Elements used: makes the reader wonder something 

We Who Produce Pearls

Words by Joanna Ho, art by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya

Published by Orchard Books

First line: We who dream mark time by the moon, a heavenly body containing multitudes, whose many faces mirror our own and shine light on our season sof harvest, celebration, renewal.

Elements used: uses poetic devises, engages multiple senses, uses unique formatting

I QUIT!

Words by Kristen Tracy, art by Federico Fabiani

Published by Farrar Straus Giroux

First line: Each day felt gray.

Elements used: makes the reader wonder something and feel something

Show Up and Vote!

Words by Ani Di Franco, art by Rachelle Baker

Published by RISE

First line: as best i remember, here’s how it went

Elements used: makes the reader wonder something

The Perfect Place

Words by Matt de la Pena, art by Paola Escobar

Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

First line: On the day Lucas got a perfect score on his robot report, he floated through the halls with his head held high.

Elements used: introduces the main character and makes the reader feel something

Kai's Ocean of Curiosities

By Josephine Topolanski (translated by Johanna McCalmont)

Published by Blue Dot Kids Press

First line: Kai is extremely curious.
Elements used: introduces the main character and makes the reader wonder something 

The Shadow & the Ghost

By Cat Min

Published by Levine Querido

First line: Haunting houses was not Shinibi’s favorite.

Elements used: surprises the reader, makes the reader feel something, and introduces the main character

Sharing Is UnBEARable!

By J.E. Morris

Published by Penguin Workshop

First line: One day, Orson went for a walk in the woods.

Elements used: Establishes the setting of the story and introduces the main character

"Give me a really good first line, 

something I can sink my teeth into, that just pulls me in and makes me want to read more. For me, a really great first line raises a question in my mind, or, better yet, two or three, where I just have to read the book to find out. 

A good first line gives me context about the story and lays a roadmap for where we're going."

Jennifer March Soloway
Senior Agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency
During an interview on the Writers with Wrinkles podcast