Memorizing spelling lists and looking up words in the dictionary and then using the words in a sentence is a traditional strategy used for vocabulary acquisition. However, because the students do not learn words in context, their application of knowledge and understanding from this method is uneven. Because picture books may be used for pleasure reading and instructional purposes, picture book instruction may be a valuable instructional tool for the explicit and implicit teaching of vocabulary, comprehension, and other literacy skills. In this paper, the author asserts that picture book instruction may assist vocabulary development, meaning making, and knowledge acquisition.