The main topic of this paper is the picture book and its influence on the linguistic and speech development of children. The paper discusses the history of picture books, the types and functions of picture books, as well as ways of reading them. A picture book is the first book in a child's life. The purpose of the picture book is to reveal the world to the child, develop cognition, evoke emotions, develop speech and language, and enrich the previous vocabulary. It plays a role in developing the ability to remember and logical reasoning, it helps to present unknown phenomena to the child and the acquisition of knowledge about the world around us. An important factor in the speech and language development of children is the role of educators in kindergartens. Through play and daily activities, children establish communication and a socio-emotional bond with educators. In conditions of a positive emotional environment, where the educator approaches the child depending on his needs, the child gradually understands the educator's speech through communication, gestures and activities. Considering the importance of picture books and the role of educators in establishing verbal communication with the child, which implies offering incentives and creating a stimulating environment for children's language and speech development, we conducted research to examine, among other things, how often educators use picture books as a means of encouraging linguistic -speech development of children of early and preschool age. The most important conclusion obtained from the research is that educators often use picture books in direct work with children and are aware of the importance of using picture books as a means of enriching vocabulary, developing and strengthening self-confidence, the ability to express thoughts and feelings, and the adoption of habits for taking care of things, such as preserving and putting away picture books to the designated place.