Picturebooks can be of great potential for primary English language education (ELE) since they can promote English language skills and address pressing concerns of modern-day society, such as the climate or the refugee crisis. This contribution illustrates which types of picturebooks are suitable for primary ELE, which skills can be promoted when using picturebooks, and what their potential is. It also provides concrete examples of how to use picturebooks to achieve general educational goals, such as critical environmental literacy, empathy, and kindness towards peers, refugees, and animals while simultaneously fostering learners’ language skills development.