A picture graph is a way of displaying information using small pictures or symbols to represent quantities. Instead of just writing numbers, each picture stands for a specific amount. For example, if you're showing how many books each student read over the summer, you might draw one book symbol for every five books read. If Maria read 15 books, her row would have three book symbols.

Picture graphs make data visual and easy to understand at a glance. You can quickly see who read the most books or which fruit is most popular in the cafeteria just by comparing the number of symbols. They're especially useful when you want to make information interesting and accessible: a picture graph showing ice cream sales by flavor is more engaging than a simple list of numbers.

The key to reading a picture graph is checking the legend, which tells you what each picture represents. One apple symbol might equal two apples sold, or ten, or even 100. Without checking the legend first, you might misunderstand what the graph is showing. Picture graphs are sometimes called pictographs, and they're one of the first types of graphs students learn to create and interpret in mathematics.