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The 100 best-ever children’s books, as chosen by our readers

From the magic of Beatrix Potter to Malorie Blackman's game-changing dystopias, we asked you to share the stories that inspired your love of reading as a child.

18.  Elmer by David McKee (1968)

We said:  A nursery favourite featuring a wonderful elephant of many colours. Elmer and all his differences have subtly taught generations of children that it's ok to be different. 

You said:  It teaches us to be ourselves and embrace our quirks. 

thosedarkpages, Instagram

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24 must-read books for 6-8-year-olds

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46. Further Doings of Milly-Molly-Mandy  by Joyce Lankester Brisley (1932)

We said:  Venture to the quaintest nooks of rural England with Millicent Margaret Amanda (or Milly-Molly-Mandy, for short), always on a fun escapade in that notorious pink-and-white striped dress.

You said:  I loved M-M-M, the tales of the haberdashery shop and making a tea cosy from bits of the family’s old clothes and the booby prize of a little white rabbit. Simple and evocative of a bygone age.

NichollsTanya, Twitter

24 must-read books for under 5s

The best folk and fairy tales for children

Where to start with Roald Dahl’s books

The best books to gift your grandchildren

Books ranked in no particular order. Some answers edited for clarity and style.

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100 Famous Children’s Books Every Kid Should Read

A dose of nostalgia they’re sure to enjoy!

What makes children’s books famous is probably less about the awards they win and more about how many times children want to read them. The classic books on this list include some older and long-loved favorites as well as many newer entries that can now be considered must-reads for the younger set. Here’s our list of 100 famous children’s books.

(Make sure to fill out the form on this page to a free printable list of all the books mentioned below.)

Famous Adventure and Fantasy Children’s Books

1. Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni

This book, about a real mouse who wishes he could be loved like the household toy version of him is, offers a gentle lesson in honoring our true selves. Lionni’s unique collage artwork makes this a special volume.

Buy it: Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse on Amazon

2. Instructions by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Charles Vess

With allusions to fairy tales and fables, this lyrical picture book from fantasy author Gaiman is the perfect bedtime read.

Buy it: Instructions on Amazon

3. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Kids hooked on the latest Jumanji movies might be unaware that the adventures on screen began with a Caldecott Medal–winning—and delightful—picture book.

Buy it: Jumanji on Amazon

4. Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

One of the newest entries on this list, Knight Owl offers a combo kids love: a triumphant story featuring an unlikely hero. In this book, a tiny owl protects the kingdom from a fierce dragon—and how he does it isn’t with strength or swords but with smarts.

Buy it: Knight Owl on Amazon

5. Poles Apart by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Jarvis

Though it’s sometimes surprising to learn, penguins live at the South Pole, while polar bears live at the North Pole. But when a family of penguins gets lost on their way to a picnic, the two creatures unite, and a friendship is formed. This journey crisscrosses the globe with smart humor.

Buy it: Poles Apart on Amazon

6. Shrek! by William Steig

Before Shrek was a world-famous cinematic ogre, he was a character in Steig’s picture book about an everyday ogre who sets off to see the world.

Buy it: Shrek on Amazon

7. The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

Santat’s Caldecott Medal–winning story of an imaginary friend awaiting his person and the journey he takes to find that person is both funny and thought-provoking.

Buy it: The Adventures of Beekle on Amazon

8. The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler

At a construction site, other trucks go about their jobs without a second thought, but one truck notices a bud growing in the dirt. Instead of barreling ahead, Digger takes a different route—and it changes the face of the city. This is one of the famous children’s books with an important environmental message.

Buy it: The Digger and the Flower on Amazon

9. The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams, illustrated by Megan Lloyd

While considered a Halloween book, this tale of a brave little old woman who is in for a scary walk is just spooky enough to delight kids who enjoy mild suspense while not being so frightening it will induce nightmares.

Buy it : The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything of Amazon

Famous Children’s Books about Diversity, Inclusion, and Culture

10. Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts

Part of the Questioners series, which includes Rosie Revere, Engineer , this picture book celebration of women in STEM draws inspiration from Marie Curie and Ada Lovelace.

Buy it: Ada Twist, Scientist on Amazon

11. Bodega Cat by Louie Chin

This 2019 winner of the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Award shows the power of picture books. Via Chip, a cat that wanders the aisles of a New York bodega (corner grocery store), this book shows what it means to know and live in a bustling community.

Buy it: Bodega Cat on Amazon

12. Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez

When Daniela’s best friend, Evelyn Del Rey, announces she’s moving, it throws the girls for a loop. They’ve spent their whole lives so far doing everything together. But Medina’s sensitive book about enduring big changes offers a hopeful message and is excellent for kids coping with pals moving to new locales.

Buy it: Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away on Amazon

13. Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

This story in verse is both informational and lovely. Winner of dozens of awards, this picture book celebrates Native American traditions, families, and food, all in a warm and wonderful way.

Buy it: Fry Bread on Amazon

14. Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Gaston has three poodles for sisters and somehow knows he doesn’t quite fit in—even if he works very hard at it. His sisters are just more refined than he is. After an encounter with a family of bulldogs, Gaston learns there’s been a mix-up. But maybe family isn’t about everyone being alike as much as it is about being where you’re most loved.

Buy it: Gaston on Amazon

15. I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James

The charismatic narrator of this book is a Black boy who tells the reader exactly who he is, as well as the things people assume he is that he tells us he is not. The award-winning author-illustrator team delivers an important message to all readers to avoid the unfair, incorrect, and racist labels society often places on Black boys.

Buy it: I Am Every Good Thing on Amazon

16. Jazz by Walter Dean Myers, illustrations by Christopher Myers

Unwrapping and celebrating each type of jazz—from bebop and ragtime to boogie and improvisational—through rhythmic poems and kinetic illustrations, this book claimed myriad awards for good reason. It sprawls, sings, zips, zags, and likely will create some young fans of the musical form too.

Buy it: Jazz on Amazon

17. Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Winner of the Stonewall Book Award, this picture book’s message of self-love and self-expression is a beautiful one. Julián, after seeing women dressed as mermaids, is so dazzled that he wants to be just like them. But he worries what his abuela will think when she finds him in full mermaid garb. Fortunately, his grandmother celebrates him rather than scolding him.

Buy it : Julián Is a Mermaid on Amazon

18. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson

CJ and his grandma’s bus ride is more than a journey to a destination but also an education in appreciating the beauties woven throughout everyday life.

Buy it: Last Stop on Market Street on Amazon

19. Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Bryan Collier

This Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honor book uses quotes from some of the civil rights leader’s greatest speeches to tell the story of his life. Collier’s collage art blends watercolor paintings with various textures and patterns, making this book as beautiful as it is enlightening.

Buy it: Martin’s Big Words on Amazon

20. Ruby’s Chinese New Year by Vickie Lee, illustrated by Joey Chou

If you’ve ever wondered how the Chinese zodiac came to be, this book explains it. While delivering a Chinese New Year card to her grandmother, Ruby encounters each of the zodiac’s 12 animals and learns the stories behind them. This is a great and fun introduction to Asian traditions.

Buy it: Ruby’s Chinese New Year on Amazon

21. Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

Award-winning author and artist Ringgold’s most well-known picture book blends fiction, autobiography, and Black history in a story about a young girl whose dream to go wherever her fancy takes her comes true for a night. She’s lifted from the tarred rooftop of her apartment building to see the world around her.

Buy it: Tar Beach on Amazon

22. The Crayon Man by Natascha Biebow, illustrated by Steven Salerno

Any kid who’s ever been awed by the array of colors included in a big yellow box of Crayola crayons will adore this biography of Edwin Binney, the man who invented them, and who literally brought color to kids’ worlds.

Buy it: The Crayon Man on Amazon

23. The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López

There are times in life when we all feel like we don’t quite fit in. And for some kids, that feeling can be persistent. This is one of the famous children’s books that offers words of encouragement to help kids connect with others even when it takes a little bravery.

Buy it: The Day You Begin on Amazon

24. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin

This Newbery Medal winner is an enduring story of being brave enough to stand up for others. Wanda Petronski wears the same dress every day but claims to have 100 dresses at home to fend off her classmates’ taunts. One girl decides to stand up for Wanda rather than say nothing.

Buy it: The Hundred Dresses on Amazon

25. The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.J. Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly

It’s two sisters’ first day of school, and one’s first day of wearing the tradition Muslim head covering for women, a hijab. But when Faizah sees that her older sister’s hijab isn’t met with welcoming words from everyone, she learns what it means to have courage.

Buy it: The Proudest Blue on Amazon

26. The Undefeated by Kwami Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Alexander originally performed this poem for ESPN’s program of the same name. The ode to Black life in America—which won multiple awards when it was published in 2020—doesn’t shy from addressing the traumas of slavery, segregation, and injustice but is ultimately triumphant and uplifting, making references to works by Martin Luther King Jr., Gwendolyn Brooks, and Langston Hughes.

Buy it: The Undefeated on Amazon

27. Watercress by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin

When her Chinese immigrant parents stop the car while driving through Ohio in order to cut watercress by the side of the road, the girl in this story is embarrassed. But she soon learns that the plant reminds her parents of home and their heritage. This is one of the autobiographical famous children’s books that won the Caldecott Medal and a Newbery Honor.

Buy it: Watercress on Amazon

28. The Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha and Irene Latham, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu

During the Syrian Civil War, Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel stayed behind to drive an ambulance, bringing wounded fellow citizens to safety—and then also began tending to the cries of cats left as their owners sought refuge. This true story of caring and courage is a Caldecott Medal winner.

Buy it: The Cat Man of Aleppo on Amazon

29. We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade

Inspired by Indigenous-led movements to protect the Earth’s most valuable resource, water, this Caldecott Medal winner centers on one young water protector’s quest to safeguard the precious asset.

Buy it: We Are Water Protectors on Amazon

Famous Children’s Fairytales, Folktales, and Fables

30. Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott

Anansi the spider, a character from Ashanti folklore, is tiny, but he outsmarts many larger foes. McDermott’s Caldecott Honor–winning take on the tale uses African art motifs to celebrate this resourceful arachnid.

Buy it: Anansi the Spider on Amazon

31. Fables by Arnold Lobel

Lobel, author of the Frog and Toad books, brings his clever mind to this compilation of original fables. The clever and delightful famous children’s books each contain their own life lesson.

Buy it: Fables on Amazon

32. Fairy Tales From the Brothers Grimm, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, illustrated by various illustrators

Including some of the most famous children’s books from the Brothers Grimm, this edition is a great introduction to some of their tales and includes the works of several well-known illustrators, including Quentin Blake, Oliver Jeffers, and Emma Chichester Clark.

Buy it: Fairy Tales From the Brothers Grimm on Amazon

33. Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Márquez, illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz

Written by a globally renowned shark scientist, this book blends the writer’s childhood memories of discovering aquatic life with fantastical details to create a spellbinding story that celebrates a much-misunderstood creature of the sea, sharks.

Buy it: Mother of Sharks on Amazon

34. Rumpelstiltskin by the Brothers Grimm, retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

What distinguishes this telling of Rumpelstiltskin from versions included in other Brothers Grimm collections are Zelinsky’s gorgeous paintings throughout. Fairy-tale-loving children may want to seek out his fine-art renderings of other famous children’s books too.

Buy it: Rumpelstiltskin on Amazon

35. Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Hodges’ retelling of a segment from Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen e, in which St. George slays the dragon that’s been terrorizing the land, has all the elements of fairy tales kids crave. And as Albert Einstein once said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

Buy it: Saint George and the Dragon on Amazon

36. Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Strega Nona is the sole keeper of a magical pasta pot that brings forth a never-ending supply of noodles. When the good witch heads to see a friend, Big Anthony tells his Calabrian town he’ll work the pot—and the results are both disastrous and hilarious. DePaola’s story is a charming classic.

Buy it: Strega Nona on Amazon

37. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

A small mouse knows he’s easy prey in the deep, dark wood, but he has brains to spare and outwits his many foes by inventing the Gruffalo, a creature with large teeth and sharp claws. This rhyming tale of wit winning over might has sold more than 13.5 million copies.

Buy it: The Gruffalo on Amazon

38. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Aesop’s fables are an enduring childhood mainstay. Multi-award–winning artist Pinkney has adapted many of them in glorious picture-book form, and his gorgeous take on the tale of a lion and a mouse who learn that a kindness-first approach has deep value is one of his best.

Buy it: The Lion and the Mouse on Amazon

Famous Classic Children’s Books

39. Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy the teddy bear has sat for a long time on his department store shelf—probably thanks to his outfit missing a button and him looking quite worn. But little girl Lisa sees in him a friend and brings home Corduroy in this start to his many adventures.

Buy it: Corduroy on Amazon

40. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

A wonderful lift-the-flap book, Dear Zoo will be read so many times that the pages’ little doors will likely wear out, as kids open each one to discover which animal the zoo has delivered.

Buy it: Dear Zoo on Amazon

41. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

A little girl has a self-replenishing box of yarn that allows her to knit scarves and sweaters aplenty for everyone in town. But when an evil archduke wants it, offering her lots of money, she refuses to sell. This modern fairy tale will give kids plenty to think and talk about.

Buy it: Extra Yarn on Amazon

42. Ferdinand the Bull by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson

A true classic with a wonderful message, Ferdinand will capture kid and adult hearts alike, as he has for years. Ferdinand isn’t like the other bulls: He’s gentle, peaceful, and flower-loving. And in this gentle story, he has no need to change any of that.

Buy it: Ferdinand the Bull on Amazon

43. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

Sweetly funny and often quite moving, Lobel’s Frog and Toad stories appeal as they follow friends enjoying the pleasures of each other’s company.

Buy it: Frog and Toad Are Friends on Amazon

44. Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman

Dogs and cars, what more could kids want? Using only 75 different words, this energetic picture book captures toddlers’ interest before they’re ready to read, and then transitions to be the perfect beginning reader book when kids enter school.

Buy it: Go, Dog. Go! on Amazon

45. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd

It’s likely no surprise to find this children’s classic listed here. Brown channels the simple joy of a child’s bedtime routine in a story that’s as much a quiet meditation as it is the perfect nighttime read.

Buy it: Goodnight Moon on Amazon

46. I’ll Love You Forever by Sheila McGraw

Warning: this one’s a tear-jerker. A story of unconditional love that will stay with you long after you turn the last page, this book follows a mother and son through the cyclical pattern of life as the roles of parent and child evolve over time.

Buy it: I’ll Love You Forever on Amazon

47. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

Though Sendak’s best-known book is the also-classic Where the Wild Things Are , this fantastical adventure about a boy whose dreams take him to a magical and oddball kitchen of bakers taps into childhood flights of fancy.

Buy it: In the Night Kitchen on Amazon

48. Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

When a lion makes his way into the library for story hour, he’s issued one rule: Don’t make noise. But when a beloved librarian has an accident, Library Lion has to break the rule to do what’s right.

Buy it: Library Lion on Amazon

49. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

A lonely man and woman decide that they’ll bring a cat into their lives but can’t decide and instead end up having to choose among scads of cats! How that gets done is the story in this Newbery Honor book.

Buy it: Millions of Cats on Amazon

50. Mister Dog: The Dog Who Belonged to Himself by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Garth Williams

Another Little Golden Book, this one holds the distinction of being authored by Margaret Wise Brown of Goodnight Moon fame. Though published many years ago, the story of a dog and a boy who each belong to themselves is charmingly bizarre, and captivating to kids.

Buy it: Mister Dog on Amazon

51. On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

Children love to hear about when they were babies, and they deserve reminders that they’re each special and adored. Tillman’s ode to the ways our kids change our lives for the better is the perfect bedtime read to accompany a nice cuddle.

Buy it: On the Night You Were Born on Amazon

52. The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen

Brush and Hush are the kittens who create all the colors of the world. In this playful and whimsical book from Margaret Wise Brown, kids will find their favorite color celebrated and their imagination ignited.

Buy it: The Color Kittens on Amazon

53. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce, illustrated by William Joyce and Joe Bluhm

A book bittersweet and beautiful, this celebration of stories—all our stories—is the kind of tale that captivates kids and gets the adults reading to them thinking about the big questions too.

Buy it: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore on Amazon

54. The Little Red Caboose by Marian Potter, illustrated by Tibor Gergely

Another iconic Little Golden Book, this one is bound to be familiar to parents already. But kids have much to gain from this sweet story, even if they may never have seen a red caboose in real life. The caboose of this book is downtrodden because he never gets any of the attention the steam engine does; so what a reward is in store when he has a chance to save the day and find his spotlight.

Buy it: The Little Red Caboose on Amazon

55. The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren

One of the original 12 Little Golden Books published when the label began in 1942, this particular puppy has remained a kid favorite ever since. In fact, it’s the bestselling picture book of all time.

Buy it: The Poky Little Puppy on Amazon

56. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Keats’ Caldecott Medal–winning book depicts the adventure and wonder of a young boy who steps out into a city made new by a blanket of snow. Readers will be unable to resist its tender magic.

Buy it: The Snowy Day on Amazon

57. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, illustrated by William Nicholson

First published in 1922, this enduring classic is about a toy rabbit that becomes the most cherished of toys in its owner’s nursery. Weathering many years by the boy’s side, the rabbit gets the chance to become real in this beautiful ode to the power of love.

Buy it: The Velveteen Rabbit on Amazon

58. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Everyone knows this book, and for good reason. Watching a tiny caterpillar chew his way through his own personal buffet on his way to becoming a gorgeous butterfly is pure delight, especially thanks to Carle’s signature illustrations.

Buy it: The Very Hungry Caterpillar on Amazon

59. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Perhaps the quintessential ode to childhood and imagination, Sendak’s book is about a child whose tantrum prompts him to take a fantastical visit to his own wild side. While the monsters he meets there may be utterly unreal, this is one of the famous children’s books that brims with true emotions.

Buy it: Where the Wild Things Are on Amazon

Famous Funny Children’s Books

60. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz

While many children’s books tend toward the upbeat and sunny, the reality of being a child is that some days really do not go your way. Viorst understood this, and that’s why her Alexander and his litany of things-gone-wrong remains such a kid favorite.

Buy it: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day on Amazon

61. Busy, Busy Town by Richard Scarry

The clever creatures of Scarry’s Busy Town—from Huckle the Cat to Lowly Worm—and the myriad details he includes in every illustration make Busy Town a place that keeps kids busy as they discover something new in every scene.

Buy it: Busy, Busy Town on Amazon

62. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin

Farmer Brown’s cows aren’t your average bovines. They can type. They can also draft letters to Farmer Brown, with lists of demands. Hijinks and hilarity ensue.

Buy it: Click, Clack, Moo on Amazon

63. Curious George by H.A. and Margret Ray

From his first book on through countless sequels, Curious George has had adventures, hatched plans, and been a beloved companion to the Man in the Yellow Hat. Children continue to find him irresistible many years after his debut in 1941.

Buy it: Curious George on Amazon

64. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Willems’ characters, from Knufflebunny to Elephant and Piggie, are extremely well-known in kid circles, but the pigeon is perhaps the most like a child himself. Sometimes stubborn, often curious, always hilarious, this Pigeon tome is a must-have.

Buy it: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! on Amazon

65. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

In this hilarious book, we learn the as-till-now unknown fact that dragons adore tacos. But if they eat salsa that’s spicy in the slightest, chaos results.

Buy it: Dragons Love Tacos on Amazon

66. Eloise by Kay Thompson, illustrated by Hilary Knight

Hotels can be fascinating places to kids (and, let’s face it, adults), and the Plaza Hotel in New York is the pinnacle. Eloise is 6 and resides at the Plaza, making the most of each day with her exuberant and joyful decadence.

Buy it: Eloise on Amazon

67. Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex and Steven Malk

Silliness and soft scares abound in this 19-poem collection paying homage to classic monsters of books and film. Each poem delves into the more mundane aspects of being a terrifying legend. Kids will love the laughs and clever art.

Buy it: Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich on Amazon

68. Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang

Jim, the chimpanzee star of this book, knows it’s a beautiful day—so why can’t he be happy about it? In fact, why is he absolutely ready to have a meltdown? This book has a sweet and funny approach to big emotions that kids will appreciate.

Buy it: Grumpy Monkey on Amazon

69. How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Marc Teague

It seems every child goes through a dinosaur obsession. In this book, kids see the ways dinosaurs’ personalities shine though various bedtime famous children’s books.

Buy it: How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? on Amazon

70. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

Numeroff’s mouse asks for a cookie, but its sweet tooth sets off a chain of events that feel like spending the day with an idea-filled kid, and that’s exactly why this book and its companion volumes have endured.

Buy it: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie on Amazon

71. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Klassen is one of picture books’ most well-known names, partly thanks to this excellent story. Though the simple story of a bear in search of his hat, it incorporates a sly twist at the end.

Buy it: I Want My Hat Back on Amazon

72. Let’s Go for a Drive! by Mo Willems

Every kid needs some Elephant and Piggie in their lives. Willems’ popular series spans many volumes; this particular story—about a road trip that doesn’t quite go as planned—is a Theodor Seuss Geisel (yes, that Seuss) Honor book and an excellent introduction to this endearing odd couple.

Buy it: Let’s Go for a Drive! on Amazon

73. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Many decades on from her original publication, Madeline remains as spunky as ever. The brave little Parisian girl stars in this book and its five sequels.

Buy it: Madeline on Amazon

74. Miss Nelson Is Missing! by Harry Allard, illustrated by James Marshall

In the ultimate book about why kids shouldn’t take advantage of a very nice teacher, Miss Nelson’s class gets the surprise of their lives when Miss Viola Swamp enters the picture.

Buy It: Miss Nelson Is Missing on Amazon

75. Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

Mr. Tiger is tired of his formal trappings. Walking upright and wearing a suit is just not for him. So he goes wild. Peter Brown’s rollicking picture book about being yourself is a roar of a good time.

Buy it: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild on Amazon

76. Olivia by Ian Falconer

Olivia, the lead pig of this picture book, could replace Peppa as kids’ favorite porcine animal. She’s mischievous and relatable, especially for toddlers, who can follow her through subsequent famous children’s books’ adventures.

Buy it: Olivia on Amazon

77. Penguin Problems by Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith

Defying expectations that penguins be cute and full of joy, the penguin star of this book is decidedly over it. This penguin’s laments about life in Antarctica—about the freezing weather, the predators, and the fact that it’s hard to spot his mom and dad in the penguin crowd—are wildly funny.

Buy it: Penguin Problems on Amazon

78. Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask To Be in This Book!) by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Tim Miller

Picture books that pose a great question are must-haves, and this one has a hilarious premise that’s brilliantly executed. When Snappsy the Alligator wants to have a run-of-the-mill alligator day, an annoying narrator intrudes, suggesting he spice things up a bit.

Buy it: Snappsy the Alligator on Amazon

79. Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

Some of the best famous children’s books take absurdity very seriously, and Jeffers’ book—about a boy who tries to get his kite out of a tree by throwing a series of increasingly strange objects into the same tree (also getting them stuck)—will prompt gales of laughter.

Buy it: Stuck on Amazon

80. The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

Maybe it’s odd to include a book with no pictures on a list that’s nothing but picture books. But even without illustrations, this book does what a good picture book should: engages kids from start to finish. Parents and teachers should read it aloud to maximize on its potential to yield giggles galore.

Buy it: The Book With No Pictures on Amazon

81. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

What goes on in the community of a crayon box? The crayons let kids know in this whimsical and thoughtful epistolary picture book in which each color drafts a letter of its grievances to their owner, young Duncan.

Buy it: The Day the Crayons Quit on Amazon

82. The Great Indoors by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Ruth Chan

When humans depart on a camping trip, the animals in the forest get to go on a vacation of their own—in the humans’ home! This is one of the funny famous children’s books that flips the script on family trips.

Buy it: The Great Indoors on Amazon

83. The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

Jeffers’ many picture books are all must-haves for a child’s library, but this one holds particular appeal for kids who positively love to read. The titular boy adores books and the knowledge inside them so much, he begins to devour them, with mixed results.

Buy it: The Incredible Book Eating Boy on Amazon

84. The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone, illustrated by Michael Smollin

This Little Golden Book has become a mainstay in toddler libraries for its ingenuity and its suspense. As kids read, Sesame Street pal Grover begs kids not to turn the page lest they encounter a monster—but who can resist the temptation to see what (or who?) awaits at the very end?

Buy it: The Monster at the End of This Book on Amazon

85. There’s a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer

Is there anything more relatable to a kid than fear of the dark—or what’s in the closet or under the bed when they go to sleep at night? Mayer turns this common fear into something fun and inventive.

Buy it: There’s a Nightmare in My Closet on Amazon

86. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith

We all know the fairy tale, but Scieszka turns the classic story of The Three Little Pigs on its ear with this—possibly dubious—version that tells the Big Bad Wolf’s side of the tale.

Buy it : True Story of the Three Little Pigs! on Amazon

87. The Wolf, the Duck & the Mouse, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

This winner of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award is another relatively new entry for this list, but it will no doubt remain on lists for years to come. When a duck and a mouse are swallowed by a wolf, they decide to make a home in his belly.

Buy it: The Wolf, the Duck & the Mouse on Amazon

88. Yes Day! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Rosenthal leverages children’s ultimate question—what if they got to do whatever they’d like for a day?—in this more recent kids’ classic book.

Buy it: Yes Day! on Amazon

Famous Rhyming and Poetry Children’s Books

89. Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell

Many celebrity authors put out picture books that are purely vanity projects. Jamie Lee Curtis isn’t one of them. The actress’s many books are kid and parent favorites, and this particular one not only will enhance your little one’s vocabulary, it will also leave you with the warm and fuzzies.

Buy it: Big Words for Little People on Amazon

90. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert

The alphabet song gets a major upgrade in this kid classic, where the letters bounce, romp, and keep the beat on their race up the coconut tree.

Buy it: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom on Amazon

91. Forever Young by Bob Dylan, illustrated by Paul Rogers

The perfect picture book reminds young and old to celebrate the wonders of childhood and the marvels of growing older and wiser. The lyrics from Dylan’s “Forever Young” make for a sweet lullaby of a picture book.

Buy it: Forever Young on Amazon

92. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

So many kids go through a construction-trucks phase that every library needs at least one book devoted to the big machines. This sweet one covers all the vehicles with a lullaby’s lilt.

Buy it: Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site on Amazon

93. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Chances are this one is already on your shelf. But if not, you must try Green Eggs and Ham and its memorable rhymes and mischievous lead, Sam-I-Am.

Buy it: Green Eggs and Ham on Amazon

94. Seven Little Postmen by Margaret Wise Brown and Edith Thacher Hurd, illustrated by Tibor Gergely

While the postal service is not quite what it used to be, mail is still fascinating, especially to children. This Little Golden Book about the many stops and steps it takes to get mail from one place to another might just inspire kids to send a letter to a loved one.

Buy it: Seven Little Postmen on Amazon

95. Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

Sam is a library mouse who loves to read—and one day, he decides to write a book of his own. But because he can’t visit the library the way a person can, he secretly shelves his stories and eventually encourages the kids of the library to write their own.

Buy it: Library Mouse on Amazon

96. The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle

Everyone knows Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and they are certainly among some of the most famous children’s books out there. The prolific children’s author-illustrator created an array of characters, each of them memorable. The quiet cricket, who can’t make a sound as he meets other insects, is one of the best. The book also makes chirping sounds that the littlest readers love.

Buy it: The Very Quiet Cricket on Amazon

97. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Possibly every child’s first favorite poet, Shel Silverstein had a way of writing famous children’s books that could go from bizarrely captivating to soul-stirring and deep. This collection and his others are must-haves.

Buy it: Where the Sidewalk Ends on Amazon

Interactive Famous Children’s Books

98. I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles by Jean Marzollo, photos by Walter Wick

Fantastic to look at and explore, the I Spy series combines Wick’s intricate and imaginative photographic setups with Marzollo’s clever and confounding riddles to make for one of the best famous children’s books around.

Buy it: I Spy on Amazon

99. Press Here by Hervé Tullet

Tullet’s clever picture book launched a trend toward interactive page turns. As kids flip through this set of colorful instructions, they’re asked to smush, poke, press, and shake the book, making it as much an inspiration to play as it is a call to read.

Buy it: Press Here on Amazon

100. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford

The iconic Waldo, in his red-and-white striped sweater and hat, will always be worth finding. Hunting for Waldo in hilarious crowd scenes keeps kids busy and giggling.

Buy it: Where’s Waldo? on Amazon

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Blog – Posted on Friday, May 22

100 classic children's books to spark young imaginations.

They say childhood unfolds mostly inside our heads, forever remembered as a unique and formative time. And if that’s true, wouldn’t we want every child’s imagination to be a space populated by friendly animals, formidable warriors, and the sheer sense of possibility?

Reading the books on this list isn’t just a ticket to a universe of boundless potential; it is also a way to connect little readers to enduring characters and magical stories that have touched generations. Share these tales with the children in your life, and you may even find yourself a little nostalgic for your own childhood!

Without further ado, here’s our definitive list of timeless favorites and incredible reads that are guaranteed to spark young readers’ imaginations.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of great children's books to read, you can also take our 30-second quiz below to narrow it down quickly and get a personalized children's book recommendation 😉

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Picture Books

1. guess how much i love you by sam mcbratney and anita jeram.

Starting us off on a sweet note is a little tale that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Even without directly saying that the two Nutbrown Hares in the story are father and son, Guess How Much I Love You beautifully demonstrates familial love through its tender dialogue and lively illustrations. Not to mention that Little Nutbrown Hare’s creative ways of expressing his affection are sure to resonate with every imaginative child! 

2. Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

Gerald the Giraffe is impressively tall, but that comes at a cost: his gangly form stands in the way of his dancing along with the other animals. To help prove the title Giraffes Can’t Dance wrong, a friendly cricket appears just as Gerald is about to give up and imparts this nugget of wisdom: “Sometimes when you’re different, you just need a different song.” As young readers watch Gerald embrace his unique melody, they’re reminded in this children's book about diversity that they, too, can chase even the wildest dreams. 

3. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Sendak’s unusual drawing style may have been ill-received in his early career, but it later became lauded for its ability to capture the untamed wanderings of young minds. And nowhere is this more potent than in his best-known book: after Max has been sent to his bedroom without dinner due to his “wild” behavior, Where the Wild Things Are takes him on an adventure in his own room. But while Max can sail down the river and into the mysterious jungle of his mind as much as he likes to, he never loses complete sight of home. When he needs something imagination can’t provide — like a hot supper waiting for him outside his door — his parents will always be there for him. 

4. If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

Other than offering adorable (yet realistically messy) illustrations of what it's like to have kids around, If You Give a Pig a Pancake also carries an important message: it’s never too early to get children thinking from a different perspective. As Pig’s demands leap from pancakes to bubble baths, this domestic adventure shows children how silly and ridiculous their random requests might appear to those who look after them. 

5. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd

Goodnight Moon features a soothing bedtime ritual of a young bunny who wishes goodnight to the world. From the bears in the picture frame to the comb on the nightstand, every inanimate object comes to life just so they can send the bunny into slumber. This cozy little picture book is the perfect bedtime story to carry children into their dreams. 

6. Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

Upon Tar Beach ’s pages of colorful and childlike illustrations float the youthful hopes and dreams of a young girl. From her family’s humble abode — whose rooftop she optimistically calls “tar beach” — she dreams of flying over the glimmering New York skyline and cherishing all the good things the city has to offer. Ringgold balances the nuances of a struggling home life with the irresistible ideas of gliding through the night sky, drawing children into the storyworld and nudging them to think deeper about their own world at the same time. 

7. The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr

This whimsical tale of a tiger who crashes little Sophie’s tea party has been adapted for the theater and for the television screen time and again. The narrative itself is simple: a friendly but hungry tiger rings Sophie’s doorbell just as she and her mother are about to settle down for afternoon tea. They decide to welcome him in, and watch in wonder as he happily enjoys their snacks. It’s a strange setup for adults, but for children, this odd little tale is exactly what their wild imaginations crave. 

8. No Matter What by Debi Gliori

Get ready for another story about parents’ unconditional love for their children. In the snuggly setting of their home, Small comes up with all sorts of scenarios in which Large, his parent, might not love him anymore. He sees himself turn into a ginormous bug, a crocodile, a grizzly bear — but like the title No Matter What sums up, Large will love him regardless of what he becomes. 

9. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas

Wilfrid Gordon lives by an old people’s home, and he forges a particularly close friendship with Nancy, who’s losing her memory. In discovering the many forms that memories can take for each person, Wilfrid gathers up an array of his own mementos — things in which he found happiness and sadness — to help Nancy recover some of her memories. Adorably told and dreamily illustrated, as if the whole book itself is a flashback, Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge captures the fresh mindset of youth, and inspires children and adults to think beyond themselves. 

10. Elmer by David McKee

Elmer is a patchwork elephant whose personality is as vibrant as his skin. While his personality and physical differences often make him the life of the party, Elmer wonders what it’s like to be like the rest of his herd for once. As he figures out a way to tone down his colors, Elmer realizes the importance of his individuality, thereby reminding young readers that they don’t have to change for anyone. 

11. Five Minutes’ Peace by Jill Murphy

Meet another elephant family in Five Minutes’ Peace . Mrs. Large tells her elephant children to take care of themselves so that she can have just five minutes to herself. Turns out, in a house with three elephant children, just five peaceful minutes is a tall order. This perfect portrayal of the continuous buzz of a young family will leave kids giggling at the spitting image (so to speak) of themselves on the pages. 

12. Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers

Not every book to spark imagination has to be other-worldly, as Oliver’s Jeffers’ Here We Are would show you. Jeffers gives an all-round review of what children will encounter on this planet as they mature — going from demonstrating Earth’s place in space to sketching human’s place in nature. He shows them that life is wondrous enough as is, and as they grow up, it’s important to continue approaching the world with care and kindness. There’s a reminder that even adults can benefit from!

13. Zog by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheppler

Zog the dragon has the aspiration that all parents wish their children had: he wants to be the best student at his school. Unfortunately, he’s not blessed with natural grace, and he clumsily stumbles around class trying to earn a star from his teacher. Zog is funny, endearing, and highly imaginative, and makes striving to be a good student an entertaining journey (contrary to popular belief). 

14. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The collage illustration style of this title alone makes it a classic. The jagged pieces of colored paper come together to tell the story of a caterpillar’s metamorphosis. As our caterpillar crawls through the holes in the book, he grows larger and eventually cocoons himself in preparation for his transformation. For many children throughout generations, The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been, and continues to be, how they start to learn about nature and its miraculous processes. 

15. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Did you grow up in a household that had drawings on the wall? Many parents try to keep this from happening, but most children feel the opposite, so the story of Harold and the Purple Crayon will resonate with us all in different ways. Harold might only have one color at his disposal, but that doesn’t mean that his doodles are limited: he can go on walks in the moonlight and meet dragons and hungry moose. To Harold, there’s nothing from his imagination that he can’t bring to life. 

16. Olivia by Ian Falconer

Who says children’s books can’t be minimalist? Olivia traces the wandering thoughts of Olivia, the household name for young porcine characters before Peppa Pig came along, through simplistic pictures mainly in black-and-white. Those simple design choices act as the perfect background for Olivia’s interests — from fashion to painting — to pop out and draw the readers’ eyes. 

17. Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and Caroline Binch

Grace is indeed amazing — she’s unafraid to transform herself into just about any character in her favorite stories, from Joan of Arc to Aladdin. But when a school audition comes for the role of Peter Pan and Grace nominates herself, her friends discourage her from going after the part. Luckily, the story’s far from over: Amazing Grace goes on to encourage children to dream far and wide, reshaping themselves without worrying about what other people think. 

18. Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

Emily Elizabeth has a big red dog called Clifford. Beyond having a coat of fur that can be seen from miles away, Clifford is also gigantic . It might seem odd at first, but through the animated drawings of this picture book , Bridwell shows that Clifford is just like any other pet — a loyal, trustworthy, and perhaps a little mischievous friend who will always have their child’s back. 

19. Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

Speaking of giant friends, Danny has a friend so large he struggles to go outside and play. Danny and the Dinosaur follows the two characters’ day out after their chance encounter at the museum (and isn’t that every child’s dream?). Danny shows the Dinosaur his world, and the Dinosaur tries to help people out as much as possible. The 1950s style is gloriously nostalgic, and the story itself never ceases to entertain. 

20. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds 

We often think of creativity as some sort of innate ability, rather than something that we work toward. The Dot turns this notion upside down by telling the story of young Vashti’s artistic journey. She begins having little faith in her abilities, but her teacher encourages her to just start somewhere, even with only a dot. When Vashti sees this dot framed on the wall of her teacher’s office, it lights a fire within her and she begins to strive for something better. Eventually, Vashti becomes a great artist and even inspires others who initially doubted their abilities. 

21. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, Ruth E. Harper, and Nancy M. Leak

Even the most outgoing boys and girls have days where they just want to stay home with their parents rather than go to school. They’ll see themselves in Chester, a little raccoon who’s reluctant to leave home. When he confesses this to his mother, she kisses his hand and tells him that whenever he misses home, Chester can raise his hand to his cheek and feel the love she has for him lingering there. The Kissing Hand helps us remember that sometimes, all we need for our minds to conjure are realistic and comforting images of home.

22. The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

Defying all expectations you might have made based on its name, The Book With No Pictures is absolutely the volume to pick up if you want to grab children’s attention. In place of lively images is the conversational tone and hilarious text, which offers kooky directions — one of which requires the reader to state that he’s a robot monkey who taught himself how to read. With or without pictures, there's no book that better embodies an active imagination than this one.

23. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Any list of classic children’s books that doesn’t mention Dr. Seuss is incomplete. So many of his books have become indelible parts of kids’ childhood, and The Cat in the Hat is possibly the most notable among them. If you haven’t already, follow Sally and Conrad’s home adventure with a mysterious and mischievous Cat in his big red-and-white hat! It’s the classic story of children wreaking havoc while their parents are away, before scrambling to fix everything just in time to innocently welcome them back. 

24. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy has everything you need in a children’s book: spirited illustrations of fuzzy, lovable pets and fun-to-read rhythmic verses. Turning the usual stereotype on its head, the story features a gang of dogs running away from a rugged cat. The story may be simple, but Dodd’s strength lies in the vivacious word pictures that she paints. 

25. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw

Get ready to be dazzled by the intricate drawings and heartwarming story of Love You Forever , which follows the life of a mother and her son who grows up from being a baby to becoming a father himself. Through every stage of his life, whether or not she approves of what he does, at the end of the day, she’ll always hold him and remind him that she loves him. The tearjerker lines come at the end of the book where the mother grows old: now, her son holds her instead. 

26. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas and Helen Oxenbury

We’ve all heard of the Big Bad Wolf, but have you read The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig ? Beyond inverting the roles of the characters, this charming retelling of the well-known tale also changes up the houses they build — the Wolves, with the help of various other animals, end up surviving the Pig’s wrath by building a den out of flowers. The fragrant blooms remind the Pig of a powerful lesson: that life is about enjoying little pleasant things, rather than sabotaging others.

27. Corduroy by Don Freeman 

Corduroy is about the titular teddy bear in a department store. A young girl’s mother refuses to let her buy Corduroy and bring him home because they don’t have the money — and, more importantly, because he’s missing a button on his overalls. So Corduroy decides to find the missing button himself. In the night, he roams the department store, ducking the security guard in the hopes of one day getting a friend and a home. Little does he know, a happy ending is in store: the girl is coming back for him whether he has that button or not. 

28. Winnie and Wilbur series by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul

Since the publication of the first title in 1987, Winnie and Wilbur has been entertaining children endlessly with its silly stories and vibrant illustrations. Winnie is a witch in the most stereotypical sense of the word: pointy-nosed, wiry-haired, and she wears a pointed cap. But far from being evil, Winnie’s whimsical nature takes her on an array of misadventures with Wilbur, her loyal pet cat. 

29. The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff

Babar is another little elephant children can’t help but love. The Story of Babar is, however, more somber than the other adorable animal tales we’ve seen so far. After his mother is killed by hunters, Babar flees to the city to start a new life. But even amidst the urban glamor, Babar misses his home and family in the jungle. When he decides to return, he receives a heartwarming surprise that the kingdom of his childhood still waits for him. 

30. Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry

What starts out as a simple introduction to life along a country track full of animals turns into much more: a story about kindness and teamwork. The titular character of Little Blue Truck sees a dump truck who got stuck in the mud and tries to help him, although his solo efforts only get them deeper into the muck. Thankfully, Blue has made plenty of friends on his way on the track, and they rally together to help the vehicles roll out of the mud. 

31. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

Worried about your children succumbing to peer pressure? Hopefully A Bad Case of Stripes will deter them. Meet Camilla Cream: a young girl who likes lima beans, but won’t eat them because her friends don’t like them. Yet as soon as she begins abstaining from lima beans, she begins to experience inexplicable symptoms — her skin develops multi-colored stripes, and then her body starts taking strange shapes. No doctor can diagnose or cure her, until an old lady gives her the miracle solution: some lima beans to eat. 

32. Eloise by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight

Eloise lives in The Plaza Hotel in New York, but the fancy city setting doesn’t stop her from messing around. She seems to make her own rules as she goes around discovering the hidden corners of the Plaza, leaving her nanny trailing behind and trying to maintain order. Eloise might give children some dangerous ideas to wreak havoc in their own homes, but can also keep them seated for a while as they are drawn into her story and immerse themselves in her practical jokes. 

33. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Even though the first edition was printed over a century ago, The Tale of Peter Rabbit remains a staple of children’s literature. This bestseller features the cutest, most endearing bunny you’ve ever seen — the hungry Peter Rabbit. Despite the warning from his mother, Peter enters the vegetable garden of Mr. McGregor to nibble on his goodies. Trouble comes when Peter overeats and is caught red-handed by the angry farmer, whom he now has to evade in order to return to his family.

34. Tuesday by David Wiesner 

Tuesday is an almost entirely wordless picture book about a regular Tuesday — that is, if your regular Tuesdays involve following a group of frogs flying around town on magical lily pads. This playful and atmospheric book takes children on an expedition to explore the nocturnal world, and leaves their imagination roaming by hinting at what’s to come next Tuesday night…

35. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

William Steig’s Sylvester and the Magic Pebble tells the heartwarming tale of Sylvester, a young donkey with a great fondness for pebbles. One day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble which grants him any wish. Before he can make it home, though, a scary lion appears and shocks Sylvester into making an ill-advised wish. Now a modern classic, the sweet donkey’s emotional story reminds young readers of the importance of family and gratitude.

36. Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say 

Allen Say’s Grandfather’s Journey chronicles his grandfather’s lifelong journey, crossing the globe from Japan to California, in breath-taking watercolor paintings that will stay in children’s minds long after they close this book. It’s a well-crafted, thoughtful exploration of the experience and legacy of migration.

37. Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young

Lon Po Po tells the Chinese variant of the famous Little Red Riding Hood fairytale. In misty, haunting illustrations, readers are introduced to three fearless young girls who unwittingly let a wolf into their home, thinking that their grandmother has returned. In the face of danger, the girls band together in a dark twist that is guaranteed to surprise Western readers. 

38. Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose by Tomie dePaola

A staple volume on any childhood shelf, Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose is a collection of well-loved nursery rhymes. Featuring warm and colorful drawings of famous characters like Humpty Dumpty and Little Miss Muffet, this book promises plenty of joy for preschoolers — they won’t realize it now, but these sweet rhymes will linger in the back of their minds for many years to come.

39. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

The protagonist of this wholesome book is a little house that finds itself gradually surrounded by an ever-expanding city. While it remains unchanged, the house witnesses the appearan ce of cars, apartment blocks, and subways — all of which are fascinating, until the house finds itself longing for good old birdsong. First published in 1942, The Little House has been accompanying generation after generation as they grow up and experience changes in cities and in the countryside for themselves. 

40. The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth

The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth is based on a story by Leo Tolstoy — and, as this fact would suggest, it asks some pretty philosophical questions by picture book standards. But that’s not to say this beautifully illustrated book is in any way inaccessible. Muth’s young protagonist, Nikolai, learns a lot about living in the present, and readers of any age can glean a bit of wisdom from his wanderings.

41. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág

Wanda Gág’s Millions of Cats is a classic, if ever there was one. Published in 1928, this is the oldest American picture book still in print, and it isn’t hard to see why! The tale focuses on an old and very lonely couple who decides to adopt a cat, but they soon find themselves spoiled for choice — there are hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats to choose from! 

For elementary readers

42. the lorax by dr. seuss.

Famous as Dr. Seuss’s favorite out of all his works , The Lorax is sadly even more relevant in the present day than it was at the time of its publicat ion in 1971. This colorful, unconventional book addresses the dangers of environmental destruction and warns against greed and consumerism in ways that simultaneously engage and inform children. 

43. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

With A Light in the Attic , a collection of playful poetic shenanigans, Shel Silverstein will entertain y oung readers until the end of time. Whimsical and utterly wacky in the best possible way, this little book of rhymes will have children laughing in heartbeat. And topping it off are the cute illustrations!

44. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber

Lyle is a happy New Yorker. He loves construction cranes, ice rinks, shopping malls, and especially the Victorian house on East 88th Street in which he lives with the Primm family. Lyle also happens to be a crocodile, a fact that his neighbor , Mr. Grumps, and his cat Loretta have trouble accepting. But Mr. Grumps and Loretta are wrong to judge others without knowing them, and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile does a wonderful job of sending young readers this message. 

45. A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond and Peggy Fortnum

If you were to find a bear wearing a sign saying, “Please look after this bear” in London’s Paddington station, what would you do? Mr. and Mrs. Brown decide to do exactly what the sign says — they take the bear home and name him Paddington. So begin the adventures of A Bear Called Paddington , prompted by the mishaps and misunderstandings of his new life in Notting Hill.

46. Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard and James Marshall

A quirky classic published in 1977, Miss Nelson is Missing! is an amusing story featuring a very naught y class whose teacher, Miss Nelson, one day disappears . The children are now faced with the horrible substitute Miss Viola Swamp, who, among other abominable things, cancels story hour! Outraged and over-burdened with homework, the class of Room 207 sets out to find Miss Nelson, going as far as consulting the police in their desperate attempt to regain what they always had but never appreciated.

47. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince is an enigmatic little book for children and adults alike. The titular little prince leaves his tiny planet, on which rests his beloved rose, and journeys to several other planets, eventuall y reaching Earth. Somber, polite, and inquisitive, the prince’s curious travels and remarks make for a heartwarming and poignant tale.

48. Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle

Raggedy Ann reached the American public as a real doll in 1915, then made her appearance in a book in 1918. Ann has now been a moral companion to young childr en for over a hundred years, helping as they learn about life as well as entertaining them. The sweet and wise Raggedy Ann Stories will likely be revisited many times by readers as they grow up.

49. Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne

Thi s silly old bear needs no introdu ction — Winnie-the-Pooh has captured the hearts of many generations, and continues to be loved. Pooh’s adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood are hilarious, sweet, and thought-provoking. For all his silliness, Pooh gives young children a masterclass in friendship with his loyalty, kindness, and optimism. And besides, is it really possible not to empathize with a bear who’s always wondering what it will eat next?

50. Ramona series by Beverly Cleary

Few characters in children’s books have a personality as strong as Ramona Quimby’s, the star of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series. Fearless, stubborn, intelligent, and creati ve, Ramona’s boundless energy radiates from the pages. Her antics as sh e progresses from kindergarten to elementary school promise a kind of entertainment that never gets old, as demonstrated by the undying popularity of the series.

51. Fairy Tales from Around the World by Andrew Lang and H.J. Ford

Once u pon a time, Scotsman Andrew Lan g compiled folk fairytales from around the world, edited them to make sure they were suitable for young audiences, and then published them as twelve canonical ‘fairy books.’ Fairy Tales from Around the World is a selection of these tales, lavishly illustrated and brimming with magic. We’ve all read the Western classics — now why not discover something new?

52. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White and Garth Williams

E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web is a tender tale of friendship and cooperation. It takes as protagonists Wilbur, a young piglet, and Charlotte, a spider, who live in the same barn. The two develop a strong bond as Wilbur’s life comes under threat and Charlotte tries to prevent this by making the farmers see his value. A heart-rending story that doesn’t shy away f rom the difficult concepts of loss and death, Charlotte’s Web will have a special place in lit tle readers’ hearts long after their first read.  

53. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

If, in the darkness of a London night, you’ve glimpsed the little figures of children gliding through the air, above countless chimneys an d through the starry night, it’s likely you’ve witnessed Peter Pan, Wendy, and her two brothers on their way to Neverland. If not, you can still join these innocent and free-spirited children on their marvelous adventures with mermaids, pirates, and fairies in Peter Pan the novel, a timeless classic about childhood mischief and innocence.

54. Mary Poppins series by P. L. Travers

P. L. Travers’s Mary Poppins series — another famous classic set in the city of London — follows a nanny by the same name who possesses magical powers. Blown in by the East wind to No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane, Mary Poppins delights the five Banks children with several visits, all recounted in the series that inspired celebrated musical and movie adaptations.

55. Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne

In Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Treehouse series, Jack and Annie travel through time and space on special missions. It all starts on a day just li ke any other, when the two stumble upon a treehouse. Some of the volumes in this series t arget more advanced readers, while others are written for younger children, so there’s a book for everyone, no matter their age!

56. My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

You pro bably don’t need much convincing to pick up a book that features a dragon. And r ightly so, because Ruth Stiles Gannett’s My Father’s Dragon is a delightful story with fantastical elements to pull little readers right in. Elmer Elevator, the protagonist, is here to rescue the dragon — but first he must make his way past tigers, a rhino, and a lion, among other things.

57. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle

“It was a dark and stormy night.” So begins Madeleine L’Engle’s mind-blowing A Wrinkle in Time , a sci-fi adventure for children that many writers credit as the initial inspiration for their writing careers. Siblings Meg and Charles embark on a perilous journey through the cosmos in a n attempt to find their lost scientist father; on the way, they grapple with questions as large as the universe itself.

58. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a well-established classic that has been entertaining little readers with its nonsensical peculiarities since 1865. Dig into this wondrous novel and follow in Alice’s footsteps down a rabbit hole and away into a worl d of wonder, grinning Chesh ire cats, and “mad” tea parties.

59. Nicholas by René Goscinny

René Goscinny’s Nicholas (Le Petit Nicolas) is a hilarious fictional account of life as a child in 1950s France. Accompanied by illustrations from the creator of the famous comic Asté rix , the book details the many antics of the schoolyard and is populated by the distinct randomness of a mismatched set of classmates. These unruly children are sure to earn young children’s affection!

60. The Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton

The Secret Seven series follows a mystery-solving society of seven children: Janet, Jack, Peter, Colin, Barbara, Pam, and George. And let’s not forget their beloved and helpful Cocker Spaniel, Scamper! Privy to in-group passwords and exclusive treehouse meetings, the reader cannot help but relish the passionate secrecy the group maintains.

61. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

For over a hundred years, the story of orphan Mary Lennox and her new life with her uncle in his gloomy Yorkshire manor house has been enchanting little readers. Atmospheric and mysterious, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden is a beautiful and magical novel ab out finding human connec tion where you least expect it.

62. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

No adult is beyond the scrutiny of this Swedish pig-tailed redhead. Pippi may possess superhuman strength — but it’s her bold and completely unapologetic attitude that make her stand out! Astrid Lindgre n’s beloved Pippi Longstocking has achieved iconic status and been translated into more than forty languages. It’s just one of those books everyone needs to read.

63. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

A moving Canadian classic, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables recounts the adventures of Anne, an orphan girl on Prince Edward Island. In this coming-of- age story, Anne makes a lot of mistakes but also does a lot of growing up, although she never loses her optimism and id ealism. For Anne, the world is a hopeful place, and it’s hard for this feeling not to rub off on her reader.

64. Matilda by Roald Dahl

We’ve all, at some point, stared hard at inanimate objects in an attempt to induce them to move, as did Matilda. A champion of nerds, Matilda is a voracious reader and mathematics whizz, who unfortunately attends a nightmare of an elementary school (with the exception of her sweet teacher, Miss Honey). Roald Dahl’s Matilda is a funny, deeply satisfying book that refuses to treat children as children, thereby providing a perspective that millions of readers appreciate.

65. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire

Squabbling gods, vengeful goddesses, brave heroes, strange beasts — the magical, mythical world of ancient Greece has it all. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths tells immersive stories that have endured since ancient times in a gorgeously illustrated tome following the adventures of deities and mortals alike.

66. The Secret Lake by Karen Inglis 

The Secret Lake follows siblings Stella and Tom, who are transported to their home as it was almost 100 years prior. What unfolds is a page-turning time-travel mystery that leaves readers wishing they could use time-warping themselves to read faster, desperate to know what happens next.

67. The Arrival by Shaun Tan 

The Arrival is a wordless graphic novel that requires no text to sweep you along on a father’s emigration journey. Each drawing is an exploration that evokes endless emotion; he struggles to adjust to his strange new home and feels sad and lost as an outsider. Eventually he begins to find solace in his adopted community, and the powerful images welcome us in along with him.

68. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

The Tale of Despereaux calls itself “the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread” — and it weaves a charming tale of how these unlikely things find themselves together. Little mouse Despereaux Tilling embarks on an epic adventure perfect for bedtime reading.

69. Samantha: An American Girl series by Maxine Rose Schur

Samantha Harrington is an orphan who lives with her grandmother on a wealthy estate in 1904 New York, and her lonely life gains sudden excitement when the impoverished Nellie moves in next door. In the Samantha: An American Girl series , readers are transported to a bustling turn-of-the-century household, exploring complicated themes of class differences and gender inequality while pursuing Samantha and Nellie on their rebellious revels.

70. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game is as playfully inventive as its title might imply. Sixteen strangers are invited to the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will and compete for the chance to inherit his fortune. Soon, the game is afoot — sending you to piece together a thrillingly plotted and knotted puzzle of wordplay, disguise, and intrigue. 

71. Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin

The Village of Clear Sky is a peculiar place with no moon, and young Rendi seems to be the only one to notice how strange it is. The arrival of an enigmatic storyteller soon sweeps him away with the power of her words, and Starry River of the Sky unfurls as an enchanting reimagining of Chinese folktales with vibrantly colored illustrations.

72. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

Written by Julie Andrews Edwards — yes, that Julie Andrews — The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles is a fantastical account of four travelers’ pursuit of the curious creature that is the whangdoodle. Professor Savant and three children, Lindy, Tom, and Ben, venture to Whangdoodleland and this new destination explodes with wonder and whimsy.

For middle-grade readers 

73. how to train your dragon by cressida cowell.

The fantasy series that inspired the hit movies, How to Train Your Dragon follows young Viking Hiccup and his dragon Toothless as Hiccup begins his quest to become a hero . These endearing misfits prove their mettle as they soar through the sky and carry us away.

74. Nobody’s Boy by Hector Malot

This largely overlooked French novel (originally titled Sans Famille ) takes its readers on a journey through France along with the orphaned Remi, who becomes a street entertainer. Hector Malot's Nobody’s Boy is a fascinating, carefully-paced journey to the past that offers meaningful lessons about family, resilience, and friendship.

75. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg 

You’ll never look at board games the same way. Jumanji is a jungle adventure game where anything encountered in the game soon comes to life — including hungry jungle beasts. The story is accompanied by surrealist pencil drawings by Van Allsberg that leap off the page. As the game warns, "Do not begin unless you intend to finish" — but you will have no trouble getting through this thriller.

76. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is the Cinderella retelling that we all need. Stubborn, intelligent, and driven, Ella proves to be a princess for our times as she defies the “gift” of obedience she’s been awarded. Ella Ench ant ed is more than a sweet tale — it has a serious point to make, and it’s no coincidence that this novel is a massive success with young readers.

77. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis’s enduring Chronicles of Narnia series follows an array of protagonists who are magically transported to the fantastical realm of Narnia, where they encounter the strange creatures that live there and are called to adventure by the lion Aslan. These masterfully told stories capture the wonder of escaping to new worlds and stepping into fabulous histories.

78. The Witches by Roald Dahl

Imagine you're a young boy training your pet mice in a hotel ballroom, only to discover you're sharing the room with an annual conference of witches on the hunt for children. That’s exactly the position the protagonist of Roald Dahl’s dark tale The Witches finds himself in — but to find out how he gets out of it, if he does at all, you’ll have to read this topsy-turvy book!

79. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Everything about Milo’s life feels woefully dull. That is, until a tollbooth arrives in his room with no explanation. Driving through The Phantom Tollbooth , Milo finds himself in a strange place of loopy logic where language and arithmetic butt heads and he can’t seem to find Rhyme or Reason. Milo’s bizarre ride of wit and wordplay forever shatters any claim that life is boring.

80. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

Claudia isn’t running away from home with her brother Jamie — she’s running to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. But they soon realize their hiding place is home to more than just paintings and statues. Featuring two young amateur sleuths who uncover all of kinds of secrets and mysteries, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a work of art in itself.

81. Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz

Doesn’t everyone, at some point or another, dream of being a teenage spy? Fourteen-year-old Alex Rider does not have much of a choice when he is recruited into espionage by M16. But over the course of the Alex Rider series , as he learns to vex villains and navigate webs of intrigue, Alex soon becomes one of Britain’s most brilliant secret agents. James Bond who?

82. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

Comprised of four novels set in the fictional kingdom of Alagaësia, The Inheritance Cycle is a saga of the teenage Eragon’s quest to depose the evil King Galbatorix. With the help of his dragon Saphira, Eragon blazes a fiery path to heroism. These novels may be hefty, but they’re still impossible to put down.

83. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

In Little Women , the four March sisters seem to live in their own little world. Alcott brings these characters to life in all their charisma and complexity, making us feel like part of the family (or at least wishing we were). The text richly evokes its Civil War-era setting and makes pointed commentary on the period’s society and politics. Still, its tale of sisterhood and female self-determination is timeless.

84. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Bilbo Baggin is a humble hobbit who just wants to stay safe and comfortable at home… but the wizard Gandalf has other plans. The Hobbit is a fantastical exploration as this reluctant hero is whisked away on a search for treasure. Bilbo strays far from home, and so does the reader who traverses this mythical landscape alongside him.

85. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter series requires no introduction: the enormously popular saga of the Boy Who Lived is a household name and pure magic. Rowling’s wizarding world has cast a spell on readers of all ages still eagerly awaiting their Hogwarts acceptance letter and imagining what house they would be sorted into. The lengthy novels are jam-packed with unforgettable characters and magical mythology, and readers will fly through them faster than Harry’s Thunderbolt.

86. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

The impeccably-named Bastian Balthazar Bux is bullied and neglected, leading him to seek solace in books. Soon, he escapes into the world of The Neverending Story , which draws him into the fabled realm of Fantasia. What unfolds is an entrancing metafictional fantasy about an ordinary boy on a soul-searching journey and the imaginative power of reading.

87. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling 

Kipling’s collection of classic stories, The Jungle Book centers on the wild adventures of “man-cub” Mowgli who’s raised in the jungle by wolves. Filled with colorful animal characters like Baloo the bear, Shere Khan the tiger, and Bagheera the panther, the tales are an immersive exploration into the thrills and perils of the jungle and of growing up.

88. Redwall by Brian Jacques

The peaceful mice of Redwall are under siege from an army of rats — and they are willing to do anything to defend themselves and their friends. The series is filled with courageous creatures and inventive language, and the epic battles between good and evil erupt in excitement and bittersweet emotion with every clash of swords. 

89. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Journey down the Mississippi River along The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , an unforgettable chronicle of boyhood adventure and self-discovery. The novel grapples with serious topics like the evils of slavery and what it means to be “civilized,” and its sharp ear for dialogue and richly wrought characters make Huck Finn’s voice one that you can’t get out of your head.

90. The Giver by Lois Lowry 

In the dystopian novel The Giver, 12-year-old Jonas lives in what he initially thinks to be a utopia: a community where Sameness prevails to eradicate difference and pain. Everything changes when he becomes the next Receiver of Memory, inheriting all of humanity’s emotion and history before Sameness came into effect. The Giver is a powerful account of the dangers of conformity and the imperative of seeing things differently.

91. Holes by Louis Sachar 

Stanley Yelnats IV is 14 and cursed. He’s been sent to the juvenile detention center Camp Green Lake in the middle of the Texas desert for a crime he didn’t commit, all because of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-great-grandfather. Louis Sachar’s blisteringly funny Holes weaves together past and present, and Stanley and his fellow delinquents soon find themselves digging deep into hidden history and the secrets under the dried-up lake.

92. Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

The name Pollyanna has become synonymous with enduring optimism, and this story of a young orphan who is sent to live with her spinster aunt is endlessly cheery and endearing. Pollyanna has an almost magical effect on everyone she encounters and charms us all with her bright outlook.

93. Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner 

Set in 1880s Sydney, Seven Little Australians recounts the mischievous exploits of the seven Woolcot children. They constantly play pranks on their stern father and young stepmother, and you can always count on them to be up to no good.

94. Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene

The Nancy Drew character has evolved over the course of decades and a lengthy series of books and ghostwriters, but has always remained America’s most enterprising young sleuth. There’s always another mystery to get to the bottom of, and nobody is better at unravelling the intrigues of the everyday than Nancy Drew.

95. The Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon

Like their counterpart Nancy Drew, Frank and Joe are teenage amateur detectives able to outwit even the most conniving criminals, and discover the truth in cases that left adults stumped. At this point, there are hundreds of The Hardy Boys mysteries to choose from, so there will never be a shortage of small-town intrigue.

96. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody “Bod” Owens is just like the rest of us. Except he lives in a graveyard. And was raised by ghosts. Equal parts haunting and hilarious, Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book is an eerie exploration of mystery, murder, phantoms, and family.

97. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Munchkins, witches, flying monkeys, magic slippers: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has it all. Dorothy’s path along the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, accompanied by her much-loved companions the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion, is a timeless journey of friendship and finding yourself far from home. It is, as the title suggests, absolutely wonderful.

98. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Society is formed by four gifted children who are enlisted on a mission to investigate L.I.V.E. (Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened). These whip-smart kids struggle to solve the puzzle of L.I.V.E.’s true intentions, and their unveiling of secrets and government conspiracies makes for an intense and intelligent thriller.

99. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Lemony Snicket’s thirteen-part A Series of Unfortunate Events tells the woeful saga of the three orphaned Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, and Count Olaf’s evil machinations to get his hands on their family fortune. Each darkly comedic installment adds a new twist to the misery of the Baudelaires, and there’s nothing more unfortunate about the series than not reading it. 

100. The War of the Worlds by H G Wells

In The War of the Worlds , Martians crash-land in the English countryside. Soon enough, they start zapping people with heat rays and battling the British army, and the country descends into chaos. Wells’ science fiction masterpiece is an exhilarating clash of worlds as the human species fights for its survival.

Looking for more books to spark children’s curiosity? Check out our list of 60 Best Fantasy Books for Kids!

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Best children’s books of 2023

Dream-seeking bears, a pancake-making lion, an ingenious guide to rewilding and more

T his year’s best books for children address sadness and fear while celebrating love, resilience, hope and joy. In The Big Dreaming by Michael Rosen and Daniel Egnéus (Bloomsbury ), two bears are preparing for the Big Sleep, but Little Bear worries they won’t have enough dreams to last the winter. He sets out on a dangerous journey, from which he returns with stored visions of happiness, homecoming and hope. Egnéus’s light-dappled illustrations pair seamlessly with Rosen’s simple, moving text to create a picture book of sublime warmth and comfort.

Lighthearted and rambunctious, The Ogre Who Wasn’t by Michael Morpurgo and Emily Gravett (Two Hoots ) is a fairytale with a difference. While Princess Clara’s father is away, the horrible palace staff insist on decorous silence and uncomfortable clothes. When Clara finds a little “ogre” in her shoe, however, she manages to scare off the nannies and butlers – and when her father returns with a new love, there’s a blissfully muddy happy-ever-after. This sweet, spirited picture book has some of the anarchic energy of Tony Ross’s Little Princess , and an acutely observed sense of how small people see the world.

For a soaring story of the loving bond between parent and child, A Way to the Stars by David Almond and Gill Smith (Walker) is sheer delight. When Joe is desperate to reach the stars, his dad is fully on board (as soon as he’s finished his cuppa). Together they build a ladder, a tower, even a rocket – “Crash, bang, wallop!” – without success. But every time they laugh and try again, until a shed roof painted with swirling galaxies allows Joe to achieve his luminous dream.

In picture books for older children of 5+, On the Tip of a Wave by Joanna Ho and Cátia Chien (Scholastic ) is an understated, eloquent account of Ai Weiwei’s career, from his childhood in a labour camp to his lifejackets exhibition at the Berlin Konzerthaus. Chien’s dusty earth tones, cold rushing blues and the strident neon orange of the lifejackets resonate strongly with Ho’s lyrical words (“The wave rider held out his hands / And helped the world / remember /humanity”), for a book that feels like a piece of art in its own right.

In a similarly thoughtful vein, Begin Again by Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins) is a gorgeous, space-filled picture-book meditation on “the stories that steer us”: the “them and us” narratives that divide humanity, and the deep necessity of returning to shared stories and common ground.

From the children’s laureate Joseph Coelho , meanwhile, comes a standing invitation to creativity in the form of Poetry Prompts (Quarto) , illustrated by four different artists with naive, colourful charm. Coelho is passionate about making poetry accessible, and this collection of ways to get started, complete with “poetry power-ups” and performance hints, should appeal strongly to children of five and up – and may well entice older kids along, too.

For nonfiction enthusiasts of 8+, A Really Short Journey Through the Body by Bill Bryson (Puffin) , adapted for children by science journalist Emma Young, and again featuring the bright, bold, graphic work of four different illustrators, is a sure-fire winner, especially among those who enjoy a touch of gruesome humour. An investigation of human life from beginning to end, by way of cell development, musculature, organ function and disease, it sparkles with interest and excitement throughout, incorporating fascinating trivia and vignettes of medical history.

In Oscar’s Lion by Adam Baron (HarperCollins) , atmospherically illustrated by Benji Davies, Oscar is alarmed to discover that his parents have vanished and that a large lion is now in residence. When the lion reads him his favourite story, takes him sledging and makes pancakes for breakfast, however, Oscar decides the new regime isn’t all bad – especially when the big cat demonstrates his ability to change into a whole menagerie of creatures. But has he really eaten Oscar’s parents? This charming, tender, unusual story of love, grief and family ties from the author of Boy Underwater will chime particularly with children who are coming to terms with loss.

From the Carnegie-winning Katya Balen, Foxlight (Bloomsbury) is another poignant story about adapting to absence. Twin sisters Fen and Rey have never known their parents; left in the bracken as babies, they’re brought up with the other “found” children until they follow a fox guide on a search for their mother. But the dangers they face are beyond their imagining – as is the widening gap between them. Quietly wild, richly thoughtful, Balen’s outstanding writing transports the reader as if on a pilgrimage.

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Where to Find the Best Children’s Book Reviews

Sarah S. Davis

Sarah S. Davis holds a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master's of Library Science from Clarion University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Sarah has also written for Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, Audible, Psych Central, and more. Sarah is the founder of Broke By Books blog and runs a tarot reading business, Divination Vibration . Twitter: @missbookgoddess Instagram: @Sarahbookgoddess

View All posts by Sarah S. Davis

There are more great children’s books being published than ever before, but how do you know which ones to read? Fortunately, today there are so many ways to access children’s book reviews. Here are some of the best places to find reviews of children’s literature.

Part 1: General Children’s Book Reviews

In this first section of our roundup of the best children’s book review websites, I’ll discuss publications that cover all things kid lit.

The Children’s Book Review

As its name implies, The Children’s Book Review is all about book reviews of children’s literature. With huge coverage of all kinds of kid lit, The Children’s Book Review is simple to browse books by subject and books by age, along with buzzy “trending” books and “showcase” books. Your typical book review lays out the specs (intended age, page count, etc.) and provides a medium-sized review with information about the author and/or illustrator. The Children’s Book Review is definitely one of the most comprehensive book review sites for kid lit, and it supplements its reviews with author interviews and curated lists.

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Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is an organization that reviews media (books, TV, movies, apps, games) with a special focus on educating parents and other adults on “What Parents Should Know,” vis-à-vis content warnings and age appropriateness. Some of the qualities Common Sense Media covers include “Educational Value,” “Positive Messages,” “Positive Role Models and Representations,” and “Language.” Especially notable is Common Sense Media’s focus on diversity, with an invitation to reach out if they’ve “missed anything on diversity.” Also of note, Common Sense Media is one of the few children’s book reviews websites that rates books using a star system. If you just want to know quickly how good a book is, navigate over to Common Sense Media and find a book’s star rating.

The Horn Book

Children’s book review magazine The Horn Book takes its name from”horn books,” which were some of the earliest books made to educate children. The Horn Book is a leading publication in print and online for finding children’s book reviews. This treasured magazine’s website is well-organized, and you can find all the reviews in an easy-to-search database . For the best of the best, browse by The Horn Book ‘s starred reviews . If you buy a paid subscription, you’ll have access to the huge, searchable archive of more than 70,000 reviews, known as “The Guide.” There, you can browse book reviews by Authors/Illustrators, Subjects, Series, and Reviewers. Though some reviews cost a subscription to view, some content, like the “Book Bundles” (check out the one on “Our Bodies, Our Selves” for an example), which group together like-minded books based on themes and include bite-sized reviews, are available for free.

Kirkus Reviews Children’s Books

One of the leading book review sites for all genres and age levels, Kirkus has plenty of kid lit content. Kirkus lets you easily sort by different categories like age, format (picture book, chapter book, etc.), sub-genre (biographies and memoirs, historical fiction), and category (e.g. fiction vs. nonfiction). You can also filter by what books get a coveted Kirkus star. What’s great about Kirkus’s unique format is each review is brief and to the point. If you don’t want to go digging for the bottom line, Kirkus’s kid lit reviews are a good place to start.

Publishers Weekly Children’s Bookshelf

If you’re looking for the buzziest kid lit books, check out Children’s Bookshelf, the free weekly newsletter from Publishers Weekly . This publication is known for its up-to-the-minute chatter about the publishing industry, including children’s books, which are reviewed in roundups, as well as all kinds of bookish content. Subscribing to Children’s Bookshelf is one of the best ways to stay current with kid lit.

School Library Journal

Leave it to the librarians to guide you on what children’s books to read. The long-running School Library Journal has tons of reviews of every kind of kid lit book imaginable. With a special focus on advising libraries whether or not to purchase a book, School Library Journal dishes out bite-sized takeaways (known as a “VERDICT”) at the end of each review. School Library Journal also has tons of non-review content, getting you caught up with the latest news in the world of children’s literature.

Part 2: Special Focus Children’s Book Reviews Websites

In this section, I’ll highlight the places to go for more specialized kid lit coverage.

American Indians in Children’s Literature

This phenomenal site concentrates on promoting the best children’s literature by Indigenous authors and illustrators. Search the site for specific topics or skip right to the “Best Books” for the books most worth celebrating.

The Brown Bookshelf

The Brown Bookshelf is dedicated to featuring book reviews of kid lit by Black authors and illustrators. Start by searching the site or filtering for book reviews . The Brown Bookshelf also compiles great resources for finding more children’s books by Black voices. You’ll find the most up-to-date coverage on the blog .

Disability in Kid Lit

Although no longer updated, the book reviews on Disability in Kid Lit are worth consulting if you’re looking for children’s book reviews about disabled protagonists. You can use the well-indexed search function and browse by different disabilities depending on what condition or identity you’re looking for. Also of note, the “Honor Roll” puts the spotlight on the best representation of disability in kid lit.

Hijabi Librarians

The reviewers and writers at Hijabi Librarians set their lens on children’s and YA books with Muslim representation. Along with author interviews and book discussion guides , Hijabi Librarians includes book reviews and resources for Muslim voices in children’s literature.

Latinx in Kid Lit

Looking for coverage of Latinx authors and illustrators in children’s literature? Definitely be sure to check out Latinx in Kid Lit. This resource compiles reviewed books that feature Latinx representation. You can search by age range — for example, middle grade books — and find that each review includes “Teacher Tips” for educators. The Latinx in Kid Lit blog also has tons of great content, including interviews, Latinx book deals, and publishing industry news specific to Latinx creators.

Social Justice Books

Social Justice Books is focused on…you guessed it, social justice in children’s literature! This site has loads of great guidance on the best social justice topics in kid lit, like the carefully curated booklists by theme . Check out the book review database , which aggregates reviews and is organized by themes like “Activism,” “Asian American,” and “Bullying.” Each book is given a star rating, making for an easy browsing experience if you’re just looking for the best reads.

Special Focus: Can’t-Miss-It Resources for Diversity in Children’s Literature

Cynthia leitich smith’s cynsations.

Bestselling and award-winning author Cynthia Leitich Smith maintains a website all about children’s and young adult books. On Cynsations you’ll find a broad array of content, including diverse author/illustrator interviews and news roundups.

Social Justice Books’ Sources for Book Reviews and Recommendations

Already highlighted above, Social Justice Books is a terrific resource for finding diverse children’s book reviews with a social justice focus. But I also wanted to shine a light on their list of sources for diverse kid lit book reviews if you’re looking for even more sources of diverse children’s literature.

We Need Diverse Books Resources

We Need Diverse Books is a non-profit alliance to further diversity in children’s and YA literature. Although We Need Diverse Books does not publish book reviews, they do have an outstanding roundup of resources for diversity in kid lit that should be a stop on everyone’s journey to find more diverse children’s literature.

Part 3: Children’s Book Review Social Media Accounts to Check Out

Instagram is a great resource for finding children’s book reviews. A diverse range of educators, Bookstagrammers, librarians, and more all highlight great children’s books. Here are some of Book Riot’s favorite children’s book review influencers to follow on Instagram.

@babylibrarians — Margaret and Jen

Run by Book Riot writers Margaret Kingsbury and Jen Sherman , Baby Librarians will get you up to speed on the best and latest in children’s literature.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Baby Librarians (@babylibrarians)

@hereweread — Charnaie Gordon

Charnaie Gordon is a huge book influencer focusing on diversity in children’s literature. You won’t want to miss the books she loves.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Charnaie Gordon | Diversity (@hereweeread)

@leeandlowbooks — Lee and Low Books

The POC-owned Lee and Low Books is a children’s book publisher dedicated to diversity. They feature the best of the best books on their Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lee and Low Books (@leeandlow)

@lgbtqkidlit — Laurie and Julie

This account is managed by two moms and showcases children’s book reviews with queer themes.

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@littlefeministbookclub — Little Feminist Book Club

As its name implies, Little Feminist Book Club is dedicated to sharing the best children’s books with feminist themes.

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@noodlenutskidsbooks — Jenn S.

Jenn S. writes book reviews of new picture books focused on diversity.

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@readwithriver — Alessandra Requena

This Bookstagrammer promotes the best children’s books.

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@shelvesofcolor — Saranya & Ishaan

Saranya and Ishaan review diverse children’s books on Bookstagram.

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@thebookwrangler — Mike

The Mike behind this popular bookstagram account is a K–5 librarian who shares his favorite recent reads.

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@thetututeacher — Vera Ahiyya

Educator Vera Ahiyya shares diverse book reviews on Instagram.

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Still hunting for more great children’s books? Check out our Children’s Books archive , as well as these helpful posts:

• 50 Children’s Books About Diversity That Celebrate Our Differences
• The Best Children’s Books By Age: A Guide To Great Reading
• 13 Places To Find Free Children’s Books Online

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Being famous doesn’t make you a writer – children need books from real authors

L ooking for some exciting new books to buy your children? You’re spoilt for choice. Today alone sees the publication of children’s books by such esteemed authors as Peter Andre, Marcus Rashford and Stephen Mangan. There’s also the much-heralded children’s book debut by Jamie Oliver, which came out two weeks ago. And next month, you can buy one by Stephen Mulhern.

Doubtless you’ve noticed what all these authors have in common. But then, it’s hardly unusual. The children’s book market has become utterly swamped by celebrities . And as a parent, I’m sick of it.

Of course, the phenomenon isn’t entirely new. When I was a child, back in the 1980s, none other than Sarah, Duchess of York wrote a children’s book about a talking helicopter. In those days, though, she seemed a peculiar outlier. Nowadays, by contrast, there’s barely a singer, actress or footballer alive who hasn’t been offered a children’s book deal. 

Take Madonna. She’s written children’s books. As has Marie Kondo. And Mariah Carey. And Miranda Hart, Geri Halliwell, Frank Lampard, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Konnie Huq, Reese Witherspoon, Cat Deeley, Rebel Wilson, Natalie Portman, Fearne Cotton… Then of course there’s the really big sellers. David Walliams who, when he published his first children’s book in 2008 was already one of the most famous faces on British TV thanks to Little Britain. And Tom Fletcher, formerly the singer with the chart-topping boy band McFly.

Even Meghan got snapped up. It’s now two years since the publication of her debut children’s book, The Bench , a moving meditation on the bond between father and son. Written entirely in verse, it dazzled critics worldwide with such unforgettable couplets as “He’ll learn to ride a bike, as you watch on with pride/ He’ll run and he’ll fall. And he’ll take it in stride”, and “Right there on your bench, the place you’ll call home/ With daddy and son… Where you’ll never be ’lone.” To date, the Duchess has yet to publish a follow-up. But then, great poets are rarely prolific. Philip Larkin managed only a single slim volume every 10 years. Give the artist time.

To be clear: I don’t mean any ill will to these celebrities themselves. If they’re offered a bumper contract to write children’s books, they can hardly be blamed for accepting it. Instead, the people we should be angry with are their pathetically opportunistic publishers. 

After all, the money that they’re lavishing on celebrities is money they could be spending on actual writers with actual talent . What if there are brilliant aspiring children’s authors out there who can’t get anywhere near print, simply because every publishing house in London is in a bidding war for the debut picture book by Chelsea’s new number nine?

It’s bad enough for those aspiring authors. But it’s even worse for our children. Imagine if past generations had been denied Richmal Crompton’s Just William stories, because her publishers had signed up Charlie Chaplin, instead. Or if Roald Dahl had been passed over in favour of Englebert Humperdinck.

At this rate, it will soon be impossible to get a children’s book deal unless you’re already famous for something else. Eager teenagers will ask their careers advisers how to go about becoming a successful writer.

And the answer will be: “Learn to sing. Or play for Man Utd.”

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Newport Beach library trustees vote to relocate one book, uphold decision on another in appeal hearings

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The Newport Beach Board of Library Trustees, after considering appeals of residents who objected to the library director’s placement of two controversial children’s books, ruled Monday evening one of the titles should be moved to the teen section, while the other could remain in place.

The books up for review were “Melissa,” which was previously published as “George,” by Alex Gino, and “Prince & Knight,” by Daniel Haack.

“Melissa” was first published in 2015, while “Prince & Knight” was published in 2018. Both have been considered to be some of the most challenged books in circulation by the American Library Assn. for their LGBTQ+ content and conflict with religious viewpoints. Applications submitted to the city that sought the review of both books in September last year reflected similar sentiments, with some library patrons describing the books as inappropriate for children.

“Melissa” focuses on a transgender fourth-grader, Melissa, navigating a world that perceives her only as a boy named George, while “Prince & Knight” tells the story of a prince who falls in love with a knight after the two of them fend off against a dragon that threatens to destroy their kingdom.

City library services director Melissa Hartson rejected requests for the removal of these titles from the childrens’ section in November. Her decisions on both titles were appealed to the Newport Beach Board of Library Trustees, who formalized an appeals application and process in January of this year after patrons inquired about what that process looked like.

Appellants Haley Jenkins, Debra Klein and Sydni Webb on Monday presented the case for moving “Melissa” to the library’s teen section, instead of placing it on shelves with books for younger children. They read excerpts from the book, wherein the titular character peed and “tried not to think about what was between her legs” while bathing in two separate scenes.

The book is designated for children between the ages of 8 and 12.

“How deep are you willing to go for little children? In the past, has this library given out reading materials to children with medical advice like [how to obtain] hormones and surgeries?” Jenkins said. “Viewpoint discrimination cannot be an argument when there are over 100 children and teen books in the LGBTQ category in the catalog and many of those are not as vulgar as this. If age appropriate only means mindlessly placing on shelves whatever books ... book review sites tell you were good, then using the term ‘age appropriate’ in your policy is meaningless.”

Klein asserted her perception that book reviewers do not examine review conservative books and that many review sites are skewed to the left. Webb said she would have been liable for sexual harassment if she discussed “female or male genitalia, surgically manipulating children’s bodies, pornography and looking up girls’ skirts” at work and so questioned the inclusion of a book that included those references in the children’s section.

Public comments on the appeal of “Melissa” on Monday largely called on the trustees to uphold Hartson’s decision. Nearly 40 individuals spoke at the hearing.

“I can’t tell you how many times a librarian put into my hands a significant book for me to teach from or [to] put in my students’ hands — books that made a difference in their lives at that time,” said Carrie Slayback, a Newport Beach resident and former teacher in the Fountain Valley School District. “If citizens feel strongly, I believe they can enforce their right to control their children’s reading. If they would like to send their children to a school that is like-minded, I understand that completely.

“But, in regards to our public library, I would like to hand the decisions to the professionals — the librarians.”

Slayback reiterated similar sentiments felt by those opposed to the reshelving of “Melissa.”

Irvine parent Foz Meadows, who is trans, said he wasn’t planning on speaking at the hearing on “Melissa” but decided to speak up on the basis of what was being said.

“The fact is that when challenges of this nature come out towards these books, it’s not about the books themselves. It’s about the people they represent,” said Meadows, the parent of an 11-year-old child. “I suspect [to the applicants] ... I would be deemed inappropriate to be around [their children] by virtue of my existence.

“The other trans parents I know would be deemed inappropriate to be parents to their own children and that is absurd. It is absurd and bigoted,” Meadows continued. “There’s no other word for it. The concern that people have [for] these books, this material, is pornographic is nonsensical. It’s like calling a biology lesson pornographic because it uses the word ‘penis.’ You can discuss things that relate to bodies that relate to gender and relate to sexuality, yes, even to children without it being pornographic.”

Many expressed their trust and faith in librarians while others said that the mere mention of genitalia wasn’t inherently sexual, arguing that the relocation of the book only made it more difficult for children to access who may have recognized themselves in the character Melissa.

Those supportive of moving the title to the teen section reiterated similar refrains as the three appellants, describing the book as inappropriate because of its in-text references to genitalia, pornography and hormone therapy.

Board chair Paul Watkins said they received more than 140 emails speaking to both sides of the argument for both books appealed Monday night and he ultimately voted, alongside trustees Antonella Castro and Chase Rief, to relocate the book to the teens’ section.

‘Prince & Knight’

By comparison, the appeal filed by Bill Dunlap over where to shelve “Prince & Knight” was less contentious, though close to 20 people still commented on the matter, including former Councilwoman Joy Brenner.

Dunlap, in his remarks, said it was not his intention to suggest the banning or removal of books but its relocation.

“It’s for ages 4 to 8, so we’re talking about basically pre-K and second-grade. Comprehending the difference between hetero and homosexuality should not be discussed at this early age. At a time when the child is closer to adolescence, we believe a parent or guardian has the right to share with their 4- to 8-year-old the material they deem appropriate,” Dunlap said. “However, we do not agree that a public library should offer this book to 4- to 8-year-olds without parental consent. This, we believe, is an ... informal way of grooming.”

The majority of speakers, as was the case with the first hearing, were against the appeal, noting there was nothing in the book that was sexual in nature.

“It’s a very sweet book. I remember when my kids were young and when my grandkids were young, they loved everybody. The boys loved the boys,” Brenner said. “The girls loved the girls. The boys didn’t love the girls and the girls didn’t love the boys as much as they loved each other, and I think we’re making a big sexual thing out of this, but it’s really not.”

Brenner said she’d once been watching a play at Mariners Elementary School and commented that one of the children should become an actress. Her daughter, she said, explained the girl had transitioned in the fifth grade. When asked how the children responded, Brenner said her daughter replied the children weren’t concerned.

“The kids are willing to just let people be people and are fine with it. My thought is that if you’ve got somebody who’s in the fifth or fourth grade and they are having these sorts of thoughts, the library is the place we want to teach our young people that you go for information,” Brenner said.

Trustees agreed that the book was not explicit and unanimously voted to uphold Hartson’s decision to keep the book in the childrens’ section in the library.

Twelve applications have been received by the city on eight different titles, according to the city. The next three books up for review are “It Feels Good to be Yourself,” by Teresa Thorn; “Who Are You?” by Brook Pessin-Whedbee; and “Not My Idea” by Anastasia Higginbotham, at the board of library trustees’ meeting in May.

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Lilly Nguyen covers Newport Beach for the Daily Pilot. Before joining the Pilot, she worked for the Orange County Register as a freelance reporter and general assignment intern. She earned her bachelor’s in journalism at Cal State Long Beach. (714) 966-4623.

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All the Best Christmas Books for Kids

Reading books together is one of the most wonderful parts of christmas.

Christmas is a time of loved ones, togetherness, and joy. And what better way to embrace all that happiness than with a good book?

The Christmas season offers endless Christmas-themed books perfect for gifting. From classic Dicken’s to modern sweet construction site machinery celebrating Christmas , there is truly something for every audience.

Part of the joy of the Christmas holiday is that warm, tender togetherness, and reading aloud creates special moments remembered throughout the year. Snuggled by a fire, The Grinch comes to life! Reading about Santa at bedtime takes on a whole new meaning as Christmas nears. Think of all the happy memories that can be created by sharing a story together as a family.

Whether you’re looking for something whimsical, classic, religious, educational or something just plain entertaining, Christmas books are here for the rescue!

The Best Christmas Books for Kids

The polar express, by chris van allsburg | book review.

The Polar Express, recipient of the prestigious 1986 Caldecott Medal, stands as a timeless holiday classic that has captured the hearts of millions worldwide.

Merry Christmas, Eve!, by Adam Wallace | Dedicated Review

Celebrating both determination and the power of play, Adam Wallace’s Merry Christmas, Eve! is an inspiring tale.

The Best New Christmas Books of 2020

Each year a flurry of new Christmas books deck the shelves! Here are our favorites of the year—the best new Christmas books of 2020!

8 Christmas Board Books Filled with Holiday Magic For the Youngest Readers

This delightful list of Christmas board books has been created with the youngest readers in mind.

The History of Giving Books at Christmas

Everyone knows that modern gift-giving has become a bit…commercialized. Books are often cast aside as the boring gift, or the gift you get from your nerdy Aunt who really wished you read more literary fiction. But did you know that modern gift-giving started with the book industry?

The book industry began advertising books as gifts for the Christmas holiday in the 1820’s. Within fifty years, the market for “gifting” books had grown so much that there were gift books for nearly every interest, age and political persuasion. Sound familiar? Walk through any bookstore during the holiday season and you’ll find packaged boxed sets ready for a bow of classics and new bestsellers, and you might think, even books have succumbed to capitalist notions of Christmas gift haul! But, as it turns out, gifting books isn’t such a new concept, after all.

Giving bookish gifts was even popular as far back as the middle ages, when richly drawn manuscripts were given as tokens of love and affection. There is even evidence of writings being given as gifts as far back as the Romans. So go ahead—be that family member who sends the nieces and nephews books. You’re in good company! And we know you’ll find an excellent source below for the perfect Christmas book to give.

Christmas Book Classics: The Most Famous Christmas Books

You can’t talk about Christmas and books without thinking of Dickens. His iconic masterpiece, A Christmas Carol , has defined Christmas for generations of fans. It is so ingrained in our western cultural conscience that everyone from the Muppets, to Mickey, to Bill Murray in the 1980’s classic, SCROOGED have reimagined it. With a much more interesting history, A Christmas Carol is a wonderful book to read during the Christmas season.

But don’t forget the other classics. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King , by E.T.A. Hoffman (or the story retold by Alexandre Dumas), is beloved the world over and has gone on to become the iconic Christmas ballet, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, beloved by children.

Chris Van Allsburg’s The Polar Express is a wonderful tale the captivates the entire family, as is O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi . Then there are the silly, but no less loved classics, like Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas . Prepare for the children to demand you read the story again, and again…but, you’ll be delighted to. It’s hard not to fall in love with the sour Grinch and his dog Max.

And last, but certainly not least, is the poem that nearly everyone has at least partially memorized (remember the reindeer names!): The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore. Did you know the poem was originally titled A Visit from St. Nicholas ?

Christmas Book Read Alouds to Share Together

Those classics are wonderful, to be sure, but what about newer favorites that the whole family can enjoy? 

Reading aloud to the family creates a warm, bonding environment. Children can experience the wonder and magic of the Christmas season through stories and learn lessons about kindness and empathy. Selecting fun and heartwarming books to read aloud to your family ensure warm, special memories of Christmas time and togetherness. Plus, you’ll be increasing language acquisition in young children, expanding vocabularies of elementary students, and broadening concepts of the world and history for older children. Who said Christmas books couldn’t have a little learning, too? 

But most of all, you’ll be creating moments of bonding and sweet memories. Some wonderful newer books for reading aloud include Clifford’s Christmas , by Norman Bridwell, How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? by Jane Yolen, The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert and The Crayon’s Christmas by Drew Daywalt. Other fun stories include I Got the Christmas Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison, The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston and Caldecott medalist illustrator Barbara Cooney, and The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola.

And don’t forget to stop by your local library and check out the holiday section. You might find a new story you’ve never heard of that can quickly become your family’s new favorite Christmas story!

Favorite Christmas Books to Love and Share

Christmas is the season of giving and loved ones. Bond as a family over shared read-a-louds with a new favorite Christmas story, or enjoy a new book picked out together as a family. Take those quiet moments together to remember that the Christmas season is about being together.

And if you can’t be together, consider sending your love with a book. Family and friends can bond across the miles reading the same book, like The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett. How much fun would it be to read together over the phone, or talk about it later in a video chat? 

Sharing favorites with the next generation is always a wonderful gift giving idea. A beautiful copy of The Nutcracker to a budding ballerina would be a fantastic gift. Or gift a copy of Construction Site on Christmas Night by Sherri Duskey Rinker for the kid who can’t get enough heavy equipment.

There is no limit to the amount of adorable, genuinely wonderful Christmas books you can purchase or borrow from the library. With themes for every type of person and categories for every reader, there is truly a perfect Christmas book match for every person. Whether you purchase the books for your family or as gifts, or are borrowing them from the public library to read and enjoy together at home, books are the perfect addition to the Christmas season.

Here are some more Christmas book lists to get you on your way:

Sixteen of the Best Christmas Books for Kids

Eight Christmas Board Books

Seven Christmas Activity Books Perfect for Gifting

Christmas Books for Baby

Even More Christmas Books for Kids

The wonderful once: a christmas story | book giveaway.

Get ready for a heartwarming journey into the spirit of Christmas with The Wonderful Once by J.R. Buchta and Erin O’Leary Brown!

Dr. David Charney Talks About Once Upon a Time, Santa Had No Elves

In this enchanting interview, we sit down with Dr. David Charney, the mind behind the heartwarming children’s book, Once Upon a Time, Santa Had No Elves.

Once Upon a Time, Santa Had No Elves: Santa and His Missus Made All the Toys Themselves! | Dedicated Review

Once Upon a Time, Santa Had No Elves: Santa and His Missus Made All the Toys Themselves! is an imaginative, instructive story for shared holiday reading.

Richard Wagner Talks About Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree

A delightful journey with Richard Wagner behind the scenes of a heartwarming picture book, Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree.

This article, All the Best Christmas Books for Kids, was written by Denise Mealy .

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Author Interviews

A historian's view of 'an extraordinary time capsule of the '60s'.

Reena Advani

Doris Kearns Goodwin's late husband, Dick Goodwin, and Bill Moyers peering over President Johnson's desk in the Oval Office to see the edits the president is making on a speech draft in May, 1965. LBJ Library photo by Yoichi Okamoto hide caption

Doris Kearns Goodwin's late husband, Dick Goodwin, and Bill Moyers peering over President Johnson's desk in the Oval Office to see the edits the president is making on a speech draft in May, 1965.

When acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin delved into 300 boxes of memorabilia preserved by her late husband Richard Goodwin, she got to relive with him his twenties. In real life, they first met when he was 40 years old and she was 29.

In 1972, he walked into her office at Harvard, where they both had office space, and the two bonded over shared interests. "So began a conversation about LBJ, the Sixties, writing, literature, philosophy, science, astronomy, sex, evolution, gossip, the Red Sox, and everything else under the sun," Kearns Goodwin writes in her new memoir, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s. It's an intimate account of her husband's experience in law, military service, and politics, capturing his pursuit of social justice in everything he did.

Items from Dick Goodwin's boxes. The author's late husband served as an advisor and speechwriter for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Courtesy of Christie's Images, Ltd. hide caption

Items from Dick Goodwin's boxes. The author's late husband served as an advisor and speechwriter for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

As a longtime political speechwriter and presidential adviser to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, he wanted his own history remembered, so he asked his wife to help him relive it and ultimately write it. That meant delving into dozens of letters and journals, a kind of time capsule of the 1960s. Their date nights involved watching old presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and incumbent Richard Nixon and critiquing their performances together.

"He would describe to me how he was preparing Kennedy for that," Doris Kearns Goodwin said in an interview on Morning Edition . "We'd go backward and forward. So it was really fun. I remember he said to me at the beginning, 'Are you nervous? Do you wonder who's going to win?'"

Doris Kearns Goodwin and Dick Goodwin were married in 1975. Marc Peloquin, courtesy of the author. hide caption

Doris Kearns Goodwin and Dick Goodwin were married in 1975.

Richard Goodwin advised Kennedy in the White House, and after Kennedy's assassination, he stayed on with President Lyndon Johnson. In An Unfinished Love Story , Doris Kearns Goodwin celebrates the many historical moments of the 1960s that her husband had a large hand in defining, including the founding of the Peace Corps and helping to draft the lauded Voting Rights Act speech delivered by President Johnson.

Doris Kearns Goodwin came to our studio in Washington D.C., for a conversation with NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Steve Inskeep: The key line [in the Voting Rights Act Speech] – you called it the "We Shall Overcome" speech. This is a line from a spiritual that people sang as they were demonstrating for civil rights. Johnson just says it. What did it mean that Johnson just said that?

Kearns Goodwin: What it really meant was that's a moment when the person in the highest level of power is connecting to an outside group, the civil rights movement, who are pressuring the government to act. And that's when change takes place in our country.

SI: How do you think Richard was able to win the favor of and the trust of powerful men without losing himself, as some staffers do?

KG: It wasn't always easy. I think the fact that he had been with John Kennedy before Lyndon Johnson meant there was always a layer in Lyndon Johnson of not fully trusting him because he thought he was a Kennedy. You know, that was that fault line. You were either a Kennedy, or you were a Johnson. Even the first time when he calls Bill Moyers on the phone and there's this great tape where he's saying, "I need someone to be my speechwriter." This was only months after John Kennedy had died.

Dick Goodwin, President Kennedy, and David Dean Rusk, the president's secretary of state, in front of the U.S. Army helicopter on the White House South Lawn. Feb. 1, 1962. Abbie Rowe, courtesy of John F. Kennedy Library hide caption

Dick Goodwin, President Kennedy, and David Dean Rusk, the president's secretary of state, in front of the U.S. Army helicopter on the White House South Lawn. Feb. 1, 1962.

And he says to Moyers, "I need someone who can put sex in my speech, who can put rhythm in my speech, Churchillian phrases. Who could that be?" And Moyers says, "well, there's Dick Goodwin, but he's not one of us." And he knew then that that would always mean that he would always have a layer of not full trust.

SI: I feel that that relationship in microcosm is something that goes all the way through American life because this is a class difference along with everything else, right? Guy from Harvard versus the guy from a teacher's college in Texas.

KG: So true. I mean, one of the things Johnson used to say a lot was that his father always told him that if you brush up against the grindstone of life, you'll get more polished than anyone who went to Harvard or Yale ever did. But then he would add, but 'I never believed that.' I mean, there was always - and he was so much more brilliant than many people who go to Harvard or Yale. I mean, he used to call me Harvard half the time.

SI: When you met your husband, your future husband, in the early '70s, he's still a relatively young man but had had his greatest accomplishments. Would you say that that's true?

KG: I think that was the thing that was hard for him the rest of his life. I mean, he did do work after that. He wrote a play that was put on in London. He wrote columns. He wrote manifestos about America's revolution, the need for a new revolution. He got more radical as time went on. And he did work on Al Gore's concession speech.

SI: That's a gracious speech, Al Gore's concession in the 2000 election...?

KG: It was a lovely speech. Al Gore had called him and said that he wanted a victory speech or a concession speech. But Dick knew that the concession speech would be more important. And what a great, important memory is that right now that in that year of 2000, he was able to say, the law of the land is this. I don't agree with the decision, but I cherish this tradition and congratulate President Bush. We need that so badly right now.

SI: I'm struck by the idea that he thought people would not remember.

KG: I'm not sure what it was, but yeah, he did feel that need. It wasn't so much even for his work but for the work that he did together with these presidents because he wanted people to remember that the '60s was a time when young people in particular were powered by the conviction that they could make a difference. And tens of thousands of people joined the Peace Corps, were marching against segregation, against denial of the right to vote, were anti-war marching – and the beginning of the women's movement, the gay rights movement. It was a great time to be alive and a great time to be young.

The audio for this interview was produced by Kaity Kline.

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Faith Ringgold Dies at 93; Wove Black Life Into Quilts and Children’s Books

A champion of Black artists, she explored themes of race, gender, class, family and community through a vast array of media and later the written word.

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By Margalit Fox

Faith Ringgold, a multimedia artist whose pictorial quilts depicting the African American experience gave rise to a second distinguished career as a writer and illustrator of children’s books, died on Saturday at her home in Englewood, N.J. She was 93.

Her death was confirmed by her daughter Barbara Wallace.

For more than a half-century, Ms. Ringgold explored themes of race, gender, class, family and community through a vast array of media, among them painting, sculpture, mask- and doll-making, textiles and performance art. She was also a longtime advocate of bringing the work of Black people and women into the collections of major American museums.

Ms. Ringgold’s art, which was often rooted in her own experience, has been exhibited at the White House and in museums and galleries around the world. It is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the American Craft Museum in New York; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; and other institutions.

For Ms. Ringgold, as her work and many interviews made plain, art and activism were a seamless, if sometimes quilted, whole. Classically trained as a painter and sculptor, she began producing political paintings in the 1960s and ’70s that explored the highly charged subjects of relations between Black and white people, and between men and women, in America.

“Few artists have kept as many balls in the air as long as Faith Ringgold,” the New York Times art critic Roberta Smith wrote in 2013, reviewing an exhibition of her work at ACA Galleries in Manhattan. “She has spent more than five decades juggling message and form, high and low, art and craft, inspirational narrative and quiet or not so quiet fury about racial and sexual inequality.”

The hallmarks of Ms. Ringgold’s style included the integration of craft materials like fabric, beads and thread with fine-art materials like paint and canvas; vibrant, saturated colors; a flattened perspective that deliberately evoked the work of naïve painters; and a keen, often tender focus on ordinary Black people and the visual minutiae of their daily lives.

Critics praised Ms. Ringgold’s work from the beginning. But wide renown, in the form of exposure in the country’s most prestigious museums, largely eluded her until midlife — a consequence, she often said, of her race, her sex and her uncompromising focus on art as a vehicle for social justice.

“In a world where having the power to express oneself or to do something is limited to a very few, art appeared to me to be an area where anyone could do that,” she told The Orlando Sentinel in 1992. “Of course, I didn’t realize at the time that you could do it and not have anyone know you were doing it.”

Ms. Ringgold ultimately became best known for what she called “story quilts”: large panels of unstretched canvas, painted with narrative scenes in vivid acrylics, framed by quasi-traditional borders of pieced fabric and often incorporating written text. Meant for the wall rather than the bed, the quilts tell of the joys and rigors of Black lives — and of Black women’s lives in particular — while simultaneously celebrating the human capacity to transcend circumstance through the art of dreaming.

One of her most celebrated story quilts, “Tar Beach,” completed in 1988, gave rise to her first children’s book, published three years later under the same title. With text and original paintings by Ms. Ringgold, the book, like the quilt, depicts a Black family convivially picnicking and slumbering on the roof of their Harlem apartment building on a sultry summer’s night.

“Tar Beach” was named a Caldecott Honor Book by the American Library Association and one of the year’s best illustrated children’s titles by The New York Times Book Review. It has endured as a childhood staple and garnered a string of other honors, including the Coretta Scott King Award, presented by the library association for distinguished children’s books about African American life.

Ms. Ringgold went on to illustrate more than a dozen picture books, most with her own text, including “Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky” (1992), about Harriet Tubman, and “If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks” (1999).

Her eminence in the field is all the more striking in that she never set out to be a children’s author in the first place.

A Child of Harlem

The youngest child of Andrew Louis Jones and Willi (Posey) Jones, Faith Willi Jones was born in Harlem on Oct. 8, 1930. Her father, a New York City sanitation truck driver, left the family when Faith was about 2, though he remained in close contact.

Faith’s mother, a seamstress, later became a fashion designer with her own label, Mme. Willi Posey, and an atelier in Harlem. She was so successful that she was able to move with her children to Sugar Hill, the exclusive Harlem enclave whose residents also included Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington and Thurgood Marshall.

“We all lived together, so it wasn’t a surprise to see these people rolling up in their limos,” Ms. Ringgold told The Times in 2010. “And that said to us, you can do this, too.”

An asthmatic child, Faith was often kept home in bed, where she passed the time drawing and painting. Her father brought her her first easel, salvaged from his trash-collection rounds.

Theirs was a storytelling family, and as an adult, Ms. Ringgold recalled with particular pleasure the narrative gifts of her elder brother, Andrew.

“We went to the movies at a time when there were already great stories, but they didn’t have any Black people in them — or if they did, you didn’t like the way the characters were,” she said in an interview for the NPR program “All Things Considered” in 1999. “So my brother would come home and he would rewrite everything.”

One day in the 1940s, when Andrew was a teenager, he was dispatched on an errand for their mother to a white neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. There, a gang of white youths surrounded him and beat him nearly to death. He was refused treatment at a local hospital.

He recovered, but he was never the same, Ms. Ringgold said. He became addicted to drugs and died of an overdose in 1961.

The young Ms. Ringgold graduated from George Washington High School in Upper Manhattan. At about 20, she eloped with a childhood sweetheart, Robert Earl Wallace, and had two daughters in quick succession. But she soon discovered that her husband, a classical and jazz pianist, was a drug addict; they separated in 1954 and divorced two years later. (Mr. Wallace also died of an overdose, of heroin, in 1961.)

Ms. Ringgold earned a bachelor’s degree in art and education from the City College of New York in 1955 and a master’s in art there in 1959. In 1962, she married Burdette Ringgold.

From 1955 to 1973, Ms. Ringgold taught art in the New York City public school system, in Harlem and the Bronx, while trying to establish a career as a painter. At first she produced landscape paintings in the vein of the European masters she had studied in college.

“We copied Greek busts, we copied Degas, we copied everything,” she said in an interview for the catalog of “Faith Ringgold: A 25-Year Survey,” a 1990 retrospective at the Fine Arts Museum of Long Island that toured nationally. “It was generally thought that we weren’t experienced enough to be original, and if we were original we were sometimes up for ridicule.”

Little by little, Ms. Ringgold cast about for an aesthetic that reflected her own life and times. By the 1960s, influenced by the writings of James Baldwin and LeRoi Jones (later known as Amiri Baraka), along with the rich visual polyphony of African art and the rhythms of the jazz she had heard and loved as a child, she had found it.

Her work from this period includes the “Black Light” series, a set of portraits in which she depicted her African American subjects using a specially conceived palette of rich dark colors.

It also includes a 1967 painting, “American People Series #20: Die,” which proved a professional watershed. Twelve feet long, the canvas depicts a violent profusion of men, women and children — Black and white, some wielding weapons, most spattered with blood — whose roiling tangle recalls Picasso’s 1937 masterpiece, “Guernica.”

“Die” became the centerpiece of her first solo exhibition, held that year at Spectrum Gallery in New York. The show helped her stake her claim as a significant American artist.

A Voice of Protest

In 1968, Ms. Ringgold helped organize a protest by Black artists, long marginalized by the art establishment, at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Two years later, she took part in a protest at the Museum of Modern Art centering on women artists.

“Today, some 25 years later,” she wrote in 1995, “nothing much has changed at the Modern except which white man gets the next show.”

The word “man” was telling, for Ms. Ringgold had long since come to believe that her efforts on behalf of Black artists were of little avail to those who also happened to be female. By the 1970s, she was producing more overtly feminist work.

Ms. Ringgold, who had learned to sew from her mother, began augmenting her arsenal with the traditional materials of “women’s work”: needles, thread and cloth. She made masks, cloth dolls and soft fabric sculptures, some of them life-size, that were exhibited on their own and used in her performance pieces about racial and sexual disenfranchisement.

She also embarked on her “Slave Rape” series, a set of paintings depicting the fate of Black women in the antebellum South, which she framed with borders of patterned cloth.

Collaborating with her mother, Ms. Ringgold made her first full quilt, “Echoes of Harlem,” a montage of painted Black faces and pieced fabric, in 1980. It was a modern manifestation of a centuries-old Black tradition.

“I think of quilts as the classic art form of Black people in America,” Ms. Ringgold told The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa., in 2005. “When African slaves came to America, they couldn’t do their sculpture anymore. They were divorced from their religion. So they would take scraps of fabric and make them into coverlets for the master and for themselves.”

In 1983, frustrated at her inability to find a publisher for a memoir she had written, Ms. Ringgold began incorporating narrative text into her quilts. Few artists of the period were doing anything of the kind.

The first of her story quilts, “Who’s Afraid of Aunt Jemima?,” reimagined the original stereotyped figure — the fat, frumpy Black woman, drawn straight from a minstrel show, whom many Black people considered offensive. On Ms. Ringgold’s quilt, Jemima has been transformed into a Black feminist role model: trim, elegant and a successful entrepreneur.

In the late 1980s, after an editor at Crown Publishers saw “Tar Beach,” Ms. Ringgold was asked to transform that quilt into a picture book. The resulting work tells the story of 8-year-old Cassie Lightfoot — the daughter of the picnicking family — who one magical night in 1939 flies over the rooftops of the city to soar above the George Washington Bridge.

“I can fly — yes, fly,” Ms. Ringgold’s text reads. “Me, Cassie Louise Lightfoot, only eight years old and in the third grade, and I can fly. That means I am free to go wherever I want for the rest of my life.”

Ms. Ringgold’s art was acquired by many private collectors, among them Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey. It was also commissioned for public spaces, including the 125th Street subway station on the Lenox Avenue line in Manhattan, where two immense mosaic murals, collectively titled “Flying Home,” depict storied Black figures like Josephine Baker, Malcolm X and Zora Neale Hurston.

For what is very likely the most widely utilized public space of all, the internet, she created a Google Doodle to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2012.

Ms. Ringgold was the subject of significant retrospectives at the Studio Museum in Harlem, Rutgers University and the National Museum of Women in the Arts, in Washington. In 2016, not long after her 85th birthday, MoMA acquired “Die” for its permanent collection.

More recently, in 2022, she received a major retrospective at the New Museum in Manhattan. The show, which filled three floors, “makes clear that what consigned Ringgold to an outlier track half a century ago puts her front and center now,” Holland Cotter wrote in his review in The Times. The exhibition later traveled to the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Ms. Ringgold, who for many years divided her time between her home in Englewood, N.J., and California, where she was a faculty member of the University of California, San Diego, also taught in New York at the Bank Street College of Education, Pratt Institute and elsewhere.

In 1999, she established the Anyone Can Fly Foundation, which promotes the work of artists of the African diaspora from the 18th century onward.

Among her many laurels are a Guggenheim fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts awards for painting and sculpture, and a spate of honorary doctorates.

Her other books include her memoir, “We Flew Over the Bridge,” published by Little, Brown & Company in 1995.

In addition to her daughter Barbara, a linguist, Ms. Ringgold is survived by another daughter, Michele Wallace, a prominent feminist writer and cultural critic; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Her husband, Burdette Ringgold, died in 2020.

Though Ms. Ringgold had felt the need to draw and paint from the time she was a girl, she said late in life that her career sprang from an even more urgent imperative.

As she told an interviewer in 2008, “If I woke up white in America, I wouldn’t be an artist.”

Emmett Lindner contributed reporting.

Margalit Fox is a former senior writer on the obituaries desk at The Times. She was previously an editor at the Book Review. She has written the send-offs of some of the best-known cultural figures of our era, including Betty Friedan, Maya Angelou and Seamus Heaney. More about Margalit Fox