100 Famous Children’s Books Every Kid Should Read

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.

Our Favorite Famous Children’s Books

1. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

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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

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

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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

3. Busy, Busy Town by Richard Scarry

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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

4. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

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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

5. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

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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

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

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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

7. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

11. Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

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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

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

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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

13. Press Here by Hervé Tullet

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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

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

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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

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

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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

16. Instructions by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Charles Vess

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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

17. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

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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

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

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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

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

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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

20. The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle

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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

21. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

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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

22. Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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Hodges’ retelling of a segment from Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, 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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

31. Shrek! by William Steig

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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

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

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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

33. The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

40. I’ll Love You Forever by Sheila McGraw

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

45. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

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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

46. Bodega Cat by Louie Chin

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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

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

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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

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

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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

49. Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

54. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

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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

55. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

60. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

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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

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

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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

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

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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

63. Corduroy by Don Freeman

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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

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

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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

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

Amazon

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

66. Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

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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

67. Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson

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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

68. The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler

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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

69. Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

Amazon

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

73. Poles Apart by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Jarvis

Amazon

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

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

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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

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

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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

76. Olivia by Ian Falconer

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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. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

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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

78. Eloise by Kay Thompson, illustrated by Hilary Knight

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

83. Fables by Arnold Lobel

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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

84. Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott

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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

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

Amazon

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

86. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Amazon

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

87. Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

Amazon

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

88. Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

Amazon

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

89. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

97. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Amazon

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

98. Watercress by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin

Amazon

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

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

Amazon

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

100. On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

Amazon

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

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My two young girls, ages 5 and 8, are sponges when it comes to mind-blowing facts. They just love to be enveloped in new worlds, and I love nothing more than to see the looks on their faces when they are absorbing new information. In my 15 years at Smithsonian, I’ve learned my own share of incredible tidbits that piqued the curiosity of my kids, or really anyone with their sense of wonder about the world. Like that less time separates us from Tyrannosaurus rex than separated T. rex from Stegosaurus. (Thanks to our dinosaur correspondent Riley Black for that one.) Or, for the history-minded reader, that Cleopatra’s reign is closer to today than it is to when the Great Pyramids were built.

When I tell them these facts, and so many more, I can see their wheels spinning. My youngest is on the cusp of learning to read—a super exciting milestone, but I have some fear creeping in that soon they will no longer want me to read books aloud. I never want that day to come.

The children’s books I’ve selected as this year’s best are full of fun facts about everything from architecture to animal behavior. Most important, though, their authors and illustrators seem to get how kids’ minds work: They are always hungry to learn more, especially when they are being entertained.

Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall

In 2018, author-illustrator Sophie Blackall and her husband, playwright Ed Schmidt, bought a 21-acre abandoned dairy farm in New York’s Catskills and turned the property into Milkwood, a pastoral retreat for children’s book writers and illustrators. Doing so required leveling a dilapidated 19th-century farmhouse on the site, so to first honor the building, Blackall researched the home’s history. A family of 14, with descendants still in the area, had lived there during the Great Depression. So many artifacts of their lives—wallpaper, curtains, schoolbooks, handmade dresses—still rested in the farmhouse. Blackall salvaged them, using bits and pieces to illustrate in collage form her new book, Farmhouse. It was her hope to “make the experience of reading this book feel as close as possible to the experience of being in the farmhouse,” the author shares in an interview. Page by page, readers peer into the house, seeing and hearing about the growing-up and mischief that happened inside its walls, as if they are looking into a dollhouse.

The book’s backstory and craftsmanship shine more so than the text, which reads in one long sentence. Apparently, Blackall composed it on a long drive, memorizing each phrase until she arrived at her destination hours away and recorded it on her phone. “I like the idea that I can say to a kid, do you want to hear a story? It’s only one sentence long,” she says in the interview. But for me, the rolling sentence mimics the way that life moves gently on. (Recommended ages: 3+)

Farmhouse

Step inside the dollhouse-like interior of Farmhouse and relish in the daily life of the family that lives there, rendered in impeccable, thrilling detail.

Bedtime for Bo by Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold

Goodnight books are a category in and of their own, and Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold’s Bedtime for Bo tops my favorites for this year. Sarah Shun-lien Bynum puts it best in her review in the New York Times: “This book offers a master class in how to shepherd a rambunctious child to bed with patience, creativity and good humor.”

Originally published in Norway and translated into English by Kari Dickson, the story follows Bo’s mom, patient as a saint, as she joins in her son’s imaginary play. (Maybe some of that patience will rub off in the reading?) She uses Bo’s stall tactics—pretending to be a parrot, a bear, a walrus and a giraffe—to teach him about animal behavior, while keeping him moving through the bedtime march of bathing, brushing his teeth and getting tucked into bed. Mari Kanstad Johnsen’s illustrations, which earned the New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award, have a chaotic feel to them that matches the messiness of the scene and of life with young kids in general. Thanks for keeping it real, Johnsen, with the loose laundry, cluttered surfaces and spider webs.

Meghan Cox Gurdon at the Wall Street Journal thinks Bedtime for Bo is “as much fun to imitate as it is to read.” Bynum is hopeful it will help the nighttime routine, too. “Imagine it,” she writes, “Bedtime as not a battle but a madcap collaboration!” (Recommended ages: 3 to 6)

Bedtime for Bo

Stretch like a giraffe and snuggle like a meerkat with Bo and Mommy as they get ready for bed!

Chester van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen

Poor Chester van Chime is a welcome playmate to my kindergartener who is learning to rhyme. Author Avery Monsen introduces the protagonist and his problem in the book’s first couplet: “There once was a youngster named Chester van Chime, who woke up one day and forgot how to rhyme.” By the second couplet, though, everything goes awry. “It baffled poor Chester. He felt almost queasy. To match up two sounds, it was always so…” Monsen writes, “…simple for him.” Failed rhyme after failed rhyme will have kids finishing the painfully obvious sentences in what BookPage declares “a guaranteed good time.” Publisher’s Weekly notes that “what starts out as a book about wordplay turns into an inventive and giggly antidote for the bad-day blues.”

Be sure to spend some extra time with each page, because the illustrations by Abby Hanlon are filled with slugs on rugs, a fox in socks and other rhyming pairs. (Recommended ages: 4 to 6)

Chester van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme

From the coauthor of the smash hit All My Friends Are Dead and the creator of the beloved Dory Fantasmagory chapter book series comes a hilarious read aloud about a boy who loses his gift for rhyme.

Luminous: Living Things That Light Up the Night by Julia Kuo

In 2009, I had the privilege of tagging along with Smithsonian biologist Nancy Knowlton as she studied coral reefs off the coast of Bocas del Toro, Panama. There, I witnessed bioluminescence—the first I had seen outside of fireflies—in the form of dinoflagellates, one-celled organisms that light up when agitated in the water. I’d love for my two girls to have such a jaw-dropping experience, but until then, I’ll be reading them Julia Kuo’s Luminous.

The author-illustrator invites readers on an adventure through forests, caves and the deep sea to discover all sorts of creatures—fungi, glowworms, dragonfish, squid and more—that make their own light thanks to chemical reactions in their bodies. The blues and oranges pop on the book’s black pages in a spectacular approximation of what bioluminescence actually looks like. Two layers of text give the reader options, but I wouldn’t opt for just the poetic through line. The additional paragraphs expounding on the plants and animals are too interesting to miss. Did you know that crown jellyfish produce a “burglar alarm” of light when attacked, or that eating a piddock clam can make your hands and mouth glow? (Recommended ages: 4 to 8)

Luminous: Living Things That Light Up the Night

From acclaimed author-illustrator Julia Kuo comes a remarkable picture book about bioluminescence, the light made from living things, and its many forms.

Uncle John’s City Garden by Bernette G. Ford

Late author and publishing executive Bernette G. Ford spent her career championing stories with characters of color written and illustrated by people of color. She is best known for Bright Eyes, Brown Skin, which she co-wrote with Cheryl Willis Hudson and which her husband, George Ford, illustrated in 1990. “Bernette’s firm yet gentle editorial touch with the text was brilliant in expressing the pulse of what’s now called Black joy in kidlit,” Hudson told the New York Times in July 2021 after Ford died from lung cancer.

Lucky for us, this year, Holiday House published Ford’s last book, Uncle John’s City Garden, posthumously. In her author’s note, Ford describes the treasure of a book as “an ‘almost’ true story.” That’s because her own Uncle John, like the book’s character, tended an empty lot in Brooklyn’s Canarsie neighborhood in the 1950s. Her book’s narrator may spend the summer with her uncle in the garden, but Ford never did, she writes: “I wished I could have, and now, in this story, I have.”

The perspective that Li’l Sissy, the narrator, offers is relatable to kids. She’s constantly sizing things up—her family members, shovels, the growing plants, and tables at a family barbeque—against herself and other tangible objects. “One of the tomatoes was so big I needed two hands to hold it,” writes Ford, while Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison illustrates the page with the little girl, eyes bigger than her stomach, staring at the outsized fruit. Ford also has a knack for making something that may seem so big and impossible to a child, like building a community garden, possible, by breaking it down into clear, simple steps. She includes a recipe for succotash at the back of the book that may inspire readers to take up gardening themselves, though she uses frozen and canned vegetables to keep things simple.

Kirkus Reviews calls Uncle John’s City Garden “a simple, lovely story about the power of blooming where you are planted.” (Recommended ages: 4 to 8)

Uncle John's City Garden

How does this city garden grow? With help from L’il Sissy and her siblings—and love, love, love! A celebration of nature, family, and food.

Berry Song by Michaela Goade

Just as her grandmother did when they picked berries together in Sheet’ká, Alaska, author-illustrator Michaela Goade (the first Native American to win a Caldecott Medal) imparts important lessons of her Tlingit culture to readers in her new book, Berry Song. In the story, a grandmother goes berry picking in the forest with her granddaughter, all the while singing “Salmonberry, Cloudberry, Blueberry, Nagoonberry. Huckleberry, Soapberry, Strawberry, Crowberry,” to let “berry—and bear—know we are here.” While the refrain calls to mind Bruce Degen’s classic Jamberry, the message of Berry Song hits much deeper. Goade shows how the Tlingit people speak to the land, care for the land and are part of the land. To the land, which gives so much in return, the story’s characters say gunalchéesh, or “thank you” in the Tlingit language. The book’s endpapers are illustrated with berries labeled in both English and Tlingit—highbush cranberry (kaxwéix), lingonberry (dáxw), black currant (kaneilts’ákw) and more.

In my family, berry picking is a near-sacred ritual, but hopefully others will find Goade’s book as moving as it was for me. (Recommended ages: 4 to 8)

Berry Song (Caldecott Honor Book)

Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade's first self-authored picture book is a gorgeous celebration of the land she knows well and the powerful wisdom of elders.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett

Author Mac Barnett takes on the fairy tale, first collected in Norway in 1841, of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The basic plot likely rings familiar: Three billy goats, often described as brothers, need to cross a bridge, under which lives a hungry troll, to get to a meadow with grass for grazing. The smallest goat convinces the mean troll to wait for his bigger brother to cross, and that one, in turn, persuades him to hold out for the biggest of the three, only for that biggest one to defeat the adversary. Barnett’s version largely sticks to the script, only it’s full of “amusing verbal play,” as Kirkus Reviews puts it, that will have readers “hamming it up.” What provides the most entertainment is the troll’s “unexpected gastronomic sophistication,” explains Publisher’s Weekly. “I love goat! Let me count the ways! Goat Benedict with hollandaise. Goat jerky, jerk goat, curried goat. Goat gravy in a silver boat. A goat flambé with candied yams. A goat clambake, with goat, not clams! On goat I’ll dine, on goat I’ll sup. You little goat, I’ll eat you up!’” the troll rhymes. Kids in your life with thank you for adding this fresh fairy-tale remake to their shelves. And Barnett promises it’s the first in a series. He’s got my attention. (Recommended ages: 4 to 8)

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

A brilliantly crafted, hilarious twist on this beloved classic, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, from renowned, award-winning, and New York Times bestselling duo and picture book pioneers Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen!

Octopuses Have Zero Bones: A Counting Book About Our Amazing World by Anne Richardson

During Covid-19 lockdowns in the spring of 2020, Anne Richardson and her two kids obsessed over numbers. “How many seeds are in an apple, how small are hummingbird eggs, and how many miles away is Saturn?” she writes in her author’s note. They counted and measured, until Richardson realized she had enough facts and figures to fill her debut children’s book, Octopuses Have Zero Bones. With degrees in art history and environmental studies, the senior staffer at San Francisco’s Exploratorium was perfectly suited to deliver an artful romp through math and science. The book works its way from zero to nine, providing three facts for each number. With each number also comes a power of 10 (1 and 10, 2 and 200, 3 and 3,000), with three bonus facts about it.

Kids stump the best of us with their questions, but Richardson’s clever counting book is prepared for the most inquisitive readers, bringing answers to fresh questions they may not even have thought to ask. Like, how fast does a black bear’s heart beat? The answer: 3,000 times every hour during much of the year. (Recommended ages: 6 to 9)

How Was That Built? The Stories Behind Awesome Structures by Roma Agrawal

Structural engineer Roma Agrawal wrote Built for adults in 2018, and now, four years later, she’s adapted that same concept, explaining how the world’s greatest architectural wonders were made to a younger audience. In her new release, How Was That Built?, she examines the ingenuity behind structures the world over—from the Shard in London, which she helped design, to the Pantheon in Rome, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the Halley VI Research Station in Antarctica.

I like a big book that allows me to make a short selection to read at bedtime, and this one has so many entry points. How Was That Built? contains illustrations of skyscrapers, cathedrals, bridges, dams and more, all annotated with fun factoids. Agrawal also spotlights innovators and provides “Try It at Home” experiments that demonstrate the forces that act on built structures. The book is perfect for Lego-obsessed fort builders in your life who spent their toddler years hovering near construction sites. Agrawal would also encourage you to give it to a child who hasn’t yet shown much interest in math and science, though. The Indian British American engineer has made it her mission to open doors for marginalized communities, specifically girls and women of color, who may not consider engineering for a career. (Recommended ages: 6 to 9)

Nellie vs. Elizabeth: Two Daredevil Journalists’ Breakneck Race Around the World by Kate Hannigan

At Smithsonian, it is part of our mission to tell the stories of hidden figures in American history, and so I would be remiss to not include a picture book biography on this list. Kate Hannigan’s Nellie vs. Elizabeth stands out of this year’s bunch. Rather than a dry, dense read, as many in the subgenre sadly are, this book is “swiftly paced,” as Publisher’s Weekly puts it, as it follows on the heels of rival reporters Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland in their 1889-1890 race to circumnavigate the globe in opposite directions. The book was released just in time for the 150th anniversary of Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days—a record the two intrepid travelers were dead set on beating. Hannigan’s background in newspaper journalism—her résumé includes stints at the Dallas Morning News and San Francisco Chronicle—shows, as she weaves in quotes from Bly and Bisland and reportage of the competition from 15 different publications. (Recommended ages: 7 to 10)

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