Books provide a window to our world without ever leaving your own home. They are magical portals to worlds only available in our dreams and our imagination. They inspire us, they ground us, and they bring us together. To celebrate the magic of books and reading, I decided to gather this list of children’s books celebrating books!

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received a copy of Book or Bell? in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book or Bell?

Written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Ashley Spires

This entertaining story celebrates the wonderful feeling of being so engrossed in a book that the world around you disappears. When Henry finds the “best book he’s ever read”, nothing can tear him away from it. His refusal to stop reading throws the whole school into chaos, leading the principal to install a larger and louder bell in order to snap him out of it. The increasing chaos and madness illustrated in the pictures is sure to entertain young ones.

Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians

Written by Jackie Mims Hopkins

When the book-loving Goldie Socks stumbles onto a cottage in the woods that appears to be made from books, she feels the need to investigate. This fun spin on the classic fairy tale shows what happens when she makes herself at home while the 3 “libearians” are out. The illustrations are adorable, and the sweet ending shows how reading can bring people (and animals) together.

Related Post: Celebrating Reading with Children’s Books about Librarians

Bears Make the Best Reading Buddies

Written by Carmen Oliver and illustrated by Jean Claude

When her teacher assigns reading buddies to the class, Adelaide explains why a bear is the best choice. The fun story and adorable illustrations offer a great explanation for kids on how to be good reading buddies.

Check out this post to see why dogs make great reading buddies too!

Bunny’s Book Club

Written by Annie Silvestro and illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss

Bunny loves to sit outside the library and listen to the books being read during story time. When winter comes and story time moves back inside, Bunny misses listening to all the adventures. He decides to venture into the library at night though the book drop. As he takes more books each night, he gets more of his animals friends to join him. The sweet story and colorful illustrations showcase the magical worlds that reading can open up to you, as well as the important rules of the library.

Wild About Books

Written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Marc Brown

When librarian Molly McGrew drives her bookmobile to the zoo, she inspires a reading frenzy with all the animals. The rhyming story is paired with colorful and entertaining illustrations of the animals enjoying books in their own ways.

Llama Llama Loves to Read

Written by Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan

When Llama Llama goes to school, he learns how letters create words and how words create a book. This fun addition to the Llama Llama series uses Dewdney’s classic style, while showcasing the joy that learning to read can bring.

Read It, Don’t Eat It!

Written and illustrated by Ian Schoenherr

This story is a great introduction for teaching kids how to handle books carefully and show good manners while reading. From taking care of the fragile pages to being considerate of those reading around you, this book teaches a wide range of book handling skills with simple text and cute animal illustrations.

How to Read a Story

Written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Mark Siegel

This book is a great narrative on the best ways to read and enjoy a book. From finding a comfortable reading spot to employing good reading strategies, this book encourages readers to make reading into an enjoyable experience. The illustrations are often funny, showing just how entertaining reading can be.

Born to Read

Written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Marc Brown

This upbeat rhyming story follows a young boy named Sam who uses his early love of books and reading to help those around him. The peppy rhyming text is paired with colorful and cheerful illustrations which showcase some read aloud favorites that kids will surely recognize.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Written by William Joyce and illustrated by William Joyce and Joe Bluhm

After a storm throws his world into chaos, Mr. Morris Lessmore encounters a woman and her books who lead him to a building full of fluttering and chatty books. As he cares for the books and shares them with others, he begins to change the world around him. This book is a wonderful testament to the power of books and reading, showing how books can bring more color and wonder to the world.

Calvin Can’t Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie

Written by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Keith Bendis

Calvin the starling isn’t like the other birds in his family. While his brothers, sisters, and cousins all learn to fly and dig for food, Calvin is happier burying his beak in books. When it’s time to fly south for the winter, Calvin doesn’t know how. But the knowledge that he has gathered from reading helps his family reach their destination safely. This story honors the power of reading, as well as the power of being true to yourself and using what makes you unique.

Lola Loves Stories

Written by Anna McQuinn and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

Lola is a little girl who loves to read stories. Each day, she reads a new story with her mom and dad, and then brings the book to life through her own imagination. The illustrations are adorable, showing Lola imagining herself as a fairy princess, a farmer and more. There is even a nod to another familiar children’s classic at the end, which book loving families will appreciate.

Love You, Hug You, Read to You!

Written by Tish Rabe and illustrated by Frank Endersby

This board book offers a promise to little ones that you will always love them, hug them and read to them. The gentle illustrations of animal families sharing books together are accompanied by lyrical rhyming text as well as prompting questions for parents to use to get kids more involved in the story.

We Are in a Book! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)

Written and illustrated by Mo Willems

Piggie the pig and Gerald the elephant are so excited to be in a book. As the reader turns the pages, the two characters interact with them. They encourage them to say funny words and eventually ask them to read the book again so they can continue to enjoy themselves. The story is told completely in speech bubbles, providing a different storytelling style for beginning readers.

Does your family have any book-themed books that you love? Share in the comments below!

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