Games: Books For Kids
Children’s literature has many notable options when it comes to games. To help you find the right books for you and your young reader, we’ve compiled a list of the best kids books about games.
Our list includes board books, picture books, and chapter books. Board books are best for babies and toddlers from ages newborn to 2 or 3. Picture books are generally great options for toddlers and for preschool and kindergarten age children. Picture books are especially enjoyable for adults to read aloud with young kids. The chapter books on our list are generally best for elementary through early middle school age tween kids. You can filter to sort by the best book type for your kid.
When it comes to children’s stories about games, there are a variety of titles. This list covers everything, from classics like Hedgehugs: Autumn Hide-and-Squeak to popular sellers like Treasure Island (Puffin Pixels) to some of our favorite hidden gems like The Gauntlet.
We hope this list of kids books about games can be a helpful resource for parents, teachers, and others searching for a new book! As you explore the list, please comment below to let us know what books you would add.
The illustrations for Oliver’s Tree are warm and homey with an older, Winnie the Pooh feel to them. The book teaches a valuable lesson about helping friends. Oliver is sad that he can’t climb in the trees like his friends while they play hide and seek far above the ground. While he walks away pouting and disappointed, his friends rally to build a tree house where they can all play together. The book really is quite reminiscent of a Winnie the Pooh story. It’s simple and sweet. Oliver’s emotions get the best of him, but that happens to most of us at some time or another, and it sure makes a difference when we have good friends to help us through.
A board book about three adorable best friends!
Oliver, Charlie, and Lulu love to play outside together. Their favorite game is hide-and-seek, but it’s not fun for Oliver when his friends hide in the trees—he can’t reach them! So the friends set off to find a tree that Oliver can play in.
But there’s a reason we don’t see elephants in trees, and just when Oliver is ready to give up the search, Charlie and Lulu surprise him with the perfect tree for them all to play in together!
In this sly activity board book from celebrated international favorite Taro Gomi, young readers will delight to find hidden objects amidst familiar characters. When a crocodile’s dangerous smile can become a shiny toothbrush and a butterfly’s camouflage transforms into adorable heart shapes, there’s no telling what comes next! Kids will love learning that not everything in this world is as it seems. Sure to be a hit during both storytime and playtime!
A kitten doesn’t want to take a nap in this book about opposites by the author of Early Bird. It’s naptime, and Cat is ready for Kitten to settle down. But Kitten has other ideas!In this book filled with opposites (big and little, black and white, sleepy and awake) Toni Yuly proves once again -as she did with Early Bird and Night Owl - that simple concepts come alive for the youngest readers through bold art and charming language.
It’s more than a book—it’s a game! Every spread is missing a key element of a featured animal—from an elephant’s trunk to a penguin’s beak, these creatures are incomplete. And it’s up to young readers to help them out! Kids can finish the illustration by wiggling their fingers through suitably placed die-cuts. Children are sure to giggle at the silliness of turning their fingers into elephant trunks and chameleon tongues—and learn a bit about animal features on the way!
A kitten doesn’t want to take a nap in this book about opposites by the author of Early Bird. It’s naptime, and Cat is ready for Kitten to settle down. But Kitten has other ideas!In this book filled with opposites (big and little, black and white, sleepy and awake) Toni Yuly proves once again -as she did with Early Bird and Night Owl - that simple concepts come alive for the youngest readers through bold art and charming language.
Loteria / Lottery - “Inspired by one of the oldest traditional games of chance, this book will introduce your little one to their first English and Spanish words”
The Gauntlet - When twelve-year-old Farah and her two best friends get sucked into a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand, a puzzle game akin to a large Rubik’s cube, they know it is up to them to defeat the game’s diabolical architect in order to save themselves and those who are trapped inside, including her baby brother Ahmed.
Who Was That? - This fresh, visually sophisticated follow-up to Who Done It? and Who What Where? tackles the topic of memory, as each page asks the reader to remember a detail about the characters featured on the page before. With die-cuts, clever folds, and imaginative illustrations, this book requires the sharpest readers’ keen attention! The call to action on every page makes this a wonderful lap read or read-aloud, and kids of all ages will love the memory games.
Goodnight Football - In rhyming text a child, home from a game, bids goodnight to all the sights and sounds of a school football game.
Giraffes make the best pets! Follow a little girl and boy and their pet giraffe as they spy, dress up for Halloween, and play hide-and-seek!
A beautiful and enchanting story by exciting new talent Fiona Woodcock, about a little girl with an amazing gift for concealing herself. Meet Heidi—if you can find her, that is! Heidi is the best at hiding: in school, at the playground, or in the park. Heidi’s friends know how much she loves hiding, so they always let her play and win. But Heidi learns the importance of sharing the limelight with other people when being too good at hiding makes her miss all the other fun her friends are having—and how much more fun it can be when you appreciate what your friends are good at too! She learns Freddie is great at bouncing on hippity-hops, Katie is sensational at roller-skating, and Lizzie is incredible at climbing. Heidi then realizes that she has fun doing the activities her friends like, even if she isn’t the best.
“Elephant wants to play hide and seek. You can play too, but you’ll have to try your best, he’s very good!”—Back cover.
All William Ellsworth Hoy wanted to do was play baseball. After losing out on a spot on the local deaf team, William practiced even harder—eventually earning a position on a professional team. But his struggle was far from over. In addition to the prejudice Hoy faced, he could not hear the umpires’ calls. One day he asked the umpire to use hand signals: strike, ball, out. That day he not only got on base but also changed the way the game was played forever. William “Dummy” Hoy became one of the greatest and most beloved players of his time!
A beautifully illustrated, graphic alphabet book with a fun search-and-find twist. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what’s in a single letter? Everything in A B See! Because hidden in each graphic letter are tiny troves of ABC treasures waiting to be found by sharp-eyed readers. Can you find the apple, arrow, and armor in the letter A? Or the bear, banjo, and bike buried in the letter B? Read along in this unique alphabet board book that asks audiences to A B See beyond the ABCs.
Fantastic Fist/Mowtown - Upon entering a haunted arcade in an abandoned basement storefront, the reader finds themself absorbed into one of two video games in this third title in the play-your-way adventure series, Midnight Arcade. Wandering the city streets at night, you discover an abandoned game palace located in a basement storefront. Presented with a magical game token, you select one of two games you wish to play, Fantastic Fist or MowTown. Your decisions control whether you beat the game, or die. In Fantastic Fist you fight goons and crooked cops to rescue your partner, taken from you in the middle of your wedding. In MowTown you mow lawns with a vengeance, establishing yourself as the hot new lawncare mogul in town. Both games feature unique challenges and life-like game play that will delight readers, and the most important choice in either game for those now trapped inside them, is the one that will keep them alive.
The Boys - A shy boy, seeking the courage to play baseball with the other children in a park, is coaxed out of his shell by some “old timers” sitting nearby who, in turn, discover they are still in the game.
I Thought I Saw an Elephant - Hide-and-seek fun with sturdy sliders! This silly but stylish slider book is sure to give little ones a giggle. They’ll love joining in a game of hide-and-seek as they move the sliders to reveal the animal hiding in every scene. With beautiful artwork from Lydia Nichols, the whole family will enjoy reading and playing with this novelty series.
Otis and the Puppy - Otis and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. Otis especially loves to be “It,” finding his friends as they hide. Yet when the newest addition to the farm—a bounding puppy who can’t sit still and has a habit of licking faces—tries to hide, he finds his attention wandering and is soon lost in the forest. Night falls and Otis, knowing his new friend is afraid of the dark, sets out to find him. There’s just one problem: Otis is also afraid of the dark. His friend is alone and in need, though, so Otis takes a deep breath, counts to ten, and sets off on a different game of hide-and-seek. From the critically-acclaimed illustrator of The Little Engine that Could, Of Thee I Sing, and Otis.
Yoo-hoo, Ladybug! Where are you? There you are… afloat in the bath, with Duck and Giraffe!
Ladybug loves to hide. Come along on a treasure hunt to find this sneaky little bug, wherever she may be! Children will delight in this picture book game of hide-and-seek and will eagerly read along, pointing out Ladybug’s newest and cleverest hiding spot time and again.
Hide-and-seek fun with sturdy sliders! This silly but stylish slider book is sure to give little ones a giggle. They’ll love joining in a game of hide-and-seek as they move the sliders to reveal the animal hiding in every scene. With beautiful artwork from Lydia Nichols, the whole family will enjoy reading and playing with this novelty series.
Splash! A spunky little girl plays a spirited game of hide-and-seek with water, in this gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book.
Crazy about Wii, Nintendo, X-Box, and PlayStation? Meet the inventor whose work made them all possible: Ralph Baer, creator of the first home video game system!
Today, the video game industry keeps growing, with ever more platforms available to fans. But how did the very first system come about? This picture-book biography of Ralph Baer, whose family fled Nazi Germany for the US, introduces kids to a great inventor AND the birth of the first home console. Using wartime technology, Baer thought outside the box and transformed the television into a vehicle for gaming; Baer’s invention, the Odyssey, is a precursor to the Atari gaming system. Today, interactive systems like Wii and PlayStation are descendants of Ralph’s innovative “Brown Box,” making this award-winning inventor the true “Father of Video Games.”
A brilliantly illustrated seek-and-find that dazzles even more than The Lost House, from the award-winning B. B. Cronin!
Grandad is taking his grandchildren on a picnic in his jalopy. They ride on a busy highway full of cars and signs, past charming villages and topiary-filled parks, out into the country. But when they finally arrive at the picnic spot, they discover all their food has tumbled out of the car along the way! It’s up to readers to find the missing food so the family can enjoy their meal at last.
Papasaurus - Babysaurus loves playing hide-and-seek with his Papasaurus. But one day, no matter where he looks, he can’t find him, so Babysaurus turns to his prehistoric friends for help. Where can his Papasaurus be? Of course, Papasaurus has been right there all along, and when Babysaurus needs a little help, Papasaurus is ready with a big kiss and more games. This colorful and reassuring book is a fresh twist on a perennial theme that will win the hearts of little ones and their papas alike.
Hedgehugs: Autumn Hide-and-Squeak - Horace and Hattie are hedgehogs and the very best of friends. Together they make shadow puppets, follow slimy snail trails, and search for spider webs. One autumn day they are watching the leaves fall from the trees when they hear a squeak . . . Could it be a new friend to play with?
Froggy Plays Soccer - It’s the day of the big game, and Froggy is ready. His soccer team is playing the Wild Things for the City Cup. All Froggy has to do is remember the rule: “Head it! Boot it! Knee it! Shoot it! BUT DON’T USE YOUR HANDS!” But Froggy’s busy doing cartwheels and picking daisies. Uh oh, Froggy! Here comes the ball! Budding soccer players and Froggy’s many fans will welcome Froggy’s latest hilarious adventure.
Where's the Bear? - Five beautifully illustrated spreads show a series of friendly animals hiding behind bright felt flaps. A mirror on the final spread makes for a satisfying ending to the book’s search-and-find inquiries. (Where are you? There you are!) A perfect book to share with very little ones.
A bestselling compendium of more than 100 active and quiet physical games that can be played by youngsters, oldsters, and anyone in between. The tradition of game playing without computers, joysticks, boards, or game pieces is celebrated in this collection of games that can be played by all ages. With tools such as balls, beanbags, broomsticks, and ropes, parents and teachers can organize dozens of hours of fun and challenging activities for parties, summer camps, neighborhood gatherings, and school groups. Includes active games and quiet games in a range of variations including: Bull in the Ring Cross Tag Do This, Do That Kaleidoscope Lady of the Land Old Buzzard Potato Race Shadow Tag, and more! Bart King taught middle school for many years. He’s written 28 books, including The Big Book of Girl Stuff, The Big Book of Boy Stuff, The Big Book of Superheroes, The Big Book of Gross Stuff, and Bart’s King-Sized Book of Fun. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
A little chick looks for mama in this adorable, springtime peek-a-boo book that has soft, felt touch-and-feel flaps throughout!
A little chick is looking for mama! This sweet peek-a-boo book with felt flaps throughout will have young readers looking under the soft, easy-to-lift flaps to help the little chick find mama!
Hide-and-seek fun with sturdy sliders! This silly but stylish slider book is sure to give little ones a giggle. They’ll love joining in a game of hide-and-seek as they move the sliders to reveal the dinosaur hiding in every scene. Is it behind the sofa? Or in the shower? Just push the slider to find out! With beautiful artwork from Lydia Nichols, the whole family will enjoy reading and playing with this fresh new novelty series.
Dreams of rock stardom take the edge off embarrassing family activities in Tom’s fourth “homework diary” crammed with doodles and stories. After receiving the shock of a lifetime — seeing his big sister, Delia, without her sunglasses on — Tom is trying to gear himself up for sports day at school. It does not help that his dad is training for the parents’ race on that day — and plans to wear bizarre cycling shorts! Meanwhile, Tom’s band, DogZombies, is supposed to play in the school talent show, meaning they’d better start practicing — a lot. It might all be worth it, though, if the absolutely brilliant band DUDE3 appears as special guests!
The mischievous stars of Seen and Not Heard climb out of their paintings for another nighttime adventure in this gently spooky bedtime story. A midsummer moon shines on Shiverhawk Hall, where portraits of children come alive on the wall. As night falls, the playful painted residents wake up for another Gorey-esque rhyming caper. When the DeVille twins are nowhere to be seen, the other children escape their frames in search of two girls in white dresses — and, possibly, a midnight game in the garden. Out in the night air, through the maze, and into the woods they go, looking for their mysterious friends. Will they be able to find the twins before the sun rises? Charming and eerie without ever being too scary, Katie May Green’s second tale is perfect for Halloween story times and bedtime read-alouds after a long day of play.
I Thought I Saw a Lion! - Hide-and-seek fun with sturdy sliders! This silly but stylish slider book is sure to give little ones a giggle. They’ll love joining in a game of hide-and-seek as they move the sliders to reveal the lion hiding in every scene. Is it in the restaurant? Or at the beauty salon? Just push the slider to find out! With beautiful artwork from Lydia Nichols, the whole family will enjoy reading and playing with this fresh new novelty series.
Pass Go and Collect $200 - Boldness, imagination, and ruthless competition combine in Tanya Lee Stone and Steven Salerno’s Pass Go and Collect $200, a riveting picture book history of Monopoly, one of the world’s most famous games. In the late 1800s lived Lizzie Magie, a clever and charismatic woman with a strong sense of justice. Waves of urban migration drew Lizzie’s attention to rising financial inequality. One day she had an idea: create a game that shows the unfairness of the landlord-tenant relationship. But game players seemed to have the most fun pretending to be wealthy landowners. Enter Charles Darrow, a marketer and salesman with a vision for transforming Lizzie’s game into an exciting staple of American family entertainment. Features back matter that includes “Monopoly Math” word problems and equations. Excellent STEM connections and resources.
My Life as a Gamer - Derek Fallon gets the chance of a lifetime when he is asked to test software for new video games, but he soon discovers that his dream job isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
That's a Possibility! - Combines colorful photographs and interactive examples in an introduction to the science and math of probability that provides comprehensive explanations about games of chance and various easy-to-understand scenarios. By the author of Great Estimations.
The ultimate celebration of an all-American sport, this picture book captures the joy and the history of baseball—and knocks it out of the park!
Don’t wait for Opening Day to start your baseball season! Crack open Baseball Is… and revel in the fun of this all-American game! Perfect for the stats-counting superfan and the brand-new little leaguer, Baseball Is… captures the spirit of this cherished pastime, honoring its legendary past, and eagerly anticipating the future of the sport that is “stitched into our history.”
Can you find what is round? What is square? In this timeless new split-pageboard book, children can find the bottom half of a page that matches the top half. Find the right pairs, and you will learn to identify all kinds of shapes. From dome-shaped ladybugs to diamond- shaped kites, this clever board book makes learning fun.
In 1950, Kathryn Johnston wanted to play Little League, but an unwritten rule kept girls from trying out. So she cut off her hair and tried out as a boy under the nickname “Tubby.” She made the team—and inspired future generations. An inspiring and suspenseful story about what it means to want to do something so badly you’re willing to break the rules—and how, sometimes, breaking the rules can lead to change.
Pepe and Millie are playing hide-and-seek! When their friend Emma joins in the fun, Pepe and Millie can’t find her. Where could she be hiding?
When a bored girl meets a potato who finds children tedius, she tries to prove him wrong by demonstrating all of the things they can do, from turning cartwheels to using their imaginations.
Let's Play Baseball - Let’s play ball! Learn all about baseball with this shaped board book that looks and feels like a real baseball! Perfect for anyone who wants to get their child started early, Let’s Play Baseball teaches little ones the basic terms of the game. Shaped like a baseball, the book also features a textured, padded cover with stitching that feels like the real thing! Photographic interiors feature simple text that focuses on the joy of the game for kids and parents alike. Because having fun is the most important part!
Goodnight Hockey - A young fan cheers on his hometown hockey team, and then returns home to snuggle into bed.
Mindful Arts in the Classroom: Stories and Creative Activities for Social and Emotional Learning - Written especially for the teacher or camp director who wants to bring mindfulness, social and emotional learning (SEL), and the arts into their busy day through storytelling and fun games, this book offers a complete course that helps kids identify and talk about their feelings, self-regulate and self-soothe when stressed, and learn from easy mindfulness practices.
Tales of the Greek Heroes (Puffin Pixels) - Embrace your inner geek with Puffin Pixels Puffin Pixels is a collection of classics featuring pixelated, 8-bit video game cover artwork in the Minecraft style. Some of the oldest and most famous stories in the world–the adventures of Perseus, the labors of Heracles, the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts, are vividly retold in this single, connected narrative of the Heroic Age, from the coming of the Immortals to the first fall of Troy. With fresh dialogue and a brisk pace, the myths of this version are enthrallingly vivid.
Embrace your inner geek with Puffin Pixels
Puffin Pixels is a collection of classics featuring pixelated, 8-bit video game cover artwork in the Minecraft style.
King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life.
Could it be the night before a Snow Day?
It’s nighttime and snow is falling hard. Will the town be snowed in? Will there be a snow day? Odds are looking good in this newest Night Before book for the kids who dream of snowball fights, sledding, and the possibility that it may snow again tomorrow!
Little Bugsy is going to visit his grandma in the Big Bug Log, but he’s not quite sure how to find his way through the log to her house. With the reader’s help, Bugsy must solve puzzles, follow mazes, and look behind flaps to follow the path all the way to the surprise ending! Packed with humor and detail, this brilliantly interactive board book will keep little ones entertained for hours.
Embrace your inner geek with Puffin Pixels
Puffin Pixels is a collection of classics featuring pixelated, 8-bit video game cover artwork in the Minecraft style.
Following the demise of bloodthirsty buccaneer Captain Flint, young Jim Hawkins finds himself with the key to a fortune. For he has discovered a map that will lead him to the fabled Treasure Island. But a host of villains, wild beasts and deadly savages stand between him and the stash of gold. Not to mention the most infamous pirate ever to sail the high seas . .
The newest title in Natasha Wing’s bestselling Night Before series!
It?s the night before New Year’s, and the whole family is determined to stay up until midnight! Everyone’s stocked up on sparkly streamers and festive party hats, but after a night filled with card games and too many cupcakes, the little ones are getting sleepy. . . Can they make it until the clock strikes twelve?
Monster Mayhem - Jeremy and Justin are twins, but they couldn’t be any more different from each other. Jeremy is a risk taker who likes to get his hands dirty; Justin prefers to read, focus, and get all his facts straight before jumping in. But they do have one important thing in common- They both love video games. When Jeremy wins a cereal-box charm that brings his favorite video game to life, villains and all, he finds that he’s in way over his head. Justin knows everything there is to know about the rules of the game-he read the handbook, of course-and Jeremy isn’t afraid to try new things. Can these two mismatched brothers work together to beat the video game that has become their life?
Fall - Children describe their favorite things to do during the fall, from collecting acorns to baking pies.
Winter - Children describe their favorite things t do during the winter, from playing in the snow to indoor activities.
Summer - Follow the children in this book as they discover and explore the unique character of summer through indoor and outdoor play.
Charlie Lewis goes on a roller coaster ride of risk, math, and gaming in this middle grade novel that parallels the New York Times bestselling Bringing Down the House, which inspired the movie 21 with Kevin Spacey. Charlie Lewis is a nerd. All he’s ever been good at is math—and he’s really good at math. So good that he’s recruited by a group of kids determined to game the system at the biggest theme park in the world—and win the grand prize. Soon Charlie is caught up in the excitement and thrill of using his math skills for awesomeness…but what’s at stake may be more than he’s willing to risk. How far will Charlie go for a chance at the ultimate reward?
Buster the dog and a baby engage in a playful game of chase all day. When nighttime comes, they’re still bonding.
From the opening kickoff to the final goal, a young girl says goodnight to her most beloved sport: soccer. With delightful, rhyming text and energetic art, this bedtime book captures the thrill and excitement of the world’s most popular sport. Full color.
Follow the children in this book as they discover and explore the unique character of spring, through indoor and outdoor play.
For the youngest Ladybug Girl fans comes a concept board book about all the different kinds of games that kids like to play. With its sturdy format and at 12 pages long, this book is perfect for toddlers.
Ladybug Girl and her dog Bingo love to play all different kinds of games, from jump rope, to hide-and-seek, to tea party. When Ladybug Girl uses her imagination, those games become even more fun!
Crypt Quest/Space Battles - After entering an abandoned mall, readers must pick to play one of two games and their choices will determine if they beat the game or die.
Did you enjoy our children's book recommendations? Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!