Every problem-solving book for children is built on the same small, thrilling moment: an adult isn’t coming. A kite is in a tree, a fox is in the dentist’s chair, a strawberry is about to be eaten, sixteen strangers have been handed a will that makes no sense — and the only person available to do something about it is the one the reader has been following. What happens next is almost never a flash of genius. It is a bad first idea, then a slightly better one, then a walk around the block.
Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of 1,091 problem-solving books, our editors chose ten that show the whole messy process instead of just the happy ending: an inventor who quits and comes back, a princess who talks her way out, a mouse dentist working two moves ahead, detectives who let the reader work ahead of them. Start with the fixed shortlist below, then browse board books about toddler-sized predicaments, picture books for the read-aloud years, and chapter books for readers who would rather solve it themselves.
A girl knows exactly what she wants to build. Fourteen attempts later, she still cannot get it right.
A child tries to ignore a problem, and watches it grow larger every day he does.
Her castle burned and her clothes gone, Elizabeth talks a dragon into exhausting itself.
A mouse dentist has to fix a fox’s aching tooth without becoming the fox’s lunch.
Floyd’s kite is stuck in a tree, so he throws his shoe at it. Then a ladder. Then a whale.
Little Mouse has one strawberry, one hungry bear to worry about, and a very short list of options.
Tony Sarg’s puppets were too small for the parade crowd, so he turned them upside down and filled them with air.
Annie’s picture of her dog has gone missing. Nate takes the case, and takes notes.
Twelve kids are locked inside the world’s most extravagant library. The way out is hidden in the catalog.
Sixteen heirs, one dead millionaire, and a set of clues that only works once you notice what is missing.
Small predicaments with real solutions — a lost scarf, a balloon in a tree, a strawberry a bear has his eye on — for the age when “try something else” is a brand-new idea, ages 0–4.
A boy finds a whale in his pool and must find a way to share the space.
A sleepless sheep seeks the secret to slumber.
A gentle bull faces the bullfights in Madrid. Will he stay true to himself?
Can Elephant balance the seesaw with his weighty challenge?
A boy's quest to free his kite leads to hilariously unexpected results as everything gets stuck in a tree.
Can an elephant find the perfect tree for hide-and-seek?
What chaos ensues when a sneezing panda visits the beach?
Little Owl hates his orange scarf. Can he find a way to stay warm without it?
Can friends turn a dinosaur's chaos into fun?
Discover a funny tale with phonics surprises.
A misunderstanding with a whale threatens Rainbow Fish's reef. Can peace be restored?
Two puffins named Steve clash over who is the 'Stevest.'
Read-alouds about inventing, outwitting, negotiating, and starting over after a plan collapses — the heart of this collection, for ages 3–8.
Can Piggie defy gravity and fly, or will Gerald's doubts ground her dreams?
A class of students work together to build a city using various materials.
A girl and her friend go on adventures and learn about compromise and friendship.
A student tries to collect 100 special things for the 100th day of school.
Can a photographic memory solve a birthday party mystery?
Two siblings try to solve a riddle to save their home from a giant's floods.
A group of animal friends have various outdoor adventures together.
Ducks and trucks are stuck in muck. Can they escape?
A glass monkey is missing. Can detectives solve the mystery?
A picky eater faces a clever family plan to change her ways.
A bear helps a friend discover the power of speaking up.
The library is closing. Can friends save it and find a new librarian?
Deductions, codes, escape plans, and predicaments no grown-up is going to fix, from first chapter-book detectives to full-length puzzle novels — ages 6–13.
Four kids face a secret mission at a ruleless institute. What will they uncover?
Can a group of children bring storks back to their village?
A young hacker joins a secret spy team to stop a villain and save the world.
A young girl runs away from home with her brother to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A dragon and a child unravel Vienna's forgotten mystery: the fate of missing dragons.
A fourth grader battles censorship to save her favorite book from being banned.
A young girl discovers a magical sketchbook that brings her drawings to life, but also attracts a monster that feeds on magic.
A young possum named Appleblossom navigates the dangers of the world with her family and learns to rely on her instincts and her brothers to survive
A girl escapes wartime London, seeking freedom from her mother's cruelty.
A boy must trade up from a keychain to reclaim his grandfather's stolen instrument.
A mysterious tollbooth leads Milo to a world where boredom vanishes and adventure awaits.
A rebellious princess seeks adventure with a powerful dragon, facing magical dangers and unexpected allies.
