A smile is a small thing until a tiger loses his, a bear wakes up without one, or an entire town starts grinning like it knows who stole Grandpa’s teeth. Children’s books make wonderful use of the expression: a smile can start a chain reaction, solve a gloomy morning, spoil a serious monster’s scare, or turn school-picture day into a comedy. The best of them give children something recognizable to watch for and a joke strong enough to work even before the grin arrives.
Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of children’s books about smiling, our editors chose ten lively read-alouds and first readers in which the smile actually matters to the plot. Start with our favorites for missing smiles, muddy laughs, museum adventures, and suspicious dentures, then browse sturdy baby books and more picture books for ages zero to eight.
Augustus stretches, searches, and splashes across the world for the smile he is sure he has lost.
Little Roo wakes up grumpy, and Mama’s best idea involves one very deep, very muddy hole.
Grandpa’s handmade teeth disappear, and suddenly every person in town is smiling much too hard.
Amelia’s smile starts a chain of cookies, good ideas, and generous acts that circles the globe.
Katie steps into the Mona Lisa to ask about that famous smile and soon has a whole museum in motion.
Bear wakes to find Smile missing, so his woodland friends join a search for something that cannot be tracked by footprints.
A boy loses his saved money at the market and discovers a shop where the best thing costs nothing.
A baby passes a smile to Mom, who sends it onward through a classroom, a soccer team, and the neighborhood.
Big has tried everything to make Bunny smile; now he needs the reader’s silliest face and best ideas.
School picture day gives young Amelia Bedelia one more perfectly ordinary instruction to misunderstand.
Baby faces, mirrors, peep-through pages, and sturdy first books made for pointing at eyes, noses, and enormous grins. Ages 0–3.
Discover the joy of baby smiles in this charming read-aloud.
Discover baby's world with playful mirrors and lovable characters.
Discover the world through baby's eyes with playful peep-through shapes.
Funny and gentle stories about smiles that vanish, travel, cheer up a friend, or appear just in time for the camera. Ages 3–8.
A scary salamander learns fear isn't the key to friendship.
A young scientist defies expectations, proving she’ll smile on her own terms.
Discover the magic a simple smile can bring to everyday moments.
