Boris Kulikov

Kate Banks

imagination and play

toys

word play

When Max finds a pile of forgotten toys under the bed, his brothers Benjamin and Karl wonder what’s so special about some old blocks. So Max shows them. With some clever twists of both blocks and imagination, he constructs not only a castle but an entire adventure, complete with pirates and knights, a dark dungeon and a dragon. This ingenious sequel to Max’s Words and Max’s Dragons shows readers just how much fun wordplay can be.

Max's Castle

Toni Yuly

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.

Cat Nap

Danna Smith

Valeria Petrone

pirates

colors

Two brothers use their imaginations to turn their surroundings–from a white bandana and yellow coins to a red blanket and even their baby sister– into a colorful pirate adventure before naptime.

Pirate Nap

Carol Thompson

We’re amazing! We can dress up, sing, dance and make music. There’s nobody quite like us! Enjoy the antics of this inclusive and diverse group of friends, as they celebrate the natural and boundless creativity to be found in every child.

Dressing Up

Michael Escoffier

Kris Di Giacomo

When a young superhero-in-training gets hurt, she discovers that mothers have superpowers, too.

The Day I Lost My Superpowers

Jeanne Willis

Tony Ross

Rhyming couplets describe a wide range of common emotions and activities experienced by a little girl who uses a wheelchair.

Susan Laughs

Chris Van Allsburg

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle now Sony’s highest grossing film of all time!

Over thirty years ago, Peter and Judy first found the game—Jumanji—with the instructions that once the game is started, it must be finished or it will go on forever—and it was then, with this same wonderment, readers found Jumanji, too. Since its original publication, Jumanji has been honored with many awards, including the Caldecott Medal, and in 1996, the surreal story was adapted to fit the big screen for the first time.

Jumanji

Betsy Snyder

Readers make athletes splash, sprint, or score just by wiggling their fingers! Then, with two sets of hands, readers help the athletes unite as a team in the gatefold finale. Active and adorable characters model independence and teamwork, making this innovative board book perfect for interactive reading and playtime fun!

I Can Play

Jane Yolen

Chris Sheban

If you give a child a box, who can tell what will happen next? It may become a library or a boat. It could set the scene for a fairy tale or a wild expedition. The most wonderful thing is its seemingly endless capacity for magical adventure, a feature imaginatively captured in cardboardesque art by Chris Sheban and rhythmically celebrated in this poetic tribute by renowned children’s author Jane Yolen.

What To Do With a Box

Fiona Woodcock

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.

Hiding Heidi

Ashley Sorenson

David Miles

The color is blocked! Readers must rub, turn, and tap the pages to straighten out pipes, unplug corks, and keep the color flowing. But watch out–the color might run faster than you can keep up! Along the way, readers will learn primary colors, how mixing colors can make secondary colors, and why you should never, ever, put a turtle in charge.

Color Blocked

Kit Chase

Best friends really are the best when they use their imaginations to help each other.

Charlie, Oliver, and Lulu love to play outside together. One fine day they all go fishing, but Charlie doesn’t have much fun—all he can catch are sticks. Next, they build little boats and have a race, but, once again, things don’t go very well. Charlie’s boat comes in last.

Things seem pretty gloomy until Oliver comes up with a plan. They build a special boat they can all play on, together!

Kit Chase offers a sweet ode to friendship in this tale of three best friends who can count on each other to always make play time fun.

Charlie's Boat

Lucy Cousins

Doctor Maisy helps Panda when he is sick, but who will help Maisy?

In Doctor Maisy, Maisy and Tallulah play hospital. Poor Panda is sick, but feels much better with Doctor Maisy in charge. When it’s Maisy’s turn to need help, Nurse Tallulah comes to the rescue!

Doctor Maisy

Manelle Oliphant

Elizabeth Spurr

rain

Simple and evocative language and charming illustrations describe a girl’s experience on a rainy day. On a rainy day, a young girl makes a paper boat, splashes in puddles, makes mud pies, and has other springtime fun! Elizabeth Spurr and Manelle Oliphant together create a perfect sit-in-your-lap reading experience for toddlers.

In the Rain

Laura Perdew

Adelina Lirius

Can a pirate and a prince learn to share?

In the fort in the woods, a prince is preparing his castle for a lively feast for the royal kingdom. Unbeknownst to him, a pirate uses the same fort as her ship, planning to venture out to the open seas in search of treasure. But when a treasure map appears on the prince’s party invitations, and the pirate finds that her sword has turned into a scepter, they realize there is an intruder in the castle―no, ship! Soon, a battle over the fort between the adversaries ensues, leading to a humorous showdown. When they make amends, their amazing imaginations come up with a new adventure…together.

Kids will revel in the spirited and imaginative battle and be thrilled by the turn of events. Dynamic and charismatic illustrations bring this witty tale and its celebration of sharing and teamwork to life.

The Fort

Dan Richards

Claire Almon

Two girls on a play date learn there’s more to each other than meets the eye with a little help from their dolls in this exciting picture book adventure. Penny and Penelope are very different dolls. Penelope is a sweet princess, while Penny is a fierce secret agent. Penelope wants to ride her pony through the countryside, while Penny wants to wrestle alligators. How can they possibly get along playing in an imaginary kingdom? Luckily, Penny and Penelope are more than their packaging. After all, you can’t judge a doll by its outfit.

Penny and Penelope

David Martin

David Walker

What has more play potential than a rainy day? Peep and Ducky return in a splashy story that begs to be read aloud.

When Peep visits Ducky on a rainy day, the little pals have no trouble finding things to do. Inside, there is a tent to build and a pillow fight to be had. And outside, with the help of galoshes and umbrella, it’s fun to captain a boat—until a whoosh of wind and a clap of thunder sends them running back in! Perfectly tuned to a toddler sensibility, this exuberant tale will enchant both listener and reader.

Peep and Ducky Rainy Day

Valeri Gorbachev

When baby brother is sleeping, it’s time to be ever so quiet. There’s no singing or jumping or laughing at all. Even the toys need to be quiet! The pirates stop firing their cannons, the knights stop fighting, even the tiger stops growling. But when baby wakes up . . . it’s time to jump and laugh and sing again! And the knights begin to fight, the pirates fire up the cannons, and the tiger growls so loudly! Until it’s time to be quiet once again.

In this beautifully and expressively illustrated picture book, we celebrate the love between siblings as a big brother uses his imagination to calm his urge to cause a ruckus so that his little brother can sleep.

Shhh!

Cori Doerrfeld

In this charming picture book, brother and sister elephants come together for an afternoon of epic adventures as they let their big imaginations take them to the wildest of places!

When it comes to playtime, Maggie and Wendel’s imaginations are limitless. Whether the elephant siblings are pretending to rescue a pal from a burning building, buying a pet dragon at the pet store, or going on a wild jungle safari, no adventure is too far-fetched.

Perfect for young siblings of any age, this beautifully illustrated story with minimal text will enchant young readers and show every brother and sister that, with a little imagination, it is possible to get along.

Maggie and Wendel: Imagine Everything!

Jennifer Sattler

Make way for bunny Dollop and her sister, Lily (otherwise known as Mrs. Fabulous), in this rib-tickling sibling story by the popular creator of Chick ‘N’ Pug.

Dollop and Mrs. Fabulous

Tammi Sauer

Zoe Waring

Truck . . .Truck . . . Truck . . . Goose will never get to have his picnic if he can’t cross the street!

Bright colors and hilarious antics makes Truck, Truck Goose perfect for toddlers at bedtime, story time, or anytime.

With a clever play on the beloved game of Duck, Duck, Goose, it tells the sweet, sometimes chaotic story of a goose who just wants to cross the road in front of his cottage. And everything is going fine . . . until he drops his piano!

With bold and bright illustrations from Zoe Waring and minimal text from Tammi Sauer, Truck, Truck, Goose is great fun.

Truck, Truck, Goose!

A brother and sister enjoy a brilliant day full of spills, thrills, and silly adventures in this playful story comprised only of words that contain a double L (such as spills, thrills, and silly)! The spare, engaging text works as an interactive read-aloud, and the stunning illustrations invite repeated readings. A great choice for family sharing, language arts teachers, emerging readers, and storytime fun! Hello! Are you ready for a brilliant day? There are plenty of spills and thrills as a brother and a sister collide in bumper cars, ride roller coasters, toss beach balls, and act silly in the chilly ocean water, where they meet a jellyfish! This playful concept and story book is ideal for new readers, who will love following along as a brother and sister enjoy a day full of adventure and unexpected surprises. Author-illustrator Fiona Woodcock’s spare text uses only words with double L’s, an important concept for early literacy. Parents and educators will appreciate the way each word is cleverly woven into eye-catching illustrations, from rabbit ears to a child’s boots. Fans of Kevin Henkes’s Egg and Fiona Woodcock’s acclaimed debut Look will love the playful tone and pace.

Hello

Joy Heyer

Duck’s best friend Goose is gone for winter and Duck is lonely. The animals try to cheer Duck, but Duck, Duck, Pig is too messy, and Duck, Duck, Moose is too scary. Will Duck be alone until Goose gets back? Or can Duck come up with a game they all can play?

Duck, Duck, Moose

Leslea Newman

Cyd Moore

Ruthie loves to visit Nana, but they don’t always like to play with the same things. Ruthie loves fire engines and motorcycles, while Nana loves dolls and dress-up clothes. Nana’s neighbor, Brian, gets to play with fire engines and motorcycles. So why doesn’t Ruthie? Energetic illustrations capture the loving relationship between Ruthie and Nana in this insightful and sensitive story.

A Fire Engine for Ruthie

Gabriel Alborozo

siblings

Flora entertains herself by drawing and painting. Will leaps from trees and swings branches like they’re swords. The two siblings have always played separately, until Will is curious about what exactly Flora is putting in her sketchbook. Flora reveals that she has been drawing—and enhancing—all of Will’s imaginary adventures, and making up some of her own. In one joyful afternoon, brother and sister discover that playing together is always more fun.

This irresistible and thoughtful story about siblings has expressive, vibrant art as stunning as the adventures the children go on. It is perfect for fans of Jonathan D. Voss’s Brave Enough for Two and Ocean Meets Sky by the Fan Brothers.

Flora's Tree House

Chronicle Books

ImageBooks

A new title in the bestselling finger puppet series! Watch Little Horse prance in the sun in this simple, comforting story. The book features a permanently attached plush finger puppet and peek-a-boo holes in every page, giving parents and children a fun, interactive way to play and read together.

Little Horse: Finger Puppet Book

Very young children will go crazy for Maisy — and bathtubs!

Maisy and her friends act out the lively adventures young children have — or dream of having — every day. In Maisy Takes a Bath, Tallulah doesn’t want Maisy to take a bubble bath just now. She wants her to come out and play instead. What will Maisy’s friend do next? Here’s another very good reason to be crazy for Maisy!

Maisy Takes a Bath

Fred Koehler

The charmingly oblivious elephant Little Jumbo “saves the day” in a superhero story that’s perfect for fans of Ian Falconer’s Olivia

Being a superhero isn’t easy. All Little Jumbo wants to do is fight crime and defend the weak, by doing things like halting traffic for snails to cross the street and stopping Dad from sneaking cookies. It’s not his fault grown-ups don’t appreciate his heroic deeds! Luckily, Little Jumbo doesn’t give up easily. He even powerfully resists cake (his greatest weakness!) to help a new friend in need!

Super Jumbo is the hilariously sweet companion to Fred Koehler’s standout debut, How to Cheer Up Dad, which received three starred reviews.

Super Jumbo

Peter Bently

Helen Oxenbury

Jack, Zack and Caspar build a castle fort, then spend a day fighting dragons and beasts, but at day’s end giants carry away first Sir Zack, then Caspar, and only King Jack is left to face the night creatures alone.

King Jack and the Dragon

Jacqueline Véissid

Paola Zakimi

Ruby is always racing after her big brothers. But no matter how hard she tries, she can never catch up. Then one day, she discovers some sticks in the grass. Not just any sticks—swords! And suddenly the world is her kingdom. Readers will cheer on Ruby’s perseverance and creativity as they delight in the antics of the adorable animals that join her along the way. Anyone who has ever imagined themselves the star of their own swashbuckling adventure will find this sweet book irresistible.

Ruby's Sword

Mark Teague

The bestselling, award-winning team of Yolen and Teague present their fourth original dinosaur board book, a fun guide to friendship and playing nicely with others.

What if a dinosaur’s friends come to play?
Does he mope, does he pout if he can’t get his way?
Does he hide all his dump trucks, refusing to share?
Does he throw his friends’ coloring books up in the air?

Time and time again, children are told to “play nice.” This brilliantly illustrated board book is packed with rhymes that will teach children how. Mark Teague’s laugh-aloud illustrations, along with Jane Yolen’s playful text, will show children that “playing nice” can be easy and fun. Perfect for parents to read aloud with their children, this book is as humorous as it is instructive.

How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?

A new title in the bestselling finger puppet series! Tiny tots can enjoy swimming among the fish with Little Shark in this simple, comforting story. The book features a permanently attached plush finger puppet and peek-a-boo holes in every page, giving parents and children a fun, interactive way to play and read together.

Little Shark: Finger Puppet Book

Richard Jackson

Suzy Lee

Undaunted by the rainy weather, three children take their happiness outside and seem to chase the clouds away as they jump, skip, and dance together.

This Beautiful Day

Alice McLerran

Barbara Cooney

Marian called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.) There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill – nothing but sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, cactus and greasewood and thorny ocotillo – but it was a special place: a sparkling world of jeweled homes, streets edged with the whitest stones, and two ice cream shops. Come with us there, where all you need to gallop fast and free is a long stick and a soaring imagination. In glowing desert hues, artist Barbara Cooney has caught the magic of Alice McLerran’s treasured land of Roxaboxen – a place that really was, and, once you’ve been there, always is.

Roxaboxen

Nancy Viau

Talitha Shipman

Snowflakes falling! What a treat! Friends gather outside to celebrate the first snowfall of the season with snowball fights, sledding, building igloos, drinking hot chocolate, and making the most of a windy, wintry day. With rhyming text and cheerful illustrations, this is a charming celebration of the winter season.

First Snow

Katy Hudson

Unmoved by his friends’ attempts draw him out with singing classes and snowball fights, Tortoise tries to settle down for his annual winter nap and instead stumbles into a wonderfully icy experience.

A Loud Winter's Nap

Lita Judge

Why do animals play?

With thoughtful text and sweetly realistic watercolor art, author and illustrator Lita Judge explores the importance of play in the animal kingdom. She shows how play teaches animals to defend themselves and survive in the wild. More adorably, Judge highlights how animals make friends―and also forgive.

Grounded in detailed research, Play in the Wild is sure to captivate young readers while giving them an informative peek into the world around them.

Play in the Wild: How Baby Animals Like to Have Fun

Marie Letourneau

kites

the wind

perseverance

Argyle Fox, with his signature style, wants to play outside on a springtime day, but the wind is wreaking havoc with his fun and games. As soon as he builds a card tower, climbs into a giant spider web, or takes up his pirate sword, here comes the wind: Woosh! Mama Fox tells grumpy Argyle that if he thinks long enough, he will come up with something to do. Following his mother’s suggestion and inspired by her knitting, he works all the pieces of his day together and creates the perfect solution. The story of Argyle teaches that failure is often a path to success and celebrates perseverance, creative thinking, and an old-fashioned springtime activity.

Argyle Fox

Sophie Fatus

Celeste Cortright

games

Follow a diverse group of children as they enjoy their favorite games! Readers can delight in familiar play like hide-and-seek to more unusual activities like tangrams, all while learning about the importance of taking turns and participating. Includes end matter about the cultural origins of the featured games and toys.

Fun and Games: Everyday Play

Olivier Dunrea

playing

Gideon is a small gosling who likes to play so much that he will not stop to take a nap.

Gideon

Melissa Crowton

Sandra Horning

coding and programming

How do you explain coding in playtime to a baby? By showing how it’s all around them, and how they can take part in it, of course! By using items and experiences in a baby’s world, like an electric swing or a ride at the amusement park, this charming board book full of bright, colorful illustrations is the perfect introduction to coding in active play for babies and their caregivers–and is sure to leave them wanting to learn more!

Baby Code! Play

Rebecca Koehn

Simone Krüger

Drip, Drop, Plink. The rain stops, and Levi runs outside to play in a stream of rain water. But Polly puts an end to his fun when she doesn’t want to share. It’s a puddle fight! Until they see that the water is disappearing fast. Truce! They find a way to save the water and discover that it is more fun to play together. After the Rain puts a new twist on the rainy-day picture book about sharing and learning to work together.

After the Rain

Cale Atkinson

explorers

friendship

Boy and Bear both love to explore the outdoors. There are so many neat things to see, and so many strange things to find. These explorers are prepared for anything . . . except each other! When Bear and Boy meet in the woods, they’re scared at first. Really scared. But soon these kings of the wild realize that no mountain is too big to conquer if you have a friend to climb it by your side.

Explorers of the Wild

Renata Liwska

A simple story about complex imaginations, now in board book!

All Lucy wants to do is play with her brand-new, bright red wagon. But her mother has other plans for her-and the wagon. Lucy must go to the market and buy vegetables for dinner. Lucy doesn’t want to do chores! But she sets off for the market nonetheless, hauling her red wagon with her. Before long, her ordinary trip becomes a high-seas adventure, a ride through outer space, and a day at the circus. As long as she has her red wagon, not even chores can get in the way of Lucy’s fun.

Renata Liwska’s vibrant art takes center stage in this imaginative book for the youngest of readers, just the way it  did in her award-winning, New York Times bestselling titles The Quiet Book and The Loud Book!, both written by Deborah Underwood.

Red Wagon

Doug Cenko

Cuddle up with Dad for this sweet book about a father as seen through his daughter’s eyes. When Papa braids her hair, he’s a hairdresser; when he hangs her drawings on the wall, he’s an art collector. But no matter what happens, he is always her papa, and that’s the most important thing of all!

My Papa Is a Princess

Anna Dewdney

On the playground, Llama goes fast! Llama zips by on his scooter and swishes down the slide–whoosh! Younger audiences will love doing as Llama does in this supremely adorable fourth board book.

Llama Llama Zippity-zoom

Bethanie Deeney Murguia

When Mama’s schedule and Zoe’s playtime collide, what’s an explorer to do? A quest book, a sister story, and a race against the clock, Zoe’s Jungle is a heartwarming tale of adventure and imagination.

Zoe's Jungle

David Soman

So much more than a counting book, this heartfelt and timeless story is about inclusivity and the joys of making new friends, from the co-creator of the New York Times bestselling Ladybug Girl series A child’s solitary day at the playground turns into a boisterous park-wide adventure as one boy on the slide becomes two kids on the see-saw, then three jumping rope. Before long, ten new friends are playing like they’ve known one another forever. With its deceptively simple text and a rich visual narrative, How to Two is a playful counting and reverse-counting concept book as well as an exuberant celebration of inclusive play, friendship, and community.

How To Two

William Steig

Pete’s father starts kneading the dough. Next, some oil is generously applied. (Its really water.) And then some tomatoes. (They’re really checkers.) When the dough gets tickled, it laughs like crazy.

Top 10 Playing Books

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