Are you looking for cool books for kids to read? In this article we will collate some of our favourite.
How do we define cool books? We're looking for books in which the narrative or story is strong and the design or illustration lives up to those levels. Ideally, the writing and aesthetics will be such that they can appreciated by parents and adult readers as much as by kids.
So, without further ado, here are some of our favourite cool books for kids to read.
Happy Birthday Madame Chapeau
by Andrea Beaty
Written by Andrea Beaty and with illustrations from the always excellent David Roberts, Happy Birthday Madame Chapeau tells the tale of a lonely, shy hatmaker who finds friendship after disaster strikes on her birthday.
Out In The Wild
by Oliver Lake
Unlikely animal friendships are the subject of this book, which is written and illustrated by Oliver Lake. Expect armadillos reading to alligators, and whales kissing birds!
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Engaging and entertaining biographies of inspiring female role models, each capped off with a lovely illustration of the subject. On trend, yes, but also really well done.
Blown Away
by Rob Biddulph
An intrepid penguin and his friends embark on an exciting flight aboard his new kite. Beautifully written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph.
Jack and The Flumflum Tree
by Julia Donaldson
Pretty much anything written by Julia Donaldson makes for a great children's book, but remember we're looking for cool books for kids to read for the purposes of this list. For our money, Jack and The Flumflum Tree is the Donaldson book that fits the bill (largely due to the illustrations by David Roberts, who features in this article for a second time).
The Book With No Pictures
by B.J. Novak
A picture book with no pictures... and far more entertaining than it sounds. This turns a favourite children's pastime of trying to get you to say silly things on its head by making the reader aware that the book is putting words in their mouth.
How To Be A Lion
by Ed Vere
A lion who prefers poetry and daydreaming to roaring and hunting comes under pressure to live up to expectations of what a lion should be.
World At Your Feet
by Rob Parker
It would remiss of us not to include our own books for your consideration. World At Your Feet features 16 memorable goals brought to life by rhyming verse commentary and stunning illustrations by Lawerta. Buy it here.