A reader-inspired hunt for a roundup of favorite picture books for boys and girls who love action and humor
A reader asks:
“What I continue to look for is stories of a grand scale but at a 4-5 year old level. So many kids’ books feel too… soft and cuddly, I’d have to say. My son wants pirates and dragons, adventure, danger, and heroes. It’s really hard to find books that fit the bill. Suggestions welcome! The kids’ section at the public library is 99% modern, untalented hackery… Terrible art, terrible subject choices, terribly uncompelling storytelling. I’m getting desperate for some new, quality material.”
Great question, Andy! Thank you for asking.
Picture books for boys (and girls) who love action and humor
Three Tea Picture Books
These illustrations might appear soft and cuddly, but the narratives and visuals are SO lively!
My husband has observed that enjoying tea is a symbol of peace, and I agree. It is remarkable that so many children’s books feature teatime as an event or a detail in an illustration, inviting the reader to pause reflectively as the conflict in the story is either suspended or finally ended.
Three Irresistible Picture Books for Boys
Why for boys? Well, I don’t know many girls who think underwear is hilarious. But girls will enjoy these too.
- What’s the funniest word in the English language?
- What competition is the fiercest?
- Do machines that are massive and gloriously noisy EVER have to quiet down for the night?
Six Picture Books for Boys Who Can’t Sit Still!
Boy humor again. And superheroes, and Star Wars.
Here are six favorite, irresistible picture books for boys who are competitive, love superheroes, hate peas, dig holes, and occasionally take baths before they finally go to bed.
The ABCs of Building Your Picture Book Collection
Yes, Shark vs. Train is on this list again. Read it, and you’ll understand why it keeps showing up. Here’s my family’s desert island picture book collection and how to go about picking out books in the library, where there are too many titles that I would describe as “meh.”
What, you thought you could just walk into a bookstore and buy a book? How do you determine whether or not a picture book is worthy, not only of your book budget, but also the limited bookshelf space in your home?
A Cookie Story Tea
Back to tea and food, because you need a great chocolate chip cookie recipe and some tried-and-true action stories to go with it.
A cookie story tea is a great place to share my personally developed recipe for chocolate chip cookies. May these books enhance your pleasure in making and sharing them! (Recipe provided.)
I’m Just No Good at Rhyming
Okay, you didn’t ask about poetry, but here’s our favorite.
If you want to read this hilarious and thoughtful poetry book, hide it from your kids or else you’ll never get a turn.
The Guaranteed, Irresistible, Effortless Introduction to Poetry for People Who Doubt That They Like It
I also highly recommend these.
If you or your children aren’t sure how to develop a taste for poetry, especially if you haven’t decided whether you ought to feel obligated to do so, I have a short, painless book list for you. Would you like to know who these poets are?
Enjoy!
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Megan,
None of these links are followable. Is there a way to change that? I would love to be able to see if my library carries some of these titles. Is this from your Instagram page?
Thanks for your help!
Julie, thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! I reformatted the post so they should all work smoothly. Thank you for making the extra effort to find them. 🙂
Never mind, if I go to open the link in a new tab, it took me to the page!
THanks!
As the submitter of the question, thanks for the recommendations! I’m also trying a rather ambitious option right now… I recently managed to pick up a used bookstore copy of “The Wanderings of Odysseus” by Rosemary Sutcliff. It’s a retelling of the Odyssey, for somewhat older kids. (Not only that, but I managed to get the version with illustrations by Alan Lee, the brilliant illustrator who was a design artist for the Lord of the Rings films. https://www.amazon.com/Wanderings-Odysseus-Odyssey-WANDERINGS-ODYSSEUS/dp/B00824X43G/ I got it for a few dollars but it’s harder to find online.)
My 4-year-old was enraptured by the art and the story, and has been demanding I read a couple chapters a day. The challenge is that I essentially have to modify as I read, to allow him to understand. I replace hard vocabulary with words he knows, or summarize long descriptions, and skip the more gory parts, all on the fly or with a brief skim beforehand. It’s been worth it, as he’s eating it up, and it feels much more meaningful, and we have more interesting conversations about the characters and their actions, than with most kids’ books. (Warning to those who are sensitive: the Alan Lee illustrations include partial nudity of nymphs and goddesses, in a tasteful classical style similar to what you would see in museum paintings and sculpture. But I believe there are other illustrated editions that are more kid oriented.)
I suppose my takeaway is that kids can handle and thrive on more epic and challenging stories than you might think. My daughter also demanded I read her The Hobbit when she was in 2nd or 3rd grade, though it was challenging for her as well. So go for it… embrace the classics, and look for age-appropriate versions of the stories that form the foundations of literature, thought, and allusion. The kids will be richer for it.
We couldn’t agree more! Kids love epic stories just as much as they enjoy picture books. For the curious, there are some vividly illustrated versions of The Odyssey and The Iliad that may be more suited to younger audiences: they are adapted by Gillian Cross and illustrated by Neil Parker.
Andy, thank you so much for following up! When my eldest was a baby, I read him Pinocchio and The Hobbit, and he has always loved words. I’m a strong believer of introducing children to a broad and generous vocabulary. It’s fun to hear what they pick up and use in conversation. Now that your grandson has the idea of The Odyssey (and yes, Lee’s illustrations can be rather sensual), try reading it unabridged. I’m sure he will enjoy it!