Celebrity Picture Books that Aren’t Bad, by B.J. Novak, Julie Andrews, Emma Thompson, and Spike Lee

“Legitimate children’s book authors”—that is, those who won a publishing contract through finely-honed craft and dogged persistence—have nothing but scorn for picture books with celebrity names on them. It’s a scorn tinged with envy, because all the celebs had to do (we imagine) is scribble a few pages of text and stick their name on it as a magic talisman to guarantee sales. The reality is bound to be more complicated than that, because it always is. And very few celebrity picture books are best-sellers, though they may chalk up decent sales. They may even be decent, if not brilliant, representations of the genre. Here’s a representative sample by authors whose names you may recognize.

The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak. Dial, 2014, 48 pages.

Reading Level: 0-4

Recommended for: ages 2-5 as a read-aloud

Okay, this one was a best-seller, with over 19,000 positive reader reviews on Amazon. Novak is best known as the insufferable Ryan Howard from The Office, but he was writer first. The Book with No Pictures is based on the concept that words have as much power as pictures (most authors would agree). “Everything the words say, the person reading the book has to say.” No matter what. So, read-alouder, get ready to incriminate yourself as “a robot monkey with a head of blueberry pizza.” And sing a silly song. And read a bunch of nonsense words. And praise the little one sitting beside you as THE BEST KID EVER. It takes a certain level of unself-consciousness to read this book aloud, but audiences are guaranteed to love it.

The Enchanted Symphony by Julie Andrews and Emma Hamilton, illustrated by Elly Mackay. Abrams, 2023, 40 pages.

Reading Level: ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 3-7

With her daughter Emma Hamilton, Julie Andrews has filled up her post-musical years with almost twenty picture books and middle-grade novels. Most of them, not surprisingly, have to do with music and/or theater, and The Enchanted Symphony involves both. The authors base their story on a picture of an actual event—a concert hall in Barcelona where every seat was filled with house plants. On stage a string quartet was performing Puccini’s “Crisantemi.” “The image of the plants in the opera house inspired us to write our own celebration of art, music and nature” as an answer to the confinement, fear, and solitude forced on everyone by the Pandemic. As sadness descends on a European village from some unnamed source, Piccolino and his father the maestro find a way to reintroduce joy through music. Swirling colors create the mood shifts for this hopeful story.

The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson, illustrated by Eleanor Tayor. Frederick Warne (Penguin), 2012, 72 pages.

Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 2-6 as a read-aloud

In her preface the author explains how she received a package from an old childhood acquaintance. “The parcel contained some half-eaten radish tops and a letter inviting me to write a new tale.” Which may seem presumptuous, but Dame Emma insists the invitation came from Peter himself, so there. In this tale he climbs into a basket on a cart, eats some pickle & cheese sandwiches, and falls asleep while transported to the hills by Mr. and Mrs. McGregor. Escaping their ire after they discover he’s eaten their picnic, he encounters a huge black rabbit named Finlay McBurney. Of course Peter will find a way home, but with misadventures along the way. It’s a slight tale, but beautifully produced, with thick pages, similar typeface to the original, and similar soft-toned illustrates. Buy the original, but this one is worth a borrow. It’s the first of a 3-part series including The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Spectacular Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Please Baby Please by Spike and Tonya Lewis Lee, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Simon & Shuster, 200, 28 pages.

Reading Level: Picture book, ages 0-4

Recommended for: ages 2-6

Lively illustrations by Caldecott honoree Nelson are the main attraction, with laugh-provoking exaggerated expressions and saturated colors. The title character is one lively and mischievous toddler who gives his parents a run for their money. Their continual reprimands take us through a day of getting in trouble: “Keep off the wall/ You share that ball/ Don’t eat the sand/ Now hold my hand,” etc. Each line has its own refrain, all variations on Please Baby. It seems to me the Lees missed an opportunity by mixing up the order of the words (please baby please, baby baby please baby, please baby baby baby) rather than sticking to a single pattern that the listener could quickly learn and thus participate in the reading. But it’s a fun trip for little ones who are just past that stage, or maybe still in it.

NOTE: Please Baby Please is also available as a board book.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Books illustrated by Kadir Nelson include If You Plant a Seed (starred review), The Undefeated, We Are the Ship, and Nelson Mandela.
• Resource: Looking for good picture books? Just click our Picture Book review category, or type “picture books” in the search box.

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here.

Order The Book with No Pictures from Amazon.

Order The Enchanted Symphony from Amazon.

Order The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit from Amazon.

Order Please Baby Please from Amazon.