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This entertaining tale follows a loopy logic: If you give a mouse a cookie he’s going to want some milk, and a straw…and much, much more. Be sure to read other favorites in the series like If You Give a Moose a Muffin. Ages 8 and under.

The formulation of the Science Comics series is straightforward: Children will happily tackle big ideas and hard science when presented in the form of a graphic novel–and spiced up with a lot of silly jokes. These books covers everything from robots and drones to coral reefs to plagues, and will turn any kid into a scientist-in-training. Bonus: You’ll learn a lot, too. Ages 5 and up.

Alma is an adorable little girl with a very long name—Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela to be exact. Where did all of that come from? Each part of her name is an homage to a relative, and each relative has a story. This delightful book, which won the 2019 Caldecott Medal for Juana Martinez-Neal’s illustrtions, is also available in Spanish under the title Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre. Ages 4-8

What wouldn’t this tree do for this little boy? Shel Silverstein masterfully weaves a tale of unselfish love and unending sacrifice as, starting with apples and shade, a tree gladly gives more and more to a boy over the years, eventually giving all of itself. Ages 4–8.

A polite young bear, dressed in a stylish red hat, shows up in London’s bustling Paddington Station with no more than a suitcase full of marmalade. The Brown family takes him in, unprepared for the mischief that Paddington and their children, Jonathan and Judy, will get into together. Ages 4–10.

The math is simple: Hats + Monkeys = Hilarity. One of the all-time great read-alouds, the story of a man who loses his caps thanks to some light-fingered simians is sure to earn giggles from your listeners. Ages 4 and under.

Young Emily finds an amulet in her great-grandfather’s library that she absently puts on. It’s only later, after she and her brother Navin travel to another world to save their mother with the help of a robot bunny named Miskit, that the power of the amulet is revealed and Emily becomes a Stonekeeper. And so it begins—this is a fantastical series of graphic novels (8 volumes and counting) that will feed young imaginations. Ages 8 and up.

This iconic series about goofball Gauls fighting hapless Romans in the time of Julius Caesar has been making kids snort and chortle since 1959. Since then it has been translated into 111 languages and dialects. Asterix has been a part of childhood generations, and for generations to come—Volume 38, Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter was published last year. Ages 6-12.

Kuma-Kuma Chan is a bear who lives a quiet and contemplative life in a small house in the mountains. He’s a mindful animal, who takes care when he makes a salad, and stops to think about the sound of the rain on the roof. Much of the charm of this calming book comes from the elegantly simple illustrations. Ages 6 and under.

The idea of leaving your cozy home for adventure and possible death is beautifully conveyed in Tolkien's classic. More kid-friendly than the later Lord of the Rings sequence, this tale of trolls, orcs, a smooth-talking dragon, hungry spiders, giant eagles and more balances literary excellence with good old-fashioned action. Ages 8 and up.

What's more fun than a day at the beach! But there are too many people, and the sand is too itchy, and the seawater too sticky. It's all too much, but Dad knows just how to help his little one refocus and enjoy the excursion to the see. This Beach Is Loud is for kids with sensory-processing issues, but the book explores themes that are helpful for any child. Ages 4-6.