Offbeat Books Your Kids Will Love

Next time you are looking for a great book for your child, try something different! These offbeat books will have your kids laughing with every page! Their storylines and illustrations are all so clever and unique that they each make for an unforgettable read.

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Offbeat Books Your Kids Will Love

These offbeat books will keep young readers in stitches with their witty concepts.

Have fun with word play with this clever new picture book! Over, Bear! Under, Where? is the story of two friends, Over (a bird) and Under (a bear). As the friends play at the park, young readers learn to play with prepositions (such as when Over goes over Under on the swings), enjoy puns (like when a hot-dog dog joins them for a hot dog), and build compound words (such as when Under beckons to his friend by saying, “Over, come!”).Who says simple text can’t be fun and engaging?

Looking for a laugh out loud book to read with your kids? There’s a Dodo on the Wedding Cake by Wade Bradford is a follow up to the incredibly popular There’s a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor. It is one of those books my daughter asks to read again and again. Mr. Snore is back! He is asked to play his violin at a wedding but instead ends up as the self-proclaimed defender of the wedding cake. He fights off beasts of all kinds before learning that perhaps he was a bit hasty in his judgement. Hijinks ensue, of course, leading to a hilarious book kids will love.

See the Dog is a follow up to the hilarious See the Cat. Readers know right away that something is wrong, because even though the book is called See the Dog, the front cover shows, well, a cat! It turns out that the Dog has had to call in sick, so the Cat has agreed to fill in. However, the Cat soon regrets this decision, as they are forced to do all manners of things – like swim across a pond – that dogs love and cats absolutely do not. Can there be a happy ending? Young readers will love seeing how the battle between the narrator and star is resolved.

Jon Klassen is the king of offbeat books. His stories are always so original, and his witty new book The Rock from the Sky will definitely have your kids sit up and pay attention. Through its sparse text and emotive illustrations, it is a deep look at friendship and what to do about that eerie feeling in the pit of your stomach that something just isn’t right…

If you, like me, are a huge fan of Nathan Pyle’s Strange Planet series (be sure to check him out on Instagram), you will be thrilled to know that he now has a book out for kids! Thanks to author/illustrator Nathan Pyle kids get an opportunity to look at our wonderful, strange planet with fresh eyes. In the fabulous new picture book Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature, a little alien and its life giver (parent) make observations about a strange vibrating creature they see in their home. 😺 They diligently record their observations, such as when the creature cleans itself all over with its “flavor muscle” (tongue). Then they try to see if they can do the same. (Spoiler! They can’t lick their elbows). My daughter loves the book and its accompanying activity book, and I love how she is absorbing scientific practices without even realizing it! All of my kids have enjoyed this clever, witty book.

Contrary to what you might think, DJ Funkyfoot is not, in fact, a DJ, though his parents hoped that he would be. Instead, his dream job is a butler, and so he jumps at the chance to work for a day as butler – to the president! But the president refuses to sign an important peace treaty, choosing instead to play mini golf. Can DJ Funkyfoot find a way to save the day? DJ FunkyFoot: Give Cheese a Chance is the second in the series, which started with Butler for Hire. It is full of hilarious mishaps and crazy scenarios that will keep readers turning the pages for more.

Waffles and Pancake: Planetary-YUM is perfect for kids just starting off with graphic novels. When Dad-Cat takes Waffles and his sister Pancake on a trip to the Big City to visit the science museum, they see amazing sights. But in all the excitement, they get separated from Dad-Cat! Will they be stuck inside the museum forever?? This gentle adventure captures the emotions of a day trip plus helps kids see what happens when they get separated from their parent at a museum, as the tour guide helps them reunite with Dad-Cat. I also love that it normalizes parents who are separated, as Dad-Cat drops the kids back off with Mom-Cat then promises to return in a few days. The story also incorporates lots of fun facts about space, as they tour the science museum.