Skip to main content

If You Like...Animal Picture Books with Surprise Endings

 Here is the thing, I am a sucker for a good picture book. And if that picture book has a clever ending, then I love it even more! I am listing a few of my favorite picture books with fun animals that have a clever ending that totally surprised me the first time I read them. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I do! 

By Matthew Cordell 
Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Picture Book.

Evergreen is a squirrel who is a bit afraid ofā€¦wellā€¦everything. But one day her mom sends her out to go through the forest to deliver some soup to her granny. There is adventure, there is bravery, and there is a fun surprise once Evergreen reaches Granny Oak. It is clever and I may have guffawed out loud when I first read this one! 

By Greg Pizzoli 
Little, Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book.

In this fun picture book, a little girl is looking for Mister Kitty. (Her dog on the other hand may not be so interested in finding the lost pet.) With fun cutouts that help kids look for Mister Kitty, there is sure to be a lot of laughter and animal identification. Plus, the end is quite comical. Especially if you pay attention to how the dog responds to everything. 

By Guilherme Karsten 
Owlkids Books, 2022. Picture Book.

This book is all about some animals playing a jungle game of hide-and-seek. Of course, the animals must all run away from big scary thingsā€¦but the surprise ending will have youngsters giggle at what is the thing the whole jungle is running away from. Lots of laughs will accompany this fun book full of lots of jungle animals. 

By Adam Stower 
Orchard Books, 2012. Picture Book.

Okay, this book is the one older title that I am including in this list. But there is a reasonā€”this is a great (and silly!) book with a fun ending! In this story, Lily finds a bear in her garden and decides that it is a dog that she wants to keep for a pet. Readers will laugh out loud at how silly each situation is that Lily puts the bear through. And, there is a fun surprise of an ending (of courseā€”I did add it to this list for a reason!). This is one of my all-time favorite silly animal picture books. 

By Brooke Hartman 
Illustrated by Anna SĆ¼ssbauer 
Page Street Publishing Co., 2023. Picture Book.

There is a lion hiding inside the book. And readers are warned. Lions are, after all scary and terrifying. So, perhaps readers shouldnā€™t go looking for the lion by turning all the pages. And of course, readers will. Because this is a silly book that takes a look at fears (and animals!) and helps readers understand that sometimes it is good to confront fears. And of course, there is a bit of a surprise at the endā€”otherwise I wouldnā€™t include this book in this list!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

If You Like...Ladybugs

Spring is almost upon us! We'll have more rain instead of snow, flowers will start blooming, and more bugs will be out. Ladybugs are some of the prettiest insects--and the least intimidating for those more wary of bugs. If you like ladybugs, check out these books! Ladybugs Do Not Go to Preschool Written by Ali Rutstein Illustrated by NinĢ‹a Nill Richmond, VA: Bright Light, 2024. Picture Book. Ravi loves ladybugs--he eats aphids instead of cornflakes for breakfast, brushes his mandibles instead of teeth, and has a ladybug costume complete with wings and antennae. He is certain that ladybugs don't have to go to preschool, and when Mom says that Ravi still has to go to school, he is nervous. However, thanks to Mom's patience and gentle encouragement, Ravi makes some new friends and realizes that preschool might be a good place for ladybugs after all. A Perfect Spot By Isabelle Simler Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book. A ladybug is ready to ...

You Need to Read: Percy Jackson

I was a kid myself when  The Lightning Thief  by Rick Riordan was published, and it didn't take long for the Percy Jackson series to take the world by storm. Being the son of a Poseidon, Percy Jackson has some unique challenges as a half-blood. Here's some books that I think could've helped Percy when he was on his adventures trying to save the world: Greeking Out: Heroes and Olympians Written by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes Illustrated by Javier Espila Washington D.C.: National Geographic, 2024. Informational. 191 pages. Percy, I know Chiron did a good job teaching you about mythology in Latin class, but this book is sure to be good to have on hand while you're traveling across the United States. Greeking Out  is written in a kid-friendly voice with vivid illustrations and a sometimes-snarky tone (much like Percy himself). It also presents real-life creatures and places along with the information about Greek mythology. The Homework Squad's ADHD Guide to School S...