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

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 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 of…well…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 things…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 reason—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 course—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 Süssbauer 
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 shouldn’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 end—otherwise I wouldn’t include this book in this list!
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