Welcome back to Kids’ Weekly Wow list where I share the must-read books worth making room for at bedtime, Storytime, or whenever the chaos allows, and because life is chaotic—we might as well have good books for the plot!

Chester van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen

Rhymes?

Easy!

Until they aren’t.

Chester Van Chyme Who Forgot How to Rhyme is a wonderfully silly read-aloud that turns wordplay into a full- on audience participation event. With lines like:

“See, Chester loved rhyming, in poem or song. It always felt right, but today it felt…

…not right. VERY not right.”

The magic is in the pause: stop before the rhyming word and let your little listeners shout out what they think should come next, then watch their faces when the book delivers a completely wrong word instead. The resulting confusion, giggles, groans and enthusiastic corrections are half the fun, and this book definitely proves that sometimes getting it wrong is exactly what makes a book SO right!

Invisible Things by Andy J. Pizza & Sophie Miller

What if you could actually SEE a feeling, hear a vibe, or give a face to an emotion?

Invisible Things takes all those little (and big!) things we experience but can’t quite see and brings them to life with wonderfully quirky illustrations and imagination.

From the sound of a barking dog to gratitude, grit, and those days when you just feel… blah, this book reminds us that there’s a whole lot more to our world than meets the eye.

It’s such a lovely way to get kids thinking about and exploring their own emotions without turning Storytime into a therapy session.

A little quirky, a lot of imagination, The Invisible Things are doing some seriously visible work here!

Lou by Breanna Carzoo

Meet Lou.

A fire hydrant whose day job is being the neighborhood’s favorite place for dogs to… well, you know.

But Lou can’t shake the feeling that he is meant for something more than being a glorified doggy bathroom. When a fire breaks out nearby, Lou gets the chance to discover his true purpose and prove that even the most overlooked among us can be heroes.

With hilarious bathroom humor (which, let’s be real, even we adults can’t help but giggle over) fun illustrations and a heart-warming message about self-worth, Lou is an adorable reminder that we all have something special to offer.

Make sure to catch her other two; The Squish and Greenlight, also!

Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast by Josh Funk

What could possibly ruin a beautiful friendship?

The LAST DROP OF MAPLE SYRUP, obviously!

When Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast discover their syrup supply is almost gone, their friendly relationship turns into an all-out race through the refrigerator. From the Orange Juice Fountain to Sauerkraut Peak, these breakfast buddies go through a deliciously ridiculous world of food, determined to claim the sweet syrupy prize for themselves.

Full of clever rhymes, wacky illustrations, and breakfast puns to keep little listeners giggling, this story serves a tasty reminder (see, it’s rubbing off on me!) that friendship is worth more than winning.

Because even sophisticated breakfast foods can lose their minds over condiments.

Willodeen by Katherine Applegate

This middle-grade read is a lovely choice for readers 8-12 who are environmentally conscious, enjoy magical creatures, and standing up for themselves.

Eleven-year-old Willodeen adores creatures most people would rather avoid (especially the smelly, sharp-toothed screechers her village consider as pests). When the beloved hummingbears (you read that right, hummingBEARS) mysteriously disappear and the world of nature around her begins to suffer, Willodeen suspects that these creatures might be more important than anyone realizes.

With a little magic, an unexpected friendship, and plenty of courage, she sets out to uncover the truth and stand up for the creatures who can’t speak for themselves.

Willodeen is a little magic, a lot of heart, and a reminder that the world needs it’s weird little creatures (honestly, relatable), while also showing us us that every living thing has a purpose, even the ones that aren’t conventionally cute, and that sometimes the world’s biggest problems begin when we underestimate the things we don’t understand.

Also, this is an excellent book-club read!

Other books by Applegate include The One and Only Ivan series, Odder, Crenshaw, and more- forever one of my favorite J FIC authors!