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Classics for Kids: Toddler-Friendly Illustrated Versions of Literature’s Must-Reads
It’s never too early to get young readers hooked on the classics—and we don’t just mean Goodnight Moon. Give your kids a head start on their high school reading list with illustrated versions of some of literature’s most beloved books, from Moby Dick to Little House on the Prairie. (Darker plot points and themes of the originals are, of course, cheerfully glossed-over in these kid-friendly versions.) Gorgeous illustrations will draw kids in while simple stories keep pace with tiny attention spans—proving that a picture really can be worth a thousand words.
Cozy Classics, by Jack Wang and Holman Wang
The adorable illustrations in this series by Jack and Holman Wang aren’t drawings or sketches: They’re photographs of tiny, custom-made and posed felt figures (everyone from Jean Valjean and Elizabeth Bennett to Captain Ahab and Huck Finn). The simple layout assigns one word to each image, telling the stories through basic noun and verb concepts: friends, walk, marry, hug, read, run, whale. And while the publisher supplies a list of quotes from each novel so you can shared the original text with your kids as they get older, the photos of the incredibly detailed—and surprisingly emotive—characters are the main attraction.
Les Petites Fairytales, By Trixie Belle, Melissa Caruso-Scott and Oliver Lake
You’ll have their entire childhoods to watch (and rewatch) the Disney versions of Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid: Until then, rely on the sweet drawings and single word descriptions of the Les Petits Fairytales books. The villains aren’t quite as scary and the princesses aren’t quite as mature, but the endings are always just as happy—which makes these books a perfect way to introduce your own prince and princesses-in-training to the iconic tales (without all the merchandising).
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My First Little House, by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Renee Graef
Can’t wait to share the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family with your kids? Before they’re old enough for chapter books, try the My First Little House picture books. The first three books in the original series (Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, and Farmer Boy) are broken up into short stories about specific events—Christmas in the Big Woods, Prairie Day, Winter on the Farm, and others—that give young readers their first glimpse into the Ingalls and Wilder families. Illustrator Renee Graef expands on Garth Williams’ original drawings, bringing to life Pa’s blue eyes, Ma’s warm smile, Mary’s golden curls, and Laura’s unforgettable pioneer spirit.
Ships in 1-2 days.
The BabyLit series, by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver
The one-word-per-page format gets an educational twist in the BabyLit series, where each book is designed as a primer for a different subject. Count with Romeo and Juliet from one balcony to ten kisses; identify colors with Alice in Wonderland’s white rabbit, red hearts, and brown hat; mimic the sounds of the Hounds of the Baskervilles (including howl, creak, and chime). But it’s not just ABCs and 123s: Anna Karenina is a fashion primer, Wuthering Heights teaches weather, Don Quixote spouts Spanish, Frankenstein instructs on anatomy. And throughout the series, the colorful, graphic illustrations are as enchanting for kids as they are for adults.
What classics are you keen to introduce to your little one?