After years of stockpiling my children’s library, especially for our reading program, I still can’t get enough of finding new and interesting read-alouds. While finding those teaching moments is important, sometimes you want something just for fun! I took to social media to track down some of the best interactive picture books, and they did not disappoint. Here’s a look at the top picks with tips for enhancing the reading experience and a few fun, free activities.
Enhance your classroom read-aloud time with the push of a button! Don’t Push the Button is about Larry, a quirky purple monster, who warns readers not to push the big red button… but of course, curiosity takes over! Once the button is pushed, silly things start happening—Larry changes colors, multiplies, and chaos ensues.
Larry’s hilarious personality and dramatic facial expressions make this a great book for exaggerated read-aloud voices. Plus, kids will love the interactive element as they “accidentally” push the button and see what happens next!
Engagement tip: This book is interactive and playful, directly engaging students by telling them not to push the button—then encouraging them to do so. Have students join in on repeating the phrases or take it a step further by using printable “buttons” for students to press throughout the story!
In Don’t Feed the Coos, a little girl learns the hard way that feeding one coo (a tiny, adorable pigeon) leads to many coos. Soon, she’s swarmed by an army of fluffy, wide-eyed birds who follow her everywhere! No matter what she tries, they just won’t leave!
The ridiculously cute illustrations make it easy to see why the coos are irresistible, something students won’t be able to get over. But the laugh-out-loud funny and relatable text will build connections, especially with kids who’ve ever had a persistent pet or an unexpected guest who just won’t go away!
Last week I had the honor of reading this book to a 1st grade class. After the read-aloud I led the students in a directed drawing of their very own “coo.” I wish you could see how precious theirs all turned out! We finished our time together with a very simple snack. Using a cupcake liner, we made a bird’s nest using broken pretzel sticks and jellybeans that looked like eggs. To make that more interactive, I gave each student a baggie with their “deconstructed bird’s nest.” It had their cupcake liner, pretzels, and jellybeans. The students made their nest before enjoying the snack.
Engagement tip: Since the story follows what happens when you feed the coos (pigeons), students can flap their arms like birds, pretend to throw food, or react dramatically to the growing flock.
This book flips the script on storytelling! In The Panda Problem, a narrator sets up a typical story—where the panda is supposed to have a problem—but the panda insists that he has no problems at all. Instead, he challenges the narrator by causing mischief, leading to a playful battle of storytelling between the panda and the narrator.
The back-and-forth dialogue between the panda and the narrator makes this a dynamic, engaging read-aloud. It’s full of humor, clever storytelling elements, and unexpected twists that make it feel like a game.
Engagement tip: This book plays with storytelling structure and features exciting moments of chaos. It’s a great choice for adjusting the reading speed—speeding up for excitement, slowing down for dramatic effect.
This over-the-top, self-assured book is very confident that readers are going to love it! But as the pages turn, it introduces things that kids typically dislike—broccoli, homework, and even the dentist—making readers wonder… Will they actually love this book?
Jory John’s signature humor—clever and witty with a touch of sarcasm— makes You’re Going to Love This Book an instant hit! A fantastic way to show that even the most boring things can be entertaining when told the right way!
Engagement tip: The book plays with kids’ expectations, making it extra fun to predict and react to what happens next. Stopping at key moments to ask students what they think will be revealed next will keep them engaged.
You’re Finally Here is a fun dialogue between the character and reader that will unleash the giggles in your classroom! A super-excited bunny greets the reader with an impatient “You’re finally here!” But then, the bunny realizes how long they had to wait and goes on a rollercoaster of emotions—complaining, celebrating, and questioning the reader all at once!
The expressive language makes it fun to talk about emotions, waiting, and why time always seems to move so slowly when you’re excited!
Engagement tip: The main character is expressive and talks directly to the reader, making it a great book to read with exaggerated voices, emotions, tones, and facial expressions to bring the character’s personality to life.
In You Will Be My Friend, Lucy the bear is determined to find a new friend. But her enthusiasm quickly turns into over-the-top persistence, and things don’t go quite as planned. As Lucy tries (too hard) to make friends, her efforts result in hilariously awkward encounters.
Lucy has a BIG personality, making this a fun book to act out with dramatic reading. It’s relatable too as kids will definitely relate to the struggle of making new friends!
Engagement tip: In addition to being great for dramatic expressions, the story is perfect for digging deeper. This book explores making friends, persistence, and social cues. It’s a great opportunity to ask students, “What would you do if you were Lucy?” or “How do you make new friends?”
Frog believes this book is perfect!—until things start going wrong. Smudges, scribbles, torn pages… chaos takes over! The frog’s reactions to the “imperfections” create an entertaining journey as he tries to keep the book just right.
This Book is Perfect has an engaging font layout and writing style that emphasizes the frog’s emotions—making it easy for kids to follow along dramatically. Plus, the frog’s meltdown over little messes is hilarious and oh-so-relatable (especially for perfectionists!).
Engagement tip: Like “Don’t Push the Button,” this book plays with the reader by insisting it’s perfect, which makes it fun for students to respond to. Having them repeat certain phrases or argue back at funny moments enhances engagement.
Just-for-fun books are perfect for when you’re a reading visitor, engaging at Literacy Night, hosting a Read-a-Thon, or just want to do something fun for your students. The seven books I’ve shared with you are solid options, but you can find even more engaging books in the full list of fun and entertaining read-alouds!
Hey, y’all! My name is Amy Lemons and I am passionate about providing students with both engaging and effective standards-based Math and ELA lessons.
Sample a day of Rooted in Reading with these lesson plans and activities for Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, and Grammar!
