7 Imaginative and Funny Picture Books Kids Love (Ages 3–7)

 

Kids love picture books that are funny and imaginative, as they keep them engaged and make reading more enjoyable.

Here are seven fun and imaginative picture books that children will love.

1. Room on the Broom — Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

A delightful picture book that engages little readers with its lively rhyming narrative and warm, expressive illustrations. The imaginative storytelling gently highlights the values of sharing, friendship, and kindness.

Children will be transported into the witch’s magical world and enjoy the adventure she shares with her animal friends — the dog, cat, bird, and frog.

The story follows a kind-hearted witch who, with the help of her animal friends, uses friendship and teamwork to outwit a hungry dragon and eventually finds herself with a much more spacious broom to ride on.

This magical world of a kind witch, a fearsome dragon, and a flying broomstick is sure to spark the imagination of young children.

If your child enjoys Julia Donaldson’s storytelling, you may also enjoy this collection of her most loved picture books.

Age range: 3–7 years

Best for: Children who enjoy rhyming stories, magical adventures, and funny animal characters. 

2. Franklin’s Flying Bookshop — Jen Campbell & Katie Harnett

The charming story of Franklin’s Flying Bookshop celebrates the love of books and the joy of sharing the stories you read with others.

This book is about Franklin, a gentle dragon who absolutely adores reading. He lives in a cave filled with books and reads about everything on earth.

At first, he is a bit lonely, as there is no one with whom to share the stories he reads, because the nearby villagers are afraid of him and run away as soon as they see him. Eventually, he befriends a little girl who loves to read too.

Soon they come up with the idea of setting up a bookshop with all the books in Franklin’s cave, and they do it on his back, between his wings. The little girl introduces Franklin to the people of the village, who slowly begin to overcome their fear of the dragon and listen to his stories.

The story ends with Franklin reading books to the villagers from the bookshop on his back as he flies high in the sky and reads by the light of the moon.

Jen Campbell’s warm and imaginative storytelling and Katie Harnett’s enchanting illustrations create a cosy and magical world that gently reminds young readers how books can bring people together.

This delightful story makes a lovely read for children who enjoy stories about friendship, imagination, and the magical world of books.

Age range: 3–7 years

Best for: Children who love books, dragons, and imaginative adventures.

 

3. Wendy and the Wallpaper Cat — Jason Hook & Ilaria Demonti

Wendy is a little girl who is never tired and never sleepy. Even when her parents insist that it is bedtime and she has no other options left, she simply cannot fall asleep. She lies awake all night trying different ways to bring sleep — from counting sheep and dancing on the bed to reading her favourite rhyme book and switching off the lights — but nothing works and sleep never comes.

One day, her parents take her to stay with her grandfather, whose house is filled with beautiful wallpapers, with each room having its own unique pattern and design.

As Wendy explores the warm wallpaper designs in every room, her imagination and creativity begin to take over, and at last she discovers the secret that helps her fall asleep.

She is soon transported into a magical world with a playful blue cat from the wallpaper and embarks on an unusual adventure.

Inspired by the classic wallpaper designs of the great illustrator Walter Crane, the book’s vibrant illustrations and playful storytelling make it a wonderful choice for children who enjoy imaginative stories and the beauty of art and colours.

Age range: 3–7 years

Best for: Children who enjoy imaginative stories filled with playful surprises and colourful illustrations.

 

4. Dangerous — Tim Warnes

Dangerous is a wonderfully funny picture book filled with many adjectives that can help children expand their vocabulary.

It is an amusing story about a little Mole who is obsessed with labelling things. He gives a name to everything he comes across and sticks a label on it describing what it is.

Tim Warnes combines playful humour with lively illustrations to create a story that not only enriches vocabulary but also gently teaches empathy and reminds readers that appearances can sometimes be deceiving. Children will giggle as Mole comes across a strange sleeping creature and tries to identify what it might be. At first, he is not quite sure how he should label this new discovery. He describes its long body with all sorts of adjectives — from lumpy and bumpy to tough and scaly — but still has no idea what the creature actually is.

Mole is frightened out of his wits when the strange creature suddenly yawns, and he quickly runs for cover, afraid that he might be eaten. Convinced that the creature might be dangerous, he decides to place a “dangerous” label on it — only to accidentally wake it from its sleep.

As the lumpy, bumpy creature begins gobbling up all the labels Mole has been sticking around, Mole becomes quite furious. Children will remain completely engaged in this entertaining story and will be eager to discover whether the creature might gobble up Mole as well.

This light-hearted and entertaining book makes a great story to read aloud.

Age range: 3–6 years

Best for: Children who enjoy funny animal stories, playful humour, and lively illustrations. 

  

5. Nothing Happened — Mark Janssen

We rarely come across picture books where the storyline is so simple and minimal, yet says so much by saying almost nothing at all. The rest is done through the illustrations — illustrations that speak volumes about what is really happening in the story. This book is a wonderful blend of a simple story told with very few words, while the illustrations do the rest.

The story begins with two little children discussing their day, which seemed to have been rather dull. The little boy Nick casually describes the things he has done, like making a handstand, going for a swim and sitting down to rest for a while. These might otherwise seem like ordinary things done in everyday life. However, the illustrations tell a very different story. We see that the handstand was done on a tiger’s head, and that he swam among an array of colourful and exotic fish and even a whale underwater before resting on the nose of an enormous dragon.

Through the day’s experiences that the little girl Sarah then narrates, we realise that ordinary things children do — like sliding down a slide, whistling a tune, or spotting a butterfly — can be turned into the most extraordinary adventures if their imagination runs wild. Suddenly the slide becomes an elephant’s trunk, the whistling turns into singing with tropical birds, and the butterfly is watched together with a group of bears.

Mark Janssen’s bright and energetic artwork brings children’s everyday experiences to life, making this a truly unique picture book. It reminds readers how wonderfully powerful a child’s imagination can be.

Age range: 3–7 years

Best for: Children who enjoy funny visual storytelling and imaginative picture books.

  

6. My Dad at the Zoo — Coralie Saudo & Kris Di Giacomo

This is the kind of book that brings plenty of laughter to storytime. The story begins with a funny role reversal where the parent behaves like an impatient little boy while the child acts like a responsible adult. We see the father waking up his still-sleepy son early in the morning because he is excited about going to the zoo.

Once they arrive, Dad behaves exactly like an overexcited kid. He can’t stand still in the queue or at the animal enclosures and keeps rushing from one place to another, leaving his son constantly trying to keep him under control.

Parents will easily recognize the familiar scenes that follow. Dad throws a tantrum because he wants ice cream, loses yet another hat along the way, and even drops his ice cream on the ground in the middle of all his antics.

The story humorously captures the everyday challenge of a parent trying to stay calm and patient while dealing with a silly, impulsive child. Here, however, the roles are reversed. Dad insists on visiting every single enclosure again so he can say goodbye to each animal before finally being led out of the zoo by a very exhausted “parent” — his son.

But the adventure doesn’t end there. Dad rushes to the souvenir shop, grabs a stuffed toy, and insists on taking it home. The son, however, firmly refuses and leads him out of the zoo, leaving the overly enthusiastic father sulking like a child whose wishes have not been granted.

It is also a fun way of helping kids recognise their own behaviour while celebrating the bond between a father and son at the same time.

Age range: 3–7 years

Best for: Children who enjoy funny family stories and playful illustrations.

 

7. The Ugly Five — Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

Does your child have a favourite animal? My child often chooses hers depending on how cute it looks. This book is especially for children who decide on their favourite animals based on appearance. It gently shows that while some animals may look majestic and elegant, others may appear unusual or even a little scary, yet each one has an important role to play in nature. It also reminds children that no matter how we look, we mean the world to our families.

The Ugly Five is a wonderful and heartwarming story that celebrates the beauty of animals that are often considered unusual or unattractive.

The story introduces five African animals — the wildebeest, hyena, warthog, vulture, and marabou stork — who proudly describe themselves as the “Ugly Five.” Despite how others may see them, these animals are happy and content with who they are.

This book is also a lovely way to introduce these animals to young readers. It gently encourages children not to judge others by their appearance, but to look beyond it. As the story unfolds, we meet the babies of each of these animals, whose view of their parents is very different — full of love and admiration.

Through Julia Donaldson’s rhythmic storytelling and Axel Scheffler’s expressive illustrations, the story gently reminds readers that beauty can be seen in many different ways, especially through the loving eyes of family.

This cheerful and uplifting book makes a delightful story to share with young children.

Age range: 3–7 years

Best for: Children who enjoy funny animal stories and gentle messages about self-acceptance.

  

Final Thoughts

From laugh-out-loud moments to imaginative adventures, each of these books offers something special for young readers.

They are perfect for making storytime fun, engaging, and memorable.

You may also enjoy:

• 4 Thoughtful Picture Books That Help Kids Understand Feelings 

• 6 Gentle Bedtime Picture Books That Help Busy Little Minds Slow Down (Ages 3–7)