100 books like The Little Red Hen (Little Golden Book)

By Diane Muldrow (editor), J.P. Miller (illustrator),

Here are 100 books that The Little Red Hen (Little Golden Book) fans have personally recommended if you like The Little Red Hen (Little Golden Book). Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners

Mike Amante Author Of The Puppy Who Lost His Woof

From my list on animals that teaches good morals and values.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Filipino illustrator who draws children’s books for both publishers and for private commissions. I also have been reading children’s books as part of my job. My go-to children's stories are often about animals and nature. I hope you'll like the books on this list as much as I do!

Mike's book list on animals that teaches good morals and values

Mike Amante Why did Mike love this book?

This is one of my favorite children’s books until today. It’s wonderfully illustrated and it teaches good manners in a fun way. I like how Brother Bear and Sister Bear pretended to observe good manners in compliance with Mama Bear’s Politeness Plan but as time passed, they eventually ended up practicing good manners out of habit. I also like that the book showed that not even the grown-ups (such as Papa Bear) are exempted from the house rules.

By Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

This classic Berenstain Bears story is a perfect way to teach children about the importance of good manners!

Come for a visit in Bear Country with this classic First Time Book® from Stan and Jan Berenstain. Mama has noticed that Papa, Brother, and Sister have not been using their good manners, so now it’s up to her to help get back on track. Includes over 50 bonus stickers!


Book cover of Porcupine Pirate Plans the Perfect Day

Mike Amante Author Of The Puppy Who Lost His Woof

From my list on animals that teaches good morals and values.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Filipino illustrator who draws children’s books for both publishers and for private commissions. I also have been reading children’s books as part of my job. My go-to children's stories are often about animals and nature. I hope you'll like the books on this list as much as I do!

Mike's book list on animals that teaches good morals and values

Mike Amante Why did Mike love this book?

This book teaches a fundamental lesson that kids should learn as they grow up, which is the importance of seeing the silver lining of things especially when things don’t go your way. I think this book would also be a great way to introduce kids to comics. It’s not a graphic novel but a children’s book with some aspects of comics in it. The illustrations are super fun to look at too! I like how there’s a variety of creatures in this book.

Book cover of Aesop's Fables for Little Children (Story Collections for Little Children): 1

Mike Amante Author Of The Puppy Who Lost His Woof

From my list on animals that teaches good morals and values.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Filipino illustrator who draws children’s books for both publishers and for private commissions. I also have been reading children’s books as part of my job. My go-to children's stories are often about animals and nature. I hope you'll like the books on this list as much as I do!

Mike's book list on animals that teaches good morals and values

Mike Amante Why did Mike love this book?

I like reading a lot of animal stories and Aesop’s Fables is definitely on top of my list. The Town Mouse and Country Mouse fable is my favorite. When I was young, I never got to appreciate it but reading it as a grown-up, I can totally relate to how Town Mouse and Country Mouse felt about their hometowns. For me, no matter what place I travel to, I will still always prefer to live in my hometown. I recommend this version in particular because it’s geared towards younger readers. The morals are indicated at the start of every story to guide the readers on what lesson is being taught. I love the aesthetic of this book as well. It has a beautiful painterly and cartoony style to it.

By Various,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Aesop's Fables for Little Children (Story Collections for Little Children) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

A delightful collection of six stories, with lively retellings and colourful artwork by Columbian illustrator, John Joven. A perfect first introduction to Aesop for little children. Stories include well-known classics The Lion and the Mouse, The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse and The Ant and the Grasshopper.


Book cover of All by Myself

Mike Amante Author Of The Puppy Who Lost His Woof

From my list on animals that teaches good morals and values.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Filipino illustrator who draws children’s books for both publishers and for private commissions. I also have been reading children’s books as part of my job. My go-to children's stories are often about animals and nature. I hope you'll like the books on this list as much as I do!

Mike's book list on animals that teaches good morals and values

Mike Amante Why did Mike love this book?

I recommend this children's book because it empowers kids to do most of their daily tasks on their own. I wish I had read this book growing up. It would have motivated the young me to not see myself as incapable of doing big household tasks such as gardening.

By Mercer Mayer,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked All by Myself as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter wants to show you all the things he can do for himself in this classic, funny, and heartwarming book. Whether he’s tying his shoes, coloring a picture, or riding his bike, both parents and children alike will relate to this beloved story. A perfect way to teach children about independence!


Book cover of The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah

Caryn Yacowitz Author Of Shoshi's Shabbat

From my list on Jewish children’s picture stories to read aloud.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was young, my father made up stories to tell me, my brother, and my sister each night. One of my favorites was an ongoing series entitled The Lady with the Big Toe. The Lady and her Toe enjoyed daring adventures but the best part was hearing my dad’s voice, being near him and my siblings. I’m not great at making up stories on the spot but because of my study of Jewish texts, languages, and traditions, I knew I wanted to share story-telling and Jewish culture with my own children and grandchildren. Picture books, which are meant to be read aloud, are a magical vehicle for culture/values. 

Caryn's book list on Jewish children’s picture stories to read aloud

Caryn Yacowitz Why did Caryn love this book?

I love stories peppered with Yiddish. Youngsters should know “schlep” and “chutzpah,” Right? And clever riffs on traditional tales are another favorite. Hence The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah immediately became my Passover must-read-to-the grandchild-choice. I also love to laugh and there are plenty of giggles in this book.

When Sheep, Horse, and Dog don’t help the Little Red Hen prepare for the holiday she finally gets upset but then, ever aware of the mitzvah of feeding the hungry, she gives in and invites all of them to her seder table. I must admit that after many years of preparing seders and also leading them, I’ve often felt like the Little Red Hen. “Hey, where are the helping hands here?” And, like her, I’m glad when everyone sits down to celebrate together.

By Leslie Kimmelman, Paul Meisel (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A classic tale gets a Jewish twist, when Little Red Hen asks her friends for help making Passover matzah. 

Before she knows it, Little Red Hen tells herself, it will be time for Passover. So she decides to plant some grain.  But when she asks her friends to help, they're too busy for her.  "Sorry, bub," says the Horse.  "Think again," barks the dog. 

Oy gevalt!  "Friends, shmends," she says.  "I'll just do it myself."

But when the wheat is grown and harvested, when the flour is milled and the matzah baked and the Seder table set-- all by Red…


Book cover of The Lion & the Mouse

Jacky Davis and Giselle Potter Author Of Olive & Pekoe: In Four Short Walks

From my list on unlikely friendships.

Why are we passionate about this?

The subject of friendship can be explored endlessly, as every friendship is unique. I am especially drawn to stories of unlikely friendships that look at the surprising and interesting ways that we show up for one another. One of the things that I see in all of the stories that Giselle and I have chosen, is that these unusual friendships make a difficult, awkward, or downright scary world a better place to be. 

Jacky's book list on unlikely friendships

Jacky Davis and Giselle Potter Why did Jacky love this book?

Jerry Pinkney beautifully tackles Aesop’s fable, The Lion & the Mouse. His version is wordless except for a few, potent calls from the animals in the savanna. Pinkney’s luminous watercolor illustrations depict alive and intricate landscapes and animals. Life is shown to be rich, beautiful, and dangerous as a mouse narrowly escapes the talons of an owl, only to stumble upon a magnificent lion. The lion kindly sets the mouse free, and later in the story when the lion is captured by hunters, the mouse hears his mighty roar and comes to his aid, nibbling away the ropes. Once released the lion and the mouse return to their families. I love how this story reflects the inter-dependency of all of us, and how we all matter for the well-being of the other, no matter the size or status of any one individual.

By Jerry Pinkney,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Lion & the Mouse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Caldecott Award-winning and New York Times bestselling fable of compassion and kindness retold by acclaimed artist Jerry Pinkney.

In award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney's wordless adaptation of one of Aesop's most beloved fables, an unlikely pair learn that no act of kindness is ever wasted. After a ferocious lion spares a cowering mouse that he'd planned to eat, the mouse later comes to his rescue, freeing him from a poacher's trap. With vivid depictions of the landscape of the African Serengeti and expressively-drawn characters, Pinkney makes this a truly special retelling, and his stunning pictures speak volumes.

Don’t miss these…


Book cover of The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again

Neil Williamson Author Of Queen of Clouds

From my list on fantasy whose location is the heart of the story.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the sort of writer who constantly asks “what kind of story could I set here?” A quiet copse, a busy mall, a shabby wedding venue, all locations have their own stories to tell in addition to those of the characters who inhabit them. Stories work best when the location is the pivot around which everything else happens. This is doubly true for secondary world fantasy because, when you’re creating a world, you don’t just tease the story out of its locations—you can weave it into the fabric of the place. Which is how I created the world of Queen Of Clouds, down to its very motes.

Neil's book list on fantasy whose location is the heart of the story

Neil Williamson Why did Neil love this book?

The setting of this masterful story is contemporary London, but one dominated by water: rain, rivers, canal boats, ponds. As the novel progresses, the characters’ only partially successful attempts to connect feel hampered by the decreasing definition of the boundaries between land and water. A sense of hopeless inevitability pervades every page, that in the world of this drowning London something has changed. Something irreversible.

By M. John Harrison,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*WINNER OF THE GOLDSMITHS PRIZE 2020*

*A New Statesman Book of the Year*

'A mesmerising, mysterious book . . . Haunting. Worrying. Beautiful' Russell T. Davis

'Brilliantly unsettling' Olivia Laing

'A magificent book' Neil Gaiman

'An extraordinary experience' William Gibson

Winner of the Goldsmiths Prize 2020, this is fiction that pushes the boundaries of the novel form.

Shaw had a breakdown, but he's getting himself back together. He has a single room, a job on a decaying London barge, and an on-off affair with a doctor's daughter called Victoria, who claims to have seen her first corpse at age thirteen.…


Book cover of How UFOs Conquered the World: The History of a Modern Myth

Neil Nixon Author Of UFOs, Aliens and the Battle for the Truth: A Short History of UFOlogy

From my list on making you an expert on UFOs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been writing for publication since I was a student, crudely the writing has been a way of medicating the fact I’m incurably curious about a range of things and I’ve also suffered from an over-production of ideas my whole life. Wrestling this under control into writing and live speaking where the subjects must fit within a title, word limit, or running time for a talk has been helpful, beyond which the whole writing career has been a trade off between things I’ve chosen to do because they matter a lot to me, and the occasional accepting of an offer I thought too good to refuse.

Neil's book list on making you an expert on UFOs

Neil Nixon Why did Neil love this book?

A clear and well-argued account of how the planet became obsessed with stories of alien encounters and what they might mean to us.

An essential read for anyone curious about the subject largely because it considers the whole planet, not just the truly UFO-obsessed United States. It frequently presents the best and most challenging UFO cases with a clarity that gets to the heart of each claim, and never forgets that one thing driving the enduring popularity of the subject is that – whatever the truth behind each claim – we’re dealing with incredible claims that make for great stories.

By David Clarke,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How UFOs Conquered the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A history of the various manifestations and shifting meaning of the Twentieth Century's single great contribution to mythology: the UFO.

Neither a credulous work of conspiracy theory nor a sceptical debunking of belief in 'flying saucers', How UFOs Conquered the World explores the origins of UFOs in the build-up to the First World War and how reports of them have changed in tandem with world events, science and culture. The book will also explore the overlaps between UFO belief and religion and superstition.


Book cover of The Magpie's Nest: A Treasury of Bird Folk Tales

Allison Galbraith Author Of Dancing with Trees: Eco-Tales from the British Isles

From my list on environmental storytelling for folklore freaks.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I spent summers looking for adders on the Common and winters walking through snowstorms pretending to be a Hobbit in Tolkien's Middle Earth. My travels and studies taught me the importance of respecting different cultures and our planet. Glasgow Libraries gave me my first storytelling work in 1992, and I have a Master's degree in Scottish Folklore. I live in Scotland, sharing stories through writing and storytelling. Having collected hundreds of traditional folktales about our ancestors' wisdom and folly, I co-authored my first book, Dancing With Trees, Eco-Tales from the British Isles, to reflect our need to understand nature's wisdom and help us live sustainably on Earth.

Allison's book list on environmental storytelling for folklore freaks

Allison Galbraith Why did Allison love this book?

Taffy Thomas MBE was the UK's first storytelling laureate and is a mesmerising storyteller.

He has clearly spent his entire life appreciating birds. His chosen stories are delightfully blended with folklore, history, rhyme, riddles, bird facts, and fiction. Reading this book is like a nature ramble with a wise, witty friend. The charming pictures, black and white and colour add to the joy of this magical book.

I usually dip in and out of folktale books, looking for stories to tell, but this book captivated me from the first page, and I read it from cover to cover. Birds are one of the most enigmatic and accessible connections for humans to the natural world.

Taffy weaves that connected world with respect, lyrical storytelling, art, and loving intelligence.

By Taffy Thomas, Becca Hall (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Magpie's Nest as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From crowded train stations to quiet woods and from city centres to our own back gardens, birds remind us that nature is everywhere. But do you know which is the king of the birds? Has anyone ever told you how the brave swallow got its forked tail? And what of the owl, who was really a baker's daughter? Take a look inside The Magpie's Nest, where a hoard of stories, riddles and rhymes is waiting for you. Suitable for all ages and charmingly illustrated by Lakeland artist Becca Hall, this is an essential collection of stories for all who love…


Book cover of One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale

Joseph D'Agnese Author Of Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci

From my list on helping your kids fall in love with math.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a boy, Joseph D’Agnese grew up absolutely convinced that he was terrible at two school subjects: math and science. Lo and behold—he ended up making a career writing about both! For more than seven years, he edited a children’s math magazine for Scholastic, and was rewarded for his work by multiple Educational Press Association Awards. His children's book about the Fibonacci Sequence, Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci, is available in five languages worldwide, and as a classroom DVD. Blockhead is an Honor Book for the Mathical Book Prize—the first-ever prize for math-themed children's books. Joe’s work in science journalism has been featured twice in the prestigious annual anthology, Best American Science Writing.

Joseph's book list on helping your kids fall in love with math

Joseph D'Agnese Why did Joseph love this book?

This is a classic mathematical fable that has been brought to life by several authors. Demi sets the story in India, and it’s marvelous to watch how quickly the numbers add up when you take a single grain of rice and double it day after day. The illustrations, inspired by traditional Indian art, are breathtaking, and may well inspire your child to create their own mathematical art. At the very least, they’ll start demanding more tasty rice dishes at the dinner table.

By Demi,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One Grain of Rice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Long ago in India, there lived a raja who believed that he was wise and fair. But every year he kept nearly all of the people's rice for himself. Then when famine came, the raja refused to share the rice, and the people went hungry. Then a village girl named Rani devises a clever plan. She does a good deed for the raja, and in return the raja lets her choose her reward. Rani asks for just one grain of rice, doubled every day for thirty days. Through the surprising power of doubling, one grain of rice grows into more…


Book cover of The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners
Book cover of Porcupine Pirate Plans the Perfect Day
Book cover of Aesop's Fables for Little Children (Story Collections for Little Children): 1

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