100 books like What Do You Do With an Idea?

By Kobi Yamada, Mae Besom (illustrator),

Here are 100 books that What Do You Do With an Idea? fans have personally recommended if you like What Do You Do With an Idea?. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Where the Wild Things Are

Jane Yolen Author Of Giant Island

From my list on kids and mythical creatures.

Why am I passionate about this?

Hello! I am Jane Yolen, author of almost 450 books. I write picture books and novels, poetry, and graphic novels–mostly for children. I have published books about just about every subject imaginable. But I’ve always loved fantasy books especially. I grew up on the Alice in Wonderland books and the Arthurian legends. I, of course, carried that love into my writing life–having written about monsters, mermaids, and unicorns. I’m fascinated by fairies; they show up in a lot of what I write. Give me a real kid and a mythical creature of some sort, sprinkle in a bit of magicI’m in! 

Jane's book list on kids and mythical creatures

Jane Yolen Why did Jane love this book?

There is no doubt that this book is the classic example of a real kid with fantasy creatures. Not the first, but the one I return to over and over again. The first time I read it, I thought, “drat! Why didn’t I write this book?”

Not only is the story multi-layered, it is a story that reads like a poem and it has an unforgettable last line. 

By Maurice Sendak,

Why should I read it?

15 authors picked Where the Wild Things Are 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?

Read-along with the story in this book and CD edition!

One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper.

That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins.

But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet,…


Book cover of The Rainbow Fish

Tina Koopersmith Author Of What Am I?

From my list on young children to build self compassion.

Why am I passionate about this?

Children feel all their emotions, but I learned to suppress many emotions to avoid criticism. The youngest, I learned to not trust my intuition. I was taught that the mind was the path to success. In my chosen medical profession, physicians use intellect to heal bodies. The interconnection of thoughts, emotions, energy as well as interconnections between people and the environment are ignored. This separation from all of me was sapping me of the joy of living a full life. During my self healing integration journey: I uncovered limiting beliefs, reconnected with my heart, and dove deep into the source of my pleasure. Bringing this awareness to light should be healing.

Tina's book list on young children to build self compassion

Tina Koopersmith Why did Tina love this book?

Children love being unique and different. We live in a culture that celebrates beauty and shiny, glittery wealth and even “having” a lot.

The beautiful rainbow fish was indeed beautiful on the outside but this did not endear the fish to her peers. This book teaches that in gratitude and service to others, we show our love.

When we show our heart and share from the heart, this is a sign of true beauty, and this helps us better connect with others. And in this way–when we give love, we feel love. 

By Marcus Pfister,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Rainbow Fish as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The award-winning book about a beautiful fish who finds friendship and happiness when he learns to share is now available in a board book edition for the youngest child.


Book cover of I Am Enough

Tina Koopersmith Author Of What Am I?

From my list on young children to build self compassion.

Why am I passionate about this?

Children feel all their emotions, but I learned to suppress many emotions to avoid criticism. The youngest, I learned to not trust my intuition. I was taught that the mind was the path to success. In my chosen medical profession, physicians use intellect to heal bodies. The interconnection of thoughts, emotions, energy as well as interconnections between people and the environment are ignored. This separation from all of me was sapping me of the joy of living a full life. During my self healing integration journey: I uncovered limiting beliefs, reconnected with my heart, and dove deep into the source of my pleasure. Bringing this awareness to light should be healing.

Tina's book list on young children to build self compassion

Tina Koopersmith Why did Tina love this book?

This book promotes diversity and inclusion. But beyond that, it reaffirms that we are all more similar than we are different.

We are all packaged uniquely but our desire to be accepted and loved for who we are is universal. And we are all worthy no matter how we are packaged. To be human means we have a range of emotions. This is not a reason to judge another.

And we all have our own thoughts – this too doesn't make us more or less likable – we can agree to disagree. And like my other book, it reminds us that humans are also similar to animals and inanimate objects.

By Grace Byers, Keturah A. Bobo (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked I Am Enough 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 #1 New York Times bestseller and Goodreads Choice Awards picture book winner! This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation.

This gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another comes from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo.

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.

Plus don't miss I Believe I Can-the next beautiful picture celebrating self-esteem from Grace Byers and Keturah A. Bobo!


Serendipity

By Maria de Fátima Santos,

Book cover of Serendipity

Maria de Fátima Santos Author Of Serendipity

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Maria's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Serendipity is a magical story told by a grandmother to a granddaughter, introducing us to the traditional way of living of the Scottish Travellers and their Cant language.

A fantasy tale for children of 8 years old and older inspired by three real places in Scotland. Serendipity takes us to Helge's Hole in Forres, the Hermitage Forest in Dunkeld, and Glen Lyon in Perth on a quest for Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. It's a story of a grandmother's greater love for a granddaughter, a mother for a daughter, and the boundless bounty of the natural realm for each one of…

Serendipity

By Maria de Fátima Santos,

What is this book about?

Not so long ago, nomadic communities in Scotland told stories around camp fires and slept in bow tents made of hazel and canvas. In this book, their culture is introduced through Cant's vocabulary, a dialect spoken by Scottish travellers. Following them, Serendipity takes you to Helge's Hole in Forres, Hermitage Forest in Dunkeld, and Glen Lyon in Perth, meandering through the valleys and cragged peaks of the Scottish Highlands, in a quest for Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

Dive into Scottish culture as the old grandmother, Julia, recounts to her granddaughter Gaia the tale of a little girl of pure heart.…


Book cover of Are You My Mother?

Tina Koopersmith Author Of What Am I?

From my list on young children to build self compassion.

Why am I passionate about this?

Children feel all their emotions, but I learned to suppress many emotions to avoid criticism. The youngest, I learned to not trust my intuition. I was taught that the mind was the path to success. In my chosen medical profession, physicians use intellect to heal bodies. The interconnection of thoughts, emotions, energy as well as interconnections between people and the environment are ignored. This separation from all of me was sapping me of the joy of living a full life. During my self healing integration journey: I uncovered limiting beliefs, reconnected with my heart, and dove deep into the source of my pleasure. Bringing this awareness to light should be healing.

Tina's book list on young children to build self compassion

Tina Koopersmith Why did Tina love this book?

Dr. Seuss is a master author. This book reminds readers that all children desire to be seen, heard and develop deep connections and love.

Children are blind to differences: it is adults who are much more keenly aware of our differences and often separate us from love. In this book, we appreciate both sameness and differences. 

By P.D. Eastman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Are You My Mother? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The classic illustrated children's book, ideal for reluctant readers and children just beginning to read on their own.

This beautifully illustrated story of a baby bird's journey to find his mother is a timeless classic from beloved author P.D.Eastman.

Reluctant readers and children who have just started to read on their own will love joining the baby bird on his quest as he asks everyone (from a kitten to a cow) and everything (from a plane to a tugboat) that he meets, 'Are You My Mother?'

Beginner Books are designed to encourage even 'non-reading' children to read. This Green Back…


Book cover of From Sole to Soul: A Daily Prescription For Moving Forward In Your Life

Debra Fine Author Of The Fine Art of Small Talk: How To Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Networking Skills -- and Leave a Positive Impression!

From my list on cultivating connections.

Why am I passionate about this?

Cultivating connections is Debra Fine’s passion. Her previous life as an engineer and introvert left her longing for connections. Inspired to learn and then teach, Debra’s programs and books are designed to supply the tools and skills for great conversations, networking, and building relationships. Now the author of the bestselling book The Fine Art of Small Talk How to Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Networking Skills - and Leave a Positive Impression Debra delivers keynote programs and training workshop to hundreds of clients both face-to-face and virtually.

Debra's book list on cultivating connections

Debra Fine Why did Debra love this book?

This book inspires the reader to connect their mind with movement. The author has filled the days of the year with practice prompts, ideas to help boost self-awareness and push past adversity, and wisdom from artists and scholars as well. Sole to Soul motivated me to connect with nature, my own stillness, and with others. A great daily devotional. And a great gift especially during these tough times.

By Audrey Boxwell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked From Sole to Soul as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"From Sole to Soul: A Daily Prescription For Moving Forward In Your Life" is a daily invitation to step forward in life. Dr. Audrey Boxwell has filled the days of the year with practice prompts, ideas to help boost self-awareness and push past adversity, and wisdom from artists and scholars who have motivated her and hundreds of clients over the years. There is no better prescription for joy and well-being than daily movement. Sole to Soul gets readers up on their feet, ready to seize the days one step at a time.


Book cover of I Am Sovereign

Betsy Robinson Author Of The Last Will & Testament of Zelda McFigg

From my list on laughing while squirming with new self-awareness.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write to learn what I don’t know about myself and our purpose as flawed beings in this Alice-in-Wonderland world. In the documentary about singer/poet Leonard Cohen, creator of the much-covered “Hallelujah” (title of the documentary), to explain the song, he says that life is so impenetrable that the only options are to shake your fist or exclaim “Hallelujah.” I think there is a third option: to laugh. And I prefer to do all three because that is what comes through me: confusion, pain, and hilarity. And hopefully a better understanding of the whole mess once I’ve written about it. And that is what I hope to share with readers.

Betsy's book list on laughing while squirming with new self-awareness

Betsy Robinson Why did Betsy love this book?

Hint: You have to read a hard copy of this book because the comedy is designed into the fonts and layout, which could never be translated into an ebook.

This is a free-for-all bumper car ride between people and their ids, filled with abrupt and perfect transitions that are so logical in their illogic that they are funny. 

But not only is it unique and funny, but it is founded on a profound understanding of silence—its essential healing and our inability to find it. 

This book is so inventive I’m kind of amazed (1) that it got published and (2) that author Nicola Barker and this book appear to be wildly popular in the U.K.

By Nicola Barker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Am Sovereign as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

__________________________________________
'One of the funniest, most finely achieved comic novels, even by her own standard ... I think it's a masterpiece.' ALI SMITH

'I think Nicola Barker is incapable of a dull page. [Her work] is unified by its spirit of adventure.' KEVIN BARRY

Charles, a forty-year-old boutique teddy bear maker and wearer of ironic t-shirts, is trying - and failing - to sell his small, characterless house in Llandudno. His estate agent Avigail, whose name is definitely not Abigail, is trying - in vain - to rein in Charles's most unhelpful eccentricities, especially his repeated recounting to prospective buyers…


Book cover of This Book Just Ate My Dog!

Omar Abed Author Of The Book That Almost Rhymed

From my list on self-aware picture books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I always felt like books were mysterious and elusive works of art. When creating them occurred to me, I started to think, “What is a book, really, and what does it mean to publish one?” This over-analysis of books makes me appreciate authors who are able to step back and see books for what they really are–pages and ink. Distilling it down to that makes writing and publishing a book feel more accessible to me.

Omar's book list on self-aware picture books

Omar Abed Why did Omar love this book?

This book made such a clever use of the “gutter” in the middle of the book.

I have an irrational fear of picture book gutters and margins after formatting my first self-published book and making sure all the important stuff (including the text) stays in the frame.

This book gave me the feeling of ownership over the gutter that I never knew I needed.

By Richard Byrne,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked This Book Just Ate My Dog! 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?

In this wonderfully inventive book, Bella is taking her dog for a stroll across the page but halfway across, he disappears! Unable to quite believe what's just happened Bella watches, transfixed, with changing emotions of surprise, indignation, moments of renewed hope (as the authorities arrive to take control) followed by shock (as they too succumb to the book's inexplicable behaviour) and finally action when Bella marches toward the dangerous middle of the book . . . only to disappear herself! At this point, the book has consumed its characters and it's down to the reader to step in to help.…


Book cover of The Complete Stories

Karl Bjorn Erickson Author Of The Blood Cries Out

From my list on fiction across all genres by Christian authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been deeply moved by how people of substantiative faith translate it into literature. After all, an important difference exists between Christian fiction and fiction by Christian authors. The author, who understands that this life is not everything, is able to infuse so much more depth, emotion, and truth into the narrative than his counterpart.  Shortly after watching the movie The Song of Bernadette in Oxford, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote to his son in the RAF to say, “My mind and heart are still filled with Bernadette Soubirous, and long may they be so. Every quality of a ‘fairy story,’ plus truth and sanctity, is an overwhelming mixture.” 

Karl's book list on fiction across all genres by Christian authors

Karl Bjorn Erickson Why did Karl love this book?

I absolutely love Flannery O’Connor’s short stories; they are like shining gems of literary perfection. She sees through all the meaningless masks and artifices that people put up to mislead and distract, and she describes the motivations at the heart of the conflict. 

No two of her characters are the same, and she brings a clarity of thought and vision like few other authors can. Often, the characters within her short stories make jaw-dropping pronouncements about either themselves or issues of faith or morality. For example, in A Good Man is Hard to Find, the sudden turn of events can be shocking, but there is always a great value to every word she painstakingly wrote in her short life.

By Flannery O'Connor,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Complete Stories as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the National Book Award

The publication of this extraordinary volume firmly established Flannery O'Connor's monumental contribution to American fiction.

There are thirty-one stories here in all, including twelve that do not appear in the only two story collections O'Connor put together in her short lifetime--Everything That Rises Must Converge and A Good Man Is Hard to Find.

O'Connor published her first story, "The Geranium," in 1946, while she was working on her master's degree at the University of Iowa. Arranged chronologically, this collection shows that her last story, "Judgement Day"--sent to her publisher shortly before her death―is a…


Book cover of I Don't Want to Read This Book

Omar Abed Author Of The Book That Almost Rhymed

From my list on self-aware picture books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I always felt like books were mysterious and elusive works of art. When creating them occurred to me, I started to think, “What is a book, really, and what does it mean to publish one?” This over-analysis of books makes me appreciate authors who are able to step back and see books for what they really are–pages and ink. Distilling it down to that makes writing and publishing a book feel more accessible to me.

Omar's book list on self-aware picture books

Omar Abed Why did Omar love this book?

I’m not usually big on celebrity authors, but this story made me feel like the author really didn’t enjoy reading when he was growing up.

It’s simple and silly and, ultimately, a great way to convince non-readers to get into reading. And hey, by the end of the book, you’ve realized you’ve read a book about not wanting to read a book…how neat is that?

By Max Greenfield, Mike Lowery (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Don't Want to Read This Book 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.


Book cover of Preparing for Parenthood: 55 Essential Conversations for Couples Becoming Families

Elly Taylor Author Of Becoming Us: The Couple's Guide to Parenthood

From my list on pregnancy and new parenthood for couples.

Why am I passionate about this?

Around 25 years ago, I thought my husband and I were ready for parenthood…until we got there. And as a relationship counselor, I was listening to countless stories of couples struggling through the rollercoaster ride of becoming a family too. So I wondered: can couples actually prepare for this? For years I waited for a book to recommend to my clients to guide them after our sessions ended and I ended up writing (an award-winning) one instead. This turned into training for professionals, and now expectant couples are doing Becoming Us courses at the hospitals where our three children were born. And, thankfully, there are more books to support new families too!

Elly's book list on pregnancy and new parenthood for couples

Elly Taylor Why did Elly love this book?

What I love most about this journal-type workbook is how practical and easy to digest it is. The book doesn’t give specific advice but provides prompts and worksheets for couples to focus on the most frequent topics of concern for new parents so they can plan ahead for how to manage them. The book poses thought-provoking questions for partners to learn more about their own and each other’s experiences, values, and hopes and discover where both their challenges and strengths may be. Couples can pick it up, open it to any page, and have conversation prompts as well as an action item that can help them to move forward. I can imagine couples revisiting these conversations again and again over time to see how they’ve progressed and where any sticking points might still need to be worked through.

Best for: expecting couples or those who are thinking about having a…

By Stephanie Dueger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Preparing for Parenthood as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Can anyone really prepare for parenting?

Yes!

Couples often spend surprisingly little time getting ready for this huge rite of passage. They may paint the nursery, but neglect discussing how their roles may change. They may have a car seat ready, but not a will.

The first of its kind, this interactive book provides couples with essential conversation-starters and action items to complete before becoming parents. In Preparing for Parenthood, you’ll discover how to transition to parenting in ways that best align with your own beliefs and values by:
• Learning the biggest concerns couples face when becoming new parents…


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