If you’re looking for books to spark your kids’ creativity, these reads are a great way to help them journey outside of their daily experience and open their eyes to what’s possible. Here are some titles to help inspire the young innovators in your life.
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
Vashti can’t draw—or so she thinks. This book is a reminder that creativity isn’t something you’re born with, so much as something to practice and build.
What Do You Do with a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
By stepping outside his comfort zone, the protagonist of this inspiring read is able to see his persistent problem in a different light.
Anything Is Possible by Giulia Belloni
When a wolf and a sheep team up to create a flying machine, they try and err and try again, discovering just what’s possible through collaboration and perseverance.
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
This book is all about marvelous mistakes and celebrating the opportunities within the unintentional. Full of pop-ups and paper engineering, it’s great for experiential learners.
Chalk by Bill Thomson
This book offers great practice in being visionary—it has no words. With vivid, imaginative illustrations as their guide, kids can write their own words for a story about creativity and problem-solving.
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Seven-year-old Rosie loves engineering but is afraid people will laugh at her contraptions. To help her great-great-aunt realize a dream, she must conquer her fears to design something marvelous.
Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull
This true story shows how Olympian Wilma Rudolph rejected the limited future she was offered and became the fastest woman on earth.
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Originally published in 1955, Harold and his imaginative moonlit walk have inspired generations to envision and create a better world.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
This true story follows 14-year-old William Kamkwamba and his mission to change the world by bringing a new form of electricity to his Malawi village.
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Inventing isn’t always easy. When a young innovator with a big idea fails again and again, she gets so mad that she quits—almost.
