Top Fantasy Books for Kids

Fantasy is a story that occurs in a virtual world and is often influenced by real-world myths and folklore. In other words, it’s a depiction of events in a made-up world about things that stem from real life. The origins can be traced back to tales related to one another while sitting at a bonfire or traveling, which evolved into fantasy literature and theater. 

Since the dawn of the twentieth century, the telling of tales has spread into various mediums, including films, graphic novels, television shows, animated films, and video games.

The absence of scientific or horrifying aspects distinguishes fantasy from science and horror, yet these genres can also overlap. In pop culture, the genre of fantasy and fiction is primarily associated with medieval themes. However, in a broader sense, fantasy includes works by many writers, painters, filmmakers, and singers ranging from ancient tales and legends to several current and famous works.

It’s never too late to start reading fantasy books, no matter how old you are, especially with many exciting books available. And of course, when combined with a child’s imagination, these stories may come to life, making every moment better and better. 

Best Fantasy Books for Kids

1. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is one of the best children’s stories written by Judi Barret and explained by Ron Barett. Since its first release in 1982, it has sold over three million copies. This book has become well-known among children all around the world. There’s an animated movie made on it which is based on the same story. 

It fills the classrooms with comedy, fantasy, and creativity. Children can imagine what it would feel like to live in a town like “Chewandswallow”; yet, this book turns imagination into reality. It starts like any other ordinary day with the family sitting down for breakfast but quickly transforms into fantasy. 

The food rains down from the sky three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As a result, residents of Chewandswallow always take their plates, glasses, forks, cups, spoons, knives, and napkins with them since they never know what weather they will experience.

2. Dragons Love Tacos

Dragons Love Tacos

Written by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri, Dragons love Tacos is an excellent book for kids who love dragons and soft tacos. Did you know dragons adore tacos? They like beef and chicken tacos. They love and enjoy both big tacos and baby tacos.

Where there are tacos, there is spicy salsa as well to compliment them, and when a dragon accidentally eats salsa, you can guess what would happen. After all, it is in the nature of dragons to blow flames from their noses. 

3. Fox In Socks By Dr. Seuss

Fox in Socks

Fox in Socks was published in 1965 by none other than Dr. Seuss. It includes two main characters: Fox and Knox. Fox speaks almost entirely in complicated rhyming tongue twisters, and Knox, a yellow anthropomorphic dog who struggles to keep up with Fox’s tongue twisters until the end. 

The story starts by introducing Fox and Knox. Then, after going through numerous variations of those four rhyming things, other items like chicks, bricks, clocks, etc., are added. As the story proceeds, Fox recounts each scenario in increasingly complicated rhymes, with Knox occasionally grumbling about the difficulty of the tongue twister. 

4. Harold And Purple Crayon

Harold and the Purple Crayon

This book was written by Crockett Johnson and published in 1955. It is Johnson’s most successful work, which has led to sequels and many adaptations. The story’s plot goes like this: Harold, the protagonist, is a clever four-year-old child who, with his purple crayon, can create a world of his own by sketching it. 

Harold wants to go on a moonlight walk, but there is no moon, so he makes one. He has no patch to walk on, so he draws one. He finds his room, and at the end, he sketches his own house and bed and goes to sleep.

5. If I Built A House

If I Built a House

“If I Built a House” is a fantasy book written by Chris Van Dusen in 2012. The story is a follow-up to the “If I Built a Car,” in which Jack dreams of a fantasy ride that could do almost anything. Now, he is back with another imagination, but this time h wants to build a house. The house he wants must have a race track, a flying room, and a big slide. Jack’s boundless imagination and enthusiasm encourage aspiring young innovators to imagine their unique designs.

6. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Published in 1985, this book is written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. Numeroff’s and Bond’s first collaboration in the If You Give series is described as a “circular tail” showing a slippery slope. The whole story is told from the second person’s perspective. 

A mouse receives a cookie from the boy. Then the mouse requests a glass of milk. He then asks for a straw to drink the milk, a mirror to avoid a milk mustache, a nail cutter to cut his hair in front of the mirror, and a broom for sweeping off his hair trimmings. 

Next, he wants to take a nap, listen to a story, draw a picture, and hang it on the refrigerator. Then, when the mouse looks at the fridge, it makes him thirsty, so he requests a glass of milk. Finally, the circle gets completed when he requests a cookie to go with it.

7. The Polar Express

Polar Express 30th anniversary edition

The popular kids’ fantasy book “The Polar Express” is written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. The book is now widely known as a classic Christmas tale for young children. It was praised for its beautiful illustrations and peaceful, relaxing plot. 

The story takes place in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the author’s hometown. Interestingly, the story is partly inspired by the author’s childhood memories of shopping at Herpolsheimer’s and Wuzburg’s department stores. 

The Polar Express is a perfect fantasy read for kids with strong imagination skills. The book will take kids to a place that is filled with fun and thrill. 

8. Where the Wild Things Are

Where the Wild Things Are

This fantasy book is written and illustrated by an American writer and illustrator, Maurice Sendak, and was published by Harper & Row in 1963. This storybook was converted later into several forms of media, including an animated short movie in 1973, a 1980 opera, and a live-action feature film adaptation in 2009. 

As of 2009, the book has sold over 19 million copies worldwide, with 10 million sold in the United States. This book focuses on a young kid named Max, who, after dressing up as a wolf, causes such chaos in his family that they send him to bed without supper. 

Max’s bedroom mysteriously transforms into a jungle setting, and he finds himself sailing to an island populated by terrifying monsters known as the Wild things. Max is hailed as a king after successfully intimidating the creatures.

However, after some time, Max begins to feel lonely and decides to return home. And when he returns to his bedroom, he finds a delicious hot meal waiting for him.

9. The Complete Tails of Winnie-the-Pooh

The Complete Tales of Winnie

Winnie-the-Pooh is a famous children’s book of 1996. It is the first collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stories written by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard. The story follows the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, a teddy bear, and his friends: Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo. 

Kanga and her son Roo are introduced later in the book, in the chapter “In Which Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest and Piglet Has a Bath.” Tigger does not appear until The House at Pooh Corner.

Fantasy Books – An Adventure Written In Words

We’ve all grown up reading fantasy stories and owning fantasy or comic books at some point that we’ve spent days and days reading. They made us completely captivated by the story to the point we could also imagine it and explore the world from different perspectives. 

These fantasy books presented a relatable scenario and presented the readers with something to draw connections with their social reality. Hence that is why these books are worth buying for your kids so they too can have that epic experience.