Books like 'Help Wanted, Must Love Books'
Readers who enjoyed Help Wanted, Must Love Books by Janet Sumner Johnson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy family humor children fairy-tale poc-mc myths retellings
-
The Land of Stories #1-6 by Chris Colfer
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDive into the complete #1 New York Times bestselling series The Land of Stories with this beautiful gift set.Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, twins Alex and Conner leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about... -
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsAn old favorite as you've never seen it before! Everyone knows the song about the old lady who swallowed a fly, a spider, a bird, and even worse, but who's ever seen what's going on inside the old lady's stomach? With this inventive die-cut artwork, Simms Tabak gives us a rollicking, eye-popping version of the well-loved poem... -
The Half Upon a Time Trilogy: Half Upon a Time; Twice Upon a Time; Once Upon the End by James Riley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt's a fantasy come true: all three books in the hilarious fractured fairy tale trilogy by James Riley, available together in a box set!This complete boxed set of the Half Upon a Time trilogy tells the story of Jack, as in, son of the infamous Jack who stole the magic beans from the giant... -
Adventures from the Land of Stories: The Mother Goose Diaries / Queen Red Riding Hood's Guide to Royalty by Chris Colfer
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFeaturing Mother Goose and Queen Red Riding Hood, fan favorite characters in the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Land of Stories, this boxed set is a must-have for new and old fans alike. From New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer comes two new books about two beloved characters, Mother Goose and Queen Red Riding Hood... -
-
Seeing Red by Sarah Mlynowski, Emily Eiden
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOver the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go! Abby and Jonah are off to visit their Nana, who knows ALL about fairy tales. But things go wrong when the siblings wind up in the classic fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood... -
Interuptiing Chicken by David Ezra Stein, Andrew Watts
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAwarded a 2011 Caldecott Honor! A favorite joke inspires this charming tale, in which a little chicken's habit of interrupting bedtime stories is gleefully turned on its head. It's time for the little red chicken's bedtime story—and a reminder from Papa to try not to interrupt... -
My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhen a delicious-looking piglet knocks on Mr. Fox's door "accidentally," the fox can hardly believe his good luck. It's not every day that dinner just shows up on your doorstep. It must be his lucky day! Or is it?Before Mr. Fox can say grace, the piglet has manipulated him into giving him a fabulously tasty meal, the full spa treatment (with bath and massage), and . . . freedom... -
Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe prince is hoping to fall for Rapunzel, but since she can't quite hear what he asks for, everything but her hair gets tossed out her window. Instead of her curly locks, she throws her dirty socks. Instead of silky tresses, out go lacey dresses. And you can predict the guaranteed-to-crack-kids-up clothing she sends down when the prince simply says hair. . . -
Fanny's Dream by Caralyn Buehner, Mark Buehner
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn this inventive take on the traditional Cinderella tale, Fanny Agnes is a sturdy farm girl with a big dream. Someday, she believes, she will marry a prince. When the town mayor announces he is throwing a grand ball, Fanny is convinced her time has come. She puts on her best calico dress and goes out to the garden so that she'll be ready when her fairy godmother arrives... -
The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere's been a terrible mix-up in the royal nursery. Priscilla the princess has accidentally switched places with Pigmella, the farmer's new piglet... -
School of Secrets: Lonnie's Warrior Sword by Jessica Brody
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLonnie is the daughter of Mulan.She's strong. She's fearless. And she's willing to fight for what she wants .like the very special sword that once belonged to her mother.When Lonnie brings her friends Jay and Jordan on an forbidden trip to Imperial City to get it, she must prove she's a true warrior... -
Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp by Mercer Mayer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWith quick thinking and determination, a little girl manages to outwit all the dangerous residents in the Yeller Belly Swamp in this quirky, spooky picture book.Gruesome creatures galore lurk in Yeller Belly Swamp, but they aren’t going to stop plucky Liza Lou from getting her mother’s sweet potatoes over to Gramma’s place... -
Der gute Riese by David Litchfield
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThere is a Secret Giant in Gableview who has hands the size of tabletops, legs as long as drainpipes, and feet as big as rowing boats. But little Billy thinks the Giant is just a tall tale that his grandad likes to tell. According to Grandad, the Giant keeps the bears away when they go camping and rescues Billy’s favorite kite when it gets tangled up in the tallest tree... -
The Quiltmaker's Journey by Jeff Brumbeau
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJeff Brumbeau's prequel to the best-selling THE QUILTMAKER'S GIFT, illustrated with Gail de Marcken's rich, sumptuously detailed paintings, will be embraced by new and old fans of the Quiltmaker.Escaping from the protective walls of wealth and privilege, a young girl discovers the harsh world outside, where some people don't have as much as others... -
-
The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe classic picture-story about five clever brothers, each with a different extraordinary ability, has been in print for over 50 years. "An original nonsense tale told with...spirit and gusto... -
Petite Rouge by Mike Artell
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen her grand-mère comes down wit' de flu, this Cajun Little Red knows what she has to do. With her witty cat, TeJean, she sets off in a pirogue to bring Grand-mère some gumbo. Who should she meet upon the way, but that big ol' swamp gator, Claude! Mean ol' Claude may want to gobble up Petite Rouge, but she and TeJean have a better idea... -
Spill The Beans by Sarah Mlynowski
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe moment Jonah has long anticipated arrives: Abby and Jonah fall into the story of Jack and the Beanstalk! Magical beanstalks and golden eggs may sound appealing, but can the siblings escape from the terrible giant? Plenty of magical hijinks await in this 13th installment of the New York Times bestselling series that redefines "happily ever after... -
Disney Descendants: Mal's Diary by Walt Disney Company
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor anyone who wants to know more about what Mal is really thinking, this diary gives readers a special glimpse inside her world with super-secret journal entries and Mal's doodles and drawings... -
Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J. Gomez
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsClever Federico outsmarts el lobo in this Mexican-American take on Little Red Riding Hood.With his red hoodie on and his bicycle basket full of food, Federico is ready to visit Abuelo. But on the way, he meets a hungry wolf. And now his grandfather bears a striking resemblance to el lobo... -
The Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child, Polly Borland
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAward-winning author/illustrator Child takes her multimedia art to a whole new level in this rendition of the classic fairy tale, presented in a three-dimensional dollhouse tableaux. Full color... -
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLittle Star's soft feet tiptoed to the Big Mooncake. Little Star loves the delicious Mooncake that she bakes with her mama. But she's not supposed to eat any yet! What happens when she can't resist a nibble? In this stunning, heartwarming original story that shines as bright as the stars in the sky, Newbery Honor author Grace Lin explains the phases of the moon... -
The Last Slice of Rainbow and Other Stories by Joan Aiken
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA collection of nine fairy tales including: The Last Slice of Rainbow / Clem's Dream / A Leaf in the Shape of a Key / The Queen with Screaming Hair / The Tree that Loved a Girl / Lost - One Pair of Legs / The Voice in the Shell / The Spider in the Bath / Think of a Word...Categorized as:
children fairy-tale myths retellings anthologies children-books fiction high-fantasy -
A Fairy Went A-Marketing by Rose Fyleman
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAt a market, a fairy purchases riches found in nature. Then releases them for their own good or the good of others. A different season plays out with each stanza of Fyleman's verse. Visually exquisite, this is a story to be savored by both parents and children, and is a great book to be shared in preschool story time... -
The Weaving of a Dream by Marilee Heyer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA retelling of the Chinese folktale "The Chuang Brocade"The Weaving of a Dream is the story of a widow who provides for her sons by creating intricate brocades. One day, she trades a brocade for a beautiful painting of a palace. She then spends years lovingly recreating the scene in brocade only to lose her work on a windy day...Categorized as:
children fairy-tale myths retellings anthologies children-books fiction historical-fiction -
-
Three Little Cajun Pigs by Mike Artell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTrosclair, Thibodeaux, and Ulysse are three pigs with a whole lot to do. Their mom has just kicked them out of the house and it's time they make their own way and start constructing new homes in the heart of the swamp... -
An Undone Fairy Tale by Ian Lendler
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNow, Ned and I admire how well you read. But the story will be ruined if you turn the page right now. So please don't. A beautiful pie-making princess is trapped in a tower. Can Sir Wilbur rescue her? And more importantly, can he do it while wearing a tutu? He's going to try! But if you read the story too quickly, Ned won't be able to make the pictures or costumes in time... -
If... by Sarah Perry
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA diving board to creative wordplay, the fascinating picture book If... offers a surrealistic view of the natural world. The two-page spreads present artful watercolors paired with such strange possibilities as "If zebras had stars and stripes...," "If the moon were square...," and "If worms had wheels... -
Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHerb never imagined the dangers when he decided to scribble on and cut up his book of fairy tales. Drawing mustaches on the characters, pasting telephones into the rooms, and cutting out Prince Charming and the royal thrones had seemed like good fun. But then Herb never imagined he'd fall into the book one night... -
Bubba, the Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Fale by Helen Ketteman
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBubba is bossed around the family ranch by his wicked step-daddy and his nasty stepbrothers, Dwayne and Milton. Bubba never complains, though. He's a real cowboy - tough as leather (and cute as a cow's ear).When Miz Lurleen, the purtiest rancher in Texas, decides to throw a ball to find herself a real feller, Bubba has to stay at home... -
Little Red Gliding Hood by Tara Lazar, Troy Cummings
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLittle Red Riding Hood straps on ice skates in this fractured fairy tale! A figure-skating enthusiast, Little Red has worn out her skates and must win a pairs competition to earn new ones. But who will be her partner? The Dish is already skating with the Spoon, and Hansel has Gretel. You won’t believe what big eyes, sharp teeth, and furry paws her partner has . . -
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA classic trickster folktale told with humor and charm, this is a perfect read along book both parents and children will love.When Anansi the Spider finds a strange moss-covered rock in the forest, he uses it to trick all his animal friends. But Little Bush Deer is onto Anansi's scheme, and hatches a plan to beat him at his own game... -
10 Minutes till Bedtime by Peggy Rathmann
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAt One Hoppin' Place, the countdown to bedtime is about to begin when a family of hamsters -- a mother and father with nine kids and a baby all wearing numbered striped jerseys -- arrive at the front door."All aboard!" the child's pet hamster, dressed as a tour guide, shouts, directing them to his bus... -
The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOn a moonlit night. . . In the magic of a moonshower, a childless couple finds a dozen tiny babies in a meadow. Written in classic folktale tradition, illustrated with astonishing paintings, The Rainbabies is woven from magic and moonbeams... -
The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEveryone knows the story of the three little pigs, but now you're going to meet the three little javelinas (pronounced ha-ve-LEE-nas)--loveable, wild, southwestern cousins of pigs. Living in homes built out of tumbleweeds and saguaro ribs (from the fallen giant cacti), the first two javelinas are soon running from the hungry coyote, who had hoped to eat them with red chile sauce... -
-
Babushka's Doll by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBabushka's doll was special. She had played with it only once, when she was a little girl like her high-spirited granddaughter, Natasha. Now Babushka is going to the store and it's Natasha's turn to take the little doll down from the high shelf... -
Disney Frozen by Walt Disney Company
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna, a young dreamer, must team up with Kristoff, a daring mountain man, and his reindeer on the grandest of journeys to find Anna's sister, the Snow Queen Elsa, and put an end to her icy spell... -
It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale by Margot Zemach
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOnce upon a time a poor unfortunate man lived with his mother, his wife, and his six children in a one-room hut.Because they were so crowded, the children often fought and the man and his wife argued. When the poor man was unable to stand it any longer, he ran to the Rabbi for help... -
The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane DeRolf
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"While walking through a toy store, the day before today, I overheard acrayon box with many things to say..."Once upon a time, Shane DeRolf wrote a poem. It was a deceptively simple poem, a charming little piece that celebrates the creation of harmony through diversity... -
Dear Peter Rabbit by Alma Flor Ada
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsChildren and their parents will be delighted with this witty collection of letters written by famous storybook characters eagerly anticipating Goldilocks's birthday party and the Three Little Pigs' housewarming (which keeps getting postponed as the wicked wolves wreak havoc on first a straw and then a stick house)... -
Terry Jones' Fairy Tales by Terry Jones
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThree raindrops have an argument on their way out of a cloud ...A silly King goes for a walk with a dog tied to each leg ...An enterprising herring, bored of the North Sea, decides to swim right round the world ...Thirty short stories of magic and adventure penned by Monty Python team member, Terry Jones... -
The Truest Heart by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBorn to be a tooth fairy, Cory Feathering has been busy proving there's another life meant for her -- one of matchmaking! She's already helped Marjorie Muffet and Goldilocks find true love, and now it's Mary Lambkin's turn. When Cory has a vision of Mary with one particular boy, Cory knows exactly what to do.But it's Cory's own personal life that needs help... -
The Snow Child by Freya Littledale
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn elderly couple's wish comes true when their little girl of snow magically comes to life. Each spring the snow child must leave, but every winter she returns with the first snowfall and comes to life with a kiss... -
Around the Year by Elsa Beskow
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDelightful verses and delicate, playful illustrations take young children through the special joys of each month of the year, from icy February to the green shoots of April, the red poppies of July, September's apples and the delights of December... -
The Random House Book of Fairy Tales by Amy Ehrlich
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA lush treasury of 19 fairy tales that generations of children have grown up on, lushly illustrated by Diane Goode... -
-
A First Book of Fairy Tales by Mary Hoffman, Julie Downing
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this beautifully illustrated book, 14 classic fairy tales are retold for young children. Old favorites, such as "Cinderella" and "Jack and the Beanstalk," are presented alongside some lesser known stories, such as "The Fisherman and his Wife" and "Diamonds and Toads... -
Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this contemporary retelling of the fairy tale "Twelve Dancing Princesses", an African-American reverend in Harlem endeavors to discover why the shoes ofhis 12 sons are worn to pieces every morning. Full color... -
Trust Me, Hansel and Gretel Are Sweet! by Nancy Loewen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOF COURSE you think we were evil, spiteful fairies, cursing the poor princess with a forever sleep. You don't know the other side of the story. Well, let us tell you... -
Anna's Act of Love/Elsa's Icy Magic (Disney Frozen) by Lisa Ann Marsoli
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen, the kingdom of Arendelle is trapped in a never-ending winter! Queen Elsa’s icy powers have accidentally caused this terrible storm. Princess Elsa knows she must find her sister so they can return home and thaw the kingdom. This 2-in-1 book is told from both Anna and Elsa’s perspectives. Follow along to find out if together the sisters can save their home... -
Ella Bella Ballerina and Swan Lake by James Mayhew
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis title in B.E.S. charming Ella Bella series tells another story of Ella Bella, a little girl who loves to dance. In this story, Ella's kindly ballet teacher Madame Rosa is preparing her class to dance in Tchaikovsky's immortal Swan Lake, and as Ella learns the story and listens to the music she is transported in a dream into Swan Lake's setting... -
Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale by Sam Wedelich
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWho are you calling little?"Whimsy reigns in Wedelich's debut picture book... A spry readaloud that will entertain adults and listeners in equal measure." -- Publishers WeeklyChicken Little is NOT afraid of anything. Well, okay, maybe a mysterious BONK to the head can produce panic. But only momentarily...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.