As a kindergarten teacher and mom, I have dealt with messy kids. It’s part of who they are! These books are a funny, enjoyable way to try to get kids to enjoy clean up time, and understand that messes are normal!
Lenora’s story is so relatable for kids who get attached to every single toy, sock, or cereal box craft.
I love how this book gently introduces the idea of decluttering in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming or sad—it’s playful, realistic, and makes organizing feel like something fun and empowering!
Lenora loves her toys, clothes, and dolls. She loves everything so much she never wants to get rid of them! But having too much stuff can take up too much room, so Lenora has to organize and declutter.
A joyful, rhyming picture book about tidying up, letting go, and the magic of sharing.Lenora loves her toys—a little too much. Her room is overflowing with books, blocks, stuffies, and sparkly dress-up clothes. But when the mess starts to get in the way of play, Mama gently suggests it might be time to clean up… and give a few things away.At first, Lenora isn’t so sure. She needs everything! But as she begins to sort, she discovers something surprising: decluttering doesn’t just make space in her room—it makes space in her heart.Perfect for ages 3–8, Lenora’s Super Duper Messy Room…
Robert Munsch is one of my all-time favorites for humor and heart, and this book totally delivers.
I love how Lacy’s messy problem leads to a hilarious surprise. It reminds kids that cleaning up (and laundry!) may not be fun, but it saves you from some pretty wild wardrobe situations!
Lacy is dumping out all of her bedroom drawers to try and find a clean shirt to wear to school. After asking her mom, Lacy finally agrees to wearing an embarrassing tee that her grandma gave her; “Kiss Me, I am Perfect,” it says. Yikes! To her surprise, she receives lots of kisses on the way to school from various animals!
If Lacey can't remember to put her clothes in the laundry, her mom is going to make her wear a weird grandma shirt to school.... And who knows what could happen?
With his classic style, Robert Munsch takes a normal, everyday situation and turns things upside down! When Lacey goes to get dressed for school she finds she has. . .no clean clothes! Her mom tells Lacey to wear the shirt her grandma gave her. It's a weird shirt that says: "Kiss me, I'm perfect!" Lacey just knows the other kids are going to make fun of her. On the…
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
I love the rhyming, the guessing game, and the unexpected twist. It’s perfect for sparking conversations about taking responsibility—without ever sounding preachy. Plus, it’s set on a farm, so animal lovers are in for a treat!
There are messes all over the farm. This cute rhyming book visits different areas of the farm where there are messes galore! Readers can guess what animal made the mess! But be careful! It’s not what you think!
Mud splattered everywhere, tangled-up wool in huge piles, and carrot tops strewn about--what in the world is happening in this animal village? It's quite a mystery! But thanks to rhyming clues, everyone will be able to easily guess the animal culprits--or will they? In this laugh-out-loud, expectation-defying picture book, Laura Gehl (May Saves the Day and The Hiking Viking) uses a rhyming mystery to help readers adjust their outlook, keep an open mind, and learn not to make assumptions.
Llama Llama is a classic in our house, and this book is such a clever way to show cause and effect when it comes to messes.
I love how it uses imagination to get kids thinking about their role in keeping things tidy. Bonus points for the sweet mama/child moment!
Lama has a messy room that he doesn’t want to cleanup. His mama asks Lama to think of a world where mamas didn’t clean up. With the chaos that a dirty mama leaves behind, Lama quickly cleans up and realizes that even little llamas need to help clean.
Mama Llama teaches Llama Llama a humorous lesson in cleaning up in Anna Dewdney's bestselling Llama Llama series.
Time to pick up all your toys! Why is Mama making noise? Mama says it's cleaning day. Llama only wants to play.
Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama is growing up, but he still loves to play with all his toys! When Mama Llama says it's time to clean up, Llama responds like any child more interested in playing than cleaning . . . by ignoring her! But Mama has an imaginative response of her own. What if she never cleaned? What would happen…
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
I love how it introduces sorting and organizing in a way that’s interactive and creative. It’s not just about cleaning—it’s about how to clean, and helps kids feel in control of their own space.
Sam has lots of items in his room. Lots of things to sort through. There are many ways Sam can categorize his items. This book gives readers the critical thinking skills they will need to sort their own toys.
Marthe Jocelyn is back with another clever concept book to follow Hannah's Collections, Ones and Twos and Where Do You Look? This time, she tackles counting and categories.
Sam's things are in a heap. Time to tidy up! He starts to organize his things, but quickly runs into trouble. He can make a pile of black and white things. But the penguin also belongs in the things with wings pile. He can make a pile of rocks. But the round rock also belongs in the round things pile. How will he ever sort his 100 things? Marthe Jocelyn takes a…
My book The Mess Monster is to help kids who don’t enjoy cleaning up, but are ready to learn how to enjoy it! I have several books in the series, including The Mess MOMster which showcases a mom who also isn’t always the cleanest!
When Lucy can't find her green tutu or her cash register or...anything, really, she blames the Mess Monster for her messy room. But when Mom says she can't play soccer anymore if she doesn't find her cleats, it's time for drastic action: cleaning up the mess to drive the Mess Monster away.
