Here are 85 books that Nat the Cat Takes a Nap fans have personally recommended if you like
Nat the Cat Takes a Nap.
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I’ve never forgotten how thrilling it felt to read a book on my own for the first time. Mouse Soup, Frog and Toad, and Amelia Bedelia are still among my most-loved books to this day. I particularly adore early readers created by authors and illustrators who aren’t afraid to get silly (James Marshall forever!). Stories for beginning readers are my favorite kinds of stories to write, and I always aim to write books that make kids laugh. What better way for them to discover that reading can be fun?
Cece Bell is one of the funniest, most fearless writers in town, and I never know what she’s going to do next. This book features Bell’s trademark absurd humor and endearing characters.
Rabbit lives by her to-do list, and Robot tends to go off-script, asking for nuts and bolts on pizza or running out of batteries during a game called Go Fish. (Hey, who hasn’t?) But for me, Rabbit’s missing remote gets the biggest laugh as Bell works it into a visual joke that’s a hoot to be in on.
Candlewick Sparks are perfect for the newly independent reader: * Award-winning stories by top authors & illustrators * Short, engaging chapters * Vibrant illustrations * Welcoming design Rich vocabulary Candlewick Sparks are sure to ignite a lifelong love of reading.
I’ve never forgotten how thrilling it felt to read a book on my own for the first time. Mouse Soup, Frog and Toad, and Amelia Bedelia are still among my most-loved books to this day. I particularly adore early readers created by authors and illustrators who aren’t afraid to get silly (James Marshall forever!). Stories for beginning readers are my favorite kinds of stories to write, and I always aim to write books that make kids laugh. What better way for them to discover that reading can be fun?
Worms are slimy and wiggly, and you can’t tell their tops from their bottoms! *shudder* This is one of those books I want to immediately read at storytime because I know the room will erupt in giggles.
From the idea of a fierce tiger being terrified of worms to the physical humor to the hilarious dialogue, this book is full of laugh-out-loud moments. I also love how the ending flips this story on its head … or is it its tail!?
I’ve never forgotten how thrilling it felt to read a book on my own for the first time. Mouse Soup, Frog and Toad, and Amelia Bedelia are still among my most-loved books to this day. I particularly adore early readers created by authors and illustrators who aren’t afraid to get silly (James Marshall forever!). Stories for beginning readers are my favorite kinds of stories to write, and I always aim to write books that make kids laugh. What better way for them to discover that reading can be fun?
This book is one of my all-time favorites. It’s full of funny and sweet surprises: 1. There’s a monster in Annie’s backpack. 2. It ate her lunch (except for the carrots—they make the monster burp) 3. The monster ripped up her homework. Isn’t it the worst? But wait! The monster was just making confetti for the parade it was throwing—the ANNIE-IS-GREAT PARADE.
Aww! Come on, is that not the cutest? I want a monster in my backpack.
Having trouble with your backpack zipper? Maybe there’s a monster inside! A little girl slowly warms up to her unexpected guest in this funny story.
When Annie unzips her backpack and finds a monster inside, it’s hard to say who is more shocked. "AAAAHHHH!" yells the monster. "EEEEEEKKKK!" yells Annie. Then the monster proceeds to gobble up Annie’s sandwich, put gum in her boot, and tear up her homework to use as confetti for an "Annie is great" parade during class. With perfect comic timing, this charming story depicts a young girl’s shift from annoyance to affection as a disarming…
I’ve never forgotten how thrilling it felt to read a book on my own for the first time. Mouse Soup, Frog and Toad, and Amelia Bedelia are still among my most-loved books to this day. I particularly adore early readers created by authors and illustrators who aren’t afraid to get silly (James Marshall forever!). Stories for beginning readers are my favorite kinds of stories to write, and I always aim to write books that make kids laugh. What better way for them to discover that reading can be fun?
Is there such a thing as too silly in children’s books? No way, I say! This book is book 6 in the side-splitting A Jack Book series. It’s super silly and a little weird—just the way I like my books.
The mischievous Jack has a habit of swiping snacks and ladies' lipsticks (great for writing on walls). So when Jack figures out how to clone himself, watch out! This book is a storytime hit with dry humor and escalating chaos… until the super silly and a little weird ending.
From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog.
The Lady gives Jack a gift. It's a lab kit! Jack goes into the shed to experiment and doesn't come out until he's made another Jack and another Jack and another. But one Jack was already too many. Can Jack stop his naughty robot clones before they destroy the town?
Welcome to the laugh-out-loud and irreverent world of Jack, a new early reader series by the New York Times…
I have published over 50 books, including award-winning and bestselling titles. I am also a publishing executive and editor with 20+ years of professional experience. My latest The Twins of Auschwitz: The Inspiring True Story of Young Girl Surviving Mengele’s Hell, with Eva Kor, got a stellar review by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and is an international bestseller. As well as spearheading four publishing startups, I have run my own business, Editorial Services of L.A. I was Editorial/Publishing Director for Golden Books, Price Stern Sloan, Intervisual Books, Hooked on Phonics, and more. I am also the Publisher & Editor in Chief of NY Journal Of Books, the premier online-only book review site.
“There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping.” Atop the snoring grandma comes a dreaming child, who is then covered by a dozing dog, when a cat comes to snooze atop it—and then comes the wakeful flea atop the cat. Soon the pile is disrupted, the bed is broken, and no one is napping in the napping house anymore. A simple, lyrical story reminiscent of The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.
A board book edition of the classic cumulative tale that's perfect for bedtime, naptime...anytime!
In the napping house is a cozy bed piled high with a snoring granny, a dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, and a slumbering mouse. All is at peace until the appearance of an unexpected visitor and before you know it, no one is sleeping! The rounded corners, and sturdy board book pages make this book a great gift for little ones.
Most of my published titles are about animals or involve them in some fashion. My Cats in the Mirror alien rescue cat series has been winning awards for a decade, and the two dog companion books have won the hearts of middle-grade readers, with a third companion book due out in 2026. Even my science fiction books for adults are about half-tiger/half-human creatures. Cats are definitely my favorite, but give me a book about a cute animal, and I’m happy.
I fully credit “Socks” with not only inspiring my early love of reading but also showing me that cats can be the main character in a book and be thoroughly delightful.
There’s no way I would be writing what I do now if not for this book. I have no idea how many times I’ve read it, but my childhood copy sits on my shelf to this day. There’s a reason it’s still listed as a “Teachers’ Pick” after over 50 years.
1
author picked
Socks
as one of their favorite books, and they share
why you should read it.
This book is for kids age
8,
9,
10, and
11.
What is this book about?
Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary charms readers with yet another lovable character—Socks, a jealous cat who must learn to share his owners with their new baby.
Socks is one happy cat. He lives the good life with his affectionate owners, Mr. and Mrs. Bricker. Ever since the day they saved him from a life spent in a mailbox drop slot, Socks has been the center of their world. And he always has everything he needs—tasty kitty treats and all the lap room he could want!
But when a new baby arrives, suddenly the Brickers have less and less time for…
I have always loved animals and felt a deep empathy for every living creature. But it wasn’t until the COVID lockdown that I truly connected with them. Locked up with a partner, a boy, two dogs, and three cats in a small house with a yard, I realized that it's not just us taking care of them—they're doing their best to take care of us, too. Trained in art since childhood by my mom, it was during the COVID lockdown that I began to draw our furry companions in earnest. I spent every waking hour capturing their funny and endearing moments, ultimately putting it all together in a picture book.
I loved this book because it perfectly depicts the hilarious and creative things cats do in their owner's house, as any cat owner (and I have three) will know.
The humorous take on life with cats had me chuckling, and each illustration is filled with a palpable love for these furry creatures. The way it captures their expressions is just perfect.
As an art lover, I was mesmerized by the soft, glowing illustrations that bring the cats' world to life. Whether it's a children's book or an adult book, it works for both.
Ginger is the weird one. She plays with peas, purrs at artichokes, and has a strange fondness for chicken (but only the neighbor's chicken). Then there's Fred. His greatest talent? Sleeping. Oh, and hiding. And when he's not hiding, he's conspiring with Ginger to destroy the house! Such is life with cats. . . can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em-if you love them, that is. And yet the question remains: Why are these captivating creatures so marvelously maddening?! From internationally bestselling author Davide Cali, this humorous picture book about a cat owner and his beguiling felines celebrates quirky…
My first true religion was being a boy alone in the woods and feeling a deep connection to nature in all its aspects. I felt a connection with all life and knew myself to be an animal—and gloried in it. Since then, I've learned how vigorously humans fight our animal nature, estranging us from ourselves and the planet. Each of these books invites us to get over ourselves and connect with all life on Earth.
What a weird and wonderful book. I've read and reread it several times now, and it always casts its spell. I've never been so willing—so eager—to suspend disbelief. It's Murakami's special gift.
The novel creates its own wondrous world out of what seems to be the stuff of this one—a young runaway, Colonel Sanders, alley cats, a beautiful librarian, a seashore painting, a demented old man—but the result is more magical than any fairy kingdom. I was completely carried along by the experience of an understanding beyond sense.
"A stunning work of art that bears no comparisons" the New York Observer wrote of Haruki Murakami's masterpiece, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. In its playful stretching of the limits of the real world, his magnificent new novel, Kafka on the Shore is every bit as bewitching and ambitious. The narrative follows the fortunes of two remarkable characters. Kafka Tamura runs away from home at fifteen, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy. The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his highly simplified life suddenly overturned. Their parallel odysseys - as…
I can’t remember how many times I thought someone was The One, but I know I’ve had to kiss a lot of frogs before I found my own Prince Charming. The path was riddled with self-doubt, interfering wicked witches, and wondering whether it was all worth the heartache. As it turns out, none of them were until I finally did find my HEA. I’d become an expert on navigating all the Single Lady tropes: moving to another country in search of the elusive happy ending, getting a better job, enduring the gossip about why I was single. I’d recommend all of these if you are having relationship trouble or doubts about yourself. You're not alone!
His ‘n’ Hers is about a love story gone awry. No one to blame. That’s just how the cookie crumbled. But now something has happened.
Allison and Jim’s cat Disco, the one they shared while they lived together, has just died, bringing back all the memories of when they shared that flat. Trouble is they both have new partners. After grilling themselves about what went wrong, who did what, and are they better off, Alison and Jim give each other a good hard look to understand what happened to them.
And is there still hope for them, despite their current partners? Were they meant to be?
A brilliant romantic comedy for fans of Bridget Jones's Diary.
A cat. A flat. And a couple who think it's over.
From their first meeting at the student union over a decade ago, Jim and Alison successfully navigated their way through first dates, meeting parents, moving in together and more . . . Then they split up and divided their worldly goods (including a sofa, a cat and their flat) into his 'n' hers.
Now, three years on and with new lives and new loves, they couldn't be happier. Until a chance encounter throws them back together, and causes them…
I believe laughing together is a big part of the glue that bonds people together. Humor has gotten me through my toughest times—and given me much joy in the good times. Laughing over my books with one or both of my toddler grandsons will always be cherished memories for me. Likewise, I love hearing about moments of connection for other readers bonding over Applesauce Is Fun to Wear, Baby’s Opposites, Baby’s Firsts, and Pirate Jack Gets Dressed.
Picture books should appeal to the ear as well as the eye. Coming from a family of musicians, I’m partial to rhyme, as you might guess from most of my picks here.
A lifelong cat person, I was drawn to Betsy Lewin’s light-hearted illustrations and lilting rhyme featuring an orange tabby.
It starts, “Everyone knows where Tippy Toes is/ when the sun is up and the day is his.” The next spread shows a mouse’s view of a paw through its hole followed by one from the cat’s viewpoint showing the mouse’s tail through its hole. More clever cutouts add to the fun as we follow Tippy Toe through an adventure with a garden hose, a nap in a drawer, and a dash through a blueberry pie.
The final text reads, “No, nobody knows where Tippy Toes creeps/ when darkness falls and the whole world sleeps…”. The last page turn reveals the cat curled up under his boy’s covers, finishing “…except me.”
Tippy Toes is a tricky cat-sneaking, hiding, creeping, slinking. Over here. Over there. His house is the perfect place to tiptoe the day away, lurking behind unsuspecting birds and mice, crouching behind garden posies, and surprising a little boy with his unusual hiding spots. Die-cut pages let readers discover where Tippy Toe goes as his day unfolds, and end up revealing the most satisfying hiding place of all-a warm cozy bed! Told with simple rhymes and mischievous illustrations by award-winning creator Betsy Lewin, this is a book to curl up with and enjoy-preferably in a nice sunny spot.
