5 Empowering (& Fun!) Children’s Books By Celebrities

From dancing dolls to loving grandmas and kids who sparkle, there’s a swell of celebrity-written children’s books hitting our shelves this year – and within the covers are beautiful tales of friendship, perseverance and self-belief.

Check out these vibrant stories filled with joy for kids and their grown-ups alike:

There’s a Rock Concert in My Bedroom by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas

Penguin Young Readers Group

We can’t imagine bedtime going any other way in a Jonas household than with some rocking lullabies, or in this case, a book all about a love for music.

In There’s a Rock Concert in My Bedroom, international superstar Kevin Jonas and his wife, jewellery designer Danielle Jonas, introduce us to a little girl named Emma who loves to BOOM BOOM BOOM and STOMP STOMP STOMP. In fact, she loves making music so much that she signs herself up for the school talent show, but will a case of nerves get in the way of Emma rocking out?

“It’s a story about family,” Kevin shares on his Instagram page. “Doing what you love, facing your fears and learning to rock.”

We recommend supporting your local independent book store or click to buy it now:

Nana Loves You More by Jimmy Fallon

Feiwel & Friends

 Following on from his previous New York Times’ bestsellers, there’s another great children’s book with Jimmy Fallon’s name on it and this time it’s all about a nana’s love for her grandkids!

“Whether you call her Grandma, Gram, Gammy, Gigi, Memmaw, Abuela or Bubbie – there’s nothing like a NANA’s love,” the talk-show host says in a statement.

Nana Loves You More will have you wondering how far a grandmother’s love for her grandkids goes…perhaps all the way to the moon and back?

We recommend supporting your local independent book store or click to buy it now:

The One and Only Sparkella Makes a Plan by Channing Tatum

Feiwel & Friends

This charming book is the second in Channing Tatum’s Sparkella series and it offers a beautiful message about creative thinking and patience.

When Sparkella is getting ready to have a friend over, she has everything sorted from her outfit to games, but the one thing she really wants – a castle fit for two royal highnesses – won’t come together and isn’t very “glittertastic.” In steps her dad, and together they come up with a new plan.

“I guess the little girl in me just really likes writing #Sparkella books for my inspiration Evie,” Channing writes on Instagram, referring to his daughter with ex, Jenna Dewan.

FYI, Channing also recently announced the Sparkella series has been such a hit, it will be made into a live-action movie!

We recommend supporting your local independent book store or click to buy it now:

The Adventures of Qai Qai by Serena Williams

Feiwel & Friends

Serena Williams is set to gather many more fans for Qai Qai, her daughter Olympia’s favourite doll, with the release of The Adventures of Qai Qai, coming September 2022.

To recap, Qai Qai was created by Williams and Invisible Universe to offer children greater diversity in the world of dolls. Her popularity has exploded since 2018 and she even has a dedicated Qai Qai TikTok account with 3.7 million followers!

The book is about a little girl’s nerves before a dance recital and the power of believing in yourself.

“Since realising @RealQaiQai’s ability to spread joy to our own family and also millions of others around the world, we’ve wanted to tell her story in every way possible. We are so proud to announce Qai Qai’s first book … a story about the power of friendship and imagination,” Serena said in an announcement on her official Instagram account.

We recommend supporting your local independent book store or click to buy it now:

Busy Betty by Reese Witherspoon 

Penguin Random House

Soon to be released (October 2022), Busy Betty has all the wit and humour we’ve come to know and love about its author, Reese Witherspoon.

The story follows a young girl names Betty who is trying to give her dog Frank a bath but it turns out being much more difficult than she thought! So her friend Mae pitches in and according to the book’s description, “Betty learns she can accomplish anything with perseverance, teamwork and one great idea.”

“I’m so excited to share Busy Betty with the world. Since the moment I had a daughter of my own, I have been searching for characters whose self-expression is front and centre and holistically portrays the experience of being a young girl,” Reese says in a statement.

Sharing a first-look at the book’s adorable cover on Instagram, Reese adds that the whole thing was inspired by her own “goofy, mischievous, creative and very BUSY” childhood – and yes, Betty does look a whole lot like a young Reese Witherspoon!

We recommend supporting your local independent book store or click to buy it now:

(Feature Image Credit: Courtesy Feiwel & Friends; Penguin Random House)