Read Before You Stream:
Kids’ Books With New TV and Movie Adaptations
by Melissa Taylor
Kids love to watch movies and tv shows, so why not motivate more reading with book choices that have stream-able adaptations? Many great children’s books have been adapted as movies or television series, just take your pick from the list below!
After the kids in your life have read the book and watched the adaptation, discuss which version your children liked best and why. What details would you have included or left out of the movie or television series? These questions will keep kids engaged and remind them that some of the best on-screen ideas come from books! Happy reading and streaming!
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Picture Books
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Disney/Pixar Hoppers Little Golden Book
Buy from:Young Disney fanatics will want to read this Little Golden Book retelling of the animated movie Hoppers. It’s about a girl named Mabel who uses a new technology to transfer her consciousness into a robotic animal.
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One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Buy from:Generations of young readers have fallen in love with the wacky wordplay in Dr. Seuss’s books. This beloved and bestselling classic is now on Netflix as an original series that explores opposites such as hot and cold, open and shut, push and pull, up and down, and more.
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The Cat in the Hat
Buy from:Not only did this #1 New York Times bestseller kick off the Beginner Books series in 1957, but it also became a beloved classic. Follow along as a pair of siblings spends a rainy afternoon with the Cat in the Hat and his trouble-making sidekicks, Thing One and Thing Two. Then, get ready to watch the animated movie when it hits theaters this November!
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Disney and Pixar Toy Story 5 Little Golden Book
Buy from:Get your little one ready for the big screen experience by reading this Little Golden Book about Toy Story 5 before it hits theaters this summer. Children will love seeing a brand-new story featuring their favorite characters from the series.
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Super Mario Galaxy Movie: Mario Takes Off
Buy from:Even if your child has already watched the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, they’ll enjoy reading this retelling. They can relive their favorite moments from the movie as they cruise through this Step 3 leveled reader that follows Mario and his friends on an outer-space adventure.
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Disney Moana Storybook Collection
Buy from:Moana is getting a live-action adaptation this summer! Before you head to the theaters or stream it on Disney+, this storybook collection is a must-read. It includes 13 original stories featuring your favorite characters from the movies. It not only expands the Moana universe and adds depth to the characters, but it will also get your kiddos excited about seeing the live-action movie.
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The Pup That Never Gives Up (PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie)
Buy from:If your kiddos are excited for the new PAW Patrol movie coming out this summer, they’ll be thrilled to read this Little Golden Book retelling of the film. In this book, the dogs from PAW Patrol crash land on an island with an active volcano. To stop the volcano from erupting, they team up with a dino-expert to stop an evil mayor from exploiting the island.
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Illumination’s Minions & Monsters Little Golden Book
Buy from:With Minions 3 heading to theaters this summer, now is the perfect time to pick up this Little Golden Book. Kids will giggle along at the Minions’ antics and misadventures as they try to make a monster movie in 1920s Hollywood.
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Chapter Books & Middle Grade
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An Enola Holmes Mystery Series
Buy from:The Enola Holmes 3 movie is arriving on Netflix this summer, starring Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill. Mystery-loving kids will enjoy this entertaining series that follows Sherlock Holmes’s younger sister as she follows clues, solves cases, and finds missing people.
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Unicorn Academy Series
Buy from:Welcome to Unicorn Academy, where every girl is assigned her own unicorn. Each book follows a different girl and her unicorn as they solve mysteries, tackle problems, and deal with friendship drama. This wildly popular chapter book series has been adapted into an animated series for Netflix, and season 2 became available for streaming earlier this year.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2026.