6 New Children's Books That Both Kids and Adults Will Enjoy in 2023

Reading books to your kids at bedtime can be such a heartwarming and sweet way to end the day. However, it can also be a little brutal, depending on the book (and how often you've had to read it that week or month). That's why children's books that adults will enjoy are so special!

Fortunately, we have six exciting books to share that both kids and grownups will love to read. From stories about John Lennon and Paul McCartney to a fun kid-friendly noir and more, you'll be entertained at every turn of the page.

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6 Children's Books Adults Will Enjoy in 2023

This Boy: The Early Lives of John Lennon & Paul McCartney by Ilene Cooper

Children who grew up with Beatles-loving parents are probably quite familiar with the music of John, Paul, Ringo and George. This Boy (Viking Books for Young Readers) provides a deeper dive into the lives of John Lennon and Paul McCartney who first performed together in Liverpool in 1957 and went on to be historically important figures in the world of music. The book begins with their births during World War II England and ends with their famous performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and includes some rarely seen photographs.

Author and lyricist Nick Hornby, who is a book reviewer for The New York Times, gives the biography high praise: “An impressive achievement… This Boy is a wonderful primer for the kind of kid who is nuts enough about music to want to grasp the social context in which it was made.” Amazon.com, $17

Kitty Feral and the Case of the Marshmallow Monkey by Eddie Muller and Jessica Schmidt; illustrated by Forrest Burdett

In his new book, Kitty Feral and the Case of the Marshmallow Monkey (Turner Classic Movies), Noir Alley host Muller puts a frisky twist on a noir-ish tale of a detective feline sniffing out a mystery. Kitty wears a high-collared trench coat and a fedora and narrates the tale in a very noir-like, tough-cookie “voiceover.”

“It’s not easy being the only cat detective in town,” Kitty muses.

“People will assume that the cat is like a little mini-Humphrey Bogart or something,” says Muller, who has written 11 books on the subject, including Eddie Muller’s Noir Bar, with cocktails inspired by noir movies. “But quite honestly, I saw the cat as female. My model for her was the character Ella Raines plays in Phantom Lady from 1944; she’s a secretary who becomes a detective when her boss gets accused of murder. And she's kind of secretly in love with her boss. She wants to clear his name and she goes, you know, traipsing through the underworld on the street.”

Noir aficionados will find other nods to the genre in the book. “There are all kinds of references that hardcore fans will get. Casper Nighthawk is Sydney Greenstreet from The Maltese Falcon,” he says. “There’s a quick Veronica Lake reference, and a reference to Elisha Cook,” an actor who appeared in some 20 noir films, including The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep and Born to Kill.

Muller felt strongly that Kitty’s tale—coauthored with Jessica Schmidt and illustrated by Forrest Burdett—should unfold in monochromatic shades of blue, black and white, simulating the stark palette of noir films from the 1950s. “Because then when kids ages four to eight read this book, if they see a movie that looks like that, they won't think there's something wrong with it,” he says, “or think it's inferior because it doesn't have color.”

It’s Muller’s first “children’s book,” but it reflects his longtime interest in cultivating a new generation of viewers of film noir. “So that was my ulterior motive for this,” he says, “to get ‘em while they’re young.”

And he’d like to see more of these characters—Kitty, Casper, Johnny Gila, Goldie Fox, Wilmer the Weasel and a warehouse warren of thieving rabbits. “I’ve thought about a sequel,” he says. “[TCM hasn’t] said anything to me yet about another one, but I certainly hope so. This was great fun.” Amazon.com, $19 —Neil Pond

Dr. Salk: A Little Golden Book Biography by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by Dave Szalay

William Shatner: A Little Golden Book Biography by Bruce Hale; illustrated by Martín Morón

Bruce Springsteen: A Little Golden Book Biography by Laurel Snyder; illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler

In its ongoing tradition of creating entertaining picture books about American heroes, Little Golden Books adds William Shatner, Dr. Jonas Salk and Bruce Springsteen to their line of biographies (which already includes Sonia Sotomayor, Taylor Swift, Beyonce’, Dolly Parton and Dr. Anthony Fauci, among others). Each book talks about the subject’s childhood and how they had to overcome obstacles to follow their dreams—whether that was becoming an actor (and going to space!), putting New Jersey on the map with 50+ years of rock music or changing the world by developing a groundbreaking vaccine. Amazon.com, Amazon.com, Amazon.com, $6 each

Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman; illustrated by Christian Robinson (Sept. 26)

It’s no wonder little kids feel lonely and like there’s nothing they can do to make a difference in this big confusing world around them. This book (Viking Books for Young Readers) may change their minds, as in simple, uplifting phrases and cheerful illustrations, Presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and award-winning artist Christian Robinson paint a different picture. Sometimes even a small gesture and a little faith can have an impact: “Someday, somewhere, You find a friend. Someone who will hope with you, Who believes in your dream. Someone who will fight with you.” After reading the book, four-to eight-year-olds (and maybe adults too) will come away believing that something good can happen, and that “someday” could even be today. Amazon.com, $17

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