10 Picture Books That Celebrate Working Together!

I fell in love with Finding Wild when I first read it. It was lauded by a lot of picture book bloggers and Instagrammers that I follow, so it caught my eye. I hunted it down at my local bookstore, and I thought it was such a gem. It captured childhood and adventuring in a sweet, gentle way. It’s the idyllic childhood that we all dream about.

Now, the author and illustrator of Finding Wild are back with another picture books that capture the small joys and adventures of childhood: fort-building. I haven’t read it yet, but I am looking forward to it.

Fort-Building Time by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Abigail Halpin

From the creators of Finding Wild, a new picture book that follows the changing of the seasons and is as cozy as a fort.

Author Megan Wagner Lloyd is here today, sharing her 10 favorite picture books that celebrate working together. It won’t surprise you that her list includes other sweet and gentle adventures of friendships both new and old.

We are giving away 2 signed copies of Fort-Building Time! Please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom to enter.

10 Picture Books That Celebrate Working Together

10. Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran, illustrated by Barbara Cooney

In this classic picture book, kids build their own pretend town called Roxaboxen. One thing I love about this story is that it shows how the line between work and play can be so fine for kids. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

9. Colette’s Lost Pet by Isabelle Arsenault

This sweet new picture book shows a group of neighborhood kids coming together to help Colette find her lost pet. In a darling twist, it doesn’t seem to matter to the kids that Colette never had a pet to begin with—they’re ready to be her friends! [picture book, ages 3 and up]

8. Peach Heaven by Yangsook Choi

When a storm sweeps the peaches from the trees, everyone rushes to collect delicious fruit. A little girl leads what becomes a community effort to bring the peaches back to the farmers. I love how her action inspires others to return the fruit to the orchards, too. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

7. Dragons Rule, Princesses Drool! by Courtney Pippin-Mathur

Dragon is scornful of the new princesses who have “invaded” his kingdom. But he finds that working together with them is the only way to stop a dastardly knight. I love how this original story has all the charm and quirky humor of a mixed-up fairy tale. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

6. The Barefooted, Bad-Tempered Baby Brigade by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Tracy Dockray

This book’s babies are barefooted, bad-tempered, and have banded together to go on strike! These grumpy, boisterous babies–and the sweet ending–are adorable. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

5. Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Paul Yalowitz

Lonely Mr. Hatch is cheered up by a mysterious valentine—only to discover that it was delivered to him by mistake. But then all of the people he’s served and befriended join together to cheer him up. Yes, somebody loves Mr. Hatch after all. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

4. A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor

In this beautifully illustrated classic, a 19th-century New England family sticks together through every month of the year—working, playing, and celebrating. (My favorite part? When the birthday cake floats down the river, of course!) [picture book, ages 5 and up]

3. Fraidy Zoo by Thyra Heder

Little T is scared of going to the zoo, so her whole family goes to great lengths to try to figure out what’s bothering her and to help her overcome her fear. My favorite part about this book is how her family goes so over the top to help her—doing things like building a life-sized cardboard rhino! [picture book, ages 5 and up]

2. Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop

Red Knit Cap Girl’s animal friends all help her reach her goal of talking to the moon. I love the illustration of them all lined up on a branch, looking up and waiting, together. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

1. A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

In this story of a family recovering after a fire, I love how we see the wider community coming together to help the family and the little girl, the grandma, and the mother working together to buy a new and comfy chair. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

2 Signed Copies of Fort-Building Time GIVEAWAY!

We are giving away 2 signed copies to two winners! Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter. We can only ship to U.S. addresses due to the cost of shipping.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Megan Wagner Lloyd is the author of Finding Wild and Fort-Building Time, as well as the upcoming picture books Building Books, Paper Mice, and The ABCs of Catching Zs. She lives with her family in the Washington D.C. area. To learn more, check out her website, and Instagram.

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My books:

 Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

• • • Junior Library Guild Gold selection
    • Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
    • Starred review from School Library Journal
    • Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
    • 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
    • Green Earth Book Award longlist
    • Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

 Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me