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Picture Books about Birthdays

September 12, 2022

Birthdays are a big deal! I mean, it’s the one day of the year that’s all about you. One way to celebrate this special occasion is with books. Check out these picture books about birthdays that capture the excitement of this memorable day that comes once a year.

Birthdays are a big deal! I mean, it's the one day of the year that's all about you. One way to celebrate this special occasion is with books. Check out these picture books about birthdays that capture the excitement of this memorable day that comes once a year.

You can click on any of the titles below to learn more about each story or find all of these picture books about birthdays on my Amazon page.

we are a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Birthday Books for Kids

Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish

The most important rule is #1: It must be your birthday.
After that’s been established, a crew of hilarious animals help picture book pros Tom Lichtenheld and Beth Ferry take readers through a joyous romp that covers the most important elements of every year’s most essential holiday, including singing; closing your eyes and making a wish; blowing out candles on a cake, then settling into bed and dreaming of your wish coming true.

The Night Before My Birthday

The decorations are up, the table is set, and the food is ready – but what happens when there is an ice cream emergency? 

Big Red Lollipop

Rubina has been invited to her first birthday party, and her mother, Ami, insists that she bring her little sister along. Rubina is mortified, but she can’t convince Ami that you just don’t bring your younger sister to your friend’s party. So both girls go, and not only does Sana demand to win every game, but after the party she steals Rubina’s prized party favor, a red lollipop. What’s a fed-up big sister to do?

The Perfect Birthday Recipe

Summer birthdays can be lonely, but not when you have great friends like Beavers! This year Tortoise, Bird, Rabbit, and Squirrel insist on baking Beaver s birthday cake, but Beaver isn t so sure. He is the ultimate perfectionist and would rather do it himself, following the recipe exactly. Will Beaver s nitpicky ways ruin his birthday and his friendships?

If a T. Rex Crashes Your Birthday Party

You never know what will happen when a T. Rex crashes your birthday party. Sure, you’ll be super excited when he turns up at your door. But then he’ll stomp. He’ll ROAR. He’ll look at you as if he’s wondering how you taste with a little mustard. In the end, though, you just may find yourself asking him to come back next year!

If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon

Have your birthday party on the moon and everyone will come! After all, who wouldn’t want to ride in a rocket and celebrate for a day that lasts as long as a month on Earth? Then, young partygoers could romp in a low-gravity playground; watch candles and balloons behave weirdly in the Moon’s atmosphere; and see why the “moon angels” they make in the thick carpet of lunar dust will last for thousands of years.

If You Give a Pig a Party

If you give a pig a party, she’s going to ask for some balloons. When you give her the balloons, she’ll want to decorate the house. When she’s finished, she’ll put on her favorite dress…

My Lucky Birthday

Just as Alligator Al is planning the perfect birthday dinner for himself, there is a knock on his door. It’s a delicious-looking piglet—how lucky! But as Al prepares his feast, the piglet makes some suggestions. Shouldn’t Al have a big birthday cake? Piglet can tell him how to make one. And wouldn’t the celebration be more fun with fancy decorations and party guests? Piglet would be happy to ask some friends to come over. Al is so lucky that Piglet is there to help…or is he? Could Piglet have a clever party trick up his sleeve?

A Birthday for Frances

Tomorrow is Gloria’s birthday, and her party is sure to be fun for everyone—except Frances, that is, who wishes it was her own birthday.

The Backwards Birthday Party

Put your clothes on inside out, heat up the ice cream, and hang on to your party hats—because everything’s out of whack at the backwards birthday party!

Birthday Rules

When it comes to birthdays, no one knows how to party like Percy! Just follow his simple rules―like #2 “Happy times call for happy measures” and #9 “Be careful what you wish for”―to make the most of your celebration. Even when the cake has been consumed and the presents put away, Percy still has a trick up his sleeve to make a birthday extra special! 

Whopper Cake

Today is Grandma’s birthday, and Granddad has an ichin’,
to bake a WHOPPER chocolate cake and traumatize the kitchen!

Join the madcap frenzy of making the biggest cake in the world! And the biggest…mess!

Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes

Pete the Cat and his friends are busy as can be baking cupcakes for a party, and Pete can’t wait to perform with his groovy band. But some of the cupcakes have gone missing! Who could have taken them?

Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party

Scaredy never plans big birthday parties. He’d rather celebrate alone quietly in the safety of his nut tree and avoid those pesky party animals (ants, clownfish, ponies and Bigfoot). When all his excessive plans are thrown up in the air like confetti, will Scaredy play dead and cancel? Or will he face the music?

Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake

When the class tries to bake a cake for Ms. Frizzle’s birthday, they wind up inside it and have some delicious fun learning all about mixtures and reactions that occur when ingredients are combined. 

The Secret Birthday Message

A message in code starts a little boy off on an exciting treasure hunt through a dark cave, an underground tunnel, and more—until at the end he finds a happy surprise.

How to Have a Birthday

 What makes birthdays special? Whether you are turning three or one hundred and three, whether you are feted by others or sing yourself happy, the anticipation and surprise of the day you were born never fail to deliver “that shivery feeling that belongs only to a birthday.” 

Let’s Have a Dog Party

Kate and Frank are best friends. To celebrate Frank’s birthday, Kate throws him a party with all her favorite things: lots of friends, dancing in circles, loud singing, and sparkly confetti everywhere. But best friends don’t always have the same taste in parties. Frank prefers quiet, sun-drenched naps on his favorite rug. So he hides. Kate must find a way to bring Frank back to the party–on his own terms.

Happy Birthday to Me

A child runs through a spectrum of emotions on the best day of the year―their birthday! Early-morning excitement gives way to shyness at the arrival of guests, hunger for cake, a craze for arts and crafts, and some real piñata problems. So how can a kid possibly answer that age old question: “How does it feel to be a year older?” 

Cake

Cake has been invited to his very first birthday party!

He buys just the right outfit—including the PERFECT hat.

But as the candles on his perfect party hat begin to burn, and the other party guests start to sing, Cake starts to think that this is one party he’d rather not be at…

The Little Tiger

For Ollie’s birthday, her wish came true! In a brightly wrapped box was her very own tiger suit. Ollie practices her very best Rooooaaarrrr, then a bunch of colorful balloons and a gust of wind carry Ollie to the forest where she makes new animal friends. Elephant, Monkey, Sloth, Rhinoceros, Zebra, and Lion help make the most wonderful birthday party for their new friend.

The Law of Birthdays

The Law of Birthdays decrees every child shall eat cake at birthday parties. Until one Girl tells the Royal Guard, “ No, thanks.” when offered cake at the King’ s birthday. The King doesn’t accept her refusal or her reasons why. However, the Girl remains patient until the King’s refusal to understand pushes her to lay down an explanation even he can’t deny.

Patrick and the Not So Perfect Party

Patrick likes everything to be just-so, which is why he likes to cook. The meals he makes are always “exquisite,” “delicious,” and “absolutely perfect.” So when his birthday rolls around, Patrick knows exactly what he wants to do. However, Patrick’s big brother, Russ, is not perfect. When Russ makes a mistake on Patrick’s party invitation, Patrick thinks his birthday is ruined. But is it?

Turkey’s Birthday Bash

It’s Turkey’s birthday, but no one is celebrating. In fact, no one even seems to know about it. Even stranger, Farmer Jake and his family are up to something in the backyard. And Turkey isn’t allowed to see what it is. Good thing he knows how to be sneaky―and that his friends help him put together the best disguises. Turkey dresses up as everything from a candle to a cupcake, but try as he might, he can’t get past the family. It just may be that Turkey is in for a birthday surprise or two…


Do you have a favorite birthday book that didn’t make the list? Let me know so I can check it out!

You might also enjoy:

  • Reasons Why Books Make Great Gifts
  • Celebrating Birthdays in the Classroom
Looking for a fun way to celebrate birthdays with your kids? Try a book! Here are some of my favorite picture books about birthdays.
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