The map above was created by TheToyZone and shows the most popular kids book from 111 countries around the world.
Below you can see the maps for different parts of the world, and a list for each country.
Full list of books:
Popular Children’s Books In Europe
The map shows the most popular children’s books from various European countries. Each country is represented by a book that is popular there, along with its author, page count, and a Goodreads rating.
Europe has a long and rich history of fairy and folk tales, but Tomo, the second picture book in the Moomin series written by Tove Jansson, is the oldest book on this map. It was first published in 1960 and is the most popular children’s book in Finland.
Here are some notable details from the map:
- United Kingdom: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling, 759 pages, 4.62 rating.
- Germany: “Momo” by Michael Ende, 304 pages, 4.33 rating.
- France: “Press Here” by Hervé Tullet, 56 pages, 4.34 rating.
- Italy: “Catoons per telefono” by Gianni Rodari, 191 pages, 4.42 rating.
- Russia: “Alice: The Girl from Earth” by Kir Bulychev, 504 pages, 4.37 rating.
- Sweden: “Pancakes for Findus” by Sven Nordqvist, 22 pages, 4.68 rating.
- Denmark: “Fairy Tales of Christian Andersen” by Hans Christian Andersen, 244 pages, 4.31 rating.
- Norway: “Astrid the Unstoppable” by Maria Parr, 320 pages, 4.46 rating.
- Poland: “Run, Boy, Run” by Uri Orlev, 192 pages, 4.05 rating.
- Finland: “Who Will Comfort Toffle?” by Tove Jansson, 24 pages, 4.45 rating.
- Switzerland: “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri, 156 pages, 4.34 rating.
- Netherlands: “A Color of His Own” by Leo Lionni, 32 pages, 4.06 rating.
- Spain: “La resistencia” by Laura Gallego, 556 pages, 4.13 rating.
- Portugal: “Meia Grama Por Mim Diga Ouve” by Alice Vieira, 144 pages, 3.87 rating.
Popular Children’s Books In North America
Here’s a detailed overview based on the map:
Text at the Top:
“Anne of Green Gables” is the oldest book here, going all the way back to 1921. But it’s a more modern book that’s the most well-known. “Wonder”, published in 2012, is USA’s favorite children’s book. R.J. Palacio’s modern classic is about embracing the beauty that’s all around us.
Notable Details from the Map:
- United States: “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio, 315 pages, 4.42 rating.
- Canada: “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch, 32 pages, 4.35 rating.
- Bahamas: “Magia De Una Chica Negra: Un Libro Sobre Amarte a Ti Misma Tal Como Eres” by Zahra Bryan, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Cuba: “Los Zapatitos De Rosa” by José Martí, unknown page count, 4.44 rating.
- Mexico: “Sulwe” by Lupita Nyong’o, 48 pages, 4.65 rating.
- Guatemala: “The Two of Them” by Aliki, 32 pages, 4.28 rating.
- El Salvador: “A Movie in My Pillow/Una película en mi almohada” by Jorge Argueta, 32 pages, 4.35 rating.
- Honduras: “A Movie in My Pillow/Una película en mi almohada” by Jorge Argueta, 32 pages, 4.35 rating.
- Costa Rica: “La hoja de aire” by Joaquín Gutiérrez Mangel, 56 pages, 4.5 rating.
- Jamaica: “Oxford Literacy Web [Set]” by Julia Donaldson, Pratima Mitchell, Pamela Mordecai, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Barbados: “Bajan Baby What Do You See?” by Mrs. Terri-Ann M. Hopkin, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Trinidad and Tobago: “Chronicles of Coryn: 2 Days of Fun” by Caryn Anaya Clarke, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Saint Lucia: “Ti Koko and Kush Kush” by Patricia G Turnbull, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Antigua and Barbuda: “Summertime Fun” by Darlene Beazer-Parker, 28 pages, 5 rating.
- Grenada: “Ay Ya Yai Tanti: A musical play about Hurricane Ivan” by Richardo Keens-Douglas, 116 pages, 5 rating.
- Haiti: “The Last Mapou” by Edwidge Danticat, 34 pages, 4.67 rating.
- Curacao: “Horan y Mayra” by Sonia Garmers, 124 pages, 3.5 rating.
- Dominican Republic: “Lola (Emociones, valores y hábitos)” by Junot Díaz, Leo Espinosa, unknown page count, 4.6 rating.
Popular Children’s Books In South America
Papelucho by Marcela Paz is the most popular children’s book in Chile, and it has been rated more times than any other book on this map. It’s also the oldest book here, published in 1947. The most recent book was only published in 2020: El encargo by Claudia Rueda.
Notable Details from the Map:
- Colombia: “El encargo” by Claudia Rueda, 48 pages, 5 rating.
- Ecuador: “Sueños” by Edna Iturralde, Roger Ycaza, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Peru: “Chimoc en Machu Picchu” by Andrea Paz, Claudia Paz, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Bolivia: “Petey” by Ben Mikaelsen, 256 pages, 4.9 rating.
- Chile: “Papelucho” by Marcela Paz, 111 pages, 4.11 rating.
- Argentina: “Dailan Kifki” by María Elena Walsh, 244 pages, 4.41 rating.
- Uruguay: “Los Cazaventura y el camino perdido de los Andes (Cazaventura, #1)” by Helen Velando, 373 pages, 4.24 rating.
- Paraguay: “Manual de esgrima para elefantes” by Javier Viveros, 87 pages, 4.5 rating.
- Brazil: “Nina Bonita” by Ana Maria Machado, Elena Iribarren, 24 pages, 4.99 rating.
- Guyana: “Boyhood Days – Book 2” by Dennis E. Adonis, 92 pages, 5 rating.
- Suriname: “Bruine Bonen Met Zoutvlees: Een Anansi-verhaal” by Ismene Krishnadath, 16 pages, 5 rating.
Popular Children’s Books In Asia & Oceania
Then, written by Morris Gleitzman, tells the story of Jewish orphan Felix and his best friend Zelda, who have been captured during the Nazi occupation of Poland during the Second World War.
It’s the most popular children’s book from Australia and sits alongside some wonderful stories in this region.
Notable Details from the Map:
- Pakistan: “Sahab Jee Sultan Jee” by Aslam Farrukhi, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Bhutan: “Membar Tsho – The Flaming Lake” by Kunzang Choden, 48 pages, 4.83 rating.
- South Korea: “구름빵” by Baek Hee Na (백희나), 37 pages, 4.5 rating.
- China: “Seven Blind Mice” by Ed Young, 40 pages, 4.2 rating.
- Japan: “A Mother for Choco” by Keiko Kasza, 32 pages, 4.37 rating.
- Taiwan: “Peasprout Chen: Battle of Champions” by Henry Lien, 368 pages, 4.18 rating.
- Philippines: “Sirena Ba Yan” by Candy Gourlay, 26 pages, 4.25 rating.
- Vietnam: “A Different Pond” by Bao Phi, 32 pages, 4.28 rating.
- Thailand: “The Elven Ambassador” by Piraetta Dawn, 447 pages, 4.68 rating.
- Malaysia: “Diary of a Basketball Hero” by Shamini Flint, 108 pages, 4.56 rating.
- New Zealand: “Slinky Malinki” by Lynley Dodd, 32 pages, 4.36 rating.
- Myanmar: “The Ghost City” by Wa Lone, 221 pages, 5 rating.
- Singapore: “The Diary of Amos Lee: Lights, Camera, Superstar!” by Adeline Foo, 156 pages, 5 rating.
- Sri Lanka: “දිය” by Sybil Wettasinghe, 275 pages, 5 rating.
- India: “সবুজ শিশিরভেজা” by Sukumar Ray, 168 pages, 4.74 rating.
- Bangladesh: “ভৌতিক অলৌকিক” by Manoranjan Bhattacharya, 300 pages, 4.75 rating.
- Australia: “Then” by Morris Gleitzman, 164 pages, 4.4 rating.
Popular Children’s Books In Africa
Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor is Nigeria’s most popular kids book, and with almost nine thousand ratings is the most well-known book on this map. With 496 pages, it’s the longest book here. If you’re looking for a quicker read, E is for E-Waste (Zambia) is short and sweet at only nine pages.
Notable Details from the Map:
- Ghana: “Meliga’s Day (Opon Ifa Series, 2)” by Meshack Asare, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Togo: “Sauve-souris !” by Ginmidèwa Atakpama, Michel Gay, 24 pages, 5 rating.
- Nigeria: “Akata Warrior” by Nnedi Okorafor, 496 pages, 4.25 rating.
- Egypt: “Notre maison” by Walid Taher, 40 pages, 5 rating.
- Rwanda: “Her Own Two Feet: A Rwandan Girl’s Brave Fight to Walk” by Meredith Davis, Rebeka Uwitonze, 208 pages, 4.37 rating.
- Eritrea: “Hoping for a Home After El Salvador” by Linda Barghoorn, 32 pages, 5 rating.
- Ethiopia: “The Ethiop’s Scrolls I: The Othering, Xolisa and Asina” by Michael Daniel Ambatchew, unknown page count, 2.5 rating.
- Kenya: “Nyambugi and the Ogre” by Muthoni Likimani, 27 pages, 5 rating.
- Uganda: “Moses and the School Farm” by Barbara Kimenye, 110 pages, 4.75 rating.
- Malawi: “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition” by William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer, 304 pages, 4.32 rating.
- Zimbabwe: “Fire Storm” by Lauren St. John, 224 pages, 4.34 rating.
- Zambia: “E is for E-Waste”, a short story by Ellen Banda-Aaku, 9 pages, 5 rating.
- South Africa: “The Land of Green Ginger” by Noel Langley, 149 pages, 4.3 rating.
- Namibia: “When You Dance with the Crocodile” by Erna Muller, 114 pages, 4.33 rating.
- Gabon: “Taiwan: Lisa Lin’s Painting ‘Making Mooncakes'” by Jaqueline Touba, Barbara Glasser, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Benin: “The Beautiful Debo” by Béatrice Lalinon Gbado, 15 pages, 3.75 rating.
- Ivory Coast: “Les enfants qui plantaient des arbres” by Véronique Tadjo, 28 pages, 5 rating.
Popular Children’s Books The Middle East
Samad Behrangi portrayed the lives of poor children and used allegorical themes to criticize the Shah’s regime. His book One Thousand Peaches (یک هلو هزار هلو) tells the story of two friends who find a peach and decide to plant its seed.
Notable Details from the Map:
- Turkey: “Ekmek Parası” by Muzaffer İzgü, 132 pages, 4.41 rating.
- Lebanon: “Kırmızı Çizgi” by Samar Mahfouz Barraj, unknown page count, 5 rating.
- Kazakhstan: “Orange and Blue: The World of Barzu” by Marina Abrams, 96 pages, 4.68 rating.
- Israel: “Ooh-la-la: Max in Love” by Maira Kalman, 40 pages, 4.49 rating.
- Palestine: “خروف العيد” by Taghreed Najjar, 26 pages, 4.52 rating.
- Jordan: “خروف العيد” by Taghreed Najjar, 26 pages, 4.52 rating.
- Afghanistan: “The Wisdom of Ahmad Shah: An Afghan Legend” by Palwasha Bazger Salam, 40 pages, 4.25 rating.
- Iran: “یک هلو هزار هلو” by Samad Behrangi, 32 pages, 4.21 rating.
And if you’re curious about their methodology:
We compiled a list of children’s writers from every country using Wikipedia and pulled data on every single one of their books from Goodreads, including rating, number of ratings and number of reviews. For each country, we defined the most popular as the highest-rated among the 20 books with the most user ratings.
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