The allure of celebrity is undeniable, and in today’s multi-platform world, stars are finding ever more creative ways to connect with their fans and explore new facets of their talents. One surprising, yet increasingly popular, avenue they’re venturing into is the enchanting realm of children’s literature. It seems that once global success is achieved in fields like singing, acting, or professional sports, some public figures feel ready to tackle what is perhaps the “biggest challenge known to mankind”: writing a truly great children’s book.
The assumption that crafting a children’s book is “short, simple, and easy” couldn’t be further from the truth. As many parents know, good children’s books must meet a high bar, satisfying a demanding set of criteria from read-aloud quality and plot coherence to engaging illustrations and a unique, kid-mind logic. It’s a delicate balance that few master, making each successful celebrity foray into this genre all the more remarkable. This journey from the red carpet to the reading nook offers a fascinating glimpse into a different kind of creative endeavor, often revealing personal passions and unexpected storytelling prowess.
We’ve delved into a collection of children’s books penned by some of the most recognizable names across entertainment, sports, and even royalty. These aren’t just vanity projects; they are genuine attempts to capture young imaginations and often impart valuable lessons. From Oscar-winning actors to Grammy-winning musicians and even members of the British royal family, these personalities are stepping up to the challenge, proving that the world of children’s books is as diverse and dynamic as the celebrities who now inhabit it. Let’s take a closer look at some of these intriguing literary ventures.
1. **Natalie Portman’s Fables by Natalie Portman, illustrated by Janna Mattia.** This book arrived with considerable anticipation, offering “woke retellings of Aesop’s fables” from the Oscar-winning actress, Natalie Portman. Her approach reimagines classic tales, such as “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Three Little Pigs,” and “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse,” through a contemporary lens.
The book’s didactic tone is evident in lines such as, “Planning and thinking about how to build cleanly / Makes your house sturdy / And keeps our earth looking greenly.” While the intention to impart environmental wisdom is clear, the practical application for a young audience at bedtime raises questions. The reviewer noted the challenge of explaining “the concept of ‘offsetting carbon emissions’” during a read-aloud session, suggesting the book might prioritize message over immediate child accessibility.
Beyond the environmental messaging, the book also faced critique regarding its narrative structure. The text points out that, “Plot notwithstanding,” it still received negative feedback for its pedagogical demands on parents. The blend of classic fables with modern ecological concerns, while well-intentioned, appears to have created a reading experience that was perhaps more thought-provoking for adults than universally engaging for its primary child audience.
2. **The Bench by Meghan, the Duchess of Sus, illustrated by Christian Robinson.** This children’s book, penned by Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, opens with a tender, albeit somewhat forced, couplet: “This is your bench / Where life will begin / For you and our son / Our baby, our kin.” The accompanying illustrations depict an “infant-dad duo sitting on a bench,” visually reminiscent of her husband Harry and son Archie, setting a deeply personal tone.
Throughout the book, a “diverse panoply of dads and benches” are featured, each accompanied by similarly “tortured rhymed couplets.” The narrative continues to explore the theme of fatherhood and the bond between fathers and sons, culminating in the line, “Right there on your bench / The place you’ll call home / With daddy and son … / You’ll never be ’lone.” The use of “’lone” at the end of the couplet proved to be a significant point of contention for its awkwardness during a read-aloud.
The thematic choice of focusing on the “unbreakable bond of fatherhood” raised eyebrows, given the Duchess’s own publicly documented challenges with her estranged father and her husband’s complex relationship with his own. This personal context, as highlighted by the reviewer referencing Prince Harry’s book “Spare,” added another layer to the book’s reception, suggesting a disconnect between the author’s public narrative and the book’s core message.
Furthermore, a critical assessment of “The Bench” pointed out a distinct lack of plot. Children’s books typically benefit from a narrative arc, even a simple one, to keep young readers engaged. The book’s focus on sentiment and rhyming structure, rather than a developing story, contributed to its lower ranking in the collection, earning “Zero points” for its narrative shortcomings.
3. **Hope Is a Rainbow by Hoda Kotb, illustrated by Chloe Dominique.** As one might anticipate from the Today show co-host Hoda Kotb, this book centers on the abstract concept of “hope.” The title itself reflects a deeply personal connection for Kotb, as “Hope” is also the name of one of her daughters, adding an endearing, sentimental layer to the project.
The illustrations within the book are described as having a “Netflix-kids’-show-quality,” featuring a “strenuously multiethnic group of kids.” These characters are depicted enacting sentiments often found on “HomeGoods wall-art-type” decor, such as “Hope is a rainbow … after rain spoiled your fun. Clouds ALWAYS pass, making way for the sun.” This lyrical approach aims to convey comforting messages about resilience and optimism.
Despite its well-meaning message, the book’s clarity for its target audience was questioned. When a 5-year-old reviewer, Ilya, was asked about the book’s theme, he charitably suggested it was about “finding good friends,” a interpretation that the adult reviewer deemed “a stretch.” This highlights a potential gap between the intended abstract message and a child’s concrete understanding.
The book’s poetic structure also came under scrutiny, particularly its “nonsense sentence” in the final couplet: “Always and forever, my wish for you / With hope in your heart, all your dreams will come true.” This lack of coherent meaning further detracted from its read-aloud quality. With Kotb’s extensive bibliography as an author of seven books, this particular children’s title, unfortunately, did not meet the stringent criteria for effective children’s literature, receiving “zero points” in the review.
4. **The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be by Joanna Gaines, illustrated by Julianna Swaney.** From home-redecoration guru and Target-line-haver Joanna Gaines, this book presents a whimsical, yet perplexing, premise. It follows a team of children who are engaged in the assembly of “hot-air balloons,” an activity that the reviewer humorously noted “seems extremely dangerous.”
The narrative describes each child building a balloon in their own distinct style, and then flying around in them. However, the mechanism of propulsion deviates from reality: “Typically, hot-air balloons are propelled by gas-heated air, but these balloons are lifted into the air by … individuality?” This element of fantastical realism, while not inherently problematic for children’s literature, creates a peculiar disconnect when paired with the book’s more grounded text.
The textual content itself drew comparison to an “New Age HR manual,” with phrases like, “Some of us work alone. And some of us work side by side. Some of us are quiet and like to think things through. And others prefer to chitchat about all we have to do!” This language, while promoting teamwork and diversity of working styles, felt out of place within a children’s story, particularly one about a “children’s hot-air-balloon factory.”
Despite these narrative and thematic inconsistencies, the book did receive a partial positive note for its aesthetic appeal. The reviewer found enjoyment in its “soothing coordinated color palette of subtle greens and blues enlivened by splashes of coppery red.” This visual harmony, characteristic of Gaines’s wider body of work, earned the book “.5 of a point,” acknowledging the lady’s undeniable “eye for color,” even if the storytelling fell short.
5. **Why Not You? by Ciara and Russell Wilson with JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Jessica Gibson.** This collaborative effort from singer Ciara and quarterback Russell Wilson, notably credits co-writer JaNay Brown-Wood, a commendable acknowledgment of their ghostwriter. The book’s opening, however, immediately introduces a linguistic stumble: “Is there something that you dream of? / Something that you’d be or do? / Something that would make you happy / And make all your dreams come true?”
This initial stanza, depicting two children looking out a window at a butterfly, contains a repetitive and somewhat convoluted phrasing, as highlighted by the reviewer’s comment, “Is there a … dream … that would make all your … dreams … come true? I got a headache just typing that.” This awkward syntax impacts the book’s read-aloud quality and overall clarity for young listeners.
The core message of “Why Not You?” is one of empowerment and self-belief, asserting that “You are perfect and important” and that children can achieve anything they desire. Illustrations portray a diverse group of children, including “A kid in a wheelchair juggles” and “A boy wears fairy wings,” reinforcing a message of inclusivity and boundless potential. The book does include a brief acknowledgment of challenges: “disappointing situations / May make triumph hard for you,” though the reviewer questions if the authors truly intended the deeper, more complex interpretation of triumph being as overwhelming as failure.
Despite the positive affirmations and charming illustrations, which “would be at home in almost any contemporary kids’ book,” the book was critically noted for its lack of a distinct plot. While inspirational, the narrative felt more like a series of affirmations than a developing story. The Wilsons did receive “1 point for read-aloud-ability,” acknowledging some positive aspects despite the overall criticisms of the prose and plot structure.
6. **C Is for Country by Lil Nas X, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III.** There was significant anticipation for Lil Nas X’s foray into children’s literature, particularly given his vibrant public persona and the “chaotic magic” of his social media and stage presence. Unfortunately, “C Is for Country” was perceived as a missed opportunity, failing to capture the unique energy that defines the artist.
The book is described as “simply a relic of the weird era — summer 2019 — when ‘Old Town Road’s Billy Ray Cyrus remix was peaking in popularity and was widely perceived to be a song for children.” This suggests the book may have been a product of market timing rather than a genuine reflection of Lil Nas X’s distinct artistic voice. The anodyne nature of the book led the reviewer to “wager that Lil Nas X’s people thought he ought to release a children’s book” resulting in a bland output.
The narrative leads readers through the alphabet and a day in the life of a miniaturized Lil Nas X, who is dressed in a “spangly cowboy suit” and rides a pony named Panini. While this offers a superficial connection to his famous song, the content lacks the playful irreverence fans might expect. For instance, the line “Q is for quality time — I love my fam” is cited as an example of its generic and uninspired tone.
Notably, the book makes “no mention of ‘bull ridin’ and boobies’ here,” humorously highlighting the stark contrast between the artist’s adult-oriented humor and the sanitized content of the children’s book. Despite these criticisms regarding its lack of characteristic charm, the book did manage to secure “1 point for having a semblance of plot (the course of a day),” indicating a minimal narrative structure that provides some coherence for young readers.
