12 Children’s Books Written by Your Favorite TV Hosts That Are Actually Good

1. Princesses Wear Pants by Savannah Guthrie & Allison Oppenheim

Who says princesses have to wear dresses? In Princesses Wear Pants, Today show host Savannah Guthrie and co-author Allison Oppenheim tell the story of headstrong Princess Penelope Pineapple. Whether she's commanding the royal air force in her sequined flight suit, or gardening in her favorite pocketed overalls, Penelope proves that there's power in pants. But when her love for pants threatens to prevent her from attending the annual Pineapple Ball, Penelope must find a way to stand up for what she believes in. This story is both fun and inspiring, reminding little girls everywhere that it's not how you look that matters, it's what you do.

Where to buy: Amazon, $17.95 $6.93

2. Party Animals by Kathie Lee Gifford

Lucy Goosey has a problem — er birthday party is coming up and she wants it to be perfect. But while narrowing down her invite list, she begins focusing on everyone's bad qualities, and in the end, she has no one to invite. To help with her dilemma, she turns to the Wise Owl and along the way learns to embrace the things that make everyone unique. Written in a fun to read, sing-song pattern, Party Animals teaches kids the power of acceptance and that our differences make us special.

Where to buy: Amazon, $9.99

3. Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Plum Fantastic by Whoopi Goldberg

In the first book of her Sugar Plum Ballerinas series, The View's Whoopi Goldberg introduces us to Alexandra "Al" Petrakova Johnson. After moving from Georgia to Harlem so her mother can pursue a career in costume design, Al finds herself in ballet class, much to her chagrin. What she really wants is to be a speed skater like her idol Phoebe Fitz. After randomly (and reluctantly) being assigned the coveted lead role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in her school's production of The Nutcracker, Al finds making friends and getting her routine down nearly impossible. But after seeing Phoebe Fitz talk about the importance of ballet, she buckles down in practice and finds herself making some friends along the way. Touching on important childhood themes like making friends and moving, Plum Fantastic gives readers a heroine they can relate to who reminds them they can achieve anything they set their minds to.

Where to buy: Amazon, $4.99 $3.18

4. I've Loved You Since Forever by Hoda Kotb

The love felt between a parent and a child is priceless. For Today show host Hoda Kotb, it's especially sweet. In February 2017, the beloved morning show host announced to the world that she adopted a beautiful baby girl named Haley Joy. Inspired by the adoption of her daughter, I've Loved You Since Forever is a sentimental story that celebrates adoption as the wonderful moment in time when the stars finally align and families are formed. If you're looking for the perfect bedtime story to snuggle up with your little ones, this one is hard to beat.

Where to pre-order: Amazon, $18.99 $14.24

5. Al Roker's Extreme Weather: Tornadoes, Typhoons, and Other Weather Phenomena by Al Roker

Most people can agree on one thing: the weather is fascinating. In this captivating children's book, Today show meteorologist Al Roker takes the reader on a journey as he teaches them about everything from tornadoes and earthquakes to thundersnow and fogsickles. Filled with surprising facts and fantastic pictures, Al Roker's Extreme Weather will hook children (and adults) as they discover all of the wonders Mother Nature has to offer.

Where to buy: Amazon, $16.99 $11.57

6. Mud Tacos by Mario Lopez & Marissa Lopez Wong

For many children, the best memories are made at grandma's house. In Mud Tacos, this is true for Mario and Marissa. One day, while playing in their Nana's backyard, they decide to make squirmy, wormy mud tacos. This inspires them to make real tacos with their grandmother for lunch. While on their way to pick up the necessary ingredients, they also pick up their cousins Rosie and Chico. When Chico starts acting like a bully, his cousins decide to teach him a lesson with the help of some mud tacos. With universal themes of family, food, and kindness, Mud Tacos is a story that teaches the importance of family and being nice to one another. And Extra host Mario Lopez wrote it with his real-life sister, Marissa Lopez Wong, so it's especially meaningful.

Where to buy: Amazon, $16.99 $11.02

7. Our Great Big Backyard by Jenna Bush Hager & Laura Bush

After the success of their first children's book Read All About It!, mother-daughter duo Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager teamed up again to write a love letter to nature and America's National Parks, Our Great Big Backyard. For Jane, her idea of a perfect summer includes nothing but spending time with her friends, playing video games. But her dream is quickly dashed when her parents announce that they're going on a cross-country family road trip to visit the national parks. Hesitant at first, Jane quickly begins to love the outdoors and finds herself spending less time looking at her screen. A perfect way to inspire kids to get out and play (and put the screen away), Our Big Backyard teaches kids how wonderful nature can be, whether it's at a national park or right in their own backyards.

Where to buy: Amazon, $18.99 $14.98

8. The Brand New Kid by Katie Couric

Being the new kid is never easy. Add a different look and an accent to the mix, and it can be even harder. This is where Lazlo S. Gasky finds himself on his first day at Brookhaven. It seems that all of the kids mock him for being so different — all of them except for Ellie McSnelly, that is. After seeing Lazlo's mother tear up about the situation and realizing how hard it must be to be the new kid, Ellie reaches out to Lazlo and becomes his friend. Touching on the eternal themes of growing up, acceptance, tolerance, and empathy, Katie Couric's The Brand New Kid teaches children the importance of empathy and embracing people's differences.

Where to buy: Amazon, $18.95 $15.64

9. If Roast Beef Could Fly by Jay Leno

Jay Leno is known for a lot of things — his tenure on The Tonight Show and his love of cars chief among them. But did you know he also wrote a children's book? If Roast Beef Could Fly is loosely based on an event from Jay's childhood, and tells the story of Little Jay and the summer picnic where everyone found out that roast beef could fly. After Jay's dad builds an enormous barbeque patio, he invites all the neighbors over for one huge end of summer picnic. The star of the show? The rotisserie roast beef, of course! When Jay's plan to taste the roast beef before everyone else backfires, chaos ensues. Laugh-out-loud funny and filled with the trademark humor that made Jay a household name, this book is a great tale of family fun. It's the perfect way to send kids off to sleep with visions of flying roast beef in their heads.

Where to buy: Amazon, 17.95 $6.74

10. Chasing Helicity by Ginger Zee

In her first children's novel, ABC's chief meteorologist Ginger Zee tells a story inspired by two things close to her heart: her Michigan upbringing and the weather. Much like Ginger, title protagonist Helicity Dunlap has been fascinated by the weather for as long as she can remember. This fascination that leads her on a wild adventure, both during and after the major storm that destroys her western Michigan town. Filled with tales of storm chasing, the science of storms themselves, and teenage angst, this book is as relatable as it is entertaining.

Where to pre-order: Amazon, $16.99 $11.62

11. Everything Is MAMA and Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA by Jimmy Fallon

For centuries, there has been an unspoken battle between new parents when it comes to one very important issue — will their baby's first words be "mama" or "dada"? With this box set from Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, you'll get a little help no matter which team you're on. In Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA, young children will be enamored by the beautiful illustrations as they learn how fun saying the word "dada" can be. In the sequel, Everything is MAMA, Jimmy takes a different approach after his own personal realization that while a baby's first word may be "dada," after that everything is "mama." A great way to encourage a love of books early on, this picturebook set is not only a handy tool in the fight to be your child's first word, it also makes a great gift for new parents.

Where to buy: Amazon, $33.98 $21.46

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