F or years, there was a set of books that I didn’t know existed independently of one another. The 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury, compiled by Janet Schulman, contained classics such as Where the Wild Things Are, Swimmy, and Petunia and enchanted me for many an hour. This treasury was so well-read in our home that whole sections are now missing, and it was with great eagerness that I snagged my own copy at a local bookstore a few years ago. While many of the titles contained in the book are picture books, some are in the “easy reader” genre, that section of the library you enter with great awe and anticipation around second grade.

Schulman’s Treasury was a good introduction, but there’s a whole world of easy readers out there, just waiting to be snatched up. My mom did her research well, learning which of these books were suitable both for our reading ability and our formation, and quite a few still stand out in my mind as well-told stories with excellent artwork. Picture books may be too babyish for you at this stage, but you do still need something colorful on the page to hold your attention.

The Oliver and Amanda books certainly fit the “colorful” bill, with bright images full of interesting detail filling each page. Telling a complete story that engages a child’s interest without overwhelming them (or boring them) takes skill, and author Jean Van Leeuwen meets that challenge with these books. From what I can discover, there are about 20 titles in this series, which follows the daily adventures of a porcine brother-and-sister duo. They go to school, make friends, celebrate Christmas, and spend time with their grandmother. Most memorable for me was Amanda Pig: School Girl for its description of the titular character trying hard to make friends with her shyest classmate.

Pigs are rather ubiquitous in literature, but badgers? Well, one pops up in Russell Hoban’s Frances the Badger series. This little creature is a bit demanding but learns lots of lessons as she saves up money for tea sets, goes to bed, and gains a new little sibling. She also, like so many other youngsters, is constantly making up and singing her own songs — to the alternating amusement and aggravation of her parents. One of my siblings disdains Frances, but I’ve always found her funny.

Oh, and here’s another series (I’m finding that some of the best easy readers come as a series) with a pig, but this time, she’s paired with an elephant. Created by Mo Willems, the Elephant and Piggie books were published slightly after my easy-reader days had ended but were a great hit with all the families I babysat. The books draw on the long-standing children’s-literature tradition of animal besties, taking inspiration from greats such as Frog and Toad, George and Martha, and Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. Willems uses blank space to his advantage in each book, drawing readers into the story with well-placed images and well-timed words. I especially enjoy his use of the end papers in each book, on which a mischievous pigeon often makes an appearance.

A list such as this would be incomplete without some mention of Robert Quackenbush’s work. The author and illustrator deserves a piece of his own, but, for now, consider checking out his Miss Mallard series. Charlie Cooke has teased me for years now about my propensity to use alliteration when writing show titles for The Editors, and I can safely say that my inspiration comes from none other than the illustrious Quackenbush. How could I not be influenced by titles such as Dig to Disaster, Express Train to Trouble, Cable Car to Catastrophe, and Dogsled to Dread? Not all the book titles were alliterative, and my favorite story (well, the one we owned, so the one I read most often) about the famous “duck-tective” was Stairway to Doom. If your children don’t yet know that garlic works against vampires, they will after reading this book.

Finally, there’s Harry the Dirty Dog. The story of this clever little dog who refuses to bathe is wonderfully popular in our house and can be found in that Treasury I referenced earlier. But if you truly want to chuckle while listening to your children sound out words, have them read Harry and the Lady Next Door. Poor Harry. His next-door neighbor is an opera singer, and it hurts his ears. He does everything he can to drown out her warbling, but to no avail. Read on for a very satisfying (to all involved parties) ending.

Part of the charm in each of these series is that the animals are experiencing many of the same emotions and events as the children reading about them. Like Harry, they might hate taking baths, or, like Elephant and Piggie, they wonder how to include other children in their games. Certainly, there are entertaining easy readers out there showcasing humans, but there is something undeniably intriguing — and maybe even a bit relatable — about an animal doing exactly what you’re doing. And if you can read about them all on your very own, what a sense of accomplishment you’ll feel.