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May 26, 2015 by Travis Jonker

The Authoritative Guide to Children’s Books Turned Into TV Shows

May 26, 2015 by Travis Jonker   10 comments

The connection between children’s literature and children’s television is strong. Name a classic children’s series and there’s a decent chance it has been adapted for the small screen at one time or another (some have been adapted more than once). It what is sure to be my slowest-loading post of all time (what with all the Youtube clips) I decided to put all the children’s books that have been turned into TV shows in one place.

Here are all the examples I could track down.

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Clifford

Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

Clifford’s Puppy Days (PBS)

Clifford the Big Red Dog (PBS)

 

Cat in the Hat

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmr4slaywAs

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That (PBS)

The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss

Arthur

Arthur by Marc Brown

Arthur (PBS)

CuriousGeorgeFirst

Curious George by Margaret and H.A. Rey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emCiXumS_ME

Curious George (PBS)

Martha Speaks

Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh

Martha Speaks (PBS)

Chicken Problem

The Chicken Problem by Jennifer Oxley; illustrated by Billy Aronson

Peg + Cat (PBS)

H215_SCH_GB1DeadHouse_0.tif
H215_SCH_GB1DeadHouse_0.tif

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC3kue_C35g

Goosebumps (The Hub)

Peter Rabbit

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzZ-AW5-n04

Peter Rabbit (Nick Jr.)

Olivia

Olivia by Ian Faulkner

Olivia (Nickelodeon) 

Animorphs

Animorphs by K.A. Applegate

Animorphs (Nickelodeon)

Littleprince

The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery

The Adventures of the Little Prince (Nickelodeon)

Angelina

Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird; illustrated by Helen Craig

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RBKY9VmGFM

Angelina Ballerina

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3a2DliEA8

Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps (Nick Jr.)

Busy Busy World

Busy, Busy World by Richard Scarry

The Busy World of Richard Scarry

Busytown Mysteries (Nick Jr.)

franklindark

Franklin in the Dark by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark

Franklin

Franklin and Friends (Noggin)

Miss Spider

Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk

Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends Nick Jr.

Kipper

Kipper by Mick Inkpen

Kipper the Dog (Nick Jr.)

Little Bear

Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik; illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Little Bear (Nick Jr.)

Max and Ruby

Max and Ruby books by Rosemary Wells

Max and Ruby (Nick Jr.)

Mr-Happy-book-cover-004

Mr. Men books by Roger Hargreaves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APHH-6l_EXs

The Mr. Men Show

Mr. Men and Little Miss

BearCalledPaddingtonFirstEdition

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

Paddington (Nick Jr.)

ThomastheTankEngineBookClubCover

Thomas the Tank Engine by Rev. W. Awdry

Thomas the Tank Engine

big-honey-hunt-1st-edition

The Big Honey Hunt by Stanley and Janice Berenstain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJKpcfm1qD4

The Berenstain Bears (Noggin)

Ella

Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmela and Steven D’Amico

Ella the Elephant

RedwallUSCover

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Redwall (Noggin)

Magic School Bus

The Magic School Bus books by Joanna Cole; illustrated by Bruce Degen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiZT1bdGllM

The Magic School Bus (Noggin)

 

scaredysq

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThwjkQKSw5w

Scaredy Squirrel

George and Martha

George and Martha by James Marshall

George and Martha

Stella

Read Me a Story, Stella by Marie-Louise Gay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeHZvgumGxQ

Stella and Sam

Horrid Henry

Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon; illustrated by Tony Ross

 

Horrid Henry (CITV (UK))

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About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

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Comments

  1. Ann says

    May 26, 2015 at 9:20 am

    Not a classic children’s series, but The Octonauts were a children’s book series before they were a TV show too.

    • Travis Jonker says

      May 26, 2015 at 9:30 am

      Oh, I didn’t realize that!

  2. Denis Markell says

    May 26, 2015 at 9:44 am

    Travis,

    For those of us who had to suffer through it, I didn’t mind that you left off Caillou. Ergh,

    And the Arthur shows were, to my endless enjoyment, the hippest shows on PBS kids for quite a while. They jumped the shark with the celebrity guests (“Wade Boggs! What are you doing here”) but look for the episode about Head Lice and the one about the Land Of Poetry and they are as good as it gets.

    There is something perversely great hearing Alec Baldwin read the Thomas the Tank Engine stories. I get this sense he’s trying to keep it together the entire time.

  3. Julie says

    May 26, 2015 at 10:28 am

    This is a fun list! I’ve been trying to think of any others… I know I used to watch the Babysitter’s Club and I think there was a Ramona show too. Also, David the Gnome was based on the Secrets of the Gnomes… does that count as a children’s book? There’s also a series based on the Charlie and Lola books.

    • Tony Carmack says

      May 26, 2015 at 8:42 pm

      There sure was a Ramona television show–with actor now director Sarah Polley as Ramona Q.

  4. Tim Young says

    May 26, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    A great list, but a few that were missed: The Dumb Bunnies, Babar, Sendak’s Seven Little Monsters, and George Shrinks.

    • Travis Jonker says

      May 28, 2015 at 1:08 pm

      Thank you!

  5. stardi says

    May 27, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    There are also Rolie Polie Olie, Oswald, Corduroy, Ebb and Flo, Ritter Trenk.

    • stardi says

      May 27, 2015 at 10:44 pm

      Madeline and The Moomins

  6. clash of clans cheats www.getcheat.info says

    December 6, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    Do by no means ever enter your App Store or Play Retailer
    username and password in these program and websites!

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