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Quick answer: If your child loves No, David!, try David Shannon's David Gets in Trouble and Oh, David!, then Pete the Cat, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny and Llama Llama Red Pajama. All are funny, loving picture books about mischief and big feelings.
David Shannon's 1998 picture book shows a small boy named David who does everything he is told not to, from drawing on the walls to playing in the mud, with a mother who says No, David! but loves him anyway. The books below offer similar funny picture books about naughty children and strong feelings.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Gets in Trouble | David Shannon | Ages 3-6 | the sequel |
| David Goes to School | David Shannon | Ages 3-6 | school mischief |
| Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! | Mo Willems | Ages 3-7 | interactive humour |
| Knuffle Bunny | Mo Willems | Ages 3-7 | lost toy |
| Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes | Eric Litwin | 3-7 | songs and giggles |
| Llama Llama Red Pajama | Anna Dewdney | Ages 1-5 | bedtime rhymes |
| Waiting Is Not Easy! | Mo Willems | Ages 4-8 | Elephant & Piggie |
| Where the Wild Things Are | Maurice Sendak | 3-7 | readers who want a classic |
| The Very Hungry Caterpillar | Eric Carle | 1-5 | toddlers |
| Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type | Doreen Cronin | Ages 3-7 | funny farm |
| Interrupting Chicken | David Ezra Stein | Ages 3-7 | bedtime stories |
| The Day the Crayons Quit | Drew Daywalt | 4-8 | readers who like humor |
| Dragons Love Tacos | Adam Rubin | Ages 3-7 | silly humour |
| Those Darn Squirrels! | Adam Rubin | Ages 3-7 | grumpy neighbour |
| Chicka Chicka Boom Boom | Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault | 2-6 | toddlers and preschoolers |
1. David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon
David learns to say sorry after causing trouble. Funny and gentle.
Best for: the sequel.
2. David Goes to School by David Shannon
David's day at school is full of chaos. Great for classroom reading.
Best for: school mischief.
3. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
The pigeon begs readers to let him drive. Kids love shouting no.
Best for: interactive humour.
4. Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
A toddler loses her beloved bunny. Funny and sweet.
Best for: lost toy.
5. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
Pete steps in strawberries, blueberries and mud and keeps singing. Catchy and calm.
Best for: songs and giggles.
6. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Baby llama worries at bedtime until his mama comes. Gentle rhymes make it comforting.
Best for: bedtime rhymes.
7. Waiting Is Not Easy! by Mo Willems
Piggie has a surprise, and Gerald must wait. Funny and relatable.
Best for: Elephant & Piggie.
8. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Max sails to an island of wild things. A famous picture book about imagination.
Best for: readers who want a classic.
9. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A caterpillar eats through a week of food and becomes a butterfly. A classic.
Best for: toddlers.
10. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
Farm animals go on strike with typewritten demands. Quirky and full of humour.
Best for: funny farm.
11. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
A little chicken keeps interrupting her father's bedtime tales. Charming and interactive.
Best for: bedtime stories.
12. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
Crayons write letters to complain about how they are used. Funny and colorful.
Best for: readers who like humor.
13. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
A boy learns what happens when dragons eat spicy salsa. Very funny.
Best for: silly humour.
14. Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin
An old man tries to feed birds while squirrels interfere. Silly and sweet.
Best for: grumpy neighbour.
15. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Letters climb a coconut tree in a rhythm that kids love. A classic of early learning.
Best for: toddlers and preschoolers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with No, David!: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to No, David!. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For more David choose David Gets in Trouble or David Goes to School. For mischief pick Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Interrupting Chicken or Click, Clack, Moo. For big feelings read Where the Wild Things Are or Llama Llama Red Pajama. No, David! is short and silly, so these picks suit read-aloud sessions for ages three to six. Shannon's own childhood drawing of David, made when he was five, inspired the book, and the illustrations are intentionally childlike. The book won a Caldecott Honor.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is No, David! about?
A naughty boy whose mother says no but loves him.
Who wrote it?
David Shannon.
When was it published?
1998.
Did it win an award?
Yes, a Caldecott Honor.
What age is it for?
Roughly ages 3 to 6.
Is it a series?
Yes, with several David books.
Is it good for read-aloud?
Yes.
What should we read next?
Try David Gets in Trouble or Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!.
Which book here is best for lost toy?
Try Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems, which suits readers looking for lost toy.
Which book here is best for Elephant & Piggie?
Try Waiting Is Not Easy! by Mo Willems, which suits readers looking for Elephant & Piggie.
Which book here is best for funny farm?
Try Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, which suits readers looking for funny farm.