Deluxe or collector's editions of books are having a moment and children's books have not been left out of the trend. A number of popular well-known and classic children's books now come in beautiful editions, often with new illustrations, cleverly sprayed edges and bonus content. The fanciness may be new but the stories are still timeless and these deluxe editions make terrific gifts for young readers.
We've listed a few of our favorites below but don't wait too long to pick one up! SOme of these versions are limited editions, and won't have a second production run.
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The Wild Robot: Collector's Edition by Peter Brown
Fans of Brown's Wild Robot series will delight in the never-before-seen sketches, 25 pages of bonus materials, patterned endpapers and luxurious book cover. If your kids have only ever seen the film, then settle down on a cozy sofa with this book for one of the best read aloud experiences you'll ever have. Ages 8 and up.
Charlotte's Web Collector’s Deluxe Edition by E.B. White
Charlotte's famous words are sprayed onto the edges of the Charlotte's Web deluxe edition. Readers will also be treated to cute endpapers covered in pigs, full color interior art, a foil dust jacket and bonus content including how the book came to be.
MORE: Books Like Charlotte's Web
Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Lightning Thief: Deluxe Collector's Edition by Rick Riordan
Riordan's wildly popular page-turner about a group of kids descended from Greek gods makes a great gift for young readers who love adventure, fantasy, and mythology. The deluxe edition features a sprayed lightening bolt edge, a foiled slipcase, and a ribbon bookmark. Also available in the collector's edition are the second and third books, Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse.
MORE: Books for Fans of Percy Jackson
Lightfall: The Girl & the Galdurian Deluxe Edition by Tim Probert
Lightfall, is a terrific enough graphic novel on its own, but add a pretty new cover, stenciled edges, illustrated endpapers, and bonus content and your kids will treasure the deluxe edition as well as go on to read the rest of the series. The story follows Bea and Cad on their journey to keep the world from falling into darkness. Ages 8 and up.
MORE: Book Sets to Give as Gifts for Tweens
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Illustrated with Interactive Elements) by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by MinaLima
I am a certified Wizard of Oz superfan and bought this version for myself one year. It is a delight! In addition to the beautiful illustrations, interactive elements include pop-ups, fold-out maps, die cuts, and even your own pair of green spectacles to wear in the Emerald City. Ages 8 and up.
TIP: MinaLima has interactive editions of a number of classic books like Alice and Wonderland, Treasure Island, The Little Prince and more. I highly recommend checking out their collection!
The Chronicles of Narnia (several different versions) by C. S. Lewis
Find it, 7 books in 1: Amazon | Bookshop
Find it, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe : Amazon | Bookshop
Find it, The Magician's Nephew : Amazon | Bookshop
I could not decide which of these Narnia versions to highlight, so decided to leave the choosing to you. Should you wish for all 7 books, you can get them in the deluxe version featuring Aslan's face, sprayed edges and ribbon bookmark. Individual titles The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and The Magician's Nephew feature gorgeous covers, full color illustrations, and sprayed edges. Ages 8 and up.
MORE: Books Like The Chronicles of Narnia
Anne of Green Gables: The Complete Novel, Featuring the Characters' Letters and Mementos, Written and Folded by Hand by L.M Montgomery, curated by by Barbara Heller
This is a fun edition of L.M. Montgomery's beloved classic about the red-headed Anne Shirley. Nestled in the pages are thirteen replicas of ephemera from the story, including schoolroom notes between Anne and Diana, Marilla's recipes, tickets and more.
MORE: Books Like Anne of Green Gables
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: A Very Special Edition by Roald Dahl
Find it: Amazon
Do you want your very own Golden Ticket? How about a secret blueprint of Wonka’s factory? Those gems and many more are tucked within the pages of this limited edition of Dahl's classic, complete with new full color illustrations. Ages 8 and up.
MORE: Books for Fans of Roald Dahl
One Dead Spy: Bigger & Badder Edition (series) by Nathan Hale
My kids loved Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series! There are 14 (as of this writing) books now, but this is the tale that started them all. A graphic novel set during the American Revolution is not only wickedly funny and entertaining, it teaches kids history in a way they won't forget. At least 7 books in the series are available in "bigger and badder" editions, each of which includes 16 pages of bonus material.
Kiki's Delivery Service (series) by Eiko Kadono, illustrated by Yuta Onoda
Kiki's Delivery Service inspired Miyazaki's film of the same name. On Kiki's thirteenth birthday, she moves with her cat to a seaside village, ready to begin her new delivery service and make new friends. I love the deluxe version with the charming spine illustrations! The book series also includes Kiki and the New Magic and Kiki and the Other Witch, both of which also available in the deluxe versions.
MORE: Books for Fans of Studio Ghibli films
The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon: Deluxe Limited Edition by Grace Lin
If you and your kids enjoyed Lin's excellent Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, you will love this gorgeous limited edition of The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon. Young Stone Lion Jin is one of the Gongshi—stone spirits who act as guardians to the humans. However, when he becomes stuck on the human side of the gate that separates the Sacred Space from the human world, he and Lulu, a human girl, must go in search of the Sacred Sphere.
El Deafo: Superpowered Edition by Cece Bell
The "superpowered edition" of this popular, Newbery Honor graphic novel about Cece who discovers that her Phonic Ear gives her amazing hearing powers includes 40 pages of bonus material. The book will make a great gift for any readers who have yet to be introduced to Cece, as well as those who already know and love her. Also available in Spanish!
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Deluxe Collector's Edition by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
The tale of a lost china rabbit who learns about love is housed in a collector's edition with a foil stamped title, decorated edges and additional illustrations. Fans of DiCamillo will be delighted to learn that several of her other books are also available in collector's editions.
The Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins
Illustrated Version: Amazon | Bookshop
Collector's Edition: Amazon | Bookshop
Fans of The Hunger Games can choose from either the illustrated version (available for the first three books in the series), which is rich with full page black and while illustrations by artist Nico Delort, or the recent collector's edition. The collector's edition features sprayed edges, foiled slipcase, illustrated end pages, a family tree, among other details.
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