20 great movies based on children’s books

Holes by Louis Sachar might very well be the best young adult book ever written. And Disney got an incredible cast to help create an iconic film. This movie also has a theme song, rapped and sung by the young men of the cast, which still slaps. 

The Chronicles of Narnia is a fantastic series, and its first entry, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was adapted to screen in a beautiful, fantastic movie that’s just as good upon rewatch. It’s a comfort film for sure. 

There’s no use in identifying which singular Harry Potter film was the best adaptation of its respective book. They all deserve credit. It’s a book and film series that changed pop culture as we know it. 

Coraline is scary, but for anyone who’s into horror, adolescent or otherwise, Coraline is a great screen adaptation. The animation is great, and the original story was followed well. It’ll give anyone the heebie jeebies. 

The Wizard of Oz is such a good film that people forget it was the first book of a wildly popular series. This film has had an indelible mark on culture at large, and it has experienced a major resurgence almost a century after its release, thanks to the screen adaptation of its unofficial prequel, Wicked. 

Roald Dahl’s contributions to children’s literature are up there with A. A. Milne’s and Dr. Seuss’. His book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was just asking to be adapted to screen, and lucky for us, we got to have two great adaptations. 

Another great adaptation from a Roald Dahl work, Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of Wes Anderson’s animated outputs, and it’s one of his best. It’s cozy yet compelling, and Anderson recruited some fantastic actors to voice the animals. 

There are a significant number of Roald Dahl screen adaptations that could be included in this list, but we’ll stop with Matilda. Albeit a bit sad, Matilda is a great story, and the movie is so charming. Danny DeVito is a gift, even when he’s playing a completely unredeemable character. 

Mary Poppins is another example of a film being so good that its legacy completely overshadows that of its source material. Mary Poppins is actually the first in a series of books by P. L. Travers. Travers created a bona fide icon. 

Maurice Sendak is another author who brought so much joy to children’s literature, and Where the Wild Things Are is one of his best works. This true children’s book was turned into a great full-length feature film, a modern classic that every kid needs to see. 

Considering how many books he wrote, it’s amazing that more of Dr. Seuss’ books haven’t been made into full-length feature films (The Butter Battle Book deserves better than what it’s been given). But we’ll take what we can get. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (and the book’s other screen adaptations) is perfect. 

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a book that will make you truly question the sanity of its author (Lewis Carroll), but no matter. It’s a classic, and its animated screen adaptation is just as fantastic. 

Not all screen adaptations of children’s books are of literature published last century. How to Train Your Dragon was published in 2003, and it launched a beloved series that has since spawned both animated and live-action screen adaptations. 

The Night at the Museum was too good an idea not to be made into a book, and too good a book not to be made into a movie. No one who’s read the book or seen the movie has entered a museum the same way since. 

E. B. White’s classic book Stuart Little posed an interesting question: What if a human family adopted an orphan mouse? In 1999, that question was brought to life with the book’s screen adaptation, and it is an underrated classic. 

Another fantastic output from E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web cannot be forgiven for its spider propaganda. But the propaganda can be overlooked because it’s such a good book that made for such a good movie. 

Shrek is based on the book Shrek! by William Steig. And if you can believe it, the titular character is more hideous in the book. But, as the story reminds us, outer beauty isn’t all that matters, and that’s part of the reason the film is so iconic. 

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is such a fun book, and it’s an equally fun film. What an exciting world to step into. How whimsical would life be if the sky were raining food all day? 

It’s time for the public to admit that A Series of Unfortunate Events is a great film, and it deserved sequels. Jim Carrey was a perfect Count Olaf, and the rest of the cast was just as good. Are the books it was based on better? Sure. But the movie deserves more credit. 

Winnie-the-Pooh, the original book by A. A. Milne, has had many adaptations over the years, but the 2011 feature film adaptation is a special one. It really captured the magic of those characters and reminded longtime Hundred Acre Wood fans why they fell in love in the first place.