I’m so lucky that Barefoot Books sent me on a trip to France this summer! Since I returned, I’ve been looking for children’s books about France to share bits of French culture, history, and language with our 6 year old. In this post, you’ll find our favorites, from classic books written decades ago to more recent titles.

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The sights, sounds, art, and history of France greet kids in these delightful children's books for preschool through 6th grade. From a mouse who's an expert cheesemaker to a young ballerina who is painted by Edgar Degas, you won't soon forget the characters in these delightful children's books about France! #childrensbooks #picturebooks #france

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13 Children’s Books about France

Anatole by Eve Titus and Paul Galdone

Any good book list about France has to include some fromage (cheese) doesn’t it? Anatole is a clever, kind mouse who is alarmed when he discovers that humans despise his kind.

To restore honor to mousekind Anatole decides that he will give back at the Duval Cheese Factory. Each night he sneaks into the factory to leave notes about how they can improve the flavors of each of their gourmet offerings. As they implement his advice, their sales boom. But will they ever discover who the mysterious Anatole really is? (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)

Chasing Degas by Eva Montanari

A ballerina’s long chase to locate her missing tutu introduces children to a number of French impressionist painters, including Degas, Monet, and Renoir. Monsieur Degas has been painting the ballerinas and has accidentally mistaken his bag of paints for a young dancer’s costume bag, right before their big performance.

Even as she hurries to find Degas and her tutu, the dancer has time to learn a few things about the impressionist style of painting from those she meets. After the story, a small gallery of famous paintings is included for children to explore. (Recommended for ages 5 – 10)

The Amazing Adventures of Aya and Pete in Paris! by Serena Minott, Asha Gore, and Carolina Búzio

This adorable book follows an adventurous curly headed girl named Aya and her stuffed sloth Pete on their family’s trip to Paris. As Aya experiences the tastes (so many kinds of cheese!), sites, and sounds of Paris, kids will get their own itch to travel. The storyline is simple to follow, and there are bonus pages with French vocabulary and facts about Paris.

Even though there are many books about children traveling to famous cities, the protagonist are hardly ever kids of color like Aya. This series is a much needed addition to the world of kids’ travel books! (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot by Alice and Martin Provensen

Louis Bleriot became obsessed with the idea of building and flying an airplane after he spotted an “airship” over his town of Cambrai, France. It’s fascinating to see the illustrations of some of the eleven different planes he created. Most of them either couldn’t leave the ground or crashed. But in 1909, with his 11th creation, Bleriot was ready to attempt to fly from France across the English Channel.

This simple story will certainly capture the imagination of any child who’s wondered how people came to fly. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

A Walk in Paris by Salvatore Rubbino

I love Rubbino’s children’s book tours of world cities, including this one of Paris. The quirky illustrations are just right for this little girl’s journey through the city with her grandfather. There’s a main story that describes their tour for the day. It’s accompanied by smaller notes about the various places they visit, which are great for kids who want more detail.

My youngest is a big fan of landmarks, so he loves the fold out page of a huge Eiffel Tower lit up at night. (Recommended for ages 4 – 9)

My Big Barefoot Book of French and English Words by Sophie Fatus

When my son was a toddler, My Big Barefoot Book of Wonderful Words was one of his absolute favorites. I’m delighted that the book is now available in a bilingual French-English version. It’s perfect for bilingual families as well as children who want to start learning some French vocabulary.

The book tells a simple story of a multi-generational family’s day, at home and throughout the city. It includes more than 700 words in both languages, including many complex and modern words you won’t find in other word books. (Recommended for ages 2 – 6)

Adele and Simon by Barbara McClintock

Any older sibling who’s ever had to take care of a brother or sister can sympathize with poor Adele. On their walk home from school, easily-distracted Simon seems to lose another item at every single place they stop!

While children may be most interested on the first reading in trying to guess where Simon’s lost objects have gone, the book is worth a second reading for its elaborate pictures. Notes in the back help identify the famou places the children have been, from Notre Dame to the Louvre to the famous St. Michel station of the Metro. (Recommended for ages 4 – 10)

Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork and Lena Anderson

This is a perfect chapter book for exploring French art. Linnea has the chance to go to France with her kind older neighbor Mr. Bloom, where they can both explore Monet’s work. The book includes an abundance of information about impressionism and how Monet created his paintings.

Because the illustrations include both his art and cartoons of Linnea exploring France, the book is able to explore lots of non-fiction content in an engaging, child-friendly way. (Recommended for ages 6 – 12)

Minette’s Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat by Susanna Reich and Amy Bates

Before she was a famous chef, Julia Child became entranced with French cuisine while living in Paris with her husband Paul, a diplomat. Because “a house without a cat is like life without sunshine,” their humble home wasn’t complete until Minette became a part of it.

Minette is a typical French cat, who shuns cat food for real mice and fish heads. As Julia’s cooking becomes more elaborate and sophisticated, might it even please the choosey Minette? (Recommended for ages 5 – 10)

Madeline’s Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans

Our little guy is a big fan of the original Madeline book, which launched a whole series of picture books about the daring French girl who goes to a Catholic boarding school. We thought it was time to try Madeline’s Rescue, which introduces us to a helpful, clever dog named Genevieve.

While the girls at the school love their new dog, the trustees decide that a mongrel pet has no place among upstanding young ladies. Madeline declares that she will get the dog’s “VEN-GE-ANCE!” Knowing our little heroine, we only have to wait to see how she will do it. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Charlotte in Giverny by Joan MacPhail Knight and Melissa Sweet

This book is written as a journal of a young girl who is traveling from America to France so that her father can join Claude Monet’s artist colony in Giverny. The journal entries are accompanied by numberous impressionist paintings, plus small drawings of the objects and places Charlotte writes about.

Charlotte gets to witness so many exciting things, including the wedding of Monet’s daughter. Readers are sure to learn some French vocabulary in the little deteails that she scatters throughout her entries. (Recommended for ages 6 – 12)

Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley

Diane Stanley’s book is perfect for introducing older children to the amazing life of the French heroine Joan D’Arc in an accessible way. She sets the context of the 100 Years War before telling Joan’s story. Although the text is detailed, the beautiful illustrations on each page spread, which remind me of icons, help hold children’s attention. (Recommended for ages 9+)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

I don’t think I’ve ever come across a children’s book quite like this one. Part chapter book, part graphic novel, portions of the story are told through striking series of pictures that have no words. Although it’s lengthy, I read it all in one setting because I just couldn’t stop!

Hugo has been left orphaned but is determined not to be sent to the orphanage. So, he continues to tend the clocks in a 1930s Paris train station, hoping the station manager will not figure out that his uncle (the real clock operator) has died. His biggest reason for wanting to stay in the train station? To have the chance to finish repairing a mysterious automaton that his father had discovered before his death. (Recommended for ages 10+)

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