Children’s Books So Awesome, They Made Them into Movies

There are many good books, but not many translate well to the big screen. It’s common to hear, “The book was better.” But that’s not the case for the books mentioned in this article. Pick one for the weekend or do a movie marathon with these successful book-to-movie adaptions.

This 1985 Christmas classic has been a worldwide bestseller for over twenty years. In 2004, The Polar Express came to life onscreen as an animated musical fantasy adventure film. It tells the story of a boy who was invited to board a train that was headed to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Joined by other children aboard the train, they embark on an exciting journey to visit Santa Claus.

First published in 1978, this children’s book was listed as one of the “Top Teachers’ Books for Children” by the National Education Association. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was adapted into a film featuring the voices of Neil Patrick Harris and Anna Faris, and was well-received by the audience for its humour, colourful visuals and voice acting. This is a fun watch centering an aspiring inventor trying to rectify his series of failed experiments.

British author, Cressida Cowell’s series of twelve books had sold over seven million copies worldwide. Set in a fictional Viking world, the book series were adapted into three films that became box office successes. The story follows a young teenager who aspires to hunt dragons, and in a twisted turn, he befriends it instead.  

Originally a picture story book for children, The Night at the Museum turned into a fantasy comedy film starring Ben Stiller. On the night at his job as a night watchman, he finds that the dinosaurs in the museum have come alive, wreaking havoc.  

Where do we even begin with this one? When it comes to movie adaptations of books, this is near the top of the list. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson lead the film series about the chronicle of the lives of a young wizard and his friends at wizardry school. The films are ranked as one of the highest-grossing films of all time.