25 Best Picture Books About Coding for Kids

Support your computer programming or coding for kids classes with these fun picture books about coding.

These books are a wonderful way to engage students in discussion about various aspects of coding and computer science, with the list including a number of picture book biographies of mathematicians and scientists who made important contributions to the area.

Of course, safe usage of devices is also critical to computer literacy, which is why we created the companion post – Picture Books about Digital Citizenship. Be sure to check that list out too.

25 Best Picture Books about Coding for Kids

Each book included on this Picture Books about Coding list is linked to an Amazon and/or Book Depository online store page – these are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk     Pearl and her trusty rust-proof robot, Pascal, need to build a sandcastle before summer vacation is over, and they’re going to do it using code. Introduces concepts of breaking problems into steps, giving specific instructions, putting steps in the right order, using loops, and how once you’ve written code you can use it again easily, all in a fun story with some rather hilarious missteps! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

How to Code a Rollercoaster by Josh Funk Pearl and Pascal are back and this time they are using code to navigate through an amusement park. Introduces (or revises) loops, variables, values and if-then-else sequences, and includes a hunt for a secret code! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Ara the Star Engineer by Komal Singh  A budding engineer ventures out with her droid, DeeDee, to find a way to calculate how many stars are in the universe. Engages readers with the steps needed to solve a problem and explanations about steps in the process, such as making a plan, designing an algorithm, writing the code, and troubleshooting when things don’t work the first time. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Doll-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey A fun story supporting the importance females as tech users and engineers, as Charlotte (a kids who loves technology) gives a gifted rag doll a high-tech update! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Rox’s Secret Code by Mara Lecoq and Nathan Archambault Rox loves coding and she loves making things. But she hates cleaning her room! When she invents a robot to perform the cleaning and tidying tasks for her she thinks her cleaning days are over…but when the Chorebot she designs tries to clean and organise the whole city, Rox must race to save the day! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Ava in Code Land by Jess Hitchman and Gavin Cullen Ava lives inside a video game and builds her world exactly how she wants it – with code. When villain Max Hacksalot starts breaking all of Ava’s code and destroying her world, it looks like it could be Game Over! Can Ava and her coding skills save the day?!! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding by Linda Liukas Longer than a regular picture book, this part story, part activity book introduces computational thinking and problem solving alongside coding vocabulary to children. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

See other titles in the Hello Ruby series; Journey Inside the Computer – Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Expedition the the Internet – Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

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If I Were a Wizard by Paul Hamilton Introduces coding concepts such as algorithms, repeats and loops, through the imagination of Hazel the mouse on an adventure to help her friends and family solve problems and make the world a better place. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Gabi’s Fabulous Functions by Caroline Karanja Baking meets computer coding when best friends Gabi and Adi create a special birthday treat, after all, making a recipe is a lot like creating a function in a computer code. Part of the Code Play series of books. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

See the other titles in the Code Play series; Adi’s Perfect Patterns and Loops – Available: The Book Depository Gabi’s If/Then Garden – Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Adi Sorts with Variables – Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The ABCs of Programming by Arthur & Madison Johnston A fun resource for introducing children to the language of programming, with simple rhymes defining terms from A is for algorithms to Z is for zipping! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Peter and Pablo the Printer: Adventures in Making the Future by Jeffrey Ito Peter is gifted a 3D Printer by his father – one that is capable of printing anything! While most 3D Printers can only print in plastic, Pablo can literally print things to life! Pablo prints Peter the toys he wants, including a new best friend. Explores the exciting world of 3D printing while sharing an important lesson about the benefits – and limits – of technology. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

A Coding Mission by Blake Hoena & Shannon McClintock Miller As this one is a graphic novel it might not be the best choice for a coding class readaloud but, due to the popularity of graphic novels right now, it is sure to be a hit on the classroom bookshelf. A exciting adventure, that weaves libraries, research and coding together. With a side of Greek myths and a thrilling labyrinth to navigate. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

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Picture Book Biographies Related to Coding & Computer Science

Biographies can offer great insight into the lives and minds of inventors, and below you will find a fine collection of picture book biographies introducing innovators in the world of coding and computer science. Although picture book in style, many of these are suited to children in the middle primary/elementary grades due to the depth of information included about the subject.

Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark A pioneer in computer programming, Grace Hopper is largely responsible for making the use of computers accessible to everyone – not just computer scientists and mathematicians. Grace was an intelligent, dedicated and determined inventor and mathematician, and this is a great text for inviting discussion about grit and growth mindset, as well as methods of problem solving. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Who Says Women Can’t Be Computer Programmers: The Story of Ada Lovelace Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, was a mathematician and writer who worked closely with Charles Baggage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer. She has been credited with writing the world’s first machine algorithm for a computing machine in the mid-1800s, 100 years before computers existed. This biography will appeal to children in grades two and up, with its focus on Ada’s early life alongside her contributions to science. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Hedy Lamar’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend & Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark Hedy Lamar was best known as a famous movie star but in private Hedy was a brilliant inventor, with a passion for science and engineering. One of the ideas she developed with her friend, George Antheil, frequency hopping, was a groundbreaking communications system invented during wartime. This same technology today keeps mobile phone calls and texts private and allows secure wireless communications between computers and the Internet. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

A Computer Called Katherine by Suzanne Slade Katherine had always loved numbers, and after first training and working as a math teacher, her fast problem-solving skills and questions landed her a spot as a human ‘computer,’ and part of the team that put the first man into space. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

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Margaret and the Moon by Dean Robbins Margaret Hamilton loved numbers. And her love of math lead her to a job at NASA helping put man on the moon! It was Margaret’s handwritten code that allowed the spacecraft’s computer to solve any problems it might encounter, contributing to the success of the Apollo missions. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Women Who Launched the Computer Age by Laurie Calkhoven In 1946, six brilliant young women programmed the first all-electronic, programmable computer, the ENIAC, part of a secret World War II project in the USA. These women learned to program without any programming languages or tools, and by the time they were finished, the ENIAC could run a complicated calculus equation in seconds! A great introduction to the important contribution these women made to the development of computing and the creation of the programming as a discipline. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Steve Jobs: A Kids Book About Changing the World by Mary Nhin An inspiring, well presented story about Steve Jobs, and his part in the development of Apple and contribution to modern technology as we know it. Includes themes of hard work and perseverance and overcoming obstacles to achieve your goals and dreams. Available: Amazon

Brilliant Ideas by Wonderful Women by Aitziber Lopez While not all computer science related, this awesome collection of stories about the women behind fifteen different revolutionary inventions includes wi-fi, eBooks and diagnostic tests. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Check out these other cool coding for kids resources;
Free Coding Websites, Coding Apps for Kids and Coding for Kids Videos.

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