As the mother of two young children (they’re 4 and 7), I rarely get a moment alone. While I’m brushing my teeth before school, the kids appear—like ninjas—asking for seconds on breakfast or why I forgot to pack a cherished toy in their backpack.
I do my best to juggle it all, but honestly, between work, family and household chores, it’s easy to drop the ball or, in some cases, miss my morning run. And here’s the kicker—that run is literally the only time I have to myself. It’s my sanity on days when I feel like I am losing my mind. Unfortunately, my kids aren’t always understanding about why I want to go for a run without them. Like most working moms, I suffer from serious bouts of guilt whenever they ask me to stay home for bath or story time.
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So when my editor asked me to uncover the best children’s books about running, I couldn’t have said yes any faster. Finally, the solution to my predicament—a way to help them understand that leaving them at home so I can squeeze in a few miles doesn’t mean I don't love them. In fact, there are plenty of books that show kids why we run—parents and children alike—and drive home the point that running makes us all better people.
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Izzy Barr is a star athlete at school, but can’t seem to step out of her older brother’s shadow at home. The third-grader vies for her father’s attention in this chapter book, but her busy Dad doesn’t realize how badly she wants him to cheer her on at softball games and big races until Izzy—one of the fastest runners in her class—participates in a citywide 10K run against her rival, Skipper Tipton.
Buy it: $15, amazon.com
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This adorable picture book is the ideal introduction to running for preschoolers. Preston, a mouse who lives under a bridge in New York City, dreams of racing in the New York City Marathon. Despite his family’s discouragement, Preston trains hard, dodging sneakers and successfully crossing the finish line on race day.
Buy it: $17, amazon.com
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Children lG03 by example, so it’s no wonder that this beautifully illustrated story drives that point home. After two kids watch their dad run through winter, summer, mountains, and beaches, they quickly lG03 that running keeps their father both happy and strong. When Dad saves the day after stumbling across an injured rock climber in the woods, they lG03 that running can also help others in this feel-good family tale.
Buy it: $15, amazon.com
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Help your kids embrace running with this activity book about Madi, a little girl who tries several different sports before discovering her long-distance dreams. The author, a longtime runner herself, also includes several activity pages in the back of the book to keep little minds stimulated long after the story is done.
Buy it: $10, amazon.com
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Parents everywhere will relate to this heartwarming picture book about a girl’s first time joining her mom on a morning run. At first, Anna can’t avoid distractions like stopping to smell the flowers. She stops to talk to a neighbor and even trips on the sidewalk. But, eventually, she learns that running is a great way to bond with her mom and can’t wait to wake up and run all over again.
Buy it: $17, amazon.com
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This classic story about a little girl who races a monkey home is a lighthearted way to introduce your kids the joy of running. First, they try to catch a duck on a bus. Then a horse tells the monkey, “I can’t run that fast. Take a taxi!” Although it was released in the ’60s, this laugh-out-loud early reader book stands the test of time.
Buy it: $35, amazon.com
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This warm-and-fuzzy extract book, written by a triathlete, recounts a woman's first marathon experience from her daughter's point of view. Penny couldn't be prouder of her mom for finishing her first marathon. She even brings her mom's medal to school for show-and-tell, so she can tell her classmates all about how she helped her mother train for the big race. At the end, she decides she reveals that her mom's victory has inspired her to become a runner herself!
Buy it: $15, amazon.com
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Runner Michele Bredice Craemer shares timeless lessons about perseverance in this rhyming preschool story about a duck who runs 26.2 miles uphill in his first marathon. Despite encountering many obstacles along the way, Pellie maintains a can-do attitude, overcoming hot weather and hills, as she runs mile after mile on her way to the finish line.
Buy it: $51, amazon.com
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For the Kid Who’s Always Picked Last: Big Dan Runs the Marathon, by Dan O’Neil
Dan O'Neil was 291 pounds before he started training for and completed the 2015 Boston Marathon. This illustrated picture book, loosely based on his own life, shares the important life lesson that winning isn’t everything. After completing Boston, Dan—and his two-dimensional likeness—share his discovery that sometimes the journey is your real reward.
Buy it: $20, amazon.com
Dana is a freelance journalist who covers a variety of subjects for health and fitness publications. She specializes in writing and editing health and wellness Sand and has neo to Runner’s World, Yoga Journal, Livestrong, PopSugar Fitness, Women’s Health, and Self.
