Children's

7 Children’s Bookstores to Follow on Instagram

Erin McCoy

Staff Writer

Erin is a coffee shop explorer and yogi who moved to Minnesota a decade ago. She’s had the pleasure of studying both music theory and student development theory on her quest to earn degrees in music and academic advising. Erin owns an inordinate number of romance novels, coffee mugs, and bottles of vodka distilled in the Midwest. She lives with her husband, daughter, and a dog named Dixie.

There is something so magical about children’s bookstores. Every time I visit my favorite local shop, which is quite frequently, I’m amazed by the work they are doing. Their storytimes, book clubs, gifts, and recommendations alone leave me in awe. Even more impressive is their deep, deep knowledge of what’s new and what’s classic for the tiny book lovers.

While scrolling through my Instagram feed the other day I realized that although I followed quite a few bookstores on Instagram, almost none of them were children’s bookstores. It’s pretty surprising that I hadn’t explored the world of children’s bookstores via #bookstagram before given that I physically visit my local, independent, kid-centric shop more often than any other type of book-related store. So I went about rectifying the situation. I looked for independent bookish stores on Instagram that cater to the littlest clients. 

Just dipping my toe into this world for a few hours gave me such incredible joy. Children’s bookshops are wonderfully creative and inspiring spaces. I was seriously missing out! Just look at the beauty that is out there. 

Red Balloon Bookshop in Saint Paul, Minnesota (@redballoonbookshop): This is my local children’s bookshop and I wasn’t at all surprised that their Instagram feed is full of local authors, bright spaces and colorful displays.

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❄️🎁📚⭐️ Happy Holidays! * * * #RedBalloon #IndieBookstore #ShopLocal #ReadLocal #KidLit #HarryPotter

A post shared by Red Balloon Bookshop (@redballoonbookshop) on

Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, Texas (@bluewillowbooks): Let’s just take a moment to look at Blue Willow Book’s cute storefront. Sigh, it looks amazingly quaint and peaceful.

The Bookies Bookstore in Denver, Colorado (@thebookiesbookstore): Whoever is running The Bookies Bookstore’s social media is channeling exactly what I want out of a bookstore’s Instagram account. Book recommendations, little bits of humor from everyday life, and a cute dog named Zero make up this delightful feed.

The Children’s Hour in Salt Lake City, Utah (@thechildrenshour): The aesthetic of this gift shop’s photos are a bit different from the rest of this list, which makes their pics stand out even more from the pack. I like The Children’s Hour account because it’s not 100% book-related, but their books posts are still plentiful. Variety is the spice of life, people!

Ollie’s Other Place in Middlebury, Vermont (@olliesotherplace): This bookstore doesn’t seem to post very often, but when they do I immediately want to own everything in the photo.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSo0Ee8gFGO/?taken-by=olliesotherplace

Second Store to the Right in Denver, Colorado (@secondstartotherightbooks): Second Store to the Right’s book displays are chock full of recommendations. Looking for picture books about families, Hanukkah, going to bed? They have you covered.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdvgTs0n5DT/?hl=en&taken-by=secondstartotherightbooks

Stories Bookshop & Storytelling Lab in Brooklyn, NY (@storiesbk): A Storytelling Lab that hosts yogis for littles. Yes, yes, so much yes!

If you have additional recommendations, add them in the comments. I’d love to fill 2018 with creative, bright bookish spaces!