Reading Reptile

This place is a child’s dream. Paper mâché decorations, furniture themed after beloved children’s books, craft times, story times… I could go on and on. We go to the Reading Reptile often, not because they have the biggest discounts in town, but because it’s simply a magical place. The owners’ knowledge of children’s books and age-​appropriateness is vast. The staff doesn’t go out of their way to be overly zealous, but once we became regulars, they were warm and welcoming. They remember my children’s names and their interests, and are passionate about developing a child’s love of reading.

So cute! Like other reviewers, I don’t have kids, but that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying this whimsical shop. I almost didn’t go in, but I’m glad my curiosity got the best of me. The papier-​mâché book characters hanging from the ceiling and resting on bookshelves throughout the shop are quite impressive. I loved the gator mouth surrounding the front door, too.
My husband and I foster cats, so we ended up buying a book that seemed too perfect not to get called Millions of Cats. Can’t wait to crack it open when we get back from our weekend trip to KC.

Pretty much the best bookstore I’ve ever been to.
There are toys to play with, art to consider, cupcakes to eat and staff eager to offer suggestions.
This should be your go to place for kids books (and there is usually a shelf of good random grown up stuff, too). They also have parties (great birthday party for my 4-​year-​old here), book clubs and the occasional concert.
If you don’t go there when you’re in Kansas City, you are missing out. Amazing.

An amazing place to be, if you are a child or a child at heart.

What a wonderful, imaginative, store! I know I would have loved this place when I was a child. Books for all ages of young readers and even a very small shelf for the parents to peruse. Parents, teach your children the wonderful world of reading!

This is such a cute bookstore, but the lady who owns or manages it (bangs, glasses) is not very friendly at all. I’ve had two encounters with her where she seemed annoyed at my questions. I feel like I’m bothering her. I’ve decided to buy books at Rainy Day instead where the staff is much friendlier.

It is impossible to not fall madly in love with this store from the second you walk inside. I had always heard good things about Reading Reptile but had never checked it out for myself. I couldn’t control the inner child in me! There are giant statues of every fictional character hanging from the ceiling, sitting on the book cases, having a tea party, lounging against the wall.
I spotted The WatchDog from The Phantom Tollbooth and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The door is designed to look like your exiting the store through a giant alligator’s mouth.
They even have a small cupcake shop in the front.
This place is beyond incredible. I don’t care if I looked ridiculous gawking at all the characters from my childhood books. I loved every second spent in the store.

Not sure what books to buy for that kid on your list? Ask these guys. Even during crazy Christmas season the shopkeeper was super helpful finding the right book for my 7yo. I told them her reading level and interests and they came up with a great title that I had never read.
They helpfully had a bunch of books out with post-​it-​notes indicating the appropriate ages that would like it.
There is a small cupcake/​café in the front.
They also host birthday parties in the back with cupcakes and crafts.
I’m going to try and get all my kids books here from now on.

I love this place and will return every time I visit the area. This is every booklover/librarian’s dream place. There are wall to wall books and themed areas throughout the store. I am not a local, but is obvious to me that they have gatherings/​activities there because they have a seperate area filled with all kinds of art materials. There are book themed decorations everywhere as well as a multitude of comfortable places to sit and enjoy the books. I was thrilled to see the addition of a cupake bar but in such a trendy store-​if people are getting help with books it’s hard to get a cupcake-​so I missed out.

One of the best children’s bookstores in the country. (The only one I think is a hair better is Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis.) Reading Reptile is a feast for the eyes with enchanting, homemade, papier mache storybook characters decorating the store… The place just oozes creativity with all kinds of imaginative arts & crafts draped here and there among the fabulous books. They have craft activities for kids and sell cupcakes. The window displays should win awards… they are so clever and endearing. This store is just a gem. Very extensive selections in every genre. They also have a lot of author events. The owners have raised money for books for Joplin children, too. This is a bookstore that gives back to the community.

It’s a book-​loving child’s paradise. This welcoming shop looks like a storybook when you enter. There’s a play area for little children. The books are organized in ways that make sense. There’s a magical art section in the back for parties and crafts. This is a place to visit just to visit, or a place to search for a quality book for the little human in your life, or a place to have your child’s birthday party, or a place just to appreciate others who love childhood and books.

Awesome place to get your ‘book’ on!
Wonderful neighborhood treasure trove of children’s books and young adult literature. The store is decorated with marvelous constructions taken straight out of the imagery inspired by the stories housed on the shelves and tables throughout.
The owners really know their stuff, are approachable and will find you something to fit any occasion, any need. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, they’ll order it for you and make your world a little less hectic.
A testament to locally owned businesses, the printed word and great customer service.
I’m addicted.

LOVE this place! Unlike Matt E., it doesn’t make me want to have babies, however, it definitely helps me step up my game as the best aunt… EVER!
After breakfast in Brookside on Sunday, we HAD to walk around and enjoy the sunshine and warm air. Was that a chirping bird I hear? Is the snow FINALLY melting? Ok, so I digress, but you get the point, it was a great day to walk around and not freeze, and I was happy to stumble upon this adorable, creative children’s book store.
The decorations are beautiful and creative. I love the cork tree in the middle of the store, and also the dragon mouth exit. The diversity of the selection of books is admirable. You can tell that this is the owner’s dream come true, and we are the beneficiaries of this lovely dream. I could go on and on, but let me just summarize by saying that this is an excellent book store for children and those who love children. The concept is thoughtful and exceptionally executed.

This place makes me want babies.
OK, you want more of a review than that? OK fine:
Walking past Reading Reptile, I noticed their front window had been converted into a play area with a George and Martha theme. No, not our first president and his wife (a hip, hip lady), but rather the two coolest Hippopotamuses a kid can read about. I grew up reading the George and Martha books, and they definitely make me swell with nostalgia. I knew we had to walk in.
I noticed that right inside the door is a bookcase labeled «All Books $ 5». They were all a bit torn up, so I assume they were originally the display copies that kids got their hands on. Still, I think that’s a fantastic offer that hopefully gets books into the hands of less-​fortunate kids.
There’s a cupcake shop, and all of the different selections are named after characters from fairy tales. Impossibly cute, right?
The customer service is fantastic. They REALLY know their inventory, and are able to make suggestions based on what you’ve already selected. The nice woman behind the counter initiated a conversation with me regarding her favorite childrens books that taught lessons without being patronizing, which I appreciated.
I don’t have a kid of my own, and that might not be in the cards. Still, my neice and nephew are going to be getting a LOT of books from me, just so that I have an excuse to shop here!

I wish I was eleven again. Reading Reptile incited this desire in me last night after my very first visit to their cozy shop. Being outside of the age bracket, and without a child to borrow, I did not have the opportunity to fully utilize the bookworm in me. Had I been eleven again, I would not have wanted to leave! Back in the day, I was THE child nerd when it came to reading, and Reading Reptile had me reeling in those days where a handful of books would not suffice as a first-​time shopper. There were so many things to look at: hanging from the ceiling were paper-​mache characters from popular books past and present, children’s book posters wallpapering the ceiling, character statues decorating every inch of available space on each bookcase… there was even a stage! I know I’m not eleven again and have no real purpose in being in there again (unless of course I’m purchasing an item as a gift), but Reading Reptile takes the cake for «awesomist» and «funnest» bookstore for any child bookworm.

And now they have cupcakes. And not just different flavors of icing on either chocolate or white cake. I’m talking stout cake with ginger-​lime ganache, that kind of thing. And the cupcakes are small enough you can have two or three before you go into a sugar coma, instead of having to choose one flavor of giant-​ass, overpriced cupcake you may not enjoy. And all the cupcakes have adorable fairy tale names. And the store window display is a giant papier-​mâché cupcake picnic party with literary characters and fun-​to-​find little guests like worms, ants, and mice, all sharing teeny little cupcakes! And now there is a funky little cabinet of curiosities for admiration or purchase, full of all kinds of treasures for the imagination. Can it possibly get any better?
Place like Reading Reptile are why I am so happy to have moved to Kansas City. It is really a great place to live.

Reading Reptile is, in my opinion, one of the best book stores in the area for sure! Before I even had kids I loved going there for presents for others, or for my own collection. It is very family-​run — one or both of the owners are usually there, as well as their kids. They have fantastic displays, interesting events, and books! Tons of books! Board books, picture books, books for teens, tweens, and whomever. They even stock a small, ever-​changing, thoughtful selection for adults.
Besides books, they have some great cards, t-​shirts, and other small finds. There are play areas for kids, fantastical decorations, and shelves overflowing with… BOOKS! It is beautiful.
The only downfall (that is not always a downfall) is that you aren’t necessarily offered help unless you ask for it. Personally, I generally go in there just wanting to silently look through books. Anytime I do have a question, or am in need of a suggestion, they are always helpful if I ask.
One last bonus… they have punch cards! I think it is for every $ 5 you spend, you get a punch. Then it is something like once you spend $ 50 you get $ 10 off. Don’t quote me on that specifically, but I know it is a great deal.

This is a great children’s bookstore. It is locally run by a couple who have kids of their own, and while it is somewhat apparent that the Reading Reptile is suffering from the effects of Barnes & Noble and other bookseller giants, I hope they never close because they sure have a good thing going here. I think that children’s bookstores are always the most unique because they hold a sense of wonder and amazement inside of them that children and adults alike can appreciate.
Besides just selling books, Reading Reptile also does a lot of great events for kids, like a summer book reading club, Friday night movie nights, readings, and even birthday parties if your kid loves books and the ‘world of make-​believe’, as they say.
Please help keep Reading Reptile alive by going in and finding something you like for that little kid in your life. You know the one– always there, bothering you for food or love? Your son or daughter, perhaps? Or even an annoying little sister or brother? Yes, them. No child can ever have to many books, that’s for sure! :)

This 5 star comes as no surprise to fellow reviewers and those who frequent the RR. All aboard… I hope you’ll endulge me.
This place wreaks passion and there’s an experience I want to share.
Remeber Reading Rainbow? That show left such an impact on me as a kid. Books came to life and somehow, upon spending time at Reading Reptile, I transformed into a kid again. Let me explain.
It was a time when RIF and Book It! was all the rage. I proudly wore my recognition button with gold stars and was glowing with pride after getting my free «personal pans» from Pizza Hut. Then came those little papers to order books (I think they were called Weekly Readers) and over the weekend I toiled over which books to buy next. It was so innocent, so magical. I wanted to meet Clifford the Dog and had ideas of being an author.
Fast forward now, and to me, the magic seems to be at a faint glimmer. With chain stores and online access, experiences seem to be an afterthought. Not at Reading Reptile. They haven’t forgot about the meaning of reading and the thirst for knowledge once held only during our younger years. We were kids. We were open to the idea of wonder and possibility, magic and alternative realities. After being instantly whisked away, we felt a part of something, something bigger than ourselves – a story. Friends, parents, teachers.. . Reading Reptile gets that.
I walked through an alligator mouth as a door and saw characters hanging from the ceiling. The labels for sections were handmade tie-​dyed canvases. A theater with a big red curtain sat in the back for plays held at the store. And a little girl who was playing with the toys they had laid out was a real-​life window display. You don’t find that anymore. But I miss it.

Want to make sure your little monster grows up to be a voracious reader? Read to them! Two of my daughters read everything they can get their hands on, and I give the children’s bookstore Reading Reptile a lot of the credit. I seldom have the patience to sit down and read an entire book anymore, but even I’ve found some great reads in the handful of adult picks they feature at the counter.
The store got its name from the iguana that used to hang out at the old store. Donna’s gone, and the store is now located in Brookside rather than Westport, but their selection of books is better than ever. The husband-​and-​wife team who run the store — with help from their four children — have beat the odds stacked against local bookstores to become a Kansas City fixture.
Every birthday and Christmas — plus plenty of times in between — I head for Reading Reptile to find something special for my little bookworms. The owners, Debbie and Pete, know their children’s and young adult authors inside out. Name an author; they’ll tell you if they’ve written something new. Name a genre; they’ll suggest something your child will like. Come in without a clue; and they’ll help you make an age-​appropriate choice.
Sure, there are plenty of places to find books around town. But only Reading Reptile adds the passion that makes children read because they want to, not because it’s required.