William Steig books in order
American cartoonist, children's illustrator and writer
- Lived
- 1907–2003
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 42
William Steig published 4 novels, 1 novella, 1 non-fiction book, 29 children's books and 7 other books, beginning with Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1969). The best-known is Shrek! (1990).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with William Steig
Start here
Shrek!
William Steig's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The Rejected Lovers (1951)
Gorky Rises (1986)
The Zabajaba Jungle (1987)
Spinky Sulks (1988)
Novellas in order
Made for Each Other (1999)
Non-fiction in order
When Everybody Wore a Hat (2003)
Children's books in order
C D B (1968)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1969)
Amos & Boris (1971)
By William Steig - Dominic (Sunburst Book) (Reprint) (1984-08-16) [Paperback] (1972)
The Real Thief (1973)
Farmer Palmer's Wagon Ride (1974)
Abel's Island (1976)
The Amazing Bone (1976)
Caleb and Kate (1977)
Roland the Minstrel Pig (1978)
Tiffky Doofky (1978)
Doctor De Soto (1982)
C D C? (1984)
Rotten Island (1984)
Yellow & Pink (1984)
Solomon the Rusty Nail (1985)
Brave Irene (1986)
Shrek! (1990)
Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa (1992)
Zeke Pippin (1994)
Grown-ups Get to Do All the Driving (1995)
The Toy Brother (1996)
Toby, Where Are You (1997)
Pete's a Pizza (1998)
Wizzil (2000)
Toby, What Are You? (2001)
Potch & Polly (2002)
Which Would You Rather Be? (2002)
Toby, Who Are You? (2004)
Other books in order
About People (1939)
Small Fry (1944)
Persistent Faces (1945)
Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1964)
An Eye for Elephants (1970)
Ruminations (1984)
Sick of Each Other (2001)
Film and TV adaptations
- Shrek (2001)Film · from Shrek!
- Shrek 2 (2004)Film · from Shrek!
- Shrek the Third (2007)Film · from Shrek!
- Shrek Forever After (2010)Film · from Shrek!
About William Steig
William Steig was an American cartoonist, illustrator, and children's book author best known for his picture book Shrek, which inspired the film series of the same name. Steig was a prolific contributor of both cartoons and cover illustrations for The New Yorker magazine, and he developed a style of less humorous line drawings that became common on greeting cards as well as in his several published collections.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
William Steig FAQ
- How many books has William Steig written?
- William Steig published 4 novels, 1 novella, 1 non-fiction book, 29 children's books and 7 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read William Steig's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Shrek!.
- What is William Steig's last book?
- When Everybody Wore a Hat (2003).
- What is William Steig's most famous book?
- Shrek! (1990) is William Steig's most widely read book.
- Which William Steig books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Shrek! (as Shrek, film, 2001).
Authors like William Steig
Charles M. Schulz
Also wrote humour and children's books
Richmal Crompton
Also wrote children's books and humour
Alan Arkin
Also wrote children's books and humour
Shel Silverstein
Also wrote children's books and humour
Sid Fleischman
Also wrote children's books and humour
Roger Hargreaves
Also wrote children's books and humour
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.