It’s not every bookstore that has a section for “Things That Go.” Or “Dinosaurs.” Or “Books With Girl Characters.”

Unless that store is Mr. Mopps’ Children’s Books.

Stubbornly refusing to conform to the sky-is-falling narrative that has been written for independent booksellers, Mr. Mopps’ is the third bookstore to open in the Bay Area in recent months, along with Diesel in Larkspur and Copperfield’s Books in San Rafael. In fact, Mr. Mopps’, which opened its doors in October, is just the latest store in the region devoted to kids’ books, joining Linden Tree Books in Los Altos, The Storyteller Bookstore in Lafayette, The Reading Bug in San Carlos and Hicklebee’s in San Jose.

The opening of Mr. Mopps’ is actually a return to its roots. The store is an offshoot of the popular Mr. Mopps’ toy shop, which began life as a bookstore in 1962, a few doors down Martin Luther King Jr. Way in North Berkeley.

Devin McDonald and Jenny Stevenson, the married couple who own Mr. Mopps’, opened the new shop for the additional space. Free of toys and games, the store also has its own special atmosphere. It’s gorgeous and serene, a cozy and inviting place — the width of a couple bowling lanes — that includes an armchair and small benches for small readers.

Formerly an antique store, the shop went through a major redesign before opening. Beautiful bamboo flooring was added and the ceiling and walls were painted in pleasing shades of lime green and pale yellow. A globe, dinosaur skeleton and telescope complement the books.

“We wanted it to be like a study that happens to be full of kids’ books,” said McDonald. “We didn’t want to make it feel kiddy; we wanted to make it feel like an immersive literary environment for kids. I think one of the awesome results of that is that parents love being here as well.”

McDonald, 37, and Stevenson, 34, bought Mr. Mopps’ in 2010 when they heard the store might close for good. McDonald spent a lot of time at the store as a kid, having lived nearby — his father, the musician Country Joe McDonald, still lives down the street — and he didn’t want the neighborhood to lose such a beloved business. “People have been coming here for three generations,” he said.

Neither McDonald nor Stevenson had run a business before owning the store, but both had invaluable experience working with the public. Stevenson was a hair stylist, and McDonald had been a nanny — “a male nanny,” he says with a laugh — for 15 years. “That’s why I love this,” he said with great enthusiasm, his eyes taking in the little oasis he and his wife have created for kids.

Mr. Mopps’ Children’s Books is at 1417A Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Berkeley. Hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., and weekends, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

mrmopps.net/books/