Science books for kindergartners
Step Gently Out
by: Helen Frost, illustrated by: Rick Lieder - (Candlewick, 2012) 32 pages.
Stunning close-up photographs invite readers into the exquisitely beautiful insect world of a Michigan garden. Accompanied by Zen-like poems, the photos reveal the tiny, spectacular strangers all around us sharing our world, if we look closely and quietly. Fascinating facts at the book’s conclusion complement the bug’s-eye view.
Perfect for: Kids who like science and nature.
ind at your local library.
Everybody Needs a Rock
by: Byrd Baylor, illustrated by: Peter Parnall - (Aladdin, 1985) 32 pages.
A multitude of deep, deceptively simple themes are promoted in this handbook for junior geologists. The story presents 10 rules for finding and keeping a special rock that’ll teach your child the power of observing nature, mindfulness, antimaterialism, aesthetics, and individuality. It’s a book not just for young rock hounds, but for everyone.
Perfect for: Kids who like science and nature.
Find at your local library.
Snakes (2012)
by: Nic Bishop - (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2012) 48 pages.
Amazing, terrifying photographs of creepy snakes in their habitat, with many poised to poison or strangle the viewer. Yikes! Twenty-plus legless monsters are featured, including bush viper, Mojave rattlesnake, yellow anaconda, king cobra, and African egg-eating snake. Includes text on behavior, anatomy, and eating habits. Ideal for the young herpetologist.
Perfect for: Kids who like animals.
Find at your local library.
What’s Out There? A Book About Space
by: Lynn Wilson, illustrated by: Paige Billin-Frye - (Grosset & Dunlap, 1993) 32 pages.
Young astronomers will love this simple-to-understand, colorfully illustrated book about the planets, asteroids, and moons of our solar system. Answers to cosmic questions are provided, including: Why does the moon shrink and grow? What is the sun made of? Ideal for children who gaze at the night sky, dreaming of space colonization.
Perfect for: Kids who like astronomy.
Find at your local library.
ABC ZooBorns!
by: Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland - (Beach Lane Books, 2012) 40 pages.
Aw! So cute! Adorable photographs of baby wild animals, arranged in alphabetical order — A for anteater, B for baboon, C for cheetah, and so on. Your child will want to cuddle and kiss the big-eyed, fuzzy-wuzzy faces while learning all about the animals. Includes short descriptive phrases, a glossary, and conservation information.
Perfect for: Kids who like animals.
Find at your local library.
Bear Has a Story to Tell
by: Phillip C. Stead - (Roaring Brook Press, 2012) 32 pages.
Bear wants to tell a story before he hibernates, but his friends Mouse, Duck, Toad, and Mole are too busy to listen because they’re preparing for winter. Bear helps them with their tasks, postponing his tale until spring. This lovely story conveys nature’s rhythms, the reciprocity of friendship, and patience.
Perfect for: Kids who like animals.
Find at your local library.
My First Day: What Animals Do on Day One
by: Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, illustrated by: Steve Jenkins - (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2013) 32 pages.
What do baby animals do on their first day of life? Are they helpless or frisky? The answer depends on the type of creature. Twenty-three species — including penguins, tigers, and zebras — are presented in this sweet, educational guidebook. Illustrations are three-dimensional collages. Text is first-person, in the baby animal’s voice.
Perfect for: Kids who like animals.
Find at your local library.
Green
by: Laura Vaccaro Seeger - (Roaring Brook Press, 2012) 36 pages.
This magical book explores the life-giving color green in all its wide and wonderful shades: forest, lime, khaki, pea, sea, glow, etc. Beautiful cut-out illustrations create multiple-page interactions, with minimal text. Environmental themes are deftly and powerfully presented in this quick-to-read book that your child will pick up over and over.
Perfect for: Kids who like nature.
Find at your local library.
First the Egg
by: Laura Vaccaro Seeger - (Roaring Brook Press, 2007) 32 pages.
Vibrant cut-out illustrations packed with ingenious surprises depict the transformative stages of life. Caterpillars become butterflies, tadpoles turn into frogs, seeds become flowers. The magical potential of art is also touched on: “paint turns into pictures,” and “first the word, then the book.” Small things grow up to be extraordinary!
Perfect for: Kids who like to learn how animals grow.
Find at your local library.