The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle · 1969
A caterpillar eats through a growing list of foods over a week, then spins a cocoon and emerges as a butterfly.
Books by topic
Science & Nature
Good science books for children model curiosity as much as they deliver facts: they show someone noticing, asking, testing and changing their mind. Nature stories do something similar, slowing readers down to look closely at the world.
Pair these books with something real — a walk, a window, a magnifying glass, a notebook. The reading becomes a reason to observe, and the observation becomes a reason to read more.
- Picture Books
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- Science & Nature
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- Feelings & Social-Emotional Learning
- Classroom Favorites
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14 books
Sorted from youngest suggested age. Age ranges are editorial estimates.
Blueberries for Sal
Robert McCloskey · 1948
Little Sal and her mother go blueberry picking on one side of a hill while a bear cub and its mother do the same on the other — and the pairs get mixed up.
Make Way for Ducklings
Robert McCloskey · 1941
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard search Boston for a safe place to raise their ducklings, with help from a police officer who stops traffic.
Swimmy
Leo Lionni · 1963
A small black fish who survives a tuna attack teaches a new school of red fish to swim together as one big fish.
Ada Twist, Scientist
Andrea Beaty; illustrated by David Roberts · 2016
Ada asks question after question and runs experiments to discover the source of a terrible smell in her house.
Over and Under the Snow
Kate Messner; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal · 2011
A child skiing with her father learns about the hidden world of animals living under the snow in winter.
Owl Moon
Jane Yolen; illustrated by John Schoenherr · 1987
A child and father walk through snowy woods on a winter night, staying quiet in hopes of seeing an owl.
Rosie Revere, Engineer
Andrea Beaty; illustrated by David Roberts · 2013
Rosie secretly builds inventions until her great-great-aunt shows her that a failed flight is a step toward success.
Snowflake Bentley
Jacqueline Briggs Martin; illustrated by Mary Azarian · 1998
The life of Wilson Bentley, a Vermont farmer who photographed snowflakes and showed that no two are alike.
The Watcher
Jeanette Winter · 2011
A picture-book biography of Jane Goodall, from childhood animal-watching to her chimpanzee research and advocacy.
Mario and the Hole in the Sky
Elizabeth Rusch; illustrated by Teresa Martinez · 2019
The story of Mexican chemist Mario Molina, whose research on CFCs helped lead to action to protect the ozone layer.
The Wild Robot
Peter Brown · 2016
A robot washes ashore on a wild island and learns to survive by learning from — and caring for — the animals.
Hidden Figures Young Readers' Edition
Margot Lee Shetterly · 2016
The true story of Black women mathematicians who worked at NASA's Langley center and contributed to the U.S. space program.
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen · 1987
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian must survive alone in the Canadian wilderness with only a hatchet.
Related guides
Winter Science Picture Book Unit for K–3: Snowflakes, Ice and Animals in Winter
A one-week K–3 winter unit pairing four picture books with observation journals, snow and ice investigations, and animal adaptations, with sourced facts.