There are soooooo many good fiction and non-fiction books out there that are perfect for enhancing any lesson in Science class. Whether it be a provocation for a new inquiry project, an excerpt about a difficult concept that is explained in a really child-friendly way, or a text that can be used for research, the opportunities for these types of texts are endless. Today I am going to share a TON of great books for your next Science unit on animals. Whether you're teaching about food chains, habitats or special adaptations, I've got the books for you! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers of each of these books for giving me the opportunity to read and review them in advance of publication!
Who Lives Near a Glacier
Author: Susi Gregg Illustrator: Jim Fowler Publisher: Little Bigfoot
This awesome non-fiction picture book tells the story of life in the arctic (specifically Alaska) through poetry as well as interesting facts. The pictures are very detailed and look as though they've been painted on a canvas. The illustrator also plays with colour ensuring that readers see there are flowers, leaves and a variety of beautiful animals in and around glaciers. The poems are enjoyable and fun to read, but are also informative. For example, the poem on black bears includes information about: habitats, weight, cubs, hair, speed, swimming, tree climbing, claws, food/prey.
I could definitely see myself using this book as an introduction to a lesson. I could see using it in ELA to look at types of books/writing including non-fiction and poems, I could see using this to inspire art, and most of all I could definitely see using this as part of a unit on the arctic (Science), the North (Social Studies) and habitats (Science). So many possibilities!
Author: Delores Henriques
I really love this alphabet book about animals! Each letter features an animal starting with that letter as well as a few sentences describing the animal, its characteristics and/or features of its habitat. I love that it goes beyond the basic "a is for alligator" with detailed information about the animal. The font is accessible and is fairly easy to decode. I also noticed that the author chose animals that start with the short sounds for the vowels (I is for iguana not ibex), the most common/"hard" sounds for c and g (ex. g is for goat not giraffe) which is often how early years teachers introduce these letters and their sounds when preparing students to read. I would recommend this book children in the age 3-8 range.
The Glow Show
Author: Susi Schaefer
Publisher Sourcebook Kids
This fabulous picture book tells the story of Glow, a squid who is bioluminescent. Unfortunately, Glow lets his fame (and ego) get a little out of control and ends up in a dark and scary place away from his friends. Once he realizes that it is way more fun to have friends than be famous, he realizes the importance of friendship and everyone being special and unique. I love that this book perfectly brings together scientific concepts like ocean zones, bioluminescence, and other scientific informations about animals, colour and light, while also being a fun fictional story with important moral messages as well. I think it's the perfect mix of so many great things! There are also a few pages at the end of the book with non-fiction information to supplement the scientific information shared throughout the fiction portion of the story. I taught bioluminescence this year when I transitioned from animal adaptations to light energy in science and would have loved to use this book as part of the lesson with my grade 3s and 4s students. I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 6-11 range as I think there is a great story line but also lots of great information in a really well illustrated text.
Antoinette and the Story of the Invisible Giraffes
Author: Alison McGregor Illustrator: Saavi K. Publisher: Friesen Press
This rhyming (fiction) picture book tells the story of Antoinette and her trip to Africa to see giraffes. Through out the course of the story there is information about giraffes and other animals shared and likely the most important idea is that of camouflage as an adaptation. Antoinette worries that she won't get a chance to see the giraffes, but in reality, she almost misses them because of their ability to blend in with the trees they dine on. Children will enjoy looking for the hidden giraffes in the picture, and the rhyming nature will give it the familiar rhythm that children are often used to. The illustrations are beautiful and are on the page opposite to the text. The text is in a fairly accessible font, on light plain coloured backgrounds. It is separated by rhyming couplets which will also help beginning readers read with an appropriate pace and phrasing. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 4-9 range.
The World’s Most Ridiculous (Marvelous) Animals
Author: Philip Bunting Publisher: Happy Yak
This silly but also scientific children's picture book tells about some pretty great animal species and their unique adaptations (a.k.a. the things that make them ridiculous). The author's funny personality comes out as he crosses out words and replaces them with more kid-friendly and hilarious substitutions. For the most part, this only happens with the latin/scientific name of the animal. For example, the wattle-cup caterpillar, known for it's eight branches covered in pin-sharp spikes has the latin name Calcarifera ordinata, which is crossed out and replaced with: Oucheus oucheus. The illustrations of the animals, while still being anatomically accurate, also include a huge eye that makes it look hilarious. There is tons of great information on the pages, and the fun or silly facts that go with them definitely add an entertainment factor to this book. I could definitely see my students loving this book! I would recommend it to parents and teachers of children in the age 4-11 range.
Super Animals, The Loudest
Authors: Reina Ollivier, Karel Claes Illustrator: Steffi Padmos Publisher: Clavis
This non-fiction picture book teaches readers about a variety of different animals and how loud their sounds can be. But that is not all the book teaches, in fact there is quite a bit of information about each animal featured, not just their sounds! Each animal has about three pages dedicated to them, including a large full page picture, and two pages with pictures and small text boxes. The information found on the pages includes: location, size, enemies (mainly predators), social organization, adaptations and other basic information. The font is a bit small and at times a bit challenging to read because of where it is placed and the background colours, but the font is a clean one. The illustrations are really detailed and interesting. Page layout is consistent across the text which will make it easier for younger readers to locate the facts or information they are looking for. I think that this book has tons of great information and would be the perfect non-fiction text to add to my classroom library. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 6-12 range. I think this book would be great for research or general interest.
Little Lion
Author: Anna Brett Illustrator: Carmen Saldana Publisher: QEB Publishing
I really like this book! Little Lion tells the story of a day in the life of a young lion as told by the lion. He explains the world around him such as the food he eats, the interactions of his family group, and adaptations of behaviours that are essential for lions' survival. Author, Anna Brett, merges the world of fiction and non-fiction in a way that is educational but also interesting and enjoyable for young children. This book is written in a way that is relatively easy to follow and comprehend and does not include a lot of scientific vocabulary or concepts, yet still teaches a significant amount of information about the animal. As a result, this book could be used for research and learning about lions, but also would fit right in with other picture book favourites on a book shelf or in a classroom library. The story ends with several pages of non-fiction information about the facts from the story as well as games, activities and suggestions of crafts or other learning opportunities aimed at young readers. I could definitely see this book in my classroom library. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 4-10 range.
The Secret Life of Birds
Moira Butterfield(Author), Vivian Mineker(Illus.), Carly Madden(Ed.) Publisher: Happy Yak
This book is kind of a hybrid fiction meets non-fiction. There are pages worth of interesting information about a wide variety of birds and their adaptations or special qualities such as migration, feathers and beak shape, as well as a number of folk tales about birds. The book ends with a page about how to be kind to birds in your community.
There is quite a bit of text on a page, usually in short paragraphs spread throughout the page with pictures interspersed. The pictures are colourful and detailed, and definitely add to the context and comprehension of the book. The font is fairly small and the content of the text is written at a higher reading level. There are also bolded words which I would expect to find in a glossary but there was not one that I could see.
I could definitely see this book in my classroom library, and being used as a resource for research or information related to study of animals and adaptations in science. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 5-10 range, to be read mainly with support or in shared reading contexts.
Atlas of Cats
By: Jana Sedlackova(Author), Helena Harastova(Author), Giulia Lombardo(Illustrator)
Publisher: Albatros Media
Atlas of Cats is a fun and interesting non-fiction book for young cat lovers! The book covers many different breeds of cat and what makes them unique. There are also some fun features such as "Meow News" articles, world records and lots of funny and interesting pictures. Some of the non-fiction text features include: text boxes, diagrams, lists, legends, charts/tables, arrows, labels, bold text and headings. The fonts, pictures and random facts will definitely keep the interest of young readers. While there is a lot of text on each page and over 100 pages, I think that some children would enjoy looking at the pictures or reading this book with a friend or family member. I think this book would be best suited for children in the 8-11 range, but some younger or older kids may enjoy it as well.
Little Polar Bear Take Me Home
Author: Hans de Beer Publisher: NorthSouth Books
This book tells the story of a lost little Siberian tiger who meets a little polar bear in the arctic. The polar bear and tiger journey through many different habitats to find the tiger's home. Once they get there, the polar bear now realizes how far he is from home! I love that this book shows that animals need to be in their own habitats, a tiger and a polar bear can't live in the same place! I also like that the story shows how to work together and to help others, even when someone is very different from you and the task is very challenging! I could definitely see my Grade 3 students enjoying this book. I think it would also open up an opportunity for discussion about habitats as part of a science unit. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the 4-9 age range.
Where Animals Live
By: Mary Lindeen Publisher: Norwood House Press
This book contains beautiful photographs of animal habitats from all over the earth as well as short paragraphs (1-2 sentences per page) with simple, decodable and high frequency words that will make this book perfect for young readers. Often non-fiction texts are inaccessible for young readers because of the content and vocabulary used. The author of this story obviously took time and care to make this book more accessible for young readers. As a grade 3 teacher I would say this book is likely in the grade 1-2 reading level range, but is appropriate for slightly older students who struggle in reading. It does not look like it is written for little kids, however the font and text would be perfect for students in the grade 3-6 range who struggle with reading or are learning English. The book also includes comprehension questions and prompts, a glossary, and word lists that adults can use to support reading. I could see using this book in my classroom during our science unit on habitats. I would recommend this book for teachers and families of children in the 5-11 age range, with a focus on younger readers or older readers who needed lower levelled texts.
Human Town
Author: Alan Durant Illustrator: Anna Doherty Publisher: Tiny Owl Publishing
This is such a neat book! It tells the story of a family of elephants who decide to visit Human Town, which is basically the equivalent of a zoo. As they observe the humans they learn that humans are very focused on things, they litter and destroy the environment and they are always fighting with each other. Each of these problems that Humans face are both avoidable and are making them go extinct. The final problem is that the large cats keep poaching humans which is also making them go extinct and is a direct reference to the fact that humans have made many species go extinct due to poaching and hunting. At the end of the story the elephant family feels sad for the humans and hope that if the humans do go extinct, they hope it never happens to elephants too.
I think that the parallels between humans and animals in this book are so well done. There is no blame placed on a specific group of people, and yet it shows that as a society, we need to take action to prevent extinction of animals, but also to preserve the earth so that we can survive as well. The crimes that have been committed towards animals are a part of this book without being super obvious and at the forefront. Instead the focus is on what humans are doing to themselves and the environment and what changes will need to be made in the very near future.
I could definitely see this book in my classroom library and as a resource related to teaching about the environment and animal rights. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the 5-10 age range.
The Last Rainbow Bird
By: Nora Brech Publisher: Floris Books
This book tells the story of Alex, Jo and Professor feather who are searching to find a mate for the fictional "rainbow bird" who is at risk of going extinct. Through their search they come across lots of other silly fictional birds like lamp birds and tower birds that help direct them to the last rainbow bird. The story ends with information about real birds that are at risk of going extinct and the importance of conservation so that we can protect all animals who are endangered. While being a fictional story, there is much to be learned from this beautiful and insightful book. I think that it will be easy for young children to draw parallels between the rainbow bird and a number of animals they know about that are vulnerable or endangered. The message is beautiful, but the illustrations are even more breath taking. The beautiful coloured feathers of the rainbow bird are woven throughout the story and are very pleasing to look at. I can definitely see this book in my classroom library and to be used as a resource when talking about endangered animals and conservation.
Endangered Animals
Author: Tom Jackson Publisher: Amber Books Happy Publishing Day! (07/26/22)
This beautiful book is mainly comprised of amazing, high-definition pictures of many endangered animals. The pictures are honestly breath-taking. One that stands out to me is of a mandril (think Rafiki in the Lion King), the picture is an absolutely stunning close up of the mandril's face showing the blue and red nose as well as the deep yellow of his fur on his neck and chest and the almost feather-like fur surrounding his face. Every few pages there are short 1-4 sentence captions about each animal that is featured in the photographs including information about the animal as well as it's conservation status and what efforts (if any) are being done to actively protect the species featured. The book is divided into sections based on continent. Each section starts with a few paragraphs describing the animals on that continent and some of the challenges these animals face trying to survive.
The textual content of the book is definitely written at a higher reading level, but I could see young children being engrossed by the pictures, really any reader would have a hard time taking their eyes off of these pages. I think that even just giving children the opportunity to read the names and see photos of endangered animals from all over the world would be a suitable purpose for purchasing and reading this book. For anyone wanting to use this book for factual information or research purposes, this book would definitely be a great resource as well. As a result, I would have a hard time giving it an age range. I think that people young and old can appreciate some aspect of this exquisite book. I can definitely see this book being in my classroom library as well as a resource for teaching units on conservation and animal habitats. I would highly recommend this book to any animal lovers or fans of National Geographic-type books.
Dig, Dance, Dive
By: Etta Kaner(Author), June Steube(Illustrator) Publisher: OwlKids
This beautiful picture book tells of a variety of interesting birds and their unusual talents or features. Pages generally alternate between large, simple verbs like dig, dance, or dive and short paragraphs of information about the bird who moves in that way. This book is accessible and inviting for young readers while also sharing information and being a potential research tool. The pictures are unique and very detailed, and could also be used as inspiration for children creating art. I could absolutely see this book in my classroom library, and would definitely recommend it for families and teachers of children ages 4-10.
Elephants on the Move
Author: Lela Nargi Publisher: Capstone Editions
This sweet and informative nonfiction book tells the story of a group of Asian elephants who lived in the Smithsonian National Zoo. The beautiful pictures show all elements of the elephants' daily life, from being fed, cared for and learned about by the scientists, vets and zoo keepers who spend their days with them. This book shares so much great information through both visuals and text that will teach young learners about the important work and care that zoos provide for animals. I could see my students being so engrossed in this text mainly because of the connection to these particular elephants, making the information relevant and easy to connect to. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the 4-10 age range.
Built by Animals
by Christiane Dorion(Author), Yeji Yun(Illustrator) Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
This book is really neat! Each page explores an animal engineer and describes how the animal designs and builds the perfect home. It also offers connections to how we as humans may be able to learn a thing or two from these animals and apply them to our own architecture and design. This book is perfect for an inquiry into STEM or for children who are interested in animals and habitats. I can think of tons of ways to use this book in lessons in Science. I also think that it would quickly become a favourite in my class library because it is one that is accessible to a variety of students, with beautiful and detailed diagrams at pictures, even children who struggle with reading can gain information from this text. For those who are strong readers there are lots of small text boxes throughout the book that give opportunities for deeper reading and understanding. The text boxes, labels and diagrams also teach non-ficton text features, an important understanding for young readers encountering non-fiction texts for the first time. I would recommend this book to teachers and families of children in the 7-11 age range. I look forward to purchasing a copy for my classroom library now that it is published!!
Animal BFFs
By: Sophie Corrigan Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
This fun and entertaining non-fiction children's book tells about several pairs of animals who help each other and work together to adapt to their habitat. Displaying the term symbiosis powerfully with several concrete examples, this book shows that animals can work together to solve many problems, including hunting together, feeding off bothersome bugs and looking out for one another. With intriguing illustrations, funny thought and speech bubbles, and fact boxes to give more background information, I could see this book keeping young readers entertained and interested for hours. As a grade 3 teacher I could definitely see this book in my classroom and would love to use it as an introduction to lessons on symbiosis in Science. I would recommend this book to parents, teachers and librarians of students in the 5-12 age range.
Hope you found something exciting to add to your next unit on Animals!
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