As I wrap up my current project, it’s time to have another book list!
There seems to be a pattern, actually.
I start on a project, and we suddenly need to read dozens of picture books on the topic. Since I’m wrapping up a bug-themed coloring book, many of our recent books have been about bugs.
Here are some of our favorites! Plus, some books about other types of invertebrates . . .
I’ve organized the list by age, with longer books toward the end.
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If you want to avoid shopping on Amazon, I suggest checking Bookshop or your local bookstores instead.
Picture books:
Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre & His World of Insects, by Matthew Clark Smith, illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. Beautiful illustrations and a fun biography of one of the early entomologist. It doesn’t have not nearly enough information about the discoveries he made, but it’s still fascinating!
A Beetle is Shy, by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long. This book is both fun and gorgeous! This author & illustrator team will probably make it onto any list of nature stories I ever write. I highly recommend checking out the other books in this series.
Are You a Snail? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries, Backyard Books. What would life be like if you were a snail? This book is a whimsical story that asks kids to imagine themselves as snails. What would they eat? Where would they live? What else do snails need?
Bees Like Flowers, by Rebecca Bielawski. Need a simple introduction to bees for preschoolers and younger kids. This book has easy text and quiet, cartoon-style illustrations, but it’s still thorough.
Insect Detective, by Steve Voake, illustrated by Charlotte Voake. This cute introduction to entomology is packed with information about bugs. Plus, it offers lots of ideas for starting a bug hunt outside.
Spiders and other creepy-crawlies, (Inside Animals) by David West. This one is creepy, but in a good way! It’s an unusual look-inside book, showing the internal organs of half-a-dozen invertebrates. So, if you’ve ever wanted to see a spider’s stomach or lungs, this is the book you’ve been looking for.
In One Tidepool: Crabs, Snails, and Salty Tails, by Anthony Fredericks, illustrated by Jennifer DiRubbio. Are there any sea animal “bugs”? Maybe not, but this book features aquatic invertebrates in a fun, lyrical story.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. While this book doesn’t focus exclusively on bugs, it shows a wide variety of animals that share a bug’s habitat.
Longer books:
Spiders! Strange and Wonderful, by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Meryl Henderson. This book has so much information about spiders! It’s fairly long for a read-aloud, but fascinating and we’ve used it as a read-aloud story a couple times.
Ladybugs, by Gail Gibbons. This author is another one of our favorites for science/nature topics. Her books have a fun, simple art style, and they’re packed with information.
Butterflies, by Seymour Simon. This book is closer to a chapter book, and it’s a great in-depth read for grade-school kids.
Backyard Insects, by Millicent E. Selsam and Ronald Goor. How do insects manage to survive? This book shows how, all the way from walking stick insects to click beetles. It was one of the first books we read about insects, and it’s still one of our favorites.
Pagoo, by Holling C. Holling. The story of a hermit crab. This book is a cross-over between picture books and chapter books. It’s definitely written for older kids, but it was one of my favorites when I was growing up.
Factoids and Reference Books:
Do Bugs Wear Shoes, by Addie Broussard and Anthony Puttee. This book has a neat assortment of facts and scientific explanations, in an easy-to-read, accessible format.
Bugs by the Numbers, by Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss. Tons of incredible facts, put together in an unusual illustration style. This book is dense with numbers and math–perfect for bug-fanatics and math nerds alike.
Insect (DK Eyewitness Books), by Laurence Mound. This series is always a great resource for kids. This book is full of browsable information, broken out by topic.
Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever (National Geographic Kids), by Darlyne Murawski and Nancy Honovich. This is an exhaustive reference book with phenomenal pictures.
Even more about bugs?
Want to try some hands on activities to learn about bugs as well? Check this blog post to find my top tips for teachings kids about bugs!
Besides the bug-themed activity book, I’ve also written several other books about bugs. They include a nonfiction book about bees and one about spiders as well. You can find them all on Amazon, or you can get signed copies in my webstore.
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