This year, I’ve seen so many amazing new picture books about science and nature! Their themes range from frogs to newts to pelicans to entire ecosystems. Many of them are nonfiction books, but there are some imaginative fiction stories as well.
These are all fascinating books, and the illustrations are incredible as well.
I started listing some of my favorites recently and decided it was time to share the best ones I’ve seen so far. So, here are some of the books I recommend adding to your reading list this year!
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If you want to avoid shopping on Amazon, I suggest checking Bookshop or your local bookstores instead.
Picture Books:
To See an Owl, by Matthew Cordell. This is the perfect book for birders (and other nature explorers)! Young readers can probably related to Janie as she looks for owls, even when they’re nowhere to be seen. With her teacher’s encouragement, she starts a hunt–looking for owl pellets, listening for their calls. Until one day, finally . . .
We Are the Wibbly, by Sarah Tagholm, illustrated by Jane McGuinness. Do you enjoy looking for tadpoles or listening to frogs calling in the evening? This book captures the magic of these wiggly, squirmy, ribbety amphibians . . . growing, changing, and growing some more on their way from tadpole to frog. It’s a great read-aloud book, as well as a fun nature story.
Sun Bird: The Amazing Journey of the Arctic Tern, by Lindsay Moore. This is a phenomenal picture book. It follows the lifecycle of arctic terns from their nests south to Antarctica. Along the way, the bird fish, raise their chicks, and fend off predators. The illustrations are stunning, and it’s fun to find all the other animals adding in the artwork—from puffins to flamingos. Also, I learned that arctic terns may get more sunlight than any other animal!
The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle, by Maddalena Bearzi, illustrated by Alex Boersma. Check out the illustrations on this gorgeous nonfiction picture book! This story follows one turtle from the moment she hatches, through all the dangers sea turtles face from predators—including birds, crabs, sharks, and even humans—until she’s ready to return to her birth place to lay her own eggs. There’s a lot of information in this book, but it’s also interesting to read about the things we don’t know yet about young turtles and how they find their way through the ocean.
The Dragons of Agua Caliente, by Shannon Bliss, illustrated by Haley Grunloh. Who’s that stalking through the trees? A mighty dragon? Or a small newt patrolling the forest floor? This book tells the story of these small but mighty warriors. The artwork is lovely, and this book offers a playful way to learn more about these miniature dragons.
Stuck: The Story of La Brea Tar Pits, by Joyce Uglow, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova. A ground sloth ventures too near. Predators circle around, while scavengers also find themselves trapped. This is the story of La Brea Tar Pits, told in simple, lively language. While the main text focuses on the animals and the action, there are additional notes in the back that explain the timeline and add a glossary for kids who want to learn more about the tar pits and the scientists studying them.
Magic in a Drop of Water: How Ruth Patrick Taught the World About Water Pollution, by Julie Winterbottom, illustrated by Susan Reagan. If you enjoy having clean water, you should check this story about one of the scientists who studied pollution and learned how to measure water quality! This book shows how naturalist and scientist Ruth Patrick grew up exploring nature—and how that led her to study water pollution as an adult. It’s such a fun story with muddle puddles and creatures so tiny they can only be seen with a microscope. (My favorite illustrations in this book are the ones showing the diatoms Ruth studied.)
Plight of the Pelican: How Science Saved a Species, by Jessica Stremer. You probably know that DDT devastated bald eagle populations, but did you also know that it almost wiped out brown pelicans? This book takes a fascinating look at the work scientists did to identify DDT as the culprit damaging bird eggs—and then working tirelessly to reverse its effects through breeding programs and special incubation projects.
Hurricane, by Jason Chin. How do scientists track these massive storms? How do towns prepare for them, and what can families do to be ready for a hurricane? This book comes from one of my favorite science illustrators, and it explores how to face these storms as weather patterns shift and storms grow stronger.
Meet the Mini-Mammals: A Night at the Natural History Museum, by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Brian Lies. Who is the smallest of them all? Find out with this adorable picture book about mini-mammals. There’s a simple question and answer parents can read to small kids, paired with longer browsable facts about each of the animals for older readers. Plus, it has life-size artwork from the illustrator of the popular A Bat Book series (Bats at the Beach, etc).
I know there are other books that I’ve missed on this list. Plus, 2025 is only half over, and there are more picture books to come later this year. Be sure to check back later for updates–or for a second post with part 2 of this list!
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