Nonfiction Books for Preschool Readers, Ages 2 – 5
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When you’re reading aloud to your young children ages 2 to 5, preschool age, don’t forget to mix in nonfiction books with your fiction books, too!
Read aloud to your toddlers and preschoolers. As you read, pour over the pictures and discuss what you notice. Also, talk about the information you’re learning and questions you have before, during, and after reading.
Watch as children learn new words and add to their background information. Background knowledge is important for their reading comprehension because it gives readers a schema for making sense of information in fiction and in nonfiction.
Here are some great nonfiction books for preschool age kids to get your growing readers learning with nonfiction books.
Nonfiction Books for Young Readers Ages 2 – 5
Hello, I’m a Sloth written and illustrated by Haley and John Rocco
A friendly sloth tells readers about his life. For example, he climbs down from his tree once a week to poop and swims really well. And he poses questions to readers: How often do you poop? Can you swim? The first-person conversational narration will appeal to kids, as well as the clear illustrations. This series will make a great read-aloud for preschoolers and early elementary readers.
Hello, I’m a Pangolin written and illustrated by Hayley and John Rocco
A pangolin introduces itself to readers, explaining more about what it looks like, where it sleeps, what it eats, and so forth. Like the Sloth book, the narrator asks the readers related questions: How many fingernails do you have? The pangolin explains why people are hunting the last of them. Two pages of back matter share even more information.
Could You Ever Dine With Dinosaurs!? written by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Vanessa Morales
In this clever book for young readers, learn more about what each dinosaur eats— and get helpful dining tips like “Be sure you are not on the guest list.” The illustrations are a combination of photorealistic dinosaurs and cartoon dinosaurs and kids which make the visuals very appealing.
100 First Words Nature by Edward Underwood
In this oversized sturdy board book, graphic illustrations plus large words teach readers nouns in the garden, seaside, woods, forest, jungle, cold, and seasons. Each page includes a few flaps to lift for a surprise illustration and word.
Animal Atlas Pop Up Book by Ingela P. Arrenius
Each two-page spread shows a continent (or two) and some of the animals that live there with a pop-up and a lift-the-flap with a factoid behind the flap. Africa has a pop-up elephant and a lift-the-flap hippo, for example. Bold, graphic art is simple and appealing for young learners.
ABC Animals! An Alphabet Adventure from Anteater to Zebra by Stephen F. Majsak
On sturdy board pages, oversized, full-color photographs show impressive animals from A to Z. The rhyming text moves readers through the book of camels and ducks; meerkats and newts; sea lions and tortoises, perfect for toddlers and preschoolers who are learning about animals and the alphabet.
Odd Beasts Meet Nature’s Weirdest Animals by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Gareth Lucas
Cute rhymes and illustrations provide a playful introduction to unique and cool animals in a darling board book. “This spider has two horns.” Back matter shares factual information about each creature like the Long-Horn Orb-Weaver Spider.
Animals in Pants by Suzy Levinson, illustrated by Kristen & Kevin Howdeshell
These funny poems will delight readers with their rhyming and silliness. Manatees in dungarees, kangaroos in jumpsuits, giraffes in kilts, and spiders who put on their pants one leg, one leg, one leg, times eight at a time.
Supermoms! by Heather Lang and Jamie Harper, illustrated by Jamie Harper
Did you know animals are moms, too? And they make safe, comfy homes like the groundhogs and red-knobbed hornbill. They’re creative with transportation — just look at a wolf spider mom carrying her spiderlings on her back or an American alligator carrying her hatchlings in her mouth. Fascinating facts about animal supermoms are paired with engaging comic-style illustrations.
ABC and You and Me by Corinna Luyken
ALPHABET
Simple, beautiful drawings show adults and kids making the letters of the alphabet with their bodies, both the big and small letters. Gentle text invites readers to move into the shapes themselves. Lovely.
Except Antarctica! by Todd Sturgell (informational fiction)
A stoic narrator begins by sharing information about turtles until…the turtle, who doesn’t live in Antarctica, sets off for Antarctica, making the narrator very irked. Soon, the turtle is joined by other animals also NOT found in Antarctica. Hilarity ensues with an increasingly exasperated narrator and bothered turtle who does not want any traveling companions which include a dung beetle, owl, snake, bee, mouse, and frog. Several pages of back matter explain more information about each animal and the continent of Antarctica.
Let’s Go for a Walk by Ranger Hamza, illustrated by Kate Kronreif
Ranger Hamza invites you to go for a sensory nature walk! He asks you to notice the colors and then to find things that are red, big and small things, different shapes, bugs, and letters and numbers. Then, he asks you to feel the textures, smell the smells, and so forth. Brightly colored illustrations and text scattered around the pages, this book really engages readers and will teach them to notice the world with all their senses.
You Are a Honey Bee! by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrations by Jay Fleck
You are a honey bee…chomp, wiggle, stretch! Chew, pull, lift, carry, squeeze, fetch, watch, scritch, scratch, scritch…Act out the actions of a honey bee as you read about its life, job, and family. 100% recommended!
Beware of the Crocodile by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura
Introduce children ages 2 – 5 to the crocodile in this picture book that could double as an easy nonfiction reader. Informative and awe-inspiring.
Black Cowboys by Kyla Ryman, photographed by Andrea Robbins and Max Becher
Predictable text (“This cowboy is . . . laughing“) and photographs show black cowboys and cowgirls riding horses in this well-done, diverse board book.
Who’s Hiding in the Woods? by Katherine McEwen
Who’s hiding around the woods? Lift the flap to see who they are and read facts about each one.
Fox Explores the Night by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Richard Smythe
A nocturnal fox searches for food in a busy city. She finds supper in someone’s backyard then returns home. It’s a purposefully simple book with guided questions in the back, such as “Can you find examples of different light sources in the book?“
How Birds Sleep by David Obuchowski, illustrated by Sarah Pedry
Read about 20 different birds and where they sleep. From the Black-legged Kittiwake who sleeps on the choppy waves of the ocean to the Sandhill crane who sleeps on one leg while others in the flock watch for predators, this is a fascinating book about interesting birds and their sleeping habits. Add to that beautiful blue-colored illustrations, and you’ll feel cozy and sleepy while reading about these sleeping birds.
The Nest that Wren Built by Randi Sonenshine, illustrated by Anne Hunter
Starting with Wren’s building a nest to sitting on her eggs which hatch and growing fledglings, this story of new life consistently ends each stanza with a lovely repeating line, “..the nest that wren built.” Lyrical and descriptive with warm brown illustrations, kids will experience the story with all their senses.
Animal Gallery by Brian Wildsmith
Although there are many books about the nouns for collectives of animals, this book stands out for its lush illustrations. A bloat of hippopotamuses shows large, expressive hippos. Colorful birds on green and dark brown backgrounds depict a pandemonium of parrots. You’ll also find a stare of owls, a prickle of hedgehogs, and a hover of trout, just to name a few. So fun!
Tinyville Town I’m a Veterinarian by Brian Biggs
Simple text narrates a veterinarian’s day from the morning at home to her busy office and back home again. Even though the text is short and sweet, this nonfiction book does a great job of showing preschoolers what a vet is and does — that a vet is someone who works with animals.
Farm Animals Look & Learn National Geographic Kids
Vibrant photographs with simple text introduce children to farm animals-– cows, chickens, sheep, horse, and pigs.
The Blobfish Book by Jessica Olien
Kids LOVE this cartoon-like blobfish with a big personality who interjects opinions about the book’s photograph and textual information. Talk about a nonfiction home run for growing readers.
Seashells More Than a Home by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen
Informative and beautiful, this nonfiction picture book will make you long to visit the seashore to find your own seashells. Written in dual-layered figurative language text, readers will read the basics of shells in the first layer of bigger text size. The secondary text elaborates on the specific types of shells. Soft watercolor illustrations show the seashells in the ocean and beach.
All the Birds in the World by David Opie
As the narrator talks about what makes birds, the kiwi bird asks “What about me?” on every page. Eventually, we’ll learn the answer to the little bird’s question…even though she doesn’t fly, has no tail, and has a beak with nostrils, she is part of the bird family. It’s a wonderful, inclusive book with gorgeous illustrations of birds of all kinds. Valuable back matter gives young readers a key to the names of the birds on each page.
Contrary Creatures by James Weinberg
What a lovely introduction to animals using simple descriptions and unique illustrations! “Some move very slowly . . . but some are fast.” You’ll find yourself with plenty to discuss. Kids will enjoy the variety of creatures and the unique, dotty illustrations.
Stomp and Chomp: My First Book of Dinosaurs written by Simon Mole, illustrated by Matt Hunt
Read aloud these cheeky, fun dinosaur poems with brightly colored, oversized illustrations. For example, the “Therizinosaurus! A Recipe” poem about cooking this dangerous creature ends with the line– “A Cretaceous specialty best served with caution.” The poem “Dinosaur Droppings” says, “Not all dinosaur dung is enormous: some dinos drop plops as small as a tiny pea.” Yes, this is unlike any other dinosaur book you’ve ever read! And your kids will love it. (And what a great way to introduce children to poetry.)
You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks by Evan Turk
Gorgeous oversized illustrated pages capture the natural beauty in our National Parks with lyrical text that invites us into the experience with all our senses. “…beneath the soaring doorways of stone and peaks that pierce the ceiling of clouds…from every river, star, and stone comes the eternal refrain: you are home.” Back matter shares more about the parks and animal in the book. This rich ode to nature is a beautiful choice for preschoolers.
The Home Builders by Varsha Bajaj, illustrated by Simona Mulazzani
Minimal text and detailed illustrations show preschool children ages 2 – 5 the variety of animals who build nests and dams and shelter. “Lodges on ponds, Shelter from storms.” The book doesn’t say which animals are in the pictures but I like this because it will promote rich conversations. Then it’s time for babies to be born. The structures will become home to the baby animals. “Mole pups slumber, Bees swarm the air, Timid fawns bond, Wee eaglets stare.“
Tiger The Police Dog (Doggy Defenders)
Tiger is a Belgian Malinois police dog. Tiger works with a police officer to protect the city. Tiger sniffs for danger in different places like a school or a metro trash can. Perfect to introduce young readers to working dogs.
Sisters Venus and Serena Williams by Jeanette Winter
Winters beautifully captures the essence of the Williams sisters’ lives and friendship, giving children an inspiring narrative story that shows, not tells, with beautiful, captivating art. See the girls share a bed in their Compton, CA house then get up in the mornings to learn tennis from their dad, even cleaning up the trash on the courts every morning. Practicing, focusing, practicing,…training together, playing together. Preschool readers will learn about the sister bond and perseverance.
Mary Blair’s Unique Flair: The Girl Who Became One of the Disney Legends by Amy Novesky, illustrated by Brittney Lee
Mary Blair’s life as an artist took her to Disney where her paintings captured pure magic on paper. In fact, she created the concept art for Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan as well as designed the “It’s a Small World” attraction at Disneyland. She used her endless imagination to creatively pair unique colors, an emerald world, a fuchsia sea, or a turquoise moon, and create happily ever afters. Her story sparkles just like the luminous mixed-media illustrations which include colorful cut paper artwork. (My favorite!)
Whose Track Is That? by Stan Tekiela
Clues paired with a photo of animal tracks prompt readers to guess the animal who makes the track and fits the clues. Turn the page to find the answer and learn information about each North American animal like the bobcat, raccoon, and robin. Easy to read with colorful photographs, this is an appealing choice for preschool kids.
Yummy Yoga: Playful Poses and Tasty Treats by Joy Bauer, photographs by Bonnie Stephens
What an adorable nonfiction book for young readers! Yummy Yoga features yoga posed by fruits and vegetables as well as kids. Do the pose then lift-the-flap for a delicious kid-friendly recipe such as a berry-banana smoothie or a corn on the cob recipe. Poses include triangle, lotus, plank, warrior II, tree, cat, downward dog, and forward bend.
A Goofy Guide to Penguins by Jean-Luc Coudray & Philippe Coudray
A mix of groan-worthy penguin jokes and cool penguin facts, this is a delightful nonfiction graphic novel for beginning readers. The illustrations often answer the questions posed by the narrator penguin and are almost always silly.
Underground: Subway Systems Around the World by Uijung Kim
Not only does this book show famous subway systems from international locals like London, Mexico City, and Bejing but it’s also a search-and-find book. Young readers will love the bright, colorful cartoon illustrations. I know I do!
Creature Features Dinosaurs illustrated by Natasha Durley
Colorful pages filled with dinosaurs! For each two-page spread, you’ll be asked to notice a particular feature of dinosaurs like horns, teeth, wings, beaks, armor, and more. Read the question that asks you to differentiate even further such as, “Which animal also has flippers?” or “Which creatures also have a long neck?” The dinosaurs are all labeled.
