Animal Book List for Kids - This Reading Mama

If you’re working on an animal unit study with your K-2 learners, you’ll just love this animal book list for kids! We are so blessed to live in a time that picture books and nonfiction books are everywhere for kids. Let’s take advantage of them in every subject area!

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Animal Book List for Kids {K-2nd grades}

I have some favorite picture book authors and some favorite nonfiction series that will totally rock your animal unit study! Find them at the library or visit the Amazon links for an easy way to purchase them.

When it comes to picture books for younger kids, Eric Carle and Leo Lionni take the cake, if you ask me. They integrate animals {vertebrates and invertebrates} quite a bit in their story lines. And while there are MANY more picture books I could include in this list, I’m going to just keep it simple!

While it’s really hard to pick favorites, a few of my favorite books by them are:

The Mixed-Up Chameleon {Eric Carle}
A House for Hermit Crab {Eric Carle}
From Head to Toe – very interactive! {Eric Carle}
The Grouchy Ladybug {Eric Carle}
Swimmy {Leo Lionni}
A Color of His Own – camouflage {Leo Lionni}
Inch by Inch {Leo Lionni}

There are quite a few nonfiction books on animals that are fabulous for K-2 learners. The three authors that come to mind immediately are Gail Gibbons, Steve Jenkins, and Seymour Simon. Listed below are books by them and other nonfiction series books on animals.

I love, love, love Steve Jenkin‘s style of writing. He makes learning about animals SO interesting and fun. We have several of his books and have borrowed others from the library. If you’ve never read any of his books, you’re in for a REAL treat!

If you want a thorough picture book on almost any topic, you’re sure to find that Gail Gibbons has written it! I will say that reading one of her books is like drinking from a fire hydrant, as they are packed with information.

When I hear the name Seymour Simon, I think of amazing photos. The photos in his animal books are no exception. They are phenomenal. Kids will love the close-ups, especially! {I will say that his books also remind me of drinking from a fire hydrant. Struggling readers may have a hard time with all the text on the page.}

Another series that places high on my list is the Read & Wonder series. The one book from this series that I’ve used the most in my years of teaching is Surprising Sharks, but they are all fantastic!

The Let’s Read & Find Out series has been one of my favorite nonfiction series for a LONG time! I love that there are different levels and they can grow with kids. Of course, they have some great animal books, too!

While Sandra Markle has some nonfiction books on the more serious side, her What if You Had… mini series is super funny. Your K-2 learners will enjoy seeing what would happen if they took on the characteristics of animals!

Kids love Fly Guy. So why not add these animal books to your library? While they are a mix of fiction and nonfiction {after all, flies can’t really talk}, they are still very educational. Right now, there are only 4 animal books available, I believe.

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