Are you looking for a way to boost your child’s love of learning and reading? Check out your local library! Getting a library card for your child can open up a world of 性杂技在线观看视频 and recreational resources that can help to foster a lifelong love of books, knowledge, and learning.

From a wide range of books (including e-books and audiobooks), games or 性知音免费视频, and free or low-cost programs and events, your local library has something to offer children of all ages.

Learn how library cards for kids can foster a love of learning and provide access to resources and free programs. Get your child a library card and unlock the power of knowledge and imagination.

Libraries Provide Access to Resources

Having a library card provides children with access to a wide range of resources, including books, e-books, audiobooks, magazines, and 性杂技在线观看视频 videos and games. This can be done both physically, by borrowing them from the library, or digitally, by accessing the library’s online collection.

• Books: Libraries typically have a vast collection of books for children of all ages, interests, and reading levels. This can help children find books that they are interested in and are at the right level for them to read.
• E-books and audiobooks: Libraries also offer digital versions of books that can be accessed through a computer, tablet, or other electronic devices, this can be very useful for children who may have difficulty reading physical books, or for children who prefer to listen to stories instead of reading them.
• Other electronic resources: Many libraries have exclusive databases used to research 性杂技在线观看视频 topics, test preparation services, and live tutoring help for example. Availability depends on your library’s slate of subscriptions.
• 性杂技在线观看视频 videos and games: Many libraries have 性杂技在线观看视频 videos and games that children can borrow or access online. These resources can be an engaging and interactive way to learn and explore new topics. For example, our kids often check out jigsaw 性知音免费视频; they do them a few times and we return them to check something else out.
• Magazines: Libraries often have a variety of magazines for children that cover a wide range of topics such as science, nature, and current events. These resources can help to further expand children’s interests and knowledge.
• Computers: Most libraries have computers that can be used not only to search the collection and look for library materials, but also to access the internet or do word processing. This can be huge for kids that do not have a computer at home.
• WiFi: Whether using a library computer or your own laptop, tablet, or phone, most libraries offer access to their wifi network. Kids can find a quiet space to do research or homework if they don’t have the space or quiet to focus at home.
• Events and 性杂技在线观看视频 Programs: Our local library frequently hosts events such as story time, book clubs, movie screenings, and crafts. There are summer reading programs and events to keep kids engaged over summer vacation.
• Library Staff: Librarians are one of the library’s most valuable resources and are often overlooked. They can help find materials or request books from other libraries if it’s not available at your library location. Librarians can suggest related books to a favorite story or subject or listen to your interests and make recommendations on what to read next. (Pro tip: Most librarians love to discuss books and stories, and love to help connect people with books they’ll love.)

A library card teaches responsibility.

Libraries provide access to lots of cool stuff, but it’s not all about the resources.  Having a library card can be a great way to start teaching children responsibility. Libraries offer physical items and digital materials that patrons can borrow or use. Checking out books requires children to make decisions and prioritize what they want to read (and sometimes they may have to wait for a favorite book.)

• Checking out and returning materials on time: When a child has a library card, they can borrow r materials from the library. This process requires them to be responsible for returning them on or before the due date. This can help children become accountable for the things they borrow and the importance of being organized enough to keep track of due dates. Yes, it’s still ultimately up to the parents, though presents a great opportunity for kids to take responsibility.
• Learning to take care of borrowed materials: When children borrow materials from the library, they are responsible for taking care of them. This can mean keeping the books and other materials in good condition, which can teach children the importance of taking care of things they borrow and ensuring they return them in good condition so the next person can enjoy them. No one likes checking out a torn up book with scribbles on the pages!
• Searching and finding materials: With a library card, children can access the library’s catalog and search for topics that interest them, or see if there are more stories from a favorite author. This process can help teach children how to find and organize information, as well as how to use library resources.  Learning how data is organized is a valuable skill in our increasingly digital world!
• Developing a sense of ownership: When children have a library card, they have access to so many options. From all the options available, kids can make choices based on their own interests. Making their own decisions can help to develop a sense of ownership and responsibility for their own learning and reading.

A library card helps teach self-discipline and patience

Having a library card is an excellent way to help children develop self-discipline and patience. Public libraries offer an incredible number of reading options, while limiting the number of books that can be checked out at once and the number of copies available.

We’ve had a number of “teachable moments” when the next book in a given series was already checked out.  Having the entire 1st grade read the first “Humphrey the Hamster” book together sparked a run on the rest of the series in every library in our geographic area.  

Learning to wait for a desired book teaches delayed gratification, which is an important skill for children to learn. Getting a library card also teaches responsibility and accountability, as it requires them to return the books on time or face fines. 

Libraries can save you money

Books can be expensive, and you can spend a small fortune building up a home library for kids. Checking out books from the library can provide kids with a nearly endless flow of books to read. As they finish one, they can check out another. If they want to reread something, they can check out a book as many times as they like.

Movies, music, and audiobooks can be the same. These can be borrowed instead of rented or purchased. We’ve entertained our kids many times with free events at the library!

What does a child need to get a library card?

Now that you know why every child should have a library card, how do kids get one? For younger kids, even though they may have their own card, they’ll need a parent or legal guardian to actually get the card. (You wouldn’t expect the average 5 year old to read and fill out the application, right?)

Specific requirements will vary depending on the library. In most cases, you can anticipate being asked for the following:

• Proof of current address: This may include a utility bill, lease agreement, or mail with the parent’s name and permanent address on it.
• Parent or guardian’s signature: Some libraries may require a parent or guardian to sign the library card application or registration form, especially for children under a certain age, or to confirm the child’s responsibility for the items borrowed
• Phone number or email address to contact the child or the parent/guardian in case of overdue materials or lost items.

It is best to check with your local library to find out their specific requirements for getting a library card. They may also have different requirements if a child wants to get a digital library card or a physical library card.

What age can a child get a library card?

The age at which a child can get a library card will vary, so check with your local library. Some libraries may require that children are a certain age, such as 5 or 6 years old ( Some libraries allow children of any age to get a library card as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

In most libraries, children are eligible for a library card when they reach the age of 5 or 6, and they can check out items under the supervision of their parents or guardians. Our local libraries had set the minimum age at 5 years old., and recently introduced a 0-5 card – so no excuses for not having a library card!

It is best to check with your local library to find out their specific policies regarding the age at which children can get a library card. Some libraries may also have special programs or services for younger children, such as story time or reading clubs, that can help to introduce them to the library and encourage them to develop a love of reading and learning.

How old do you have to be to get a library card without a parent?

The age at which a child can get a library card without a parent or guardian’s supervision can vary. Some libraries may require that children are a certain age, such as 13 or 14 years old, while others may allow children as young as 9 or 10 to get a library card without parental supervision. Check with your local library to find out their specific policies.

It is important to note that even if a library allows children to get a library card without a parent or guardian, they may still have restrictions on what materials they can check out, such as age-appropriate materials, or limits on the number of items that can be borrowed at a time. Additionally, the library card will be in the child’s name, but they will be responsible for any overdue fees or lost items, parents may be asked to sign a registration form to confirm the child’s responsibility.

Wrap Up – Library Cards for Children

Libraries provide children with the opportunity to discover new worlds. They provide access to books that may not be available in their home or school libraries, allowing them to explore different topics and genres. 

Library cards are an invaluable resource for children, providing access to books, audiobooks, movies, music, and other materials that can help them learn and grow. By having a library card, kids can discover  new worlds of knowledge and stories without spending a dime (well, unless you are late returning your items.) Library cards also provide access to online resources like databases and e-books.

Having a library card is an important part of growing up and developing a love for reading. Every child should have access to the vast resources available at their local library, and getting a library card is the first step in doing so.

Need some ideas for what to check out? We’ve got you covered with our book round ups and interesting reads! Dinosaurs and Robots are always a great place to start for kids, or some inspirational inventors to get them thinking. We’ve even got some 可能性教学视频 可能性教学视频 inspired by books!

Though screens are constantly competing for our kid’s attention, magazines are still alive and kicking. 性杂技在线观看视频 magazines for kids are a great way to engage the minds of young readers and kickstart a reading adventure.

As parents we want magazines our kids will thoroughly enjoy; ones that teach about nature, literature, or history and science in a fun manner. Whether it’s the bite sized engaging stories, 性杂技在线观看视频 articles, 可能性教学视频, or 性知音免费视频 there’s bound to be something to spark your child’s interest and imagination.  

We’ve done a round up of some of the best choices available. If you’re looking for a fun and 性杂技在线观看视频 way to keep your child engaged, consider subscribing to one of these popular magazines for children. Let’s explore! 

Ranger Rick

Ranger Rick is a magazine for children ages 7-12 that focuses on nature and the environment. It is designed to help kids learn about and appreciate the natural world in a fun and engaging way. The magazine features fun articles, nature photos, and interactive elements that encourage kids to explore and develop an appreciation for nature. Our kids love paging through the magazines just for the amazing photos of wild animals.

In addition to the print version of the magazine, Ranger Rick also offers a digital subscription that includes access to additional content such as videos, games, and interactive 可能性教学视频.

Ranger Rick is a great resource for kids who are interested in nature and the environment and want to learn more about these subjects in a fun and interactive way.

Ranger Rick on Magazine Line

Ranger Rick Jr.

This magazine is designed for animal lovers ages 4-7 and focuses on nature and the environment. It features stories, cute animal photos, comics, tons of fun facts, and interactive games that encourage kids to learn about and appreciate the natural world.

There are QR codes sprinkled throughout so kids can see videos and additional content.  It’s a cool bonus that kids can see some of the animals in action.

Ranger Rick Jr on Magazine Line

Ranger Rick Cub

If you want to introduce your kids to the world of animals and nature early, Ranger Rick Cubs has you covered.  There are fewer stories here with a focus on stunning photos and cute animals. 

The magazine is smaller and square for little hands and comes on a heavier stock so the pages don’t tear.  Each issue clocks in around 17 pages of age-appropriate content for little kids.

Ranger Rick Dinosaurs

I wish they had this magazine when I was a kid. All the best parts Ranger Rick is best known for, just with Dinosaurs! You’ll find up to date scientific facts and illustrations.

An annual subscription is 6 issues, so you’ll get some prehistoric activity every other month.

Highlights

Highlights magazine for kids covers ages 6-12 with a wide range of topics, including science, nature, culture, and history. It features engaging articles, photos, and interactive elements that encourage kids to explore and learn about the world around them.  

Highlights is famous for its hidden picture 性知音免费视频 and blending 可能性教学视频 and stories to hold kids’ interest.

Like Ranger Rick, Highlights has a family of publications geared for younger children too, and also has a bilingual version for English & Spanish

High Five

High Five is a magazine for children ages 2-6. It is designed to help young children develop important skills such as language, social-emotional development, and critical thinking.

You’ll find a mix of stories, games, and 可能性教学视频 that are designed to be developmentally appropriate and engaging for young children. It also includes tips and ideas for parents to help support their child’s learning and development.

High Five also offers a digital subscription that includes access to additional content such as videos, games, and interactive 可能性教学视频.

Highlights Hello

is a magazine for babies and toddlers ages 0-2. It is designed to help young children develop important skills such as language, social-emotional development, and critical thinking. The magazine features a mix of stories, games, and 可能性教学视频 that are designed to be developmentally appropriate and engaging for young children.

It also includes tips and ideas for parents to help support their child’s learning and development.

Overall, Highlights Hello is a great resource for parents looking to introduce young children used to reading and 可能性教学视频 at an early age.

Related Post:  Check out our full post on Highlights Magazine

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty is a magazine for children ages 2-6 that features a mix of stories, games, and fun 可能性教学视频 that help kids develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. The magazine is designed to be developmentally appropriate and engaging for young children and includes

Opening an issue of Humpty Dumpty, you’ll find a variety of age-appropriate illustrated stories, 性知音免费视频, games, cut outs, and craft ideas.

Humpty Dumpty magazine not only has a print edition but also offers a digital subscription with bonus features like videos, games, and interactive 可能性教学视频.

As your kids age out of Humpty Dumpty, you can move them to Jack and Jill; both magazines are from the same parent company (US Kids) and have a similar style and content.

Jack and Jill

If you’re familiar with Humpty Dumpty magazine, Jack and Jill should feel familiar.  It’s like they’re Humpty Dumpty’s slightly older brother and sister, and deliver a similar experience.

Jack and Jill is a magazine aimed at ages 6-12 and covers a wide range of topics, including science, nature, culture, and history.  Kids can flex their reading skills with more in depth stories and content.

Articles tend to be more topical as kids learn more about the world around them in a fun and engaging way. The magazine features engaging articles, photos, and interactive elements that encourage kids to explore and learn about different subjects and concepts.

In addition to the print version of the magazine, Jack and Jill also offers a digital subscription that includes access to additional content such as videos, games, and interactive 可能性教学视频.

National Geographic Kids

National Geographic Kids is an award-winning magazine geared for kids ages 8 and up. You’ll find the expected awesome animal photos as well as 性知音免费视频 and games in each issue. Articles about wildlife, nature, the environment, and space will keep the kids entertained while learning.

National Geographic Kids has single issues at different reading levels, so you can make sure you’re getting a book not too easy or hard for your little reader, and find a topic they’re interested in.

We got a “level 2” edition for one of our little readers who loves pandas.   The level 2 books encourage kids to read “independently with longer sentences and more complex vocabulary.”  These are simple stories, though challenge new independent readers to complete the stories on their own.

Featuring a heavy print stock and large type and the stunning photographs National Geographic is known for, our kids loved it (and the book was sturdy enough to hold up to repeated readings.)

National Geographic Little Kids

As the name implies, this is National Geographic for younger kids.  It is very similar, just geared for kids ages 3-6.  This is great if you have a preschooler or kindergartner who loves animals.

Time for Kids

Time for Kids is a magazine for children ages 8-12 that covers current events and news topics in a kid-friendly format. The magazine features articles, photos, and interactive elements that expose kids to current real world topics and encourages them to think critically about the information they read.

Time for Kids is a great resource for kids with an interest in learning about what’s happening in the world in a fun and interactive way.

Cricket

Cricket is a literary magazine for children ages 9 to 14. It features stories, poetry, and nonfiction articles that are designed to challenge and inspire young readers. It also includes artwork, 性知音免费视频, and games.

Like some of the others, Cricket is a family of magazines offering different content and catering to different age groups: Cricket magazine is for older children, Ladybug is for younger children, and Ask is for curious children with an interest in science and nature.  

Muse, Click, Ladybug, and Ask are printed under the Cricket Media banner, so readers will find it familiar transitioning from one title to another. Cricket magazine subscriptions usually include 9 issues annually.

Muse

Muse magazine is designed for children ages 9-14 and covers a wide range of science and technology topics. In any issue, you’re sure to find fun content about the latest scientific discoveries, developments, and phenomena while maintaining a sense of humor geared for tweens.

Muse is associated with the Smithsonian, so you can be sure the information and publication is quality stuff.  

Also be aware that the yearly subscription includes 9 issues, so it’s not a monthly publication.  

Click

Click is a magazine for children aged 7-10 that covers a wide array of topics, including science, technology, engineering, art, and math (可能性教学视频). It is designed to help kids learn about these subjects in a fun and engaging way. The magazine features articles, photos, and interactive elements that help kids explore and learn about different 可能性教学视频 concepts and phenomena.

Click also offers a digital subscription that includes access to additional content such as videos, games, and interactive 可能性教学视频.

Click is a great resource for kids who are interested in 可能性教学视频 subjects and want to learn more about these subjects in a fun and interactive way.

Ladybug Magazine

Ladybug is a magazine for young children, ages 3 to 6. It is filled with colorful illustrations, simple stories and poetry, and interactive 可能性教学视频 that are designed to help children develop early literacy skills.

Ask Magazine

Ask is a science magazine for children ages 6 to 9. It features science experiments, 性知音免费视频, games, and facts that are designed to spark children’s curiosity and interest in the natural world.  Features about inventors and scientist will spark interest and imagination.

Note the annual subscription is 9 issues.

Brainspace

Brainspace is geared for children ages 8 to 14. You’ll find stories and features about 可能性教学视频 and Art topics. The cool thing about Brainspace is that augmented reality is a key feature. You’ll want a mobile device handy to get the most out of your subscription. Hover your phone or tablet over each page for a “multi-sensory journey.”

Brainspace comes out quarterly, so the annual subscription is 4 issues.

Wrap Up – 性杂技在线观看视频 Magazines for Kids

Any of these magazines are a great way for kids to learn and explore in a fun and engaging way.  It’s a great way to play some games, do some 性知音免费视频, and learn to read with some compelling storytelling and high quality illustrations to round out the stories.

An annual subscription to a print magazine can be the perfect gift for young readers.  They get the benefit of the gift all year and have something to look forward to in the mailbox every month.  As a kid, there was something special about finding there was something addressed to me in the mailbox (flash forward to adulthood and it’s mostly just bills.)

Today, our kids look forward to seeing their name on a magazine and are excited to see what’s in the latest issue.  At one point we had a bunch of these magazines arriving in the mailbox every month! 

Hopefully, your little ones enjoy learning to read with kids’ magazines as much as ours did.  Any of the magazines on this list is a great choice; you’re sure to make a fan of even the most reluctant readers.

Three Little Pigs

The Three Little Pigs is a fairy tale story most kids are familiar with, and it contains some great science and engineering lessons.  Each pig chooses a building material, and when the Big Bad Wolf comes huffing and puffing, we learn what materials are most durable. 

We can use the story as a starting point for some fun experiments for kids.  We can use different building materials to see which structure is the strongest.  We can use a simple folded hand fan to simulate the Wolf trying to blow the house down.

Build with straws

Using drinking straws and tape or glue (we used a hot glue gun), build a simple house structure.  It can be just a frame, or something more elaborate. Use scissors to cut the straws and get as fancy or elaborate as you like.

Once done, wave the fan as hard as you can and see how firm the straw house is.  The straws are very light, and will most likely get blown away by a bit of a breeze.

Build with popsicle sticks

Do the same with popsicle sticks to build your second house.  How does it stand up to the wind?  The wood has more mass than the straws, though with enough wind from the fan you can most likely move it or knock it over.

Build with bricks

For bricks, we’ll use Legos!  Build a house with Lego bricks.  

The bricks are heavier, and lock together.  The Big Bad Wolf doesn’t stand a chance against the power of Lego!

The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale tells the familiar story with a lean towards engineering and architecture, and introduces readers to famous architects (Frank Gehry, Phillip Johnson, and Frank Lloyd Wright) and their styles.

“If I Built a House” – Design a House

While we’re in building and architecture mode, check out “If I Built a House” by Chris Van Dusen.  Jack imagines a dream house of his own design, complete with an anti-gravity flying room, a swim through aquarium, and a bedroom with quite a view.  There’s an automated kitchen and bathroom, an art room, and more. 

This is a great 可能性教学视频 read for its creative design.  There are elements of design, engineering, and architecture, along with a lot of creative thinking.  The key here is to let imaginations run wild; sometimes the craziest ideas lead to innovation.

What would your house look like?  Draw a floorplan or some blueprints.  Get as creative or silly as you like.  

Can you use cardboard boxes (or other materials) to build it?  

Also – don’t miss “If I Built a School” by Chris Van Dusen.  How would you redesign your school or a campus you attended?

“If I Built a Car”  – Design a Car Activity

This is another great story from Chris Van Dusen. “If I Built a Car” just begs the reader to follow in the footsteps of young Jack and unleash their imagination.  In this book, a young boy named Jack decides to build a car with the help of some friends. 

Challenge your kid(s) to think of what their car would be able to do, or what kinds of features or accessories they would include.

You could simply have them draw their designs and explain how everything would work.

Taking the design exercise a step further, challenge them to build their own model car.  You can use materials on hand like Legos, balloons, bottles, bottle caps, and cardboard boxes.  

If in a classroom, have the students work together in groups and discuss the problem among their peers to develop a workable plan.  As always, parents and teachers are encouraged to help but not to answer questions in a way to give a definite solution, but rather to give hints and lead kids to the answer. 

Upcycle Trash into Inventions Like Rosie Revere 

Rosie Revere, Engineer is a great 可能性教学视频 Storybook by Andrea Beaty (check out our post featuring this book and other engineering storybooks for kids.)

Young Rosie is an inventor and uses many discarded items to make her inventions.  Challenge your little inventors to build something out of recycled items, whether they source the items themselves or use a specified set of materials.

For inspiration, check out our post on 可能性教学视频 可能性教学视频 with tin cans, plastic bottles, toilet paper tubes, popsicle sticks, and recycled materials. 

Also check out other Adrea Beaty books Ada Twist, Scientist and Iggy Peck, Architect and encourage kids to experiment or get building!

Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Trees – Tree Leaf Identification & Nature Sketching

There’s quite a bit of information packed into a short storybook.  You’ll learn the various parts of a tree, as well as the difference between broad leaf (deciduous) trees and evergreens (conifers.) One of the charms of the Crinkleroot series is the artwork and sketchbook nature journal style.

The Guide to Knowing the Trees showcases plenty of hand drawn examples of commonly found leaves and pine needles from each category, so you can easily identify a tree by comparing a leaf to the drawings.

Use these drawings as inspiration for your own.  Go outside and find some leaves and sketch them as accurately as possible.  Identify each leaf and what makes them unique.  Identify the parts of the leaf.  Draw a whole tree or a series of trees; again, stretch your powers of observation to identify the parts of the tree and what makes each tree unique.  How is a conifer different from a deciduous tree?  How is an Oak different from a Maple?  Log these in your own nature journal.

Check out our post for more Nature Science books like this one.

Pete the Cat – Robo-Pete – Build a Robot 

When Pete’s friends don’t have time to play, Pete builds a robot.  Challenge yourself and your kids to design a robot.  What would it look like, what parts would it have?  Would it have legs, tank treads, or a single wheel like a unicycle?  How would it see, and where would the cameras and sensors be located.

For smaller kids, you can take a more fanciful approach. 

For more fun, you can use some cardboard boxes to build a model of your robot, and decorate them with markers, paint, or aluminum foil.  

For kids that are beginning to learn how things actually “work,” challenge them to design with real technology in mind.  Look at developments like Boston Dynamics for inspiration.  How would your robot balance?  What kind of motors or controls would be needed for it to open a door?

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”  Magic Wand Activity

As with most 可能性教学视频 可能性教学视频, it is often interlinked with other subject matter.  In this example, we will be assuming that learners have read the book “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” and the material will now be used to apply to a lesson in a Science that deals with circuits. 

In the novel “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” Harry, Ron and Hermione struggle to create light from their wand for the first time.  In the Science lesson, we will be creating our wand that can illuminate light using a circuit that we build into the wand. 

This activity will encourage learners to build a circuit with the material they have while fitting everything neatly into a wand.  Learners will be encouraged to be creative and to use any means necessary to build a circuit that works. 

Kids may not have any prior knowledge of circuits and, that’s okay.  It’s a great opportunity to apply critical thinking skills.  For older kids, encourage a bit of research before (or while) attempting this project.  

Younger kids may need a bit more direction.  Demonstrating how a LED can be powered by a battery can be enough to understand how the mechanism works, and have them design a mechanism to create a want that houses the battery and light.

After the project is done, the core information about circuits will be reinforced, and the learner will receive holistic knowledge on the subject.  The fact that the project is based on a story they’re interested in gives them a vested interest in recreating some of that magic.

The interlinking of the subjects and the prior knowledge that kids will discover on their own while working on the project will inspire out-of-the-box thinking and problem 性知音免费视频 while at the same time saving the information in a tactile, auditory, and visual manner. 

Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Bartholomew and the Oobleck is a wonderful story from Dr. Seuss to inspire a fun hands on activity.  I’ve always wondered how would Oobleck move in the real world.  Would it be jiggly like Jello or would it move like maple syrup?

What do you think Oobleck would feel like?  Goopy? Oozy? Slimy?  Perhaps non-Newtonian? Huh?  A Non-Newtonian fluid, flows and drips like a liquid, but settles into more of a solid when at rest. 

A non-Newtonian fluid is just the thing for our own Oobleck!  All you need is some corn starch and water mixed in a 2:1 ratio (so, 2 cups of cornstarch for every one cup of water.)  Knead them together in a bowl and add some food coloring if you like.

We used a similar recipe in our Gross Science Experiments and Dinosaur Dig 可能性教学视频.  Check them out!

How to Grow a Dinosaur

This story by Jill Esbaum is a humorous spin on the theme of adding a new family member with dinosaurs. You don’t have to have a baby or hatch an egg to grow a dinosaur. We did it with an inexpensive kit like this one (also check out your local dollar store of the section at the front of most Target stores.)

Just drop the tiny dinosaurs in water and watch them grow several times their original size over a week or so.

 Grow your own dinosaur! is part of our post on Fun Dinosaur 可能性教学视频. Our kids enjoyed measuring and charting the growth.

Wrap Up – 可能性教学视频 可能性教学视频 Inspired by Kids Books 

Our kids love reading and doing 可能性教学视频, and we enjoyed sharing some of our favorite books with you.  Hands-on 可能性教学视频 themed around a story are a great way to bring books to life and foster an appreciation for science, technology, engineering, or math.  It’s also a great way to introduce new books or spark an interest in reading.

By interlinking stories (i.e. English and Language Arts) with 可能性教学视频 concepts, kids can find another way into topics they may not have otherwise explored.  This is a beautiful way to encourage kids that struggle with reading to overcome their barriers.  Encouraging kids to explore their imagination while developing 可能性教学视频 skills is a great way to learn and have fun at the same time.

Want to grab some of these books? Check out your local library, and don’t miss our post on why every kids needs a library card.

There are so many kid’s books about space and astronomy, it’s hard to know where to start.  We’ve gathered some of our favorite space books for kids to share with you.  Some teach the basic concepts of space science, while some are fun fictional adventures.  Let’s explore!

ABCs of Space

by Chris Ferrie and Julia Kregenow

Chris Ferrie is an physicist and mathematician with a knack for making complex topics fun and simple.  Co Author Julia Kregenow is an astronomer, so you know the information is coming from a great source even though this is a children’s board book.

At its core, the ABC’s of space is an alphabet book with each letter representing one term related to space (Asteroid, Binary Star, Comet, etc.) 

Though there is one letter per page with fun illustrations, ABCs of Space is designed to be more than just another simple alphabet book.  Each page is aimed with more detailed information at 3 different reading levels, so your young reader can get more out of the book as they grow and improve their reading skills.

For example: “C is for Comet” is basic alphabet letter association and a simple sentence.  Under the illustration, we learn that, “A comet is a clump of ice and rock in a very big orbit around the sun.”  It’s a comet fact that’s easy to understand and easier to read.  Toward the bottom of the page, we get a bit more in depth knowledge at a higher reading level.

ABCs of space can entertain, educate, and challenge kids on a number of levels.  Our little reader pushes himself to read the whole page so he can learn more about each topic.

Check out some of the other titles in the Baby University book series.  We’d recommend any of Chris Ferrie’s books!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I Know Exactly What You Are

by Julia Kregenow, PhD
Illustrated by Carmen Salana

Here’s another from Julia Kregenow.  This picture book sets some cosmic facts against a “twinkle twinkle” rhyming melody.  (It’s hard to *not* read this story out loud without setting it to the tune of the song.)

The paintings are the star of the show here, colorful and dreamy to compliment the words, which are informative, yet fun.

The story ends with a satisfying message, that we know what stars and other cosmic objects are, with kids tucked away sleeping in their beds.  The last few pages of the book are prose that goes into more explanation about what makes up stars, constellations, galaxies, and (of course) what makes stars twinkle.

If you know a child that dreams of the stars, put this one on your must read list.

There was a Black Hole that Swallowed the Universe

by Chris Ferrie
Illustrated by Susan Batori

Black holes are hungry beasts.  They’ll suck in anything within their pull.  This is a story of a black hole that starts by swallowing a whole universe.  This is more than just a book about space;  our black hole keeps consuming smaller and smaller objects, giving the reader a hidden lesson of how matter stacks up in size. 

It chews through stars and planets all the way down to the microscopic individual cells.  From there it eats its way through atoms and neutrons.  What happens when a black whole eats a quark?

Once upon a Starry Night

by Jacquelin Mitton

Many constellations are named after mythical heroes, creatures, or animals.  When stargazing, it’s often quite a stretch of the imagination to see a few point of light as a lion, dragon, or warrior.

Once Upon a Starry Night helps readers connect the dots.  Each turn of the page features gorgeous colorful illustrations of each constellation’s namesake.  The stars themselves are placed within the painting to help visualize how the constellations take shape.  Each painting is accompanied by a short telling of the story or character’s notable traits.

“The night sky is a realm of kings and queens, gods, heroes, and mystical creatures.  Look – They’re all there, outlined by the stars.”

There is a companion book, Zoo in the Sky, if you want to explore some celestial animals.  Both books are from National Geographic.

by Brad Meltzer

Brad Meltzer’s “I am” is a fun series of biography books for kids focusing on the traits that make our heroes great. The stories of America’s icons are presented in a lively, conversational way and include the heroes’ childhood influences so that the book is suitable for young nonfiction readers. 

This one features astronaut Neil Armstrong.  From Neil Armstrong’s childhood on a farm to his career as an engineer and pilot, this book explains how he became the first person on the moon. 

Throughout the narrative, there’s a heavy influence on engineering, and how important problem 性知音免费视频 skills are for astronauts.  Neil Armstrong’s calm nerves and quick thinking – not to mention quick calculations – saved his life on numerous occasions.

The artwork has a “Calvin & Hobbes” feel, and is sure to resonate with adults and kids alike.

Reaching for the Moon

by Buzz Aldrin

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin recounts the life events that influenced his decision to become an astronaut as well as the thrill of landing on the moon. 

From early childhood, getting accepted to West Point, time in the Air Force, and the Gemini mission Buzz tells his tale.  Culminating with the Apollo 11 mission this book highlights how Buzz reached the moon.

MOONSHOT: THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11

by Brian Floca

Moonshot tells the story of the Apollo 11 mission.  From launch, to spaceflight, to lunar landing, Moonshot delivers the story in stylized watercolors.  The excitement of the blast off comes through in the artwork, and reading the words I can almost hear the recording of the mission audio playing in my head.

You can get a sense of weightlessness as our astronauts make their trek to the moon.  The excitement kicks in again as they reach their destination, and the Eagle touches down on the moon.

This is a great way to introduce young readers to the first moon mission, and help spark their interest in space and astronomy.

Margaret and the Moon

by Dean Robbins
Illustrated by Lucy Knisley

Think of the first lunar landing, most people can immediately name Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Whether it was early space flight, or current missions there’s a whole team of people that make it happen and monitor everything behind the scenes.

Margaret Hamilton is one of these people, who was instrumental during the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Check out more on this book (as well as others) in our post about books about amazing female scientists.

Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story

by Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly flew a number of missions about the space shuttle Endeavor, commanding its final flight in 2011.  On his first mission aboard the Endeavor in 2001, mice were brought on board for study.  Most mice kept to the wire frame of the cage while in zero gravity.  One mouse, the smallest of the bunch, seemed to enjoy floating weightless.

This is the “partially true” of the story part that makes a great backdrop for this tale of a tiny mouse who saves the day and the mission!  It’s a fun book with some information about the shuttle mission and an underdog story that encourages perseverance and ingenuity.

Astronaut Handbook

By Meghan McCarthy

What does it take to be an astronaut?  The Astronaut Handbook takes a look, through basic survival training, riding on the “vomit comet,” and the mechanics of space toilets, this book hits the highlights in a fun way.

This book gives kids a feel for how astronauts train and specialize as in packed full of facts in the back of the book.

There’s No Place Like Space

by Trish Rabe

The Cat in the Hat is back and is your tour guide on a wild ride through the solar sy可能性教学视频.   This one blasts  off to outer space with a rhyming adventure and art reminiscent of the original Cat in the Hat books.

Originally published in 1999, there is an updated version to address Pluto’s downgrade to dwarf planet.  (both  versions are fun, though one is more accurate.)

Learn about the sun and the planets along with thing one and thing two.

It’s okay to go on a spontaneous trip through space, your mother won’t mind at all if you do.

Shoot for the Moon Snoopy

by Charles Schultz

Nasa is planning a trip to the moon, and Snoopy wants to go along.  Peppermint Patty and Marcie are happy to help Snoopy prepare.  Along the way, we learn snippets about astronaut life like diet and exercise. 

To help Snoopy prepare for what it will feel like in space, his friends teach him about gravity, weightlessness, and moonwalks.  They come up with some creative ways to simulate those effects right here on Earth (that you can try too!)

It’s a great place to start if you know a little one who wants to shoot for the moon!

Roaring Rockets

by Tony Mitton & Ant Parker

Roaring rockets is a great space book fro preschoolers.  Its easy rhyming scheme and animal characters are sure to make it easy for kids to follow along.

As simple as it is, Roaring Rockets still takes kids through blast off, weightless space travel, moon landing, and splash down on Earth just like some of the early moon missions.  It’s a great introduction to space travel.

Want to grab some of these books? Check out your local library, and don’t miss our post on why every kids needs a library card.

The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar Sy可能性教学视频

by Joanna Cole

Ms Frizzle and class are on a field trip to the planetarium and find it’s closed.  No problem – they simply blast off in the Magic Schoolbus for a ride through the solar sy可能性教学视频.  Starting at the moon, they visit the sun and each of the planets, including a close call while moving through the asteroid belt.  Through their journey, we learn about each planet.  There’s a great comparison chart with planetary statistics and facts sprinkled throughout the story.

Check out the Episode Lost in Space on Youtube:

A Trip to the Moon

by Richard Scarry

In this Busytown story, Mr. Fixit has built a rocket which he hopes to fly to the moon.  Huckle, Lowly Worm and some Busytown regulars arrive on the scene, and Mr. Fixit is all too happy to show them his work in progress.    Mr. Frumple, ever chasing his hat in the breeze, follows hit hat into the space ship and – oh no – initiates the launch sequence. 

Mr. Fixit waves goodbye to the surprised crew as they speed towards the sky.   Our unexpected astronauts have a fanciful flight to the moon, but will they (and Mr. Frumple’s hat) ever make it back to Busytown?

The world of Busytown and artwork of Richard Scarry is immediately recognizable, and invokes  fond memories of childhood.  We enjoy sharing these stories with our kids, and building some of the same memories.   There’s not much in the way of science here, so we’ll assume the laws of physics work a bit differently in the Busytown world.  We visit Busytown for the story and art (not the science.)  As always, the characters and vehicles are silly, memorable, and fun.

My First Book of Questions and Answers About Earth and Space

by Anita Ganeri & Rosie Greenwood

Kids have a seemingly endless supply of questions.  Sometimes the more they learn, the more questions they have; especially when they are learning about how the world and the universe work.

This is a go to book for those kinds of questions:  What is the sun made of?  What is the difference between a planet and a moon? What shape is the universe?  Got it covered and answered!

The first quarter or so of the book is about space and planets and the rest of the book focuses on Earth.  You’ll find answers to questions on Earth science, oceans, weather, and more. 

Each page also features a True or False question, so you can challenge your kid (or yourself) with a quick question.

When our kids ask one of these types of questions, we can curl up on the couch and see if this book has the answers together.

Our Solar Sy可能性教学视频

by Kathryn Knight

This is a short book, though absolutely packed with facts.  Each planet (and the sun) gets a two page 性美女视频 with pictures and information about the planet.  Learn each planet’s position in our solar sy可能性教学视频, facts and figures like size, distance from the sun, number of moons, temperatures, day and year length and more.

This is a reading level 3 book geared for grades 2-4.  We read it with our 6 year old; while it’s not a storybook and heavy on information, he enjoyed the tidbits of information about each of the planets.  With the way the book is laid out, it’s easy to break it up and read a planet a day.  This way, there isn’t so much information overload, and it keeps kids looking forward to finding out about the next planet.

Wrap Up:  Space and Astronomy Books for Kids

There something magical about what lies beyond our own world.  We can glimpse into the stars and wonder what lies beyond our own atmosphere.  These books are a great way to feed that sense of curiosity.  Rocket science may seem as far away as the stars themselves, though these amazing books about space make the science accessible for young readers.

Related Posts: Find more ways to Get Kids Interested in Space and Astronomy as well as our picks for Space books for Kids. If you love LEGOs, be sure to check out our roundup of Space LEGO Sets!

Most kids go through a dinosaur phase in their preschool and kindergarten years. The idea of giant creatures roaming the Earth long ago is irresistible to young imaginations, and dinos for kids can be found in TV, movies, and toys. Dinosaurs are featured heavily in kids’ books and stories.

In this post, we’re sharing our favorite dinosaur books for preschool and kindergarten age children. Our kids love these books, and we hope you will too. Let’s explore!

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

The How Do Dinosaurs? Series are a great way to teach manners and lessons, all while having fun with dinosaurs.  The insert contains artwork of each dinosaur with their scientific names.  We spend as much time on this, naming the dinosaurs or doing quizzes, “which one is the Allosaurus?” as we do reading the actual book.  The name of each dinosaur is also cleverly hidden within the illustration on each page. 

The story is in an easy to read rhyming pattern, and illustrates difficulties children may have getting ready for bed.  Then it demonstrates that the dinosaurs don’t do any of these things, and sets a positive example for an easy transition into bed. 

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?  makes a great bedtime story, as we can set the dinosaurs as a role model – Did the dinosaurs stomp and throw their teddy bear?  No, they settled right into bed and tucked in.”

The artwork is well done, realistically representing the dinosaurs while giving them emotions and expressions.  It’s a good mix of anthropomorphic design and realism (for as much as we know how ‘real’ dinosaurs looked.)

Check out other “How Do Dinosaurs” books!

How to Grow a Dinosaur

by Jill Esbaum
Illustrated by Mike Boldt

Our story opens on a dinosaur family with a new egg, dino-kid beaming with anticipation waiting for his sibling to hatch.   It’s a cute take on the “here comes the new baby” story with dinosaurs.  

• Step 1 Wait
• Step 2 Meet the baby
• Step 3 Get a feel for each other
• Step4 Make a buddy for life

This would be a great book to read for any family with a child preparing the way for a new baby while setting the stage for a soon to be sibling. Through cute illustrations and some silly humor, we see an older brother welcoming his sibling to the world. 

Related Activity – Grow your own dinosaur! is part of our post on Fun Dinosaur 可能性教学视频.

Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs

By Sandra Boynton

Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs is an opposites book featuring favorite dinosaurs in Boynton’s famous style.   Boynton board books are great for preschoolers (and, okay I’ll admit it, I still enjoy reading them to the kids.) 

The characters are silly and the artwork perfect for grabbing the attention and imaginations of young readers.  The easy reading rhyme scheme makes it memorable for kids, and encourages them to “read” along once they’ve heard the story a few times. 

Dinosaur Dig

By Penny Dale

A book about dinosaurs and construction vehicles? Our preschooler was in heaven. Dinosaurs driving construction vehicles? He was over the moon!

By the title, you’d expect this would be a sort of paleontology or dig site kind of book. One look at the cover and you can tell you’re in for a completely different kind of expedition. And the dinosaurs are calling the shots!

Dinosaur dig is a counting book that hits all the marks. Starting with one T-Rex in an excavator digging a hole, each page adds another dinosaur driving a construction vehicle. Each page adds a new action, complete with sound effects (Crash! Klunk, Crunch, Scrape, Sploosh!)

What could they be building? Let’s say that all that counting and digging was for some mighty big fun!

Dinosaur Dig is available as a board book that’s great for preschoolers, and a paperback version for kindergartners.

Author Penny Dale has a series of similar dinosaur books like Dinosaur Rocket! Dinosaur Pirates! Dinosaur Rescue and more!

I Am Not a Dinosaur

by Will Lach
Illustrated by Jonny Lambert

When walking through museums or seeing photos of fossils or skeletons, it’s easy to immediately think “dinosaur!”  Not all fossils are dinosaurs, and that’s the focus of I Am Not a Dinosaur.  From wooly mammoths to saber tooth tigers, it’s easy to see how ‘prehistoric’ creatures get lumped in with dinosaurs. 

A few on the list surprised me.  I’d always thought of dimetrodon as a dinosaur (as did every dinosaur playset I had as a kid.)  Technically it’s not a reptile. Though the pterosaur may be a flying reptile, it’s not classified as a dinosaur.  Neither is the plesiosaur, which I had always thought of as the great dinosaur of the sea.  Reading this book dispelled some myths I had carried since childhood. 

So, what is a dinosaur? 

“Dinosaurs are just one type of prehistoric creature, classified by certain physical characteristics: a hole in their hip socket, a three-toed foot, and an S-shaped neck.”

We’re also treated to a few pages of some of our favorite dinosaurs (that actually are dinosaurs) and some photos of fossils and skeletons courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History.

What happened to the dinosaurs?  While most of the creatures we’re introduced to in the book have died out ages ago, dinosaurs, by definition, have not.  Common birds, like the parakeet, meet the definition of physical characteristics of dinosaurs!

We Are the Dinosaurs

By Laurie Berkner
Illustrated by Ben Clanton

We are the Dinosaurs is a fun romp from children’s author and musician Laurie Berkner. The book includes whimsical illustrations of dinosaur characters, and is a quick read. There’s some repetition, which makes it easier for young readers to follow along.

To get the most out of the book, pair it with the song that goes with it. Check out the official video:

Danny and the Dinosaur

by Syd Hoff

In this classic from Syd Hoff, a museum dinosaur comes to life for a fun filled romp around town with his new friend, Danny. With a Dinosaur as a playmate, 可能性教学视频 like hide and seek, attending a ballgame, and enjoying some ice cream take fun to a new (bigger) level.

Originally published in 1958, this book has been delighting kids for decades.

This book always reminded me a bit of Clifford (the big red dog), but with a dinosaur instead.

Danny and the Dinosaur is great for beginning readers, with familiar words and short, simple sentences.

If you enjoy the original, check out other Danny and the Dinosaur books.

The Berenstain Bears’ Dinosaur Dig

by Jan and Mike Berenstain

Like many young children, learning about the existence of giant creatures that roamed the Earth is a fascinating concept.  As the Bear children discover dinosaurs in the library and develop an interest, their parents encourage their curiosity with a trip to the museum.  Conveniently, the museum has an archeological dig site out back, where the Berenstains are treated to a tour of fossils

Soon, dinosaurs are everywhere. Their house if so filled with dinosaur toys, that there’s hardly a place to sit.  Kind of reminds me of home.

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates

by Ryan T. Higgins

Penelope Rex was nervous before the first day of school. Her first lesson? Classmates are delicious! She has to learn how to act in a classroom setting, and how to treat her peers. Will she be able to triumph over her predatory nature and hungry stomach?

Our son’s principal read this book on the eve of the first day of kindergarten. It was a great way to diffuse first day jitters. At least no one was eaten (at least as far as I know.)

If you want more Penelope the T-Rex, she’d in a band! Check out We Will Rock Our Classmates

If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur

by Linda Bailey & Colin Jack

What would you do if you just happened to have a dinosaur hanging around the house? If that sounds like you, or if you’re curious about what you could do with a dinosaur, you need this book.

They may make a great burglar alarm. Maybe a triceratops horn would make a great can opener. A team of herbivores may make a great landscaping crew, no need for a ladder, they’ll just eat the tops of the trees.

Would a pterosaur make a good kite? (Hey, wait a minute: didn’t we just learn a few books ago that a pterosaur isn’t a dinosaur?)

Just treat your dinosaur well and don’t let it near your food. What could possibly go wrong?

If you did happen to have a dinosaur, what would you do?

Follow up: Pick some different dinos and brainstorm what they could help with. How would a Brachiosaurus come in handy with its long neck? What could an Ankylosaurus do with its tail or a T-Rex with its teeth?

Dancing Dinos Go to School

By Sally Lucas

Dancing Dinos Go to School is a Level 1 “Step into reading” book, so it’s a great read along choice for early readers.

This is a fun book about dinosaurs that leap off the page and dance through the school engaging in fun 可能性教学视频 along the way.  The book reads in a sing song rhyme, and is great to have your child follow along with the words.

Everything Awesome About Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Beasts!

by Mike Lowery

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite dinosaur books.  It has a fun style and approach and is a comprehensive look at prehistoric creatures. 

Did you know many of the creatures that immediately come to mind aren’t actually dinosaurs?  The book addresses this right of by defining what a dinosaur is (and isn’t.)  Once we’re clued into prehistoric animals, we’re given “a brief history of Earth” to set the stage for early signs of life on Earth.

Much of the book focuses on dinosaurs (and other prehistoric creatures) and includes facts presented in a fun and engaging way.  The book lives up to its title and is filled with enough knowledge nuggets and factoids to keep your dinosaur lover happy.

The end sections of the book are filled with fun 可能性教学视频 like how to draw dinosaurs and dino jokes.

The cartoony style makes this a great bridge from picture books while introducing a bit more complex content. It’s easy to pick up and read a few pages and come back for more later.

(If you like this style and still want more -check out Mike Lowery’s other “Everything Awesome” books about sharks and space.)

Can You Find 1001 Dinosaurs and Other Things?

by Emiliano Migliardo

Our kids love “Where’s Waldo” type of seek and find books, and this book fits right in. The book features 11 silly scenes jam packed with items to find, which will keep kids busy and entertained for quite some time.

With cavemen stone age vehicles, it’s far from historical or scientific accuracy, but our kids had some laughs on every page and wanted to keep looking for all of the things (including the dino poo!) If your kids (or you) like seek and find kind of books, give this one a try.

Science Comics: Dinosaurs, Fossils and Feathers

by MK Reed & Joe Flood

Though he can’t read all the words, our 5 year old loves this book.  He’ll pick up the book again and again just looking at the illustrations and picking out his favorite dinosaurs.

Part adventure story, part history lesson, science lesson, and all comic book, Science Comics Dinosaurs has a bit of something for everyone. 

We learn how fossils are made and see how early dinosaur discoveries may have fueled myths like the Cyclops, Chimera, and dragons.

We’ll visit with early paleontology pioneers like William Buckland, Marry Anning (we saw her story in our post about amazing female scientists), and Gideon Marshall.

We’ll check in on some sown and dirty drama and rivalries in the Bone Wars.

We’ll learn how some theories and hypotheses accepted as fact in their time proved completely wrong as new discoveries are found. We often think of dinosaurs as just giant reptiles that roamed the earth, though the velociraptor has more in common with a crane than it does a crocodile.

The story is engaging and informative, though the artwork really shines through. Some of the dinosaur illustrations have cool cross-section cutaways, so kids can start making the connection between the dinosaurs they’re familiar with and the fossils and bones they may see in books or museums (or virtual museum tours.)

There are some great illustrations that show family trees and place the dinosaurs into the period in which they lived to better visualize what dinosaurs coexisted at the same time.

It’s a great read along, though may be much for one sitting, especially for younger kids. We took it in several chunks, though our little dinosaur enthusiasts liked to page through and look at the artwork as much as they enjoyed the story. 

The Extinct Files: My Science Project

by Wallace Edwards

What if dinosaurs aren’t really extinct, but still among us hiding in plain site? That’s the premise of The Extinct Files. The book is presented as a science experiment, stating the objective and hypothesis, and moving through observations about dinosaurs’ habitat, diet, and 可能性教学视频.

Where would dinosaurs be hiding and what would they be doing in our modern world? How have they evolved and adapted? That’s where the fun begins. The book is full of paintings of realistic looking dinosaurs engaging in silly 可能性教学视频. The artwork is excellent, and sure to be a hit with dinosaur loving kids.

This book may be difficult to find in print, though is well worth checking out at your local library.

Wrap Up: Dinos for Kids – Dinosaur books for preschool or kindergarten

We hope you enjoyed our round up of dinosaur books. Our preschool and kindergarten aged kids loved these, and we loved reading the books aloud to them. Dinos remain every popular, and nearly any books featuring dinosaurs are a sure hit in our house.

Want to grab some of these books? Check out your local library, and don’t miss our post on why every kids needs a library card.

Jim Arnosky lived in a cabin in the woods near Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania when he first started drawing Crinkleroot, and has won numerous awards for children’s science literature. 

Crinkleroot books are a great way to introduce nature science for kids.  The artwork and illustrations are excellent and presented as if they are drawings from a field notebook.  The lessons and facts come in a casual flow, as if the reader is in a conversation with a consummate woodsman.

Crinkleroot embodies the classic image of an elder woodsman with a long white Santa Claus beard.   He’s an avatar of a mountain man that reminds me a bit of Grizzly Adams mixed with Bear Grylls, rolled into the idea of being one with nature.  As Crinkleroot says, “I Was Born in a Tree and Raised By Bees.” He’s the wise old sage who’s more than happy to walk through nature with the reader and pass on what it’s taken him a lifetime to learn.

There are numerous books in the series, each one focusing on an aspect of nature science for kids. Let’s explore:

Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Trees

by Jim Arnosky

In this book, woodsman Crinkleroot shares some of the secrets of the forest.  You can tap into some knowledge learned by spending a lifetime among the trees.

It’s an easy and enjoyable read, and makes the science matter of fact and accessible. There’s quite a bit of information packed into a short storybook.  You’ll learn the various parts of a tree, as well as the difference between broad leaf (deciduous) trees and evergreens (conifers.) There are plenty of hand drawn examples of commonly found leaves and pine needles from each category, so the reader can easily identify a tree by comparing a leaf to the drawings.

As Crinkleroot moves through the forest, he reveals why trees grow in the shapes they do, what trees look like on the inside, and how to tell the age of a tree.

He points out what kinds of wildlife to expect in a forest, and where they might be found.  Again, there are splendid illustrations of the various forest creatures.

As a parting challenge, Crinkleroot encourages the reader to “spend a little time learning something about each individual tree you meet.” Sounds like some sage advice.

Follow-up: Go on a nature walk, or a walk in a park, or wherever you can find some trees.  Let your child pick up some leaves to take home and draw (or take some home for yourself.).

Take Crinkleroot’s advice and stretch your powers of observation.  Try to notice something different about each tree you come across.  Don’t be afraid to start a notebook or journal and make notes and sketches.

Crinkleroot’s Guide To Knowing the Birds

by Jim Arnosky

In this book, Crinkleroot takes the reader on a bird-watching expedition. In the first lesson Crinkleroot demonstrates how to use binoculars to observe birds from a distance.

We learn about anatomy and all the parts of the bird, how to identify birds by their songs, the different types of bird nests and the birds who live in them, and how birds look from the time they hatch to full grown adult.

Crinkleroot tells us about resident birds that live most of their life in one place versus birds that migrate and spend the winter months in warmer climates.

The book closes with ways to attract birds to your own area.  Suggestions include bird baths, bird feeders, bird houses, and bushes for them to nest in.

After reading this book, we used some of the principles taught to find some birds nesting in our own backyard. One of our boys noticed our sidewalk had a spot that was “very dirty.” Yes, we had a chunk of sidewalk littered with bird poop. It happened to be right under a tree.

Looking directly above the marked spot, we peeked into the tree to find a dove nest nestled into the evergreen branches. It was completely obscured from view outside, but we could see it once we knew where to look. It was great to see the kids applying what they learned.

25 Birds Every Child Should Know

by Jim Arnosky

Jim Arnosky believed knowing individual animals helps form a core understanding of the larger group, much like understanding individual letters lead to the formation of words.  Crinkleroot’s 25 Birds Every Child Should Know  introduces us to a collection of birds that will help young nature lovers to begin building a core vocabulary .

In the author’s words, “We all know how important it is for a child to learn individual letters and numbers  before mastering  combinations of them in words or problems.  Once a child has this knowledge, reading and math follow.  I also believe it is important to learn to recognize a core group of animals.  Once a child has this foundation, a greater and lasting appreciation and knowledge of the animal kingdom will grow.”

The first few pages are crammed packed with bird facts. We learn how their feathers protect them ,how birds fly, which birds are biggest and which birds are smallest.

The remainder of the book is serves is a gallery for the authors wonderful watercolor paintings.

1. Penguin
2. Loon
3. Swan
4. Goose
5. Duck
6. Pelican
7. Gull
8. Heron
9. Stork
10. Turkey
11. Chicken
12. Vulture
13. Eagle
14. Woodpecker
15. Owl
16. Pigeon
17. Parrot
18. Ostrich
19. Hummingbird
20. Bluebird
21. Jay
22. Crow
23. Cardinal
24. Robin
25. Sparrow

25 Fish Every Child Should know

by Jim Arnosky

Crinkleroot start us off with some basic fish facts. We learn how fish can breathe underwater, and how they swim.  There are nature illustrations demonstrating each of the points.

Afterward we’re treated to a watercolor portrait gallery of various kinds of fish. The book is split about half and half between freshwater and saltwater fish:

1. Goldfish
2. Carp
3. Sunfish
4. Bass
5. Perch
6. Trout
7. Minnow
8. Sucker
9. Catfish
10. Pike
11. Gar
12. Eel
13. Flounder
14. Herring
15. Cod
16. Mackerel
17. Barracuda
18. Bluefish
19. Tuna
20. Swordfish
21. Stingray
22. Shark
23. Flying Fish
24. Angelfish
25. Seahorse

Crinkleroot’s Guide to Animal Tracking

by Jim Arnosky

We walk with Crinkleroot through the forest and woods as he shows us signs of animals living there. 

We learn how to spot the tracks of various animals like beavers, otters, Birds, rabbits, and many others. Crinkleroot also shows us there is much more to tracking animals than just their footprints. We visit a beaver dam where we can see signs of the logs that the Beavers chewed, the pond created by their damn, and the Beaver Lodge itself.

The book is filled with hand drawn sketches of what the tracks look like, complete with the markings the animals Tails make as they drag the ground. We also see the difference and some animals tracks when there were walking versus when they’re running. Many pages have 性知音免费视频 where Crinkleroot challenges the reader determine what the animals were doing or eating based solely on the tracks that they left behind.

Crinkleroot is more than happy to share his nature secrets, and even shows us how to find an owl in the daytime near its nest.

After showing us the animals in the forest, Crinkleroot challenges the reader to look for signs of animals where they live.

Follow up: What animal tracks or signs can you see in your backyard or a nearby park? If you’re walking through the city, can you find evidence of animals there?

Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats

by Jim Arnosky

Explore animal habitats with Crinkleroot, and learn what animals need to live. Walk through the wetlands and learn the difference between marshes, swamps and bogs.

Spend some time with Crinklroot in his usual stomping grounds of woodlands and forests, and venture to some desert environments.

This book, unlike many of the Crinkleroot books and guides, is still in print and easily found. You can check the current pricing on Amazon for Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats.

Crinkleroot’s Guide to Walking in Wild Places

Wildlife exploration involves quite a bit of walking through nature, and this is where Crinkleroot seems most at home. In this guide, he invites the reader to join him on a trek through nature.

Along the way, we learn how to dress, how to avoid simple dangers along the way like ticks or bee stings, and how to spot poisonous plants.

We learn how to spot and enjoy wildlife along the way, and that it’s best to observe and not disturb.

This book is a great way to prep younger kids for hikes or nature walks. I certainly could have used some of the tips for poisonous plants before some of my youthful romps through the woods, so hopefully (with Crinkleroot’s help) I can teach my kids to do better.

Follow up: Use the lessons in this book and get out and explore! Go hiking, go for a walk, even if your “wild” place is just your own neighborhood or a local park.

Crinkleroot’s Guide to Giving Back to Nature

In this Crinkleroot book, our favorite woodsman tells us how we can provide for nature in much the same way it provides for us. We walk with Crinkleroot through nature and through various seasons as he suggests 可能性教学视频 kids can do themselves (or with a little adult guidance.)

Something as simple as providing food for wildlife (especially in winter) is a great way to give back, and our nature guide is quick to share what seeds ans snacks are favored by various animals?

Follow up: What can you do to give back to nature?

Wrap Up: Nature Science for Kids in Crinkleroot Books

Some of the Crinkleroot books may be a bit hard to find if you’re looking for your own copy. Amazon has many of them available for free with Kindle Unlimited or through print on demand. You could also try your local library (ours has quite a number of them.) And don’t miss our post on why every kids needs a library card.

Crinkleroot is a fun and friendly way to introduce kids to nature science, wildlife, hiking, exploring, conservationism, and taking a breath to just enjoy nature.

These are kids’ books and are not meant to be a deep dive or comprehensive resource. In each book or guide, Crinkleroot scratches the surface, providing just enough information to encourage further exploration on your own – be that through other books or by exploring nature.

For more nature science fun, Jim Arnosky has a number of free coloring pages available on his website if you’re interested in coloring your own animal guides.

Call them droids, androids, automatons, or bots, robots are often the center of the story and star of the show. Sometimes robots are so similar to us it’s uncanny, and sometimes they couldn’t be more different. Robots spark imagination in young minds, and robot stories for kids are as popular as ever.

Here we collect some of our favorite robot story books for kids. We’ve got a range of picture books, first readers, and chapter books about robots ready to go. Let’s explore!

Robots Robots Everywhere

by Sue Fliess
Illustrated by Bob Staake

“On the ground and in the air, robots, robots, everywhere!”  These are the words that started our son’s fascinations with robots. One look around the house, and yes, they really are everywhere. (Especially one the floor.  Late at night. The ones that hurt the most when stepped on.)

This is a cute and colorful book with an easy to read rhyme that kids love to follow along with.  After enough times through, they’ll be able to say the words with you. (I confess, I’ve read this enough times to have it memorized.)

The last page features a robot tucked snuggly into bed, which make this a great book to wind down with at bedtime.  We went through phase reading this to our youngest where he would say goodnight to the robot, then hop down and start toddling over to his bed.  It was a cute routing and made transitioning to bedtime easy. (At least for a little while.)

Boy + Bot

by Ame Dyckman
Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

This is a charming story about a young boy who happens upon a robot while playing.  They become fast friends and enjoy having some adventures until the robot bumps his power switch and shuts down.  Helping as best as he know how, he takes the robot home and tries to comfort him as he would another child, but nothing seems to help.  He tucks the robot in and goes to bed. 

When the robots power switch is bumped on during the night, the robot wakes to find the boy sleeping and unresponsive.  The robot tries to help the boy as he best know how.  He takes him home and tries oiling his joints and attempting to change his battery.

When the boy wakes up and they both realize the other is okay, they are delighted.  We get a happy ending as the robot’s inventor returns the boy home.  The Boy and Bot adventures resume the following day.

What struck us about this story is the compassion both the boy and robot showed.  The parallels of how they used their own world view and tried to help each other in a time of need.  They discovered what works for one may not directly apply to the other.  The robot wasn’t sleeping, he was powered down.  The boy didn’t need a new battery, he just needed some rest.  We’re all a little bit different, but we can still be friends..

The illustrations are cute and suit the story, and the bright red robot stands out in most of the scenes.  The play montages are fun, and the last page has a Calvin and Hobbes flavor as the boy and bot walk off into the sunset together.  You just know there are more adventures ahead.

Pete the Cat – Robo-Pete

by James Dean

Pete the Cat wants to play, but all of his friends are too busy.  Does Pete Cry?  Goodness no!  He decides to make a robot playmate instead.  Pete’s new robot friend is good, though maybe a little too good.  Pete gets more than he bargained for!  The robot wears him out in catch, homes right in on him during hide and seek, and ruins some of Pete’s favorite 可能性教学视频.

Pete decides to turn things around and have the robot do the chores his friends had to do instead. Now that the robot is doing all the work, his friends are free to play.  This is what Pete wanted in the first place.  Everyone wins!  (Well, except maybe the robot .)

This robot storybook is in the definitive Pete the Cat style, and shows us that we can use technology to innovate and solve problems. Sometimes things don’t turn out as we planned, and we need to reframe the problem to get the results we want. When Pete realized his robot didn’t make a good playmate, he shifted the focus and had the robot do chores so his friends could play instead.

Go Otto Go!

by David Milgrim

This easy to read book hits it in the sweet spot on so many levels.  The words are arranged in repeated patterns so it’s easy for kids to recognize “See Otto…” from page to page.  After one read through at story time, our son could practically read the book back to us. 

As we meet Otto, he is looking through a telescope missing his family and home.  He builds a rocket jetpack and launches skyward.

As happens so often with experiments and DIY projects, things don’t always go as planned.  As Otto’s rocket sputters and loses control, we have the opportunity to follow his trajectory in a fun and easy read along adventure.  Until his rocket crashes and he realizes that this was home all along.

With a small pallet of words, Milgrim conveys a sense of longing and love, as well as some humor.  We get the concept of “failure” in that Otto’s rocket doesn’t work and he comes crashing back to Earth.  We also get the lesson to appreciate the things you already have, because sometimes that’s all you need.

Go, Otto, Go! Is a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book.  You can see more of New York Times bestselling author/illustrator David Milgrim in the Adventures of Otto series, or grab the Otto collection in this Collectors Set.

Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot

by Dave Pilkey
Illustrated by Dan Santat

Ricky is a little mouse waiting for something BIG to happen.  When he saves a giant Mighty Robot from an evil scientist, the robot becomes Ricky’s friend. The robot helps clean up around home and escorts Ricky to school and deters bullies.  Life is good.

Except that the evil scientist creates a giant lizard to terrorize the city.  Good thing Ricky and his Mighty Robot are ready to save the day!

This is a cool book that combines elements of storybook, comics, and animated flip book.  The format changes flow well and move the story forward.  The exposition happens in story book mode, with simple and easy to read pages.  Action sequences switch to a comic book panel format which lends itself well to the pacing.  The climactic battle features a “Flip-O-Rama” animated flip book style which enhances the action. 

The artwork is sharp and colorful and adds to the fun quality of the book.  Our kids enjoyed the giant robot and lizard monster and couldn’t wait to turn the pages (especially for the animated flip-o-rama.)

Check out the rest of the series!

CookieBot! A Harry and Horsie Adventure

by Katie Van Camp and Lincoln Agnew

Harry is a boy with a wild imagination.  With his stuffed companion Horsie, he embarks on exciting adventures throughout the Harry and Horsie series.

In Cookiebot! Harry wants a snack.  When he realizes the cookie jar is, for some reason, all the way on the top of the refrigerator, he devises a plan.  He builds a robot that can reach the cookies.  What could possibly go wrong?

Once Cookiebot has a taste of cookies, he can’t get enough.  After emptying the cookie jar, he heads out into the city for more!  Harry and Horsie save the day, and topple the giant Cookiebot before he can do too much damage.

The art is top notch and the primary-only color scheme give the feel of old school Sunday comics. The last page is a treat to see Harry in a homemade robot suit siting in the middle of a toppled Lego brick city with a spilled cookie jar.

You can check out the original Harry and Horsie book as well. Harry and Horsie features some robot cameos in the background, though the main story focuses on how Harry heroically rescues Horsie from the moon.

Benjamin McFadden and the Robot Babysitter

by Timothy Bush

Benjamin’s parents head out for the night and leave him in the care of his robot babysitter.  Not happy with his 8:00 bedtime, Benjamin reprograms the robot for “fun.”  Under the new programming, they play games, read books, have snacks, and have “fun” until Benjamin is tired and wants to go to bed.  This goes against the robot’s new programming.  The robot won’t let Benjamin go to bed and forces him to have fun.  It builds more robots for more fun, and things get out of control.  Check out the book to find how Benjamin get things back under control.

Books are fun.  They never need batteries.

Benjamin McFadden and the Robot Babysitter has a Sorcerer’s Apprentice kind of feel where plans go awry and the struggle is to just get things back the way they were.  The takeaway lessons are “be careful what you wish for” and there is “too much of a good thing.”

The artwork is wonderfully whimsical and worth paging through just to look at the pictures.

Robot Zot!

by Jon Scieszka and David Shannon

Robot Zot comes to Earth for conquest, and has an adventure in typical household.  The diminutive conqueror battles his way through the kitchen defeating blenders and toaster, and works his way to blast the television.  He finds love in a toy that appears in need of rescue, and his nemesis in the family dog. 

Robot Zot makes an escape with his newly liberated love, and the poor family dog is left to answer for the mess.

We came for the story and stayed for the artwork.  The story is cute, and the stylistic paintings are a joy.

Related post: Check out ways to introduce kids to robots and get them interested in robotics.

Wrap Up – Robot Story Books for Kids

We hope you enjoyed these robot stories as much as we did. We found some wonder for the future, compassion, and friendship. Harry and Horsie took us on some imaginative adventures, and Ricky Ricotta and his robot delivered some action.

Some of our robot stories had some object lessons; Benjamin McFadden and Pete the Cat showed us we can use technology to solve problems, though things don’t always go as planned.

Which robot storybook was your favorite (or your kids)?

Want to grab some of these books? Check out your local library, and don’t miss our post on why every kids needs a library card.

If you’re interested in pursuing robotics (or know someone who has a keen interest in robots), check out our post on careers in robotics to see where it could lead!

In this post we’ll share our favorite engineering books for kids. These are largely picture books that are easy to read, and show how imagination and creativity can lead to great designs. Engineering can be fun. Let’s explore!

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

I first came across William Kamkwamba’s in his TED Talk and was inspired; and also a bit humbled. His resourcefulness and situation put my own daily struggles in perspective.  A 14 year old boy building a windmill out of spare parts and junk to save his starving village seems like it should be a storybook. This one happens to be true.

Watch William’s TED Talk; it’s only 5 minutes long, and sets the stage for his accomplishments.

A severe drought had crippled the farming community where William grew up.  Crops withered along with hope.  His family ate only one small meal a day, and William had to drop out of school. 

Starting with nothing more than a dream and hunger (both figuratively and literally) William devoured science books in the local library.  But it wasn’t as easy as simply picking up a book.  William did not speak or read much English, and had to use dictionaries to translate. Even so, he learned how machines worked and came across information on a windmill.  He learned that windmills can produce electricity and pump water; two things his village was lacking.

He decided to build a windmill. But how? He would have to use whatever was available.

As William began picking trash from the local junkyard, his neighbors thought he was crazy.  As he put pieces together and the windmill started to take shape, some people started to help. When the wind finally turned the blades and lit up a light bulb William had connected to the windmill, he proudly proclaimed, “I have made electric wind!”

What an incredible feat of engineering!  Also William’s determination, grit, and ingenuity serve as a role model for kids and adults alike.

You can also see William’s first ever Ted Talk here. He had never been away from home, and spoke a little bit of English. The difference in his command of language and his stage presence is remarkable in the two year span between these talks.

What Do You Do With An Idea?

by Kobi Yamada
Illustrated by Mae Besom

Sometimes the most brilliant things are so simple.  This is a powerful book, yet so innocent and disarming.  One day an idea pops up in a young boy’s life, as ideas tend to do. The idea is in the form of a golden egg with a crown. 

At first, the boy denies the idea and walks away (as we often do with new ideas.)  The idea followed him. And the more he got used to the idea, it started to grow on him.  Still, he kept it hidden.  I shudder to think how many ideas are lost because we are too lazy to act, or too afraid others may not like our ideas.

As the boy paid more attention to the idea, the egg grew bigger. Eventually, he began to show the idea to others.  Sure, some thought it was silly or just didn’t like it.  He even wavered a bit with doubt and second thoughts.  Uncertainty aside, by this point the boy was committed to his idea and didn’t seem to care.  The egg was his friend.  He protected it. He loved it.

The idea began to change how the boy viewed the world.  He started to see things a bit differently than everyone else.  One day, suddenly, the idea “went from being here to being everywhere.” It wasn’t just part of the boy anymore, but part of everything.

The use of color in this book is striking.  While nurturing the egg, there is a limited color pallet.  The idea itself is a golden egg, while the only other colors are drab greens and browns.  Toward the end of the book when the idea takes off, the pages explode with bright colors.  Again, simple but powerful.

Ideas are something that happen to all of us, so it’s easy to relate to the young child in the story. We have all felt this way.  We all have lost or neglected ideas.  We often resist them at first, though some ideas have a bit more tenacity and demand our attention. That’s how ideas grow. 

Everything begins as a thought, an idea.  Everything.  What starts as the smallest idea can change the world.  Read this book to your children to illustrate the importance of nurturing and protecting their ideas.  Read it to yourself for exactly the same reasons.

What Do You Do With An Idea? Is a winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award, and a New York Times bestseller.

Iggy Peck, Architect

by Andrea Beaty

Iggy Peck had a passion for building and architecture from early on, using anything on hand to build what he dreamed.  Dirty diapers, dirt clods, food, and sticks of chalk; he would use whatever was on hand to create.  That is, until a teacher squashed his dreams.

Teachers are so influential in children’s early years.  One offhand remark can wound so deeply as to squelch a child’s interest.  On the other hand, teachers wield great power in the support and encouragement they can give a child.

While on a field trip, the class gets stranded on an island.  The teacher fainted, and by the time she awoke, young Iggy had constructed a bridge and led the class to safety. He used his gift to save the day.

This book could be a great jumping off point for 可能性教学视频 challenges.  What household items could you use to build a bridge?  A skyscraper?  What could you build with just cardboard boxes, or paper cups?  Try using whatever is on hand, just like Iggy.  Just be sure to empty the diaper bin before letting them loose.

Rosie Revere, Engineer

by Andrea Beaty

Aspiring engineer Rosie loved to invent, until a dear uncle laughed at her invention.  Discouraged by the disapproval of a trusted adult, Rosie lost some of her enthusiasm. She still tinkered, but hid her talent away, until inspired to help her great aunt (Rosie the Riveter) check off her last bucket list wish and fly. 

Rosie designs a flying machine for her aunt, and when it crash’s so does Rosie’s spirit.  Her aunt delivers one of the best messages every scientist and engineer must learn.  Failure is often only a lesson.  It’s only truly failure if you quit.

Rosie went back to work with the “We can do it” attitude that made her great aunt famous.

This book embodied the idea of failing, adapting, and moving on so well, we took a look at Rosie Revere, Engineer in this post about learning from failure. 

The Most Magnificent Thing 

by Ashley Spires

As the girl in the story tries to build her “magnificent thing,” she reworks it.  She tries different ideas, but they seem to fall short of the idea in her head.  She works harder until she is frustrated and angry.

She takes a break, which provides some much needed clarity and perspective.  When she returns to working, the ideas flow.  She realizes her original ideas weren’t totally off the mark, and has more focus. Others find magnificent things in the parts she discards, and eventually she settles on her own magnificent thing.

This is a great study on the creative process.  We all have our own ideas.  They’re perfect in our heads, but lose something in execution.  We may become frustrated with ourselves for not being able to perfectly give our ideas form.  Sometimes walking away for a bit gives us the ability to see things more clearly (just be sure to come back.  It’s all too easy to shelve an idea and leave it in a half-finished limbo.)

The Most Magnificent Thing shows kids that it’s okay to make mistakes, and it’s okay if your ideas don’t turn out perfect the first time around.  We’re often our own worst critics.  Perseverance (and sometimes taking a walk) allows us to take our things over the finish line and make them magnificent.

What is your most magnificent thing?  Go ahead, take one of those dusty half finished ideas off of the shelf.  Make it magnificent.

There’s an adorable adaptation of the Most Magnificent Thing on Amazon Prime.

If I Built a Car

by Chris Van Dusen

As Jack rides in the backseat, he shares with his father his thoughts on what a car should be.  If Jack built a car, he’d take inspiration from rockets and planes, zeppelins and trains.  The car looks like a space age Cadillac, with jets, fins, and a big dome.  Jack’s car is made from a “polymer gel” that he invented so the car won’t get dented.  It includes a couch, a pool, and an automated snack bar.

The seats spin around to reveal a robot that’ll take the wheel. Reading this sparked conversations about current innovations with self-driving cars.

Jack’s car can also act as a boat, submarine, and plane, and we get a glimpse of the adventures as Jack takes his father for a spin using each mode of transportation.

If I Built a Car reads with the same rhyming flow of Dr Seuss, and makes a great read along book for story time.

I love the opening thoughts Jack shares: 

I’ll work through the night to create a design
Constantly analyze, tweak, and refine.

This simple couplet embodies the notion of design.  It all starts with a simple idea, which is tweaked and refined through the process.  And what a fantastical design Jack wound up with! Published in 2005, this book was way ahead of self-driving cars.  Perhaps Google could adopt a few of the other features Jack imagines. (I still want my flying car!)

If I Built a Car is a winner of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award.

If I Built a House

by Chris Van Dusen

Another one by Chris Van Dusen.  As Jack sits in his backyard, he imagines a dream house of his own design.  Jack leads us (and his mother) on a tour through his house, complete with an anti-gravity flying room, a swim through aquarium, and a bedroom with quite a view.  There’s an automated kitchen and bathroom, an art room, and more. 

This is a great 可能性教学视频 read for its creative design.  The whimsical ideas and construction can plant the seeds that it’s fun to dream big

We see Jack’s table strewn with classic building toys like Legos, Lincoln Logs, and Tinker Toys, as well as a model constructed from cardboard (and a frisbee roof.)  Like so many young kids discover, these toys are the gateway to building grand designs. It was great to see them included in Jack’s world.

Monkey with a Tool Belt

by Chris Monroe

Got tool belt? Check!  Follow the adventure of Chico Bon Bon as he builds and fixes all sorts of things.  Like Batman, Chico seems to have the solution to every problem in his belt.  That is, until he gets captured and taken to perform in a circus.  Have no fear, Chico uses his ingenuity and tools to escape and return safely home.

This book has whimsical artwork and an easy to read style.  It’s just silly enough to have some fun with your kids while reading aloud.

Author and Illustrator Chris Monroe has chronicled Chico Bon Bon’s engineering adventures in a series of books, each presenting a new challenge for the Money with a Tool Belt:

Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Seaside Shenanigans – in which Chico solves a mystery at a beach resort.

Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Maniac Muffins – where Chico uses his ingenuity (and tool belt) to save the town from a crazy batch of muffins.

Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem – finds Chico tracking down and fixing a noise.

Monkey with a Tool Belt Blasts Off! – where Chico finds himself and his tool belt fixing a plethora of problems on a space station.

You can also check out Monkey With a Toolbelt in his own Netflix series.

Twenty One Elephants and Still Standing

Bridge building is one of the hallmarks of engineering; building a structure that can span a distance with ample support and stability.

When the Brooklyn Bridge was under construction, it was on track to be the longest bridge in the world spanning about a mile. At the time, there were people who had doubts that such a thing was possible.

Showman and promoter P.T. Barnum was never one to miss an opportunity. He brought his circus to New York and promoted the show by marching 21 circus elephants across the bridge. Would it hold under the weight? Would the bridge collapse and leave the elephants tumbling into the water?

The bridge was well built, leaving the people “beguiled by the pachyderm procession.”

In truth, Barnum not only marched 21 elephants, but also 17 camels over the bridge (read about this and other PT Barnum facts on history.com) Perhaps the camels will get their own book someday.

Want to grab some of these books? Check out your local library, and don’t miss our post on why every kids needs a library card.

Rocks, Jeans, and Busy Machines: An Engineering Kids Storybook

by Alane & Raymundo Rivera
Illustrated by Phillip Sada

Violet and her friend Pedro go for a walk and come across a construction site.  Through their conversation, we learn about the concrete that goes into making the building, and the engineer’s role in designing the building.  As they walk over a bridge, they discuss how it was designed by an engineer.  When they arrive at the playground, they realize how much design work goes into everything around them, including the playground equipment.

This book is slow to start, and didn’t resonate with our kids on an emotional level.  At face value, it puts into perspective how much of our world has been designed and engineered. It wasn’t one the kids wanted to read again. I trust their judgment on this one.

Wrap Up: Engineering Books for Kids

At first, engineering may not seem a hot topic to read to little kids (unless you want to put them to sleep, which has its merits at bed time.) These aren’t your dry stuffy textbooks.

Instead, these story books highlight some engineering, design, and 可能性教学视频 concepts in an engaging way. They’re designed to get the wheels tuning in little minds. They show that things don’t always work out the first time, and that’s okay. These books include lessons about bravery in the face of adversity, and believing in your ideas and capabilities.

I hope you enjoyed some of these engineering story books as much as we did.

If you know someone who loves to build, check out our posts on Building & Engineering 可能性教学视频 and Building Blocks & Bricks.

Today we’re digging in to a collection of children’s books about female scientists. Against great odds and adversity, women have made some amazing discoveries and contributions to science.

Female scientists have done groundbreaking work in numerous fields, and the picture books here are a great way to introduce science to young readers. The stories also encourage kids to follow their dreams and work towards achieving them. Let’s explore!

Me… Jane

by Patrick McDonnell

A list of children’s books about female scientists wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the work of Dr Jane Goodall, and we have several.

Me… Jane takes us through Jane Goodall’s childhood aspirations.  With her stuffed monkey companion, Jubilee, her curiosity leads her to discover all she can about nature and wildlife.  We see foreshadowing of her later career and life’s work as she (and Jubilee) hide away in a chicken coop the quietly observe chickens laying eggs. 

We see Jane climbing trees and dreaming of animals in a whimsical storybook style.  These playful images are juxtaposed with illustrations that look like scientific drawings or old-world etchings. The little girl’s dreams and her adult achievements come through in this blend of image styles and add a sense of depth to the book and story.

The last page shows a photograph of Dr Goodall reaching out to a young chimp that echoes the illustrations of her stuffed monkey ever present throughout the book. (We even get to see a photo of young Jane and her stuffed monkey on a biography page in the back of the book.)

Me… Jane is a winner of the Caldecott Honor.

Reading through this book, I can’t help but think of my son’s stuffed monkey companion and wonder what his future holds.  

The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps

by  Jeanette Winter

The Watcher takes us through Jane Goodall’s life and focuses on her accomplishments.  We see more of the quiet childhood observation we saw in Me… Jane.  Stories of Dr Doolittle and Tarzan fed her imagination. By age 10, she had decided she wanted live among the animals in Africa.  We learn how Jane saved up to travel to Africa and landed a job studying chimps.

She set up camp in the jungle and began her work. At first, she can only hear the chimpanzees.  Jane stayed persistent through the ensuing months.  Building trust through patience, she was finally able to not only see the chimps, but sit among them. 

She discovered things about monkeys no one knew at that time.  They use simple tools. They eat meat as well as plants. They have a society and range of emotions just as we do.

As deforestation and poachers threatened the African landscape, wildlife, and her beloved chimps, Jane left Africa to share what she had learned and raise awareness. 

Stone Girl, Bone Girl – The Story of Mary Anning

by Laurence Anholt
Illustrated by Seiela Moxley

Mary Anning discovered the first fossil of the ichthyosaur, “the fish lizard” in 1811 at the ripe old age of 12.  This picture book tells her tale, from surviving a lightning strike as a baby, to hunting for “snake stones” and fossils in Lyme Regis on the coast of England.

Dubbed “Stone Gil, Bone Girl” by her peers, Mary pursued her passion despite the ridicule.  Mary later uncovered the first complete plesiosaurus and pterosaurs fossils among hundreds of others fossils still on display in museums around the world. 

Look Up!

by Robert Burleigh
Illustrated by Raul Colon

How high is the sky?  Ask Henrietta Leavitt, pioneering woman astronomer.  As a young girl, Henrietta would stargaze and contemplate how big  the sky really was.

Henrietta Leavitt studied astronomy in the 1800s when a woman in the field, or women in science of any kind, was nearly unheard of.  When she found work in an observatory, it was merely to study photographs of stars and record data.  While pouring over the photos, she noticed that certain stars at times appeared brighter or fainter, and there was a pattern.  Her power of observation lead to a discovery to calculate the distance of stars.

Caroline’s Comets: A True Story

by Emily Arnold McCully
Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

Raised in Germany in, childhood ailments left Caroline Herschel stunted and scarred.  Her family worried she would never marry or amount to anything.  She relocated to England with her older brother, William, when she was in her early 20’s and found work as a maid and singer. Caroline Herschel started with humble beginnings to become the first “professional woman scientist.”

Caroline and William shared a fascination with the stars, and together constructed a powerful telescope.  The telescope led to William Herschel’s discovery of Uranus in 1781.  This discovery landed William a job as King George III’s astronomer.  With royal funding, they constructed more powerful telescopes and began sweeping the sky and recording stars.

While William was visiting other astronomers throughout Europe, Caroline discovered a comet in 1786, called “The Lady’s Comet.”  Caroline later found herself employed by the Crown, and went on to discover seven more comets.

Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing

by Dean Robbins
Illustrated by Lucy Knisley

When we think of the Apollo 11 moon landing, astronaut Neil Armstrong gets most of the mention.  There was a whole team of people working behind the scenes, and Margaret Hamilton was a key part of the effort.

Margaret was a curious little girl with a love for learning.  She excelled in school to find answers to her questions.  Once she discovered computers, she found her calling.  She started 性美女视频 and developed software to track airplanes and predict weather (at MIT.) 

Moving on to 性知音免费视频 more complex problems, she worked for NASA and became Director of Software Programming.

Margaret worked on Apollo 8, Apollo 9, and Apollo 10 missions, developing software to help orbit the moon, to getting closer to the surface.  The code she developed had to account for all the things that could possibly go wrong, and how to correct them.

During the pivotal Apollo 11 moon landing mission, an alarm sounded with only moments to go prior to landing.  The computer was overloading Margaret’s work allowed the Eagle Lander to clear the problem and touch down on the moon.

Neil Armstrong may be the hero that took the first steps on the moon, though there was a league of heroes behind the scenes like Margaret Hamilton that made the Apollo missions possible. 

Related Post: For more books on the moon missions, astronauts, and astronomy, check out our post on space books for kids.

A Computer Called Katherine

by Suzanne Slade
Illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison

As a little girl, Katherine Johnson loved to count.  She enjoyed math because the answers were clear.  She skipped a few grades (putting her ahead of her older brother) and completed 8th grade at the age of 10.  Schools were segregated,  and there were no high schools for kids of color where her family lived.  They moved 120 miles so Katherine could continue her education. 

Katherine finished college at age 15.  Women at this time had limited career choices, so Katherine became a math teacher before finding a job at a research center.  She worked with other women known as “computers” crunching numbers and making calculations.

Katherine gained notoriety by asking questions about how the data was used to design flight paths and aircraft, and 性知音免费视频 more difficult problems.  She was asked to join a research team for a space program.

Katherine made calculations to predict the trajectory of rockets for early astronauts like Alan Shepard and John Glenn.  (John Glenn wouldn’t launch until Katherine had confirmed the computers numbers for his first orbit flight.)

When it came time to calculate the flight plan for the first moon landing, Katherine was there.

This is another great story of a young girl who not only accomplished remarkable achievements, but did so in spite of adversity.  Overcoming both issues of race and gender Katherine’s sheer talent, ability, and persistence shone through. 

Mae Among the Stars

By Roda Ahmed
Illustrated by Stasia Burrington

Mae Jemison had a different way of looking at things, even as a young girl.  She wanted to see the earth – from space.  She knew she wanted to be an astronaut early on, and share her dream with everyone.

Disheartened after a school teacher suggested that an astronaut was too ambitious and perhaps she should be a nurse instead.  Discouraged but not deterred, Mae went on to achieve her dream and became the first woman of color in space.

Mae Among the Stars focuses on a little girl shooting for the stars and hitting the mark. It’s an inspiring story, that goes right from dreams to space.

Mae worked hard to achieve that dream.  She studied hard and enrolled in Stanford at age 16.  After racking up several degrees, Mae spent some time in the Peace Corps.  She applied to NASA’s space program, and in 1992, rocketed into space on the shuttle Endeavour.

After leaving NASA, she got to boldly go where no one has gone before and appeared on an episode of Star Trek:

Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: The First Computer Programmer

by Diane Stanley
Illustrated by Jessie Hartland

Born Ada Byron, daughter of notable poet Lord Byron and mathematician Anabella (Lady Byron.)  She barley knew her father, who died when she was eight.  Ada cared little of courts and high society, and found comfort in more intellectual pursuits. 

Ada struck up a friendship with Charles Babbage, which led to her working with him on the Analytical Engine, an early punch card machine.  Ada translated the manual from French to English, and added a “translators notes” section that was three times as long as the original document.  Her notes were essentially the first published computer program.

For more on Ada Lovelace, check out the young adult tile:

Dreaming in Code: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer by Emily Arnold McCully

Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code

by Laurie Wallmark
Illustrated by Katie Wu

Grace Hopper’s impact on 性美女视频 is undeniable. Grace was curious girl who loved to solve problems.

She once took a clock apart to see how it worked. When springs and gears popped out, she couldn’t get it back together. She dismantled seven more clocks to understand how they should work and managed to build a working clock again. She built an elevator for her custom dollhouse as an engineering exercise.

Grace studied math in college, and became a professor at Vassar college. During World War II the Navy put out the call for mathematicians and scientist. When Grace first enlisted, she was rejected for being too old at age 36, but her superior math skills enticed the Navy to enlist Grace anyway.

Grace worked on Navy missile sy可能性教学视频s, and is responsible for many 性美女视频 innovations. She developed the concept of reusable blocks of code instead of writing the same functions over and over.

Early programmer used binary language of 1’s and 0’s to program. Grace thought it would be easier if the computers could understand people instead of people having to code in binary. She developed “FLOW-MATIC” on the UNIVAC computer to make programming easier.

Grace and her team discovered the first computer bug. When the Navy’s MARK II computer suddenly halted, they looked for problems with the code and couldn’t find anything. The problem must be elsewhere, so they looked at the machine itself. They found a moth stuck in the machine that was preventing one of the switches from making contact. That’s why we call glitches and computer errors “bugs” today. It started with a literal bug in the machine, and Grace coined the term. You can see Grace’s notes (complete with the bug taped to the page) here at computerhistory.org.

The book is more wordy than some of the others on the list, though still makes a good read. The pictures do well to illustrate the text, and make this a good read along for aspiring young coders.

There are quotes from Grace sprinkled throughout the artwork. It’s worth another venture through the book just to read the quotes.

The book concludes with a timeline of Grace’s life and accomplishments. Forced into retirement at age 60, the Navy soon asked Grace back and a “short” assignment that lasted 20 years. Grace retired from the Navy a second time, as an admiral at age 80.

Nothing Stopped Sophie

by Cheryl Bardoe
Illustrated by Barbara McClintock

The story of Sophie Germain, who in 1816 was the first woman awarded a grand prize from the Royal Academy of Sciences.

As a young girl living through the French Revolution, Sophie was actively discouraged from pursuing her interest in Math. But nothing stopped Sophie. 

A demonstration of sand particles moving across a glass plate as a violin bow was drawn across the edge of the glass was the inspiration for much of her future work. She realized that the same waves that moved the sand are all around us.  A knock on the door, footfalls on the ground, everything motion was sending vibrations and waves through objects.

She was determined and after many years of study, wrote a formula that accurately predicted vibrational patterns.

Follow up the book with your own experiments about waves! You never know what you may discover.

The Girl with a Mind for Math

by Julia Finley Mosca

The book lightly touches on topics like race, gender bias, and segregation though does it in matter of fact way that doesn’t get in the way of the story – or the protagonist.  Instead, these barriers are just hurdles to overcome in a story and life about perseverance.  And if this young girl can do it, so can the reader.

Denied entry to an engineering program, Raye studied business and landed a job with the Navy, doing secretarial work.  She studied computers, and when much of the staff fell ill under a tight deadline, Raye designed a program to save the day.

The story is written in a flowing rhyming couplet.  In the back, it includes a timeline of Raye’s life, as well as a biography and some inspiration words from Raye herself.

Related Post: 11 Outstanding Math Books for Preschoolers

How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine

by Amy Guglielmo and Jaqueline  Tourville

Dr Temple Grandin is best known for her work for the humane treatment of animals and advances in cattle care.

As a child Temple craved the feeling of a hug, but was not a fan of being touched.  How to Build a Hug takes us through her early life and how she built her own hug machine to simulate the feeling of a gentle squeeze. The hug machine is based off of a device used to hold cattle still for veterinary work.

The hug machine outlines how inspiration and innovation can help guide us towards solutions for unique problems.

Dr Temple Grandin is open and outspoken on autism

Bonus Book: Girls Think of Everything

by Catherine Thimmish
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Girls Think of Everything highlights notable inventions by women.  From items as diverse as kevlar, paper bags, liquid paper, or chocolate chip cookies women have invented some of the things we take for granted.

Grace Hopper gets mention in Girls Think of Everything for the computer compiler, though many of these women you’ve probably never heard of. 

Windshield wipers?  Yep, Mary Anderson’s brain child.  Glow in the dark paper (Glo-Sheet) – that was 10 year old Becky Schroeder, who became the youngest female to obtain a US patent.

You’d be surprised by some of the stories!

Wrap up: Children’s Books About Female Scientists

Wow, what a collection of inspiring stories and discoveries! From digging dinosaurs to discovering celestial bodies and reaching the stars, women have achieved groundbreaking work. Where do you think science would be without their grit and knowledge?

Want to grab some of these books? Check out your local library, and don’t miss our post on why every kids needs a library card.

Getting kids started in math can be a challenge. Where do you begin?
There are plenty of outstanding math books for preschoolers that can help break the ice.

Stories that incorporate math help kids visualize math concepts.  Kids that don’t particularly like math may be enticed by the story, and learn math by approaching it from a different angle.  Conversely, a story about math may interest a child who likes math but doesn’t like to read.  Sometimes the artwork is engaging enough to hold a child’s attention to the point where they don’t realize they’re learning.

There are tons of math books for children to be found. We’ve compiled some of our kids’ favorites (and ours) to get you and your little ones started.  Let’s explore.

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

by Eric Litwin (art by James Dean)

This is a fun book, and our kids love it ~easily our favorite Pet the Cat book.  Pete the cat has a shirt with 4 “groovy” buttons.  One by one, the buttons pop off, and the book marks each one with a subtraction problem.  

This sets up a  predictable rhythm where kids are anticipating the next button pop, and thinking ahead to the next math problem.  When his last button is gone, all Pete has left is his belly button.  It’s a silly story, the set up and rhythm are great, and the kids find it easy to read along.

The publisher has a great video rendition of the book, complete with a groovy song. Be warned – once you hear it, you’ll never again open the book without reading it to the tune the song.  It’s catchy enough I find myself singing “My Buttons, My Buttons” for days after we reed the book or watch the video.

Math Concepts: Subtraction

Followup Activity: We wouldn’t recommend popping buttons off of your child’s shirt, but you can use buttons or similar objects to make simple subtraction problems.

Snacks work great: If you have 4 crackers and eat one, how many crackers are left? Kids get to have a treat, and do math at the same time.

There is also a Pete the Cat Groovy Buttons Game (suggested for ages 3 and up) where you add or subtract buttons from your pile, until all of the buttons are gone.

Pete the Cat’s Got Class

by James Dean

In Pete the Cat has Class, the teacher uses stacks of different colored blocks to teach basic addition and subtraction.  Kids learn in easy to do at home exercises that a stack of 3 red blocks combined with a stack of 4 yellow blocks totals 7 blocks.

When Pete’s friend Tom struggles with his math lessons, Pete decides, “helping is cool” and sets off to help tutor his friend.  Pete creates some story problems with toy cars.  As they work through different stories and problems, math clicks with Pete’s friend Tom, as well as the reader.

“I can’t Believe it, I’m doing math – and I’m loving it!”

In addition to demonstrating how to use toys to make up stories that demonstrate addition and subtraction, we get several other lessons from this book. 

First, the notion of peer tutoring.  I worked part of my way through school as a peer tutor.  Not only did I make a few bucks between classes, but it cut down on my study time.  If I could take a topic, break it down, and explain it to someone else, it deepened my understanding.

Second, since Pete and Tom are doing their homework together, they make the same mistake.  When the teacher confronts them for copying from each other, it looks like Tom cheated.  They need to explain how Tom suddenly became good at math. This subtly touches on the notion of doing your own work, without beating the reader over the head with a morality lesson.

“Take it from Pete, Math is Neat.”  Our kids think so too.

Math Concepts:  Addition and Subtraction

Follow up:  Using the book as a guide, use toy blocks and cars to create math problems with your little ones.  No blocks or cars on hand? No problem, just substitute other household items.  Snacks like crackers or cookies are great, because they often hold a child’s attention;  especially if they get a treat for a correct answer!

Count the Monkeys

By Mac Barnett & Kevin Cornell

Given the title, this book has surprisingly few monkeys. Not to fear, they do show up eventually. Along the way we’re treated to an increasingly numerous – and increasingly silly – cast of characters that keep scaring the monkeys away.

This is a cute book that’s fun to read. Each page builds some suspense as kids wonder with each page turn if they’ll see the monkeys the title promises.

Math Concepts:  Counting

Counting Crocodiles

By Judy Sierra

For a counting book, Counting Crocodiles has more story than most. A monkey that lives on an island of lemons spies a banana tree across the sea. She wants some bananas, but the see if filled with crocodiles. What’s a clever monkey to do? The story presents a problem for the monkey (and reader) to solve.

The crocodiles boast there numbers are too terrible, and she’d never make it across. They are so confident that they demand to be counted. They monkey is all too happy to oblige, counting the crocodiles back and forth across the see, bananas in hand.

Math Concepts:  Counting forwards and backwards, problem 性知音免费视频

Follow Up: Counting is fun, though we like to play to the problem 性知音免费视频 aspect of this book. We challenge our little guys to think of other things the monkey could do to get some bananas. What would your kids come up with?

Hippos Go Berserk

By Sandra Boynton

One lonely hippo puts out the call to some hippo friends for romping good time.  Hippos arrive in easy to count groups until all the hippos (and one guest) go berserk for a hippopotamus party, then depart in the same fashion the following morning.

Boynton’s whimsical artwork has thrilled kids for several generations, and there is a reason why her books are hits with both kids and parents. I always smile when our children selects a Boynton book for story time.

Board books make short reads, and we often wind up reading it several times in a row. It’s hard to resist a child’s plea to, “read it again.”

Our kids like pointing out the hippo with the balloon, or the ones wearing party hats on each read, and greatly anticipate the page where the hippos do, indeed, go berserk.

Math Concepts:  Counting

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed

Eileen Christelow

Children’s author Eileen Christelow has taken the nursery rhyme “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” and expanded it into a whole series of counting books.  You’ll find the monkeys washing cars, baking cakes, sitting in trees, or reading (in bed).

These are fun books, and it’s irresistible for the kids not to sing along while you read the book to them.  You can also do the associated fingerplay with each verse, holding up fingers to represent the monkeys, rolling off and tapping your head, mimicking a phone to call the doctor, and shaking your finger with each syllable of the doctor’s orders.

Math Concepts:  Counting, subtraction (as each subsequent monkey falls out of bed)

Obi 123

By Calliope Glass

Our kids love Star Wars, and a counting book around their favorite characters is a welcome addition to our collection.

Each turn of the page brings a number depicted with a scene or characters from the Star Wars movies, along with a few rhyming verses to tell about the character or actions.  From jawas, the cantina band, pod racers, the jedi council, starships, or stormtroopers, there are plenty of things to explore from all eras of the Star Wars movies.

Our kids enjoy the artwork (illustrated by Katie Cook) and characters so much, they sometimes forget they are counting or doing math exercises.

If you can’t get enough Star Wars counting, there is also Star Wars: 1, 2, 3.

Math Concepts:  Counting to 20

Obi 123 also a companion alphabet book, ABC-3PO.

Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

By Paul Stickland

Starting with 10 dinosaurs, this is a countdown until there is only one remaining. As each dinosaur leaves, the new number is on the next page to encourage kids to guess how many dinosaurs are left.

Don’t miss the opportunity to roar with your child on the last page!

Math Concepts:  Counting backwards from 10 to 1

Bulldozer’s Shapes: Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

By Sherri Rinker

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is a delightful series of books around construction vehicles.  In Bulldozer’s Shapes, the bulldozer creates piles or digs various shapes for your child to identify.  Written in an easy reading rhyme, it’s a great way to teach basic shapes while reading.

Illustrator Ethan Long’s emotive vehicles and and illustrations are a perfect companion to the story in this book as well as others in the series.

If your child like this one, they’re sure to love some of the other books in the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series as well.

Math Concepts:  Shapes

Follow Up: What shapes can you find in everyday objects, or during a car ride? Can your kids see circles in wheels or rectangles in buildings. Can they find traffic signs that are triangles? What shapes can they point out to you?

Mission: Addition

By Loreen Leedy

Mission Addition is a great math book for preschoolers moving into kindergarten, and starts right in. It explains the + and = signs, and lays out a series of well illustrated story problems to make the math concepts relatable.

There are several chapters that answer the question, “When would I use math in real life?” The story characters use math to keep score in games, count pets, count money, and total up a restaurant bill.

Math Concepts:  Addition

Followup: As you’re out and about with kids, what objects can you have them add up? Can they add up the price of toys, or items in a your shopping cart? Can they add up the number of red cars and blue cars in the parking lot? There are opportunities to engage and occupy children at every turn.

The Girl with a Mind for Math

By Julia Finley Mosca

Okay, this one is for a bit older K-12 kids, but we felt worth including here. Winner of numerous awards, empowering is the best word to describe this book.

Not so much a counting book or math concepts book, this is more a story of how math can be inspiring. And how the actions of one woman in the face of adversity can make an impact.

The Girl with a Mind for Math is the story of Raye Montague, who dreamed of engineering and designing ships. She had to overcome many obstacles to achieve her dream, and was finally recognized for her talent and accomplishments.

The story is written in a flowing rhyming couplet, which may suit a read along with younger kids.  In the back, the book includes a timeline of Raye’s life, as well as a biography and some inspiration words from Raye herself.

Check out the rest of The Amazing Scientists series.

Related Post: If Raye Montague inspired you, check out our post on books featuring women in science.

Wrap Up: Math Books for Preschoolers

When selecting math books for preschoolers, consider what skills you want to build. Most books at this level focus on counting, which is perfect for children in this age range.

As you can see, there are plenty of options and it’s easy to find a book that the pictures or characters hold the kid’s interest, even when they’re variations on counting. The ones with a bit of a twist or clever take seem to resonate best with our children.

Some kids may prefer shapes or patterns, and the variety is welcome (especially when you’re often reading their favorite books over and over.)

It’s fun to take some of the lessons from the books like counting blocks or toy cars and play them independently of the books. Spotting shapes is a great game to play in the car; They can keep occupied by thinking spatially and looking for patterns in everyday objects.

Want to grab some of these books? Check out your local library, and don’t miss our post on why every kids needs a library card.

Need some extra math practice? We’ve got some fun themed math worksheets in our printables shop. Check out the holiday themed worksheets, or grab some fun characters like dinosaurs or astronauts!