Nature picture books to get kids outdoors is the perfect antidote to screen time! With Spring around the corner where I live in the Northeast, try these new STEM books to get kids reading.
I’m giving away a pair of books to one winner: A Stone Sat Still by Brendal Wenzel and You Smell! And So Does Everything Else by Clive Gifford. Please use the Rafflecopter at the bottom to enter.
How about you? What are your favorite STEM picture books? Thanks for sharing!
Picture Books to Get Kids Outdoors!
The Hike by Alison Farrell
A hike is an adventure no matter how far you go. In this charming picture book, young hikers run, forage, make leaf baskets, and sketch as they cross a river, climb a hill, and see lots of wildlife. It’s a perfect day and a perfect read to inspire a hike of your own! Pair this with A Stick is a Wonderful Thing. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Here’s our death-defying hike in Kauai.
Most of the Better Natural Things in the World by Dave Eggers and Angel Chang
This book presents all the different types of terrain in the natural world from chaparral to badlands, to glaciers, to dunes, and more. Join a tiger with a chair for a front seat look at the marvels of our world. This book is perfect for those learning about geography. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel
A stone can be many things to many creatures. It all depends on perspective. Pair this with A Stone for Sasha by Aaron Becker for another look at a stone’s journey over time. [picture books, ages 4 and up]
You Smell and So Does Everything Else by Clive Gifford, illustrated by Pete Gamlen
There is built-in humor to the topic of smell and being smelly and Clive Gifford mines it with a cheeky take on a nonfiction topic. Bubble factoids on every page make this an easy book to read and browse. This book does a great job of luring in readers with humor and then keeping their interest with engaging science stories. From farts to sweat to germs and more, learn as you laugh out loud! [nonfiction picture book, ages 7 and up]
Insect Superpowers by Kate Messner, illustrated by Jillian Nickell
Meet 18 insects with extraordinary skills in this nonfiction graphic novel. From beetles to ants to moths and more, these insects have weapons that make them seem like superheroes. This is a fun way to introduce kids to insects! Biology is introduced including biological classification; in fact, Messner coaxes learning into every page of this fun read. Oversize illustrations of insects give an up close and personal closeup of their amazing abilities. Try this book with your graphic novel loving kids! [nonfiction graphic novel, ages 8 and up]
Snow Leopard: Ghost of the Mountain by Justin Anderson, illustrated by Patrick Benson
A mysterious animal nicknamed the grey ghost lives in the Himalayan mountains. Join a zoologist on a trek to spot one in the wild. This picture book does a good job sharing the excitement of finding a snow leopard and her cub with information about this magnificent and endangered species. The beautiful watercolor illustrations in soft hues add to the intimacy of meeting the snow leopard. [nonfiction picture book, ages 5 and up]
Experiment #256 by Marty Kelly
Ian is an inventor but his jet pack designed for his dog is not quite perfect. The good news is that the launch is successful. The bad news is that his dog causes chaos as he traverses throughout Ian’s house and neighborhood. Ian knows that, in the words of Thomas Edison, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Soon, he’s back at work with a jet pack for his neighbor but perhaps his motivation is less than pure. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Sleep: How Nature Gets Its Rest by Kate Pendergast
How do animals sleep? It turns out that they all have different approaches to getting rest. The illustrations have a classic feel that reminds me of The Story of Ping. This is a quiet story perfect for bedtime reading to get small humans to fall asleep. Back matter pages give more details on each animal presented in the book. [nonfiction picture book, ages 3 and up]
Pair of STEM Book Giveaway!
I’m giving away a pair of books to one winner: A Stone Sat Still by Brendal Wenzel and You Smell! And So Does Everything Else by Clive Gifford. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. I can only mail to U.S. and AFO addresses.
p.s. Related posts:
Great STEM Picture Books paired with Fun Activities
31+ STEM Books to Inspire Girls
STEM Books on Scientific Minds, Methods, & Discovery
5 STEM Picture Books Celebrating Differences
Earth Sciences STEM Picture Books
Top 10 STEM Bird Books for Bird-Watching Kids
Top 10 STEM Expository Nonfiction Picture Books
14 Autumn Picture Books with STEM and Diversity
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My books:
BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.
So many great suggestions today!
“Cece loves Science”
This is a great list! Thank you for putting it together!
Getting outside & suggesting a fun activity usually gets my kids outside. A simple frisbee is an expensive toy that everyone enjoys.
We live out in the country, with 5 dogs, 5 cats, a chicken, 2 horses, and 2 goats. We are the relatives the kids in the family go to visit when they want to experience “farm life”–when kids come here they spend a lot of time just running around our property, getting dirty, interacting with our pets, being kids. It is great fun for all of us, and they can spend hours and hours without ever thinking about a screen of any kind.
Once again a great list and good idea for getting kids out of the house and back to nature.
You have some lovely books on the list which my grandchildren own, and a lot I would love to share with them. My grandchildren live in the Pacific Northwest so it is easy to get them outside from beach areas to mountain hikes. We read a lot about nature and connect those ideas when outside enjoying nature. Thanks for the list; it’s a keeper. Also, thanks for the chance.