A Playful Picture Book List & GIVEAWAY!

Please welcome author Maria Gianferrari today with her list of playful picture books. We are also giving away a copy of her new book, Play Like an Animal. Please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom to enter.

p.s. I wanted to add one more book to this list! It’s bilingual in Cree!

We All Play by Julie Flett

Julie Flett includes Cree names for all the animals at play in this delightful picture book celebrating the connection between nature, play, and the creatures in their different habitats including humans! [picture book, ages 4 and up]

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Hooray for play!! To celebrate all things play, and the release of my book, Play Like an Animal, illustrated by Mia Powell, I’m sharing my favorite picture book titles that inspire kids to play every day!

Play Like an Animal: Why Critters Splash, Race, Twirl, and Chase by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Mia Powell

Why and how do animals play? Maria Gianferrari uses exuberant text to explore animals at play in the wild. She shows how their playful ways have purpose with additional information on each animal in the back matter. Play is healthy for all living creatures … including humans! [nonfiction picture book, ages 5 and up]

Hooray for Play Books for Kids

Play in the Wild by Lita Judge

Although I haven’t yet read it because it doesn’t release until June, I love Lita’s books, and I especially adore her art, so I know that her book will be both lovely and informative—just look at that elephant on the cover! [nonfiction picture book, ages 5 and up]

Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London, illustrated by Meilo So

Jonathan London’s book showcases these fun-loving and frolicsome creatures and Meilo So’s art captures their playfulness in a way that reminds me very much of dogs. And if you know me, you know how much I love dogs! [nonfiction picture book, ages 5 and up]

This is one of my favorite videos of a dog and an otter playing tag together, Rio and the River Otter.

Animals at Play by Marc Bekoff, illustrated by Michael J. DiMotta

Marc Bekoff is a world-renowned ethologist, and this book focuses on the rules of the games animals play—how they communicate, cooperate, learn fair play, apologize and what happens if they break the rules by being too aggressive. It’s highly illuminating. [nonfiction picture book, ages 5 and up]

And here are two books for the younger set, both by the very playful, Hervé Tullet:

Press Here by Hervé Tullet

Push-shake-tilt—who can resist that invitation?! [picture book, ages 3 and up]

Let’s Play! by Hervé Tullet

Twist, turn, spin, play hide and seek—it’s an interactive adventure! [picture book, ages 5 and up]

Play Like An Animal GIVEAWAY!

To continue the merriment, Lerner Publishing is giving away a copy of Play Like an Animal to a lucky US resident! Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember to play every day!

Thanks for having me back at your blog, Mia!

Maria Gianferrari’s childhood playground was nature: climbing trees, playing hide and seek in the cornfield and slapping cow patties for fun! Nowadays she tries to keep the spirit of play alive in her writing. She enjoys playing Dominion with her family sans the curse cards, and her late dog, Becca, was always ready for a game of “catch the flying biscuit.”

She’s also the author of another bird book, Hawk Rising. To learn more about Maria, please visit her website: mariagianferrari.com.

p.s. Related Posts:

Great STEM Picture Books paired with Fun Activities

10 New Great STEM Kids’ Books

10 Books on Helping Endangered Animals

5 STEM Picture Books Celebrating Differences

Earth Sciences STEM Picture Books

Top 10 STEM Expository Nonfiction Picture Books

14 Autumn Picture Books with STEM and Diversity

To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

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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.

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