Nonfiction picture book titles are all the rage, and for good reason! These books share information about all sorts of topics, from water to creatures to architecture, in all sorts of ways. While some expository nonfiction incorporates story, others use simple text to deliver plenty of great information kids will love!
Hey, Water by Antoinette Portis
This brilliant, simple celebration of water is filled with colorful illustrations and well-crafted sentences. In it, the narrator thanks Water for all it does– it gurgles, it refreshes, it lies still, and it pours. With minimal text and a vocabulary word for a different form of water on each page, this book is perfect for even the earliest readers and science lovers. Thank you for all you do, Water!
Babies Around the World by Puck and Violet Lemay
With fun illustrations and translations, this book travels around the world as babies say “Hello!” in various languages! No matter where you are in the world, people are people– and there are always babies!
Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann
In this book, the narration follows the birth, life, and death of a honeybee, or Apis Mellifera. After birth, Apis works many jobs around the hive before she flies. Even after flying, her work is never done. This story is an excellent resource for information about bees, their life cycle, and their roles within a hive. There’s also a labeled graphic with the many body parts of a honeybee!
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
Take a trip from the bottom of the Grand Canyon up to the South Rim in this beautifully illustrated book. As a hiker passes through multiple ecosystems and rock formations, he is simultaneously sent back in time to the formation of each layer of rock. With detailed descriptions and illustrations and multiple pages of supplemental information at the end, this book is a must for any nature lover!
Explore My World Butterflies by Marfe Delano
This book includes simple sentences and beautiful photographs to describe the life of a butterfly. It also includes extra facts and a glossary! Check out this book for a perfect introduction to learning about butterflies!
Crossings by Katy Duffield, illustrated by Mike Orodán
As human infrastructure expands in the form of roads and byways, many species of wildlife are separated from their natural habitats or species groups. This book celebrates the many ingenious structures that allow creatures to safely travel over, under, across, and through these dangerous crossings. Minimal text, combined with beautiful illustrations, shares maximum information about these incredible animal crossings and the good they are doing for wildlife around the world.
Tree Hole Homes by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Amy Hevron
All kinds of creatures find refuge in all kinds of tree homes. In this book, readers learn about big tree homes, small tree homes, creatures that use tree homes at night, during the day, up high and low to the ground. With simple text to guide the story, supplemented by specific descriptions, this book is accessible to all kinds of readers. End pages including more information about each creature as well as a bibliography create even more learning options for curious kids!
Lonely Planet Kids How Trains Work by Clive Gifford, illustrated by James Gulliver Hancock
Perfect for any transportation-hungry kid, this book provides information for all things train! Beginning with the history of trains, kids will learn all about many different types of trains, the function of a junction, the future of trains, and so much more! With bright, detailed illustrations, thorough descriptions, and a slew of lift-the-flaps, this book promises hours of tactile, railroad-learning fun.
My First Book of Planets by Bruce Betts, PhD.
From planets to stars, the asteroid belt and more, this book acts as a colorful, informative guide to the planets and other objects in our solar system. Statistics, interesting planet facts, and readability helps like highlighted vocabulary words that link to a glossary, this book is a great way to learn more about the world beyond our planet!
What is Math? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa
In this fun expository story, rhymes and cheerful illustrations remind us that math is so many things! It’s cones and number problems, cubbies and skyscrapers. You can find math in the classroom, at home, and even at your lemonade stand. This book infuses joy and purpose into the study of math—check it out!