Science picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Science Picture Books can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Science Picture Books —https://amzn.to/48cWRqd .)
Sound: Discovering the Vibrations We Hear
by Olga Fadeeva (Author), Lena Traer (Translator)
Summary: This nonfiction picture book details the various types of sounds and how we perceive them. Various text features, such as diagrams, illustrations, photos, labeling, maps, headings, and others, help explain the topics.
Comments: This is a detailed and informative sound book that explains not only how we actually hear sound but also how sounds have evolved over the centuries. Learn the answers to “What is an echo? What is sound like under the water? Can sound influence our health? How has sound changed over time?”
The illustrations were created with acrylic paint and water.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
*I received a free copy of this book.
Close Up and Far Out
by Mary Auld (Author), Adria Meserve (Illustrator)
Summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book explores the lives of two scientists, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and Galileo Galilei.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek had questions about observing the world more closely and seeing it magnified. He created many microscopes until he designed one that could magnify objects up to 500 times.
Galilei was curious about distant objects, particularly in space, and sought to understand how the universe worked. He successfully modified and created an improved telescope that allowed him to see farther into space.
Comments: This book promotes scientific inquiry and persistence. Both men had questions and could find answers through repeated failures until they produced the desired results.
This book could be used in several units of study: space, inventions, cells, and Intellectual growth/performance(persistence, failure, grit).
Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
*I received a free copy of this book.
The Museum on the Moon: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface
by Irene Latham (Author), Myriam Wares (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book uses a poem and nonfiction text to describe objects left on the moon.
Comments: This book could be used in a poetry unit or a lesson on the solar system. It was fascinating to learn about all the objects that were left behind.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Push-Pull Morning: Dog-Powered Poems About Matter and Energy
by Lisa Westberg Peters (Author), Serge Bloch (Illustrator). Publisher : Wordsong. 2023. Grades 2-4. Hardcover Nonfiction Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1635925272.
Brief summary: A fun introduction to physics in free verse poetry about a child and dog experiencing everyday life.
Comments: Each poem’s physics correlation is explained at the back of the book. This book could be shared in science units when each physics aspect is introduced to give students an idea of seeing it in the world around them.
For more details or to buy, click here.
Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗
The Three Little Tardigrades
by Sandra Fay (Author, Illustrator)
Brief summary: This fractured fairy tale of the Three Little Pigs has three little tardigrades and a big hairy wolf spider.
Tardigrades(also known as “water bears” and “moss piglets”) are microscopic animals that can live in extreme conditions, including outer space. In this story, they live in a water droplet where Mother Tardigrade tells her sons, Gavin, Colin, and Doug, that it is time for them to move out and explore the world.
Each one goes to a different part of the world, but the big hairy wolf spider keeps appearing. Why does the arachnid keep appearing to the tardigrades?
Comments: The illustrations were created with watercolors and potato prints.
The back page has facts about tardigrades and the book’s scientific terms.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
If you enjoyed this book, Sandra Fay also wrote The Very True Legend of the Mongolian Death Worms.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.