Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
America: A Patriotic Primer by Lynne Cheney (illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser; Paula Wiseman Books, 2002) may be an alphabetic picture book, but it is definitely written for older children. It is a nonfiction book that highlights important historical concepts, events, and people. Each letter of the alphabet has a word assigned to it, and most pages
The nonfiction board book The Story Of America’s Birthday by Patricia A. Pingry (illustrated by Meredith Johnson; Candy Cane Press, 2000), is a very basic introduction for young children that explains why we celebrate on July 4th. But even for a basic introduction, the book packs a lot of facts in. It introduces concepts such
The picture book We are Fungi by Christina Nishiyama (Might Cold Studios, 2017) shows various types of fungi in the wild, told from the perspective of a group of fungi. Lots of information is given in these “we” statements. The illustrations show a child going through a forest with a dog, and labels appear wherever
Karl, Get Out of the Garden! by Anita Sanchez (illustrated by Catherine Stock; Charlesbridge, 2017) is a picture book biography of Carolus Linneas, the first to set up the a systematic way of classifying living things by giving each thing a scientific name. Carolus Linneaus is the Latin version of Karl Linne, a scientist who
In Which Switch is Which?: A First Look at Electricity by Sam Godwin (Holder Wayland, 2002; currently out of print), three mice and a moth explore a kitchen one night. The story is told by a simple line of text at the top of the page and also speech bubbles. As they are exploring, the
On This Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time by Susan E. Goodman (illustrated by Lee Christiansen; Greenwillow Books, 2004) is a nonfiction picture book showing glimpses of a place on earth over the course of billions of years. It begins with a street scene of New York City and then jumps back 175 years, 350
The nonfiction Keepers of the Reef by Dr. Sharon Wismer (illustrated by Alice Wong; Tillbury House, 2022) invites a young reader to visit the Great Barrier Reef to learn about a unique ecosystem. With a friendly “come on in!”, two children swim into a coral reef scene in this gorgeous book about the coral reef
With a child-friendly tone, Volcano Dreams: A Story of Yellowstone by Janet Fox (illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy; Web of Life, 2018) introduces a variety of creatures that live in Yellowstone National Park, as well as personifies the geological features of the park, such as geysers and bubbling hot springs. The only one sleeping is the
The nonfiction picture book Green: The Story of Life on Our Planet by Nicola Davies (illustrated by Emily Sutton; Candlewick, 2024) explains how plants support the world. Detailed pages with illustrations and diagrams explain the structure of a plant cell, the process of photosynthesis, a basic energy food web, and the general evolution of plants
From the fantastic Wells of Knowledge nonfiction picture book science series, What’s Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? by Robert E. Wells (Albert Whitman, 1995) teaches about microscopic creatures for young readers. Beginning with a small creature, this book encourages child readers to consider even smaller creatures, including bacteria and the size of an atoms. The
The picture book Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea by Robert Burleigh (illustrated by Raul Colon; Paula Wiseman Books, 2016) tells the true story of Marie Tharp, who was the first to map the ocean’s floor between 1957 and 1977. Because of her work in mapping the seafloor, she was able to corroborate Alfred Wegener’s
The nonfiction picture book Planet Earth Inside Out by Gail Gibbons (published 1995) provides a great overview of the planet. It covers a large range of subtopics, including the layers of the earth, the tectonic plates and Pangea, how plates interact, the results of earthquakes on land, and details about volcanoes, including seafloor spreading. It
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