Hello again! I’ve compiled a list of 20 books about bugs & insects for kids. Preschool is all about exploring the world around us and learning about ourselves and others. Our preschool bugs & insects unit theme is perfect for that. I loved going outside and letting the children play in the dirt to see what they find. I also love watching them chase butterflies is so much fun.
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These books about bugs & insects for kids are great for your littles ones who enjoy digging in the mud and creepy crawly things! In addition, they will be a great addition to your classroom library during your bugs & insect unit. These books contain everything your students will need to know about bugs & insects!
Non-Fiction & Fiction
There are so many great books about bugs & insects for kids to choose from! As a result, I always try to include both fiction and non-fiction books. Cartoon pictures of bugs and insects are cute but nothing beats real life images. I hope these books about bugs & insects for kids will inspire your children to be little entomologists and learn all they can about bugs and insects!
These books about bugs & insects for kids are not listed in any particular order. All of them can be found on Amazon. I have also included YouTube links where you can preview the book as well! All book information was taken from Amazon.
20 Books About Bugs & Insects for Kids
1. The Backyard Bug Book for Kids
“Crawl into the wonderful world of bugs―a fun photographic adventure. Take your child on an educational adventure bursting with the kinds of colorful photographs you need in bug books for kids. The Backyard Bug Book for Kids has everything you’d want in bug books for kids: a story, pictures, and activities combined. Introduce your little one to the types of bugs they’re likely to see during their day, then help them remember what they’ve learned with fun, on-the-page challenges.“
2. The Best Bug Parade
“Which bug is the biggest? Which bug is the longest? It’s time to find out as all the bugs in Ladybug’s garden line up for the best bug parade! This fun book written by Stuart J. Murphy and illustrated by Holly Keller introduces size comparison in its simplest form. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.“
3. Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!
“Budding entomologists will fly to this book like bees to honey,” said School Library Journal, and it’s true! Pretty ladybugs, fluttering butterflies, creepy daddy longlegs, and round roly polies are just some of the familiar creatures featured in this whimsically illustrated insect album from veteran children’s book author-illustrator Bob Barner. Check out the actual size bug chart, which provides real-world comparisons so that readers know exactly how big each bug is, and the Bug-O-Meter, which lists fun facts about each bug, such as number of legs, where it lives, whether it flies, and if it stings.”
4. Bugs A-Z
“The perfect book for all kids who are fascinated with bugs. Simple text from A to Z provides buggy facts and figures. Larger than life full-color photographs of creepy crawlies include locusts, caterpillars, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, ants, praying mantis, and more!”
5. The Bug Book
“This fun rhyming story lists all the bugs you can imagine—creep bugs, climb bugs, sticky-slime bugs! Discover the vast world of insects in this photo-filled book.”
6. Bug Dance
“The bugs in Coach Caterpillar’s gym class are learning a new dance. But Centipede can’t do it! If he can’t learn the directions left, right, forward and backward, this class will be one big FLOP! This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.”
7. Charlie the Caterpillar
“As Charlie the Caterpillar meets one group of animals after another playing together and having fun, he asks if he can join in. But each time he’s told not welcome — because he’s ugly. As winter approaches, Charlie spins himself a cocoon. When spring arrives, the cocoon opens and out comes Charlie — now a beautiful butterfly. Everyone wants him to be part of their group. But Charlie puts these fair-weather friends properly in their place in this heartwarming story about the meaning of true friendship.”
8. Clara the Caterpillar
“A carefree cabbage caterpillar named Clara, who becomes a common cream-colored butterfly, can′t possibly compete with a catty, conceited caterpillar named Catisha, who becomes a captivating crimson-colored butterfly. Or can she?”
9. The Grouchy Ladybug
“From Eric Carle, New York Times bestselling author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and From Head to Toe, comes the classic story of one very grouchy ladybug. Eric Carle’s bright artwork and signature style will charm both ardent fans and new readers alike. This board book features sturdy pages and is the perfect size for little hands.”
10. Hello, World! Backyard Bugs!
“Hello, World! is a series designed to introduce first nonfiction concepts to babies and toddlers. Told in clear and easy terms and featuring bright, cheerful illustrations, Hello, World! makes learning fun for young children. And each sturdy page offers helpful prompts for engaging with your child. (“Chomp! A bright red ladybug munches on a leaf. Point to each of its spots.”) It’s a perfect way to bring science and nature into the busy world of a toddler, where learning never stops.”
11. In the Tall, Tall Grass
“If you were a fuzzy caterpillar crawling through the tall, tall grass on a sunny afternoon, what would you see? To find out, just follow the tiny tour guide as he inches his way through the pages of this book. You’ll see ants and bees and birds–hip-hopping bunnies too. You’ll even hear the sounds some of them make.”
12. Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bug Alphabet
“Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bug Alphabet introduces babies and toddlers to all sorts of interesting bugs. Perfect to read aloud, this creepy, crawly adventure will engage children and parents alike with its vibrant illustrations and fascinating facts about bugs. Learning the ABCs has never been so bitingly fun! Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bug Alphabet is the fourth title in a series of board books celebrating the joy of nature at home and in the backyard, from fresh fruits and vegetables to birds, flowers, and trees.”
13. Shoo Fly!
“Adapted from the popular nursery rhyme, this book follows an adorable mouse as he tries in vain to escape from a delightfully determined fly”
14. Superworm
“Toad in trouble? Beetle in a jam? Never fear — Superworm is here! And he’s wiggling to the rescue! But when Superworm is captured by a wicked Wizard Lizard, will his friends find a way to help their favorite superhero escape?”
15. Ten Little Caterpillars
“Readers of all ages have celebrated the work of Bill Martin Jr and Lois Ehlert ever since their first collaboration on Chicka Chicka Boom Boom more than twenty-five years ago. Now these two picture-book geniuses are together again in this dynamic and visually stunning counting-and-natural history picture book that’s just perfect for reading aloud–and comes complete with a glossary filled with intriguing information about all of the caterpillar stars!”
16. The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter
“Shabazz Larkin’s The Thing About Bees is a Norman Rockwell-inspired Sunday in the park, a love poem from a father to his two sons, and a tribute to the bees that pollinate the foods we love to eat.Children are introduced to different kinds of bees, “how not to get stung,” and how the things we fear are often things we don’t fully understand.”
17. The Very Busy Spider
“Early one morning a little spider spins her web on a fence post. One by one, the animals of the nearby farm try to distract her, yet the busy little spider keeps diligently at her work. When she is done, she is able to show everyone that not only is her creation quite beautiful, it is also quite useful! This multi-sensory book allows children to feel the pictures as well as see them. And with its rhythmic text, The Very Busy Spider becomes an experience to touch, to see, and to hear.”
18. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
“THE all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life? Including a special feature, die cuts, this beautiful board book edition, perfect for teaching the days of the week, offers readers an interactive experience.”
19. Waiting for Wings
“Every spring, butterflies emerge and dazzle the world with their vibrant beauty. But where do butterflies come from? How are they born? What do they eat–and how? With a simple, rhyming text and glorious color-drenched collage, Lois Ehlert provides clear answers to these and other questions as she follows the life cycle of four common butterflies, from their beginnings as tiny hidden eggs and hungry caterpillars to their transformation into full-grown butterflies. Complete with butterfly and flower facts and identification tips, as well as a guide to planting a butterfly garden, this butterfly book is like no other.”
20. Willbee the Bumblebee
“With his new jersey on, he got back his hum, all his bits were warmed up… even his bum!” From the bestselling author and illustrator behind the million-copy The Wonky Donkey book comes Willbee the Bumblebee, a catchy rhyme with endearing illustrations that will leave you buzzing! Willbee the bumblebee is so embarrassed when he realizes that his black-and-yellow jacket has caught on a rose thorn and completely unraveled, showing his bare bum! With help from Monica the butterfly and Steve the spider, Willbee recovers his jacket and is back to buzzing around the garden in no time.”
20 Books About Bugs & Insects for Kids
This is not an exhaustive list; there are many more books about bugs & insects for kids to read! Are there some which are not listed that you would suggest? Which book are you most excited to share with your child or add to your classroom?
Check out some of my other book lists!
Click here to see what we did during our preschool bugs and insects unit theme!
