Curated Children's Books to Read

We miss seeing you at the museum to explore our connections with nature in person. One of our favorite sources of inspiration as we create programs are well-written and illustrated children’s books. They contain a wealth of information presented in appealing and approachable ways. We always learn something new from a good book and hope that you do too as you share these resources with children.

Each book has a recommended age range. If the people in the books are racially diverse, we have noted that with a ^d (but most of the books do not have any humans in them). We will post book recommendations periodically. If you’d like a recommendation on a particular topic, please ask at museumed@colorado.edu.

Featured Books

The Very Quiet Cricket

Written and illustrated by Eric Carle

For the youngest learners, this board book introduces a cricket that makes no sound... until the end, where the cricket’s chirp is recorded and played. 1-3 years old.

Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner^d

Written by Janice N. Harrington and illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

Once you start encouraging active listening for insect sounds, your child may be buzzing with questions, just like the young Charles Henry Turner. This book relates the true story of one of the first black entomologists, the questions he asked about insects, and the processes he used to find the answers. 7-10 years old.

Noisy Bug Sing-Along

Written and illustrated by John Himmelman

This book encourages kids to replicate bug sounds with fun onomatopoeia representations of insect noises. A link to audio files and activities is in the back of the book. 4-9 years old.

Sounds All Around: The Science of How Sound Works ^d

Written by Susan Hughes and illustrated by Ellen Rooney

We hear insects–but how do they make those noises which reach our ears and get translated into the chirping, buzzing, whirring, and clicking sounds we recognize? This book shares how sounds are made, how they travel, and gives words to describe the sounds your kids hear around them. 5-8 years old.

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

Written by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Eric Beddows

A collection of poems to read aloud with a partner. Each poem creates the rhythm and movement of an insect and its noises.

Books about gardening

Written by Lola M Schaefer, illustrated by Lindsay George
Explore through the seasons how fruits and vegetables begin as flowers. Lift flaps to join a diverse cast of young gardeners as they discover the fruits of their garden work. 4–10 years old

Written by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
It’s all green up in the garden, but there is a busy world down in the dirt that is explored by a young girl and her grandmother in this book. 4–8 years old

Written by Mary McKenna Siddals, illustrated by Ashley Wolff
Be an ‘environmental chef’ after reading this charming story with collage illustrations. 2–6 years old.

Written by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Another informative book illustrated by one of our favorite Boulder children’s book authors. 4–8 years old.

Face to Face with Caterpillars
Written by Darlyne A. Murawski
Spend enough time in the garden and you are bound to find yourself face to face with a moth or butterfly that is in its caterpillar stage of life. This book has lots of great photos. 3–10 years old.

Books about eggs

Written by Marilyn Singer and Illustrated by Emma Stevenson
The words and illustrations convey the wonder of eggs—containers in which a developing creature breathes, is nourished, and grows—from a multitude of creatures. Ages 6-10

By Irene Kelly

Fun pictures and a conversational style tell stories of the diversity of bird eggs and nests—from nests as big as cars, to eggs smaller than a dime. Gives details on how the birds location and lifestyle influence its nesting materials, shape and size. Ages 5-9

Written by Jennifer Ward and Illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Excellent science, accurate colorful collage illustrations, and playful poetry. Ages 4-8

By Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Brightly colored, simple illustrations and minimal text on die-cut pages. Covers basic concepts of time, opposites, and colors, along with the transformations of animal bodies. Ages 2-6

Books on topics related to CU Museum online exhibits

Written and illustrated by Helen Cowcher
Bright, delightful images of penguins and seals. 5–8 yrs.

Written by Ann Cooper, illustrated by Marjorie Leggett (both local to Boulder)
Stories, folklore, and activities. 8–12yrs

Written and illustrated by Keith Baker.
Colorful shapes and snakes. 4–8yrs

Some lovely books on topics underrepresented in children’s books

Written by Elena Fin, illustrated by Rossella Trionfetti
Bright and fun tales of plants in the wild and to raise at home. 8 yrs and up

^d
Written by Margret Wise Brown, illustrated by Christian Robinson
We are often asked about the dead animals in the museum. This book provides a gentle engagement with the concept for young children. 4–8 yrs

Written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Emily Sutton
“…the tiniest lives doing some of the biggest jobs”—a concept children can easily relate to! 5–8 yrs

Books that explore evolution

Written and illustrated by Bob Barner
Bright and colorful images with simple text for younger, and more complex explanations for older, children. 2-8 years old

Written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beckie Prange

Beautifully illustrated poems about survival—don’t we all need that now? 6-12 years old

Written and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher

Bright, clear pictures and funny text to explain basic science concepts. 4-8 years old

Written by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Steve Jenkins

An amazing amount of information packaged in an approachable and fun way. 8-12 years old

Written by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Ralph Masiello

Both a scientific and silly introduction to animals beyond dinosaurs. 4-8 years old

Written and illustrated by Hannah Bonner

“Delicious blend of fact and foolery”. There are four books in this series—we highly recommend all of them. 7 years and up

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