From tiny green aphids to beautiful ladybugs, bugs are truly fascinating creatures. These tiny insects can be found under rocks, flying through the air, and crawling on your picnic blanket.
In these bug books for kids, learn science while exploring the amazing world of insects!
Why Learn About Bugs in Books?
Let's be honest, not all kids love bugs and creepy crawlies. Sometimes, once a child knows more about a subject they are not as afraid.
These bug books for kids are filled with fun facts and information about bugs. Most of these picture books are nonfiction with a few fiction thrown in.
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Learning through books allows kids to see and learn about insects that they might not see in every day life. Even if they have observed some outside, reading about them in books adds another layer to their learning.
I like to include information for my readers about how they can use books are resources to teach their kids science. To skip to the books, click one of the titles from the list below.
Jump to:
- Why Learn About Bugs in Books?
- Free Printable Bug Bookmarks
- Age Range
- Topics to Explore
- Book List
- The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs
- Bugs Everywhere
- The Big Book of Bugs
- A Beetle is Shy
- The Book of Brilliant Bugs
- Insect Books for Young Kids
- The Very Busy Spider
- The Very Clumsy Click Beetle
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- Bug Board Books
- Some Bugs
- Value of Learning about Bugs
- Comments
Educational books for kids pair well with interactive lessons and activities. Insect scavenger hunts and nature journaling are great ways to get your kids outside observing these critters up close.
Pair these activities with a few good books. Even a child reluctant to learn about bugs might become a little bug enthusiast after reading about them.
We are pretty passionate about bugs and insects over here and have a whole collection of insect themed coloring pages. Bees, butterflies, ladybugs, and dragonflies are a few reader favorites!
Free Printable Bug Bookmarks
As a thank you for being a reader, I created bug bookmarks you can print and use with your kids.
Make sure to check out the bottom of this post to download free printable bug bookmarks. Perfect to use while reading books about insects together!
Age Range
- Toddlers
- Preschoolers
- Kindergartners
- Elementary
- Middle School
Most of these texts are informational texts written for kids. The great thing about informational text is that, all ages can benefit from reading them.
Young toddlers can learn from the illustrations. Older kids can learn from the images and text.
Advanced readers can benefit from the added challenge that is presented in books written for older children. It always amazes me how a child can dive deep into a subject that they are interested in learning about.
For even more books about bugs, check out bee books for kids and butterfly books for children
Topics to Explore
- Bug Anatomy
- Different Types of Bugs
- Bug Habitats
- Survival Strategies
- Life Cycle of Insects
- Complete Metamorphosis
- Incomplete Metamorphosis
- Backyard Bugs
- Identification
These topics and many more can be explored using these books. Within each book description, you will find a few of the topics the book covers.
Naturally, the bug books for young children will contain less written information.
If you are planning an insect themed unit study with your kids, these books are wonderful resources. At the end of the post, there are toddler books about bugs if you are looking for books specifically written for little ones.
Book List
I personally went through all of these books myself. The best part of using books when teaching a unit study is that you don't need a ton of books. Reading books together is a wonderful way to learn about a new topic.
Let's get to the books!
The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs
Judy Burris and Wayne Richards' book The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs: Discover Amazing Butterflies, Moths, Spiders, Dragonflies, and Other Insects, is a great resource. Filled with real life photographs of bugs along with facts about each species.
Aside from bug identification, this book can be used as a learning tool when learning about life cycles. Plant life cycles, complete metamorphosis, along with incomplete metamorphosis are shown in the book.
If your child is a nature lover, than this book is for them.
Real life photographs of insect chrysalises, close up shots of caterpillars, and text that explains the differences between photographs.
The end of the book has an easy comparison guide which is a visual field guide to backyard bugs. Along with a glossary, index, and additional resources.
Take this book along with you as you explore your backyard together!
Bugs Everywhere
Bugs Everywhere, is a great pick for young bug enthusiasts. Illustrations are digitally created and are bright and colorful. Written by Lily Murray in kid friendly text.
You many not have heard of this book since it is relatively new, published in 2019. Your kids will enjoy the facts that go along with each type of bug. Along with illustrations that are artsy, not scary.
I love how the book has to be turned sideways to read some of the double page spreads. Kids always enjoy it when a book has an interactive piece to it.
Overall, this book covers many topics including where bugs live, internal anatomy of arthropods, bug parents, and honey bee colonies.
Specialty topics include Madagascan sunset moths, bugs relationship with people, and what it would be like in a world without bugs.
The Big Book of Bugs
Yuval Zommer's book, The Big Book of Bugs is a large and beautifully illustrated book about bugs. Instead of real life photographs, this book's illustrations are created by the author himself.
Children who do not like looking at real life photographs of bugs may enjoy this book's illustrations.
Now, this book lives up to it's name in that it is large. Part of the fun of reading this book with kids is the size of this book. To add to the fun kids can search for hidden bugs throughout the text.
The book begins by defining bugs, invertebrates, exoskeletons, and how the term bug relates to the word insect.
After, each double page spread is about a different type of bug. Bees, beetles, centipedes, spiders, pond bugs and many more bugs are covered in this book. The text gives fun facts and interesting pieces of information about the species.
At the end of the book, information about the life cycle of bugs, benefits of bugs, and how bugs move are explained. There is even a glossary and index at the back of the book!
If you are looking for an activity book about bugs, Yuval Zommer has a resuable sticker book version of this text. The Big Sticker Book of Bugs is perfect for kindergarten and elementary aged kids.
A Beetle is Shy
Dianna Hutts Aston's book A Beetle is Shy is all about the lovely beetle. Sylvia Long, the book's illustrator, made the gorgeous illustrations with paint.
I love all of the books in their series. Perfect as a read aloud with your kids, the illustrations combined with the text are magical!
Each species of beetle has a label with the name of the bug along with the illustration. There are so many science topics to explore using this book as a starting point!
Older children can dive deep into topics while younger kids learn the basics.
Similar to her other books, the headings are written in cursive while the text is small. Young children will love to flip through and study the illustrations as you read them the text.
The words in this book can be used for literacy lessons with both older and younger children. I love when a book can appeal to kids of multiple ages.
Science topics including life cycles, survival strategies, unique characteristics, and habitats are all included in this book. Overall, a beautiful children's book about bugs for kids.
The Book of Brilliant Bugs
Jess French is the author of the Book of Brilliant Bugs. If you love beautiful illustrations, this book is for you.
Vivid and bright, this book is gorgeous. Pages are full of details that will captive your child. Claire McElfatrick, the book's illustrator, brings the text to life.
A relatively new book, published in 2020. Topics include: what is a bug, bug behavior, bug habitats, and bug relatives. The author's passion about these tiny invertebrates shines throughout the text.
If your child loves bugs, then they will love this book. Even children who are afraid of bugs, may enjoy this book with its painted illustrations.
Insect Books for Young Kids
It is never to early for kids to learn about insects! These bug books for young kids are cute stories about bugs.
These books are great picks if you are looking for insect books for toddlers up to early elementary. Perfect as a bedtime story or morning basket.
The Very Busy Spider
If you are familiar with Eric Carle then you will know that his books tend to follow a specific sequence with repeated text. The Very Busy Spider is perfect for beginning readers. This cute story follows a spider throughout her day as she spins a web on a wooden fence.
Little kids will enjoy the raised texture of the web on the pages. As the story progresses, the web grows larger with more interconnecting lines. Now, I am not a huge fan of spiders, but these illustrations are cute.
Throughout the spider's day, different barnyard animals visit her as she spins her web. A cow, sheep, horse, pig, and goat are a few of the animals. The animals are large, bright, and colorful.
Your young child would enjoy this book read as a read aloud or bedtime story.
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle
If you are looking for a newer Eric Carle book, then The Clumsy Click Beetle is a great choice. The book begins with facts about click beetles then dives into the story.
Similar to other Eric Carle children's books, there is a moral to the story. This book encourages young kids to keep trying even if you are unsuccessful.
Your young kids will love the positive encouragement the little click beetle receives from other animals in the story.
If you are looking for a story that teaches empathy, then you will enjoy this book.
This colorful and positive story does a great job integrating real life facts about the click beetle with storytelling. Perfect for young readers.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
An all time favorite butterfly book for kids. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic children's book written and illustrated by Eric Carle. This story, which I also recommend in my butterfly books for children post, is a wonderful book about metamorphosis.
Your young kids will love to follow along with the caterpillar in the story. The book begins with a caterpillar hatching from an egg.
It then goes on to eat it's way through too much food before finally forming a chrysalis. The book ends with the caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly.
There are interactive pages that get larger as the number of foods are eaten. Holes in the pages represent the bites the caterpillar made in the food.
Not only learn the life cycle of the butterfly, but counting, days of the week and different foods can be learned.
Bug Board Books
Its is never to early to start learning about bugs and insects! These bug themed board books are a great way to get young children interested in the world of bugs and insects.
Some Bugs
Angela DiTerlizzi's boad book Some Bugs is beautifully illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. The simple text has the repeated phrase "some bugs" written throughout the text.
Now, this board book is bright and colorful. If you are looking for a beautifully illustrated board book about bugs, this is it. Many different types of bugs are shown in this text in a fun and engaging way.
Perfect for preschoolers and kindergartners, not just toddlers and babies. Soon to be you and your young child's favorite board book about bugs.
Value of Learning about Bugs
I hope this book list was able to give you ideas and inspiration for bug books you can read with your kids. There are so many wonderful ways to learn about bugs with your kids, and reading is just one of them!
For more bug inspired learning check out the posts below:
Barbra-Sue
Love it, great post! I love science!
Julia
What an incredible resource. Thank you!
Julie
Thank you Julia! So glad you found the list helpful.
Sarah
I adore all of the books you have listed. Will be adding a few of them to our homeschool curriculum.
Julie
I'm so glad you will be able to use them with your kids! Many of them might be found at your local library, which is where I found many of these.
Michelle
My daughter would love these! Thank you so much for this resource!!
Julie
Your welcome Michelle! I hope she enjoys the books.
Sonia
I love the post , thanks.