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Young readers often find nonfiction books as fascinating as storybooks, and a growing crop of quality nonfiction picture books allows children a range of informational reading choices from a very early age. This Showcase features both illustrated and photographic books nonfiction titles that help children have fun while learning about a wide variety of subjects.
These books are available at your local bookstore. Check the ABA's directory of member bookstores for a bookseller near you. You may also purchase these books at BookSense.com.
Note: Showcase titles are selected by the books' publishers, who provide cover art, interior art, and descriptive information.
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The Adventures of Marco Polo
by Russell Freedman, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Ages 9-12.
(Arthur A. Levine Books)
Was Marco Polo the world's most accomplished explorer? Had he really seen the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia, and the "City of Heaven" in far-off China? |
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Ballet of the Elephants
by Leda Schubert, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. Ages 4-8.
(Roaring Brook Press)
Sparkling watercolors by the acclaimed Robert Andrew Parker illustrate the true story of "Circus Polka," choreographed in 1942 by Balanchine for 50 ballerinas and 50 Ringling Brothers elephants. |
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Bright Path
Young Jim Thorpe
written and illustrated by Don Brown. Ages 5-8.
(Roaring Brook Press)
The story of authentic American hero and Native American athlete Jim Thorpe, who grew up from a dirt-poor childhood to captivate the world at the 1912 Olympics. |
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Carolina's Story
by Donna Rathmell, illustrated by Barbara Bergwerf. Ages 4-8.
(Sylvan Dell Publishing)
The heartwarming photographic tale of a critically ill sea turtle as she is nursed back to health and happily returns to her home in the ocean. |
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Happy Birthday To Whooo?
by Doris Fisher, illustrated by Lisa Downey. Ages 4-8.
(Sylvan Dell Publishing)
This clever book of baby-announcement riddles will have children giggling as they use the written and illustrated clues to guess what animal baby was just born. |
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Honey
A Gift from Nature
by Yumiko Fujiwara, illustrated by Hideko Ise. Ages 4-8.
(Kane/Miller Book Publishers)
Where does honey come from and how is it made? |
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If A Dolphin Were A Fish
by Loran Wlodarski, illustrated by Lauri Allen Klein. Ages 4-8.
(Sylvan Dell Publishing)
Delfina the dolphin imagines she is a fish with gills, a sea turtle laying eggs, a pelican with feathers, an octopus, a shark, and a manatee. |
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If My Mom Were A Platypus
Mammal Babies and Their Mothers
by Dia L. Michels, illustrated by Andrew Barthelmes. Ages 8-12.
(Platypus Media)
Learn how 14 mammals are born, eat, sleep, learn and mature. With stunning full-color and black-and-white illustrations and concise information, this book helps children develop a keen sense of what makes mammals special. |
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I'm a Pill Bug
by Yukihisa Tokuda, illustrated by Kiyoshi Takahashi. Ages 3-7.
(Kane/Miller Book Publishers)
Follow a "scavenger of nature" and discover just what makes these little bugs so fascinating. |
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In Front of the Ant
Walking with Beetles and Other Insects
by Ryuichi Kuwahara, illustrated by Satoshi Kuribayashi. Ages 2-4.
(Kane/Miller Book Publishers)
With very little text and brilliant photographs, this is an extremely close-up look at some of the smallest, most remarkable creatures on the planet. |
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Math Potatoes
Mind-Stretching Brain Food
by Greg Tang, illustrated by Harry Briggs. Ages 7-10.
(Scholastic Inc.)
Greg Tang is back with his bestselling approach to addition and subtraction: problem solving. Kids won't even know they're learning math! |
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Pumpkins
written and with photographs by Ken Robbins. Ages 4-8.
(Roaring Brook Press)
From seed to jack-o'-lantern, Ken Robbins' beautiful photographs capture the emblem of Halloween: the pumpkin. |
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My Senator and Me
A Dog's-Eye View of Washington D.C.
by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, illustrated by David Small. Ages 4-8.
(Scholastic Press)
There's a saying: "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." Senator Ted Kennedy decided to do just that- and here's what his dog has to say! |
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Sholom's Treasure: How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer
by Erica Silverman, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. Ages 5 and up.
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
A picture book biography about the man whose stories inspired Fiddler on the Roof, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Mordicai Gerstein. |
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The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela: Through Three Continents in the Twelfth Century
written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz. Ages 8 and up.
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Caldecott Medalist and two-time Caldecott Honor winner Uri Shulevitz has created a portal to transport readers to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East through the eyes of a traveler who followed his dream and opened others' eyes to the majesty and splendor of other cultures, telling the little-known story of a real-life medieval figure who was determined to better understand and experience firsthand the cultures of the then-known world. |
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Water Beds
Sleeping In The Ocean
by Gail Langer Karwoski, illustrated by Connie McLennan. Ages 4-8.
(Sylvan Dell Publishing)
A beautifully illustrated dream sequence that follows a child sleeping with dolphins, sea otters, and eight other marine mammals and accurately portrays how the these mammals breathe while they sleep in the ocean. |
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Why?
by Lila Prap. Ages 4-8.
(Kane/Miller Book Publishers)
Why are zebras striped?
Why do kangaroos have pouches?
Discover the answers as well as the silly responses that future zoologists have come up with. |
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Wise Guy: The Life and Philosophy of Socrates
by M. D. Usher, illustrated by William Bramhall. Ages 5 and up.
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
A clever and captivating introduction to the life of Socrates by a professor of classics whose personal interest in the ancient world began as a child, with ebullient illustrations. |
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