It's non-fiction November and I'm sharing some of our favourite children's picture books for young readers aged 3-7. Narrative non fiction is a great tool of the kidlit genre to bring historic figures and stories to life. All of these books have beautifully engaging illustrations which makes them appealing to the even very young readers.
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Engaging Non fiction books for young readers 3-7
Dear Vincent Written by Michael Bird Illustrated by Ella Beech
A lovely look at the creative life of Vincent Van Gogh. Based on letters between Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo who proudly supports his brother's artistic talents. We join Vincent as he enjoys painting a variety of pictures in the sunny south.
Blue: The History of a Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky Written by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond Illustrated by Daniel Minter
A really interesting look at how we came have commercial blue dye begining with the history of lapis lazuli in ancient Egypt. This book would tie in well with hand dyeing crafts or a lesson about natural dyes and indigo.
Do Frogs Drink Hot Chocolate? How Animals Keep Warm By Etta Kaner Illustrated by John Martz
Beautifully laid out with a yes no question about how animals stay warm in their environment on the left page and the answer with an amusing explanation on the right. Do polar bears build homes?
Look Inside things That Go by Rob Lloyd Jones Illustrated by Stefano Tognetti
We have a few of these Look Inside lift the flap books at home and they are often the ones chosen for the bedtime read aloud. One of our favorites is Look Inside Things That Go which explores different modes of transport. They are packed with facts and there are many flaps on every page with even more information hidden within them. We love the flaps within flaps, the man sitting on the toilet in the camper van gets a laugh every time. There are over 30 books in the series so you are sure to find something that matches your interests.
Another beautiful non fiction series is the DK anthologies series which are big thick volumes on a range of topics with gold edged pages (6-9 year olds). We don't own any of these (yet) but I recently saw the Mysteries Of The Universe Edition and plan to pick it up as a Christmas gift.
Just Ask! Sonia Sotomayor Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Sotomayor talks about diabetes and how if affects her, she opens up the conversation to children who are helping to build a community garden and they discuss different conditions like autism, using a wheelchair, being visually impaired. Just Ask is informative in a way that is accessible for young readers, the beautifully illustrated picture book promotes understanding that we are all different. It is about embracing those differences and asking questions to help you understand what others are dealing with. There is a lot of text and it works best as a read aloud.
The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding The Worlds Coral Reefs by Kate Messner Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
The story of Ken Nedimyer and his work building the coral restoration foundation. A beautiful book about coral conservation with beautiful underwater illustrations and vibrant corals. Learn about coral transplantation, coral conservation and Ken's life work. Teach us that small actions can snowball and make a big difference.
A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianne Aston illustrated by Sylvia Long
My children often help me in the garden and recently we've been collecting seeds for next year. This books fits into that nature topic perfectly. The illustrations are beautiful and show the life cycle of a seed in great detail. The cursive font is difficult to read. I have only used this for a read aloud. A Seed is Sleepy is also available in Japanese.
I was able to find read alouds on YouTube for most of these books. Check out the Non Fiction November Read Aloud Playlist.
You may also like these posts about books for young readers
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