Series: Picture Books Series.
Subject Areas: Picture Books, Science, Nature.
Ages: 2 3 4 5 6 7.
Type: Picture Books, Nature Books

Imagine for a moment that you’re a five-year-old. That’s what the Usborne Picture Book Series, my current favorite for young children, reminds those of us who have forgotten what it’s like! These titles teach important science and nature ideas or history from a child’s viewpoint, and they do it in a very appealing style – almost, but not quite, like a story. The series includes: On the Seashore, The Butterfly, The Rainy Day, The Snowy Day, In the Nest, The Dinosaur, In the Castle, and two others I mention below that are fictional. The Rainy Day is also available in Spanish. All the books in the series are written by the same author, and although similar in style, each has a different artist.

Each of these books contains one basic question, typical of what a young child might ask:
Have you ever wondered what clouds are made of?
What do you think it would be like to go to the moon?
Have you ever wondered what makes it snow?
Have you ever been to the seashore to look for treasures
the sea has left behind?
What do you think the little stripy caterpillar has been doing all day?
A little bird flies to and fro – What do you think she’s doing?
What would it be like if dinosaurs were still alive?

The rest of the book is then devoted to answering the question, and this style prompts many discussions. I classify these as conversational books because when I’ve read them with children, they end up asking even more questions, and imagining other scenarios. The language is quite visual also: “On the moon you feel very light and floaty. When you walk around you take big, bouncing strides.” “The baby birds grow fluffy feathers…they grow bigger and bigger until they are much too squashed in the little nest.” “…if you watch very closely you might see two shiny eyes peering out of a small, grubby shell.”

The books in this series are slightly oversized, just a bit over 10 inches square, and each has a smooth, puffy feel which makes them fun to hold. The large format and simple illustrations are perfect for reading and showing to a group.

You could use these books as a well-rounded introduction to nature for preschoolers. There are countless other Usborne titles to use for follow-up: First Book of Nature, Pocket Nature, Living World Encyclopedia, Mysteries and Marvels of Nature, What’s Under the Sea?, Birds (Internet-Linked). From On the Moon, you could make the jump to First Encyclopedia of Space, or Space(Internet-Linked).

For hands-on activities, try Seashore Sticker Book, Butterflies Mobile Kid Kit, Seas and Oceans Kid Kit, Dinosaurs Sticker Book, Dinosaur Stencil Book, Dinosaur Jigsaw Book, Dinosaur Snap, all kinds of Dinosaur Kid Kits including Dinosaur Excavation Kid Kit, Box of Dinosaurs Puzzles, or Dinosaur Sticker Atlas.

For some reason, there are two other titles included with this series that are children’s classic stories, Pinocchio and The Snow Queen. Aside from the lovely format and cool covers which make the books appealing, I’m not sure why these were added to the nature ones. Both of these stories are bold and quite unusual, as you probably know if you ever read either of these growing up!

Take a Look Inside a Book from This Series

Purchase


Of Interest To: Librarians and Media Specialists, Parents, Teachers, Preschools

My daughter is 5 and she just LOVES these books. I've read In The Nest and Rainy Day so many times we all know them by heart.
These books just draw children to them. Great for inspiring a love of knowledge.
Nancy in Mississippi