Good science books are hard to find, especially books that explain things in a way that is easy for young children to understand.
Here’s a list of my favorite age-appropriate books to help you teach physical science concepts to your preschool or kindergarten kids.
Physical Science Books for Preschoolers
1. 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle – 10 little rubber ducks overboard! Get swept away on a high-seas voyage of discovery with 10 little rubber ducks as they float to every part of the world. They all find adventure, but one duck finds something very special!
2. A Look at Magnets by Barbara Alpert – Magnets stick to your refrigerator. Magnets make paperclips jump. Find out the facts on magnets.
3. A Nest Is Noisy by Dianna Hutts Aston – From tiny bee hummingbird nests to orangutan nests high in the rainforest canopy, an incredible variety of nests are showcased here in all their splendor.
4. All about Matter by Mari Schuh – It’s everywhere. It’s a solid, a liquid, or a gas.
5. Floating and Sinking by Amy Hansen – Examines factors, such as density and shape, that determine whether a material will float or sink in water.
6. Floating and Sinking by Karen Bryant-Mole
7. Guess Whose Shadow? by Stephen R. Swinburne – Introduces children to the basics of shadows. Go on a shadow hunt, playing a game called “Guess Whose Shadow?,” in which young ones will discover there’s more to shadows than first meets the eye.
8. Hot and Cold by Sian Smith – Young readers are shown fun and familiar examples of hot and cold things and quized on their ability to identify things that are hot or cold.
9. Light: Shadows, Mirrors, and Rainbows by Natalie Rosinsky – Learn about light, and discover how to make reflections, shadows, and rainbows.
10. Magnet Max by Monica Lozano Hughes – Magnet Max loves experimenting with magnets. He knows all about how they work and loves using them to attract new types of things. But when he shows them to his friend Nick, the other boy is baffled. Will magnets stick to a paperclip? A refrigerator? A horse? How do they work, anyway? It must be magic!
11. Magnets Push, Magnets Pull by Mark Weakland – Can a magnet really crush a car? How do magnets stick to the fridge without tape or glue? Discover the wonder and science of magnets.
12. Magnets: Pulling Together, Pushing Apart by Natalie Rosinsky – Compasses and magnetite, magnetic poles and motors – learn about how magnets affect our lives.
13. Matter: See It, Touch It, Taste It, Smell It by Darlene Stille – The states of matter (solids, liquids, and gases) are explained and demonstrated. Includes an experiment to try.
14. Mickey’s Magnet by Crockett Johnson
15. Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch – One sunny day Bear decides to go fishing, but his shadow keeps scaring the fish away, time and time again. Bear tries everything he can think of to get rid of this pesky nuisance. And at last he succeeds—or so he thinks!
16. Shadows and Reflections by Tana Hoban – Shadows and reflections are all around us — under our feet, over our heads, directly in front of us.
17. Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Carol K. Lindeen – Text and photographs introduce matter, solids, liquids, and gases.
18. Sound: Loud, Soft, High, and Low by Natalie Rosinsky – Sound is created through vibrations that vary in pitch and volume. This creates sound-waves that you can hear. Includes experiments.
19. Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer – Sounds are all around us. Clap your hands, snap your fingers: You’re making sounds. Read and find out how people and animals use different kinds of sounds to communicate.
20. Temperature: Heating Up and Cooling Down by Darlene Stille – A temperature can be hot or cold, and can be measured by a thermometer. Use Fahrenheit or Celsius to take the temperature of items.
21. What Can Magnets Do? by Allan Fowler
22. What Is Sound? by Charlotte Guillain – Can you hear a whistle from a long way away?
23. What Makes a Magnet? by Franklyn M. Branley – Will a magnet pick up a paper clip or a feather? The answer is, just the paper clip. Magnets only pick up things that contain bits of iron. Hands-on activities include making a magnet and compass.
24. Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen – Beside the sea, there once lived a cow, a donkey, a sheep, a pig, and a tiny little mouse. One warm, sunny morning–for no particular reason–they decided to go for a row in the bay. Do you know who sank the boat?
25. Who Will See Their Shadows This Year? by Jerry Pallotta – It’s February 2 and all the animals are tired of winter. But why should the groundhog always be famous for seeing his shadow? Who else wants to try? A chicken? A polar bear? A camel?
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