Check out my list of 27 nocturnal animal books for little learners. Bring nature into the classroom & watch your little learners transform into scientists! I created this booklist for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students. The texts are just the right length, have simple vocabulary, and have captivating pictures and illustrations! Look at how I incorporate these books into my classroom with my nocturnal animals’ activities and centers.
Struggling to find resources to accompany a study on nocturnal animals? I’ve got you covered with my Nocturnal Animals Math and Literacy Centers and my Science for Little Learners Nocturnal Animals Unit!
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Fiction Books
Five Green and Speckled Frogs The first book on the nocturnal animal books for little learners is a fun sing-along book. Your little learners will enjoy singing and rhyming about the frogs sitting on a log. Practice counting backward and forwards, rhyming, shapes, and so much more.
10 Hooting Owls Another great book to practice counting backward and forwards! This rhyming book is silly and will engage your kids as they listen to see what happens to the next owl.
Bats at the Library is a book that your little learners will love! The bats come into the library at night and create mischief of all kinds. They even have a storytime! Preschoolers and kindergarteners will love seeing what they do next and will want to visit the library to explore!
Five Little Bats Flying in the Night is a great introduction to bats for little learners. It shows your students they are beneficial and not so scary.
Flashlight is a wordless book that will allow your little learners to use their imaginations to create the story! The characters are on a camping trip and want to explore the night. The beam of light allows the readers to see what is out there. This book tries to help children see that the dark doesn’t have to be such a scary thing.
More Nocturnal Animal Books for Little Learners
I’m Not Sleepy! is a book that will become a favorite in your classroom! Mo doesn’t want to go to sleep, but it is bedtime! Then, Grandma decides that she is going to bed instead and Mo will have to tucker her in. Mo quickly understands the role reversal; your students will be giggling all the way to the end. It truly is a relatable book!
Itsy Bitsy Spider is a classic that most all your kids will be familiar with. This well-loved tale is a fun way to introduce spiders while getting your kids active and moving with the hand gestures that go along with the rhyme. I’ll bet they will want to read it over and over again!
Little Owl’s Night is a fun twist on a bedtime story. As he wakes up from sleeping all day, he watches his friends come to life in the dark. He just can’t imagine that the daytime is more fun than this! Just as Momma Owl starts to describe the daytime; he drifts off to sleep.
Mouse Count is a great book to incorporate counting into your reading time. A hungry snake finds 10 little mice and counts them as he puts them into a jar for his dinner. The mice are smart and will find a way to outwit him!
In Night Animals, the animals hear something in the dark. What could it be? They are all scared until the bat comes and tells them they are the night animals! Your students will giggle and laugh at this funny story about the animals being afraid of the dark.
Even More Fiction Book Choices!
Owl Babies is a story about 3 young owls that wake up to find their Momma gone! They begin to worry and wonder where she is and if she will come back. When Momma arrives back home, she is greeted with dancing and wing flapping!
Owl Bat Bat Owl is another wordless book that your preschoolers and kindergarteners will enjoy! Your students will love telling you what they think is happening on each page. The illustrator does a wonderful job at showing facial expressions and allowing the story to unfold with no words. The owls live on the branch and one day the bats move in below. Will they be friends?
The Croaky Pokey is going to be a favorite in your classroom! This book is a spin on the Hokey Pokey but with a frog twist! Your students will be moving and grooving when you read this book!
Need More Ideas?
The Very Busy Spider is a tale about a little spider who is very determined to get her web spun before nightfall. The spider isn’t going to be distracted by the farm animals. She is too busy! Will she get her web done before dark? Read the story to find out!
The Very Lonely Firefly is a companion read to the book above. The firefly goes into the night to find some friends but he only finds a candle, a lantern, and other glowing things in the night. Your little learners will sit and listen waiting to see if he finds what he is looking for!
Another great book by Eric Carle is The Very Quiet Cricket. Join this little cricket as he tries to find his voice. He keeps meeting lots of other insects that all make a noisy hello, but he is just quiet. Until one day he meets someone special…the final page makes a real cricket sound and your little learners will love it!
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is a classic childrens’ rhyme that they will love to repeat with you. See lots of baby animals and their families as they sing this lullaby good night.
Walter’s Wonderful Web is a great book to use with little learners! It talks about spiders and their webs, but also takes you on an adventure with Walter. He is trying to create the perfect web and tries out different shapes. What shape will be the best? This book is a fun way to incorporate math into your nocturnal animal study.
Nonfiction Books
The first book on the nonfiction list is called Bats by Gail Gibbons. She does a wonderful job at teaching kids about bats and their echolocation. The author provides a ton of fascinating information in a simple-to-understand format and uses kid-friendly vocabulary. Gibbons also talks about the efforts to protect bats and their habitats.
Next up, another book about Bats! This book has amazing real-life photos that show bats up close! The text offers lots of facts about bats but isn’t too overwhelming for little learners.
Bats by National Geographics Kids is a great addition to your preschool or kindergarten library. This book was written with little learners in mind. The information is presented clearly and the pictures are awesome and will be helpful in your classroom! They even include some resources in the back to extend learning.
Hedgehogs is a simple nonfiction text about these cute little critters! Learn about how hedgehogs have adapted to hunt for food at night, about their rough fur for protection, and more.
Nighttime is a great book written by National Geographic Kids. This book is perfect for little learners that are curious about the nighttime and the night sky. They will learn about stars and animals that come out in the night. The pictures are amazing and will draw your students in!
Keep Reading for More Nonfiction Nocturnal Animal Books for Little Learners
Nocturnal Animals shows kids all the fascinating ways that animals survive in the dark. From really big eyes and ears to the bat’s echolocation, they will learn about how these animals find food when the sky is dark. The photographs are wonderful and will captivate your little learners.
Opossums is a quick read about these interesting creatures. This book is simple and introduces marsupials in an easy-to-understand way. It talks about how they survive and provides real-life images to enhance the simple vocabulary.
Raccoons is a nonfiction text that is perfect for little scientists! The vocabulary is simple but provides the students with learning opportunities. The pictures are great and will draw your little learners in!
Take a look at Red Foxes and how they live in the wild. They are great hunters, and they like to hunt at nighttime. The vocabulary is simple and just the right level for preschoolers and kindergarteners! The photos are real-life images that will interest your readers!
I hope you enjoyed my booklist of 27 nocturnal animal books for little learners. These titles are used in my classroom, and my students and I love them! I know yours will too! Click over and read about my Nocturnal Animals Activities and Centers and grab a FREEBIE!
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For more of my favorite books, check out my themed Book List Blog Series that features themed book lists to accompany your lessons and activities! These are sure to keep your library shelves full! If there is a book list for a theme you need, just let us know so we can create it for you!
hey, i’m jackie!
I’m Jackie, your go-to girl for early childhood inspiration and research-based curriculum.