Kids LOVE bugs, right? Help them learn more about insects by reading these best nonfiction children’s books about insects and non-insect bugs like worms and arachnids.
If your kids don’t love bugs yet, maybe these books will get them interested.
Also, it’s always good to get hands-on. Observe insects in nature. Make a worm garden. (Those are fun!) Use a microscope to investigate safe bugs close up. Play Guess What Bug with plastic bugs. That sort of thing…
Best Children’s Books About Bugs (Insects)
Heads and Tails: Insects by John Canty
Clues in typewriter text prompt readers to think before they turn the page to find the right insect. Then watercolor, pen and ink illustrations, and large text give the answers. Answers like grasshopper, mosquito, praying mantis, and more. Engaging and playful.
Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel
Simple text and lovely illustrations peak young readers’ interest in bugs. Some bugs bite, some stink, and some roll in a ball. It’s a great introduction to the creepy, crawly natural world.
The Spider by Elise Gravel
Easy to read with cartoon-like illustrations, beginning readers can learn a lot from this funny early reader book. I love how Gravel makes nonfiction come alive.
The Flyby Elise Gravel D
o you know there are more than 100,000 species of flies? Appealing conversational language and funny illustrations entrance readers as they learn all about the fly.
Little Kids First Big Book of Bugs by Catherine D. Hughes Learn all about the most popular backyard bugs like butterflies, ladybugs, and lightning bugs. Gorgeous photography throughout.
Bug Sandwich by Brady Smith
This kid is sick of all the bugs biting him, so he decides to retaliate –and bite the bugs back. He searches for the best bugs to make a bug sandwich and is impressed with their amazing weaving, super strength, and house-building. Just as the boy is about to eat the sandwich, the bugs plead with him and explain that he’s been hitting them first. The boy is convinced and leaves his sandwich without eating it…just in time for his dad to eat it!
A Beetle Is Shy by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long
The descriptive text shares the life of a beetle starting with an egg and the different characteristics of kinds of beetles — big, small, digger, runner, and shy…Written in narrative, lyrical verse with additional informational text below, this book gives readers lots of opportunities to engage.
What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon? and Other Questions About Moths & Butterflies by Rachel Ignotofsky
BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS
Just wait until you see the gorgeous illustrations throughout this book. I could frame them all! Learn all about moths and butterflies, starting with their differences, their life stages, their metamorphosis, their anatomy, and more interesting information about their diet, mating, and spreading pollen. Kids will love reading about these important insects. Perfect for primary-grade classrooms and homes.
Home Is Calling The Journey of the Monarch Butterfly written by Katherine Pryor, illustrated by Ellie Peterson This exceptional picture book shows the monarch butterflies’ long journey, traveling day after day to a new home, distant relatives, and safety. Written from the “we” point of view, the butterflies see sunsets and sunrises, sunsets and sunrises. They fly and fly, feast and drink, shelter and huddle, soar and ride the wind. After two months, they arrive, safe at last, to their new home with all the other orange and black butterflies!! The stunning illustrated pages are filled with monarchs in motion.
Bugs A to Z by Caroline Lawton
Bright photographs with clear text give readers plenty to read from A for ant to Z for Zebra tarantulas.
Fandex Kids Bugs
The brightly illustrated cards fan out, and each one of the 35 bugs has a uniquely shaped top. Pick one and read the information including what their bite is like and other information from nature.
The Big Book of Bugs by Yuval Zoomer
Whimsical illustrated bugs dance across the pages paired with simple information text. This book is written in a conversational way with plenty of questions so that children engage with the content.
Edit PostSteve the Dung Beetle on a Roll by Susan R. Stoltz, illustrated by Melissa Bailey
As Steve rolls his ball of poo, he answers questions from the other African animals; questions which explain what and why he’s doing. He’s recycling poo to make a bed for the baby dung beetles and to help control the number of flies and insects that bite the big animals like a warthog. Learn how he navigates, why he rolls it with his back legs, and more! This is a great introduction to a weird and cool insect.Cicada Symphony by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Gareth Lucas
From their beginnings as nymphs below ground, this exciting adventure shows the cicada life cycle and I love it! Large text shares a narrative story: “To the surface, up they go. No one tells them. They just know. Gripping tight for one last change. Split. Pop! Wriggle. Looking strange.” Smaller text with informational facts peppers the pages, too. “Cicadas can be as noisy as a lawnmower, motorcycle, or chainsaw.” This impressive book will appeal to all readers and parents.
Icky Bug Alphabet by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Ralph Masiello
Don’t you love icky bugs? Use this book to inspire learning about insects, or to write your own alphabet book by theme!
My Nature Sticker Activity Book: Butterflies of the World by Olivia Cosneau
Learn about butterflies with information and interactive sticker activities.
The Bug Book by Sue Fliess The bugs fly, creep, and twirl through the pages of this fun rhyming book. Great photographs perfectly capture the bugs’ adventures.
Bee and Me by Alison Jay
This is a beautiful wordless picture book about a girl who befriends a bee. She and her bee friend spread pollen for beautiful flowers around the city so that even when the bee must leave, the girl can always remember her friend through the flowers. Use this to start a discussion about bees and what they do for the world. (See wordless picture books and literacy activities here.)
Hello, Little One: A Monarch Butterfly Story by Zeena M. Pliska, illustrated by Fiona Halliday
Not only is this a brilliant circular story that shows the circular life cycle but it’s a sweet friendship story, too. The caterpillar meets a butterfly who tells him all about the world and then must say goodbye. Written in first person with vivid verbs and evocative illustrations, this is an essential picture book for the classroom. “I am graceful and beautiful. I can flit, flutter, and fly.”
Find more butterfly books and activities here!
I liked this picture book with comic dialogue about the oft-neglected fly. You see, kids always study butterflies and rarely know that flies metamorphose, too. Now Fly wants you to know more about him! Flies are quite interesting — they make noise, they have big families, and help solve crimes.
We Dig Worms! by Kevin McCloskey
I love, love, love this early reader book! It’s a Toon Book Early Reader so you know from the get-go that it’s going to be cartoon images, but you won’t know how the author makes worms seem so fascinating. He does this with eye-popping illustrations and one sentence of text per page that explain something about worms.
The Secret Life of Bugs and Other Little Critters by Emmanuelle Figueras, illustrated by Alexander Vidal
Wait until you peek inside this book and see the laser cuts of leaves on trees, bee hives, and spider webs! The book shares interesting information about bugs like ants, butterflies, damselflies, spiders, and bees.
Egg to Bee LifeCyclesby Camilla de la Bedoyere
Large pages, colorful photographs, oversized print, bolded vocabulary words, and interesting information make this a good addition to any elementary classroom. You’ll learn about the bees, hive, laying eggs, growing and eating, queen, and more. This is just one in the new easy nonfiction picture books in the LifeCycles series.
Hello Honeybees by Hannah Rogge, illustrated by Emily Dove
Kids will love attached bees that can buzz through this hive-shaped shaped board book! Narrated by the bees, your young naturalists will learn about sipping the flower’s nectar, doing the waggle dance, and making honey.
When the Bees Buzzed Off! by Lula Bell, illustrated by Stephen Bennett
The bugs are panicked because they can’t find the bees. They search and search everywhere for the bees who pollinate plants which hungry bugs like to eat. Silly conversations filled with personality pepper their search as well as lift-the-flaps to learn information about bees. Soon Worm, Snail, and Beetle are almost ready to give up — until they finally find the bees in a field of flowers. To get the bees back to their garden, the bugs collect wildflower seeds and plant them…and the bees come back! Kids will resonate with these charming bugs’ search as well as learn the importance of bees in the world.
Step Gently Out, by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder The tiny insects become magnified in Lieder’s gorgeous close-up photography: an ant dangling off a small green stem, the geometric, translucent wings of a dragonfly, and a bee suspended mid-flight. The poetic verse whispers love for the simpleness of nature.
Step gently out,
be still, and watch a single blade of grass.
How to Survive as a Firefly by Kristen Foote, illustrated by Erica Salcedo
My kids love this book! Hear from a firefly everything you need to know to go from larvae to adulthood. The conversational tone engages readers into learning without it being boring. “Did you enjoy your month as an egg, relaxing in the dirt? Good! Because you have LOTS of work to do if you want to make it to the pupa stage, let a lone become an adult Photinus pyralis firefly! Yes?” Fun facts sprinkle throughout this very informative book. You’re going to love the super cute cartoon-like illustrations with text in conversation bubbles.
Just Like Us! ANTS by Bridget Heos, illustrated by David Clark A mix of cartoons and illustrations, this is a visual feast for the eyes! Then read the text all about ants. So cool and so much information! (Start your own Ant Farm after reading this!)
Strange Nature: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss by Gregory Mone, photographs by Levon Biss Stunning photographs labeled with information about cool insects like the tiger beetle, mantis-fly, and the Orchid Cuckoo Bee accompany kid-friendly informational writing with the perfect amount of text to keep readers learning and engaged. Read where each insect lives, their size, the most important information about the insect. You’ll love this bug book because both the photos and the writing are AMAZING.
Caterpillar and Bean A First Science Storybookby Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Hannah Tolson
This is the story of a seed wedged in a crack in the ground that swells with the rain. See how the root pushes out the shoots and leaves. This is also the story of a caterpillar who hatches from an egg, eats and eats the leaves of the plant, and turns into a beautiful butterfly. You’ll enjoy the enthusiastic, lyrical story which develops several naturalist topics including seed and plant growth and the life cycle of a butterfly in this latest nonfiction picture book in Martin Jenkin’s First Science Storybook series.
Moth & Butterfly by Dev Petty, illustrated by Ana Aranda
Two good caterpillar friends with a lot in common go through the amazing process of metamorphosis. Then they pop out of their cocoons– one, a butterfly, and the other, a moth. Now they have new differences. Butterfly’s wings are colorful and Moth’s are beige. Butterfly flies during the day and Moth flies at night. Even still, some things are still the same — they still have cool moves and a good friendship.
Worlds Strangest Creepy-Crawlies Top 40 Weird and Wonderful Hair-Raising Bugs
Big, bold text and huge color photographs catch your attention immediately starting with #40, the elephant beetle and ending with #1, the exploding ant. Huh!? Yes, this ant from Malaysia explodes and dies — yikes! Each bug featured gets a 1- or 2-page spread including important facts, a habitat map, photographs, and ratings on the “strangeometer” for creepiness, superpowers, bug beauty, and fight factor. Irresistible!
Bee by David Hawcock and Lee Montgomery
This is a short, fun, and factual lift-the-flap, pop-up book.
The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins Discover the world of beetles, the many different sizes and shapes as well as their behaviors, life cycles, communication, and more. Jenkins illustrations of beetles are eye-catching.
Yucky Worms by Vivian French, illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg
The cover and illustrations drew me into this picture book; the writing kept me reading. Learn how important worms are to the growing plants as well as the danger worms face.
Illumibugs: Explore the world of minibeasts with your magic 3 color lensby Carnovsky, illustrated by Barbara Taylor
Hold up the detachable color lens up to the colorful illustrations organized by continent, and you’ll see bugs POP out and off the pages! Informational text pages in black and white provide more information on each bug so readers can learn about the bugs they see. FUN!
Fly Guy Presents Scary Creatures! by Tedd Arnold
Get 5 books in 1 in this large-sized book filled with these level 2 titles: Sharks, Dinosaurs, Insects, Bats, and Snakes. Fly Guy and Buzz visit places like the aquarium or the museum to learn about different creatures. Colorful drawings and photographs illustrate the topics about which they’re learning with an appealing layout. The text of facts and conversation bubbles are just-right and comprehensible for growing readers.
Insect Superpowers 18 Real Bugs that Smash, Zap, Hypnotize, Sting, and Devour! by Kate Messner, illustrated by Jillian Nickell
Styled to look like a comic book of superhero action with oversized pictures and the occasional large comic-style typeface of smack! pow! and chomp! impress upon the reader just how super these superbugs are. Bugs like the Green tiger beetle, the fastest of all insects. Messner shares the must-know basics (name, size, hideout, superpower) then launches into fascinating details about each including what they eat (favorite foods) and who eats them (archenemies). Action-filled cartoon panels show a bug stalking and then devouring its food. Interesting insets of information narrate more facts about each insect. What kid could resist reading this enthralling tome!?
What a fantastic beginning chapter book. It’s full-color with photographs, illustrations, and a kid-friendly design. The text size itself is perfect for elementary readers, slightly bigger than typical nonfiction books of this length with decent white space in between the lines and around it. I’m impressed with the way this book series delivers factual information without dumbing it down or making it too difficult to read.
Paint by Sticker Kids Beautiful Bugs I’ve already done one of these myself, they’re so fun! (But I wish my fingers were kid-sized so it would be a bit easier.) However, these are meant for kids so I suppose I better share… The sticker bugs are like a paint by number only with stickers. Look on the sticker page for the correct number. Then match it to the spot on the bug illustration. The book has perforated pages making tearing out the sticker page and the art easy. Would your kids like this sticker book?
Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, teacher, author, and freelance writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Brightly for Penguin Random House, USA Today Health, Colorado Parent, and Parenting.
Heads and Tails: Insects by John Canty
Clues in typewriter text prompt readers to think before they turn the page to find the right insect. Then watercolor, pen and ink illustrations, and large text give the answers. Answers like grasshopper, mosquito, praying mantis, and more. Engaging and playful.
Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel
Simple text and lovely illustrations peak young readers’ interest in bugs. Some bugs bite, some stink, and some roll in a ball. It’s a great introduction to the creepy, crawly natural world.
The Spider by Elise Gravel
Easy to read with cartoon-like illustrations, beginning readers can learn a lot from this funny early reader book. I love how Gravel makes nonfiction come alive.
The Fly by Elise Gravel D
o you know there are more than 100,000 species of flies? Appealing conversational language and funny illustrations entrance readers as they learn all about the fly.
Little Kids First Big Book of Bugs by Catherine D. Hughes Learn all about the most popular backyard bugs like butterflies, ladybugs, and lightning bugs. Gorgeous photography throughout.
Bug Sandwich by Brady Smith
This kid is sick of all the bugs biting him, so he decides to retaliate –and bite the bugs back. He searches for the best bugs to make a bug sandwich and is impressed with their amazing weaving, super strength, and house-building. Just as the boy is about to eat the sandwich, the bugs plead with him and explain that he’s been hitting them first. The boy is convinced and leaves his sandwich without eating it…just in time for his dad to eat it!
A Beetle Is Shy by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long
The descriptive text shares the life of a beetle starting with an egg and the different characteristics of kinds of beetles — big, small, digger, runner, and shy…Written in narrative, lyrical verse with additional informational text below, this book gives readers lots of opportunities to engage.
Bugs A to Z by Caroline Lawton
Bright photographs with clear text give readers plenty to read from A for ant to Z for Zebra tarantulas.
Fandex Kids Bugs
The brightly illustrated cards fan out, and each one of the 35 bugs has a uniquely shaped top. Pick one and read the information including what their bite is like and other information from nature.
The Big Book of Bugs by Yuval Zoomer
Whimsical illustrated bugs dance across the pages paired with simple information text. This book is written in a conversational way with plenty of questions so that children engage with the content.
Edit PostSteve the Dung Beetle on a Roll by Susan R. Stoltz, illustrated by Melissa Bailey
As Steve rolls his ball of poo, he answers questions from the other African animals; questions which explain what and why he’s doing. He’s recycling poo to make a bed for the baby dung beetles and to help control the number of flies and insects that bite the big animals like a warthog. Learn how he navigates, why he rolls it with his back legs, and more! This is a great introduction to a weird and cool insect.
Cicada Symphony by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Gareth Lucas
From their beginnings as nymphs below ground, this exciting adventure shows the cicada life cycle and I love it! Large text shares a narrative story: “To the surface, up they go. No one tells them. They just know. Gripping tight for one last change. Split. Pop! Wriggle. Looking strange.” Smaller text with informational facts peppers the pages, too. “Cicadas can be as noisy as a lawnmower, motorcycle, or chainsaw.” This impressive book will appeal to all readers and parents.
Icky Bug Alphabet by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Ralph Masiello
Don’t you love icky bugs? Use this book to inspire learning about insects, or to write your own alphabet book by theme!
My Nature Sticker Activity Book: Butterflies of the World by Olivia Cosneau
Learn about butterflies with information and interactive sticker activities.
The Bug Book by Sue Fliess
Bee and Me by Alison Jay
This is a beautiful wordless picture book about a girl who befriends a bee. She and her bee friend spread pollen for beautiful flowers around the city so that even when the bee must leave, the girl can always remember her friend through the flowers. Use this to start a discussion about bees and what they do for the world. (See wordless picture books and literacy activities here.)
Hello, Little One: A Monarch Butterfly Story by Zeena M. Pliska, illustrated by Fiona Halliday
Not only is this a brilliant circular story that shows the circular life cycle but it’s a sweet friendship story, too. The caterpillar meets a butterfly who tells him all about the world and then must say goodbye. Written in first person with vivid verbs and evocative illustrations, this is an essential picture book for the classroom. “I am graceful and beautiful. I can flit, flutter, and fly.”
Find more butterfly books and activities here!
I, Fly The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Jennifer Plecas
We Dig Worms! by Kevin McCloskey
I love, love, love this early reader book! It’s a Toon Book Early Reader so you know from the get-go that it’s going to be cartoon images, but you won’t know how the author makes worms seem so fascinating. He does this with eye-popping illustrations and one sentence of text per page that explain something about worms.
The Secret Life of Bugs and Other Little Critters by Emmanuelle Figueras, illustrated by Alexander Vidal
Wait until you peek inside this book and see the laser cuts of leaves on trees, bee hives, and spider webs! The book shares interesting information about bugs like ants, butterflies, damselflies, spiders, and bees.
Egg to Bee LifeCycles by Camilla de la Bedoyere
Large pages, colorful photographs, oversized print, bolded vocabulary words, and interesting information make this a good addition to any elementary classroom. You’ll learn about the bees, hive, laying eggs, growing and eating, queen, and more. This is just one in the new easy nonfiction picture books in the LifeCycles series.
Hello Honeybees by Hannah Rogge, illustrated by Emily Dove
Kids will love attached bees that can buzz through this hive-shaped shaped board book! Narrated by the bees, your young naturalists will learn about sipping the flower’s nectar, doing the waggle dance, and making honey.
When the Bees Buzzed Off! by Lula Bell, illustrated by Stephen Bennett
The bugs are panicked because they can’t find the bees. They search and search everywhere for the bees who pollinate plants which hungry bugs like to eat. Silly conversations filled with personality pepper their search as well as lift-the-flaps to learn information about bees. Soon Worm, Snail, and Beetle are almost ready to give up — until they finally find the bees in a field of flowers. To get the bees back to their garden, the bugs collect wildflower seeds and plant them…and the bees come back! Kids will resonate with these charming bugs’ search as well as learn the importance of bees in the world.
Step Gently Out, by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder The tiny insects become magnified in Lieder’s gorgeous close-up photography: an ant dangling off a small green stem, the geometric, translucent wings of a dragonfly, and a bee suspended mid-flight. The poetic verse whispers love for the simpleness of nature.
How to Survive as a Firefly by Kristen Foote, illustrated by Erica Salcedo
My kids love this book! Hear from a firefly everything you need to know to go from larvae to adulthood. The conversational tone engages readers into learning without it being boring. “Did you enjoy your month as an egg, relaxing in the dirt? Good! Because you have LOTS of work to do if you want to make it to the pupa stage, let a lone become an adult Photinus pyralis firefly! Yes?” Fun facts sprinkle throughout this very informative book. You’re going to love the super cute cartoon-like illustrations with text in conversation bubbles.
Just Like Us! ANTS by Bridget Heos, illustrated by David Clark A mix of cartoons and illustrations, this is a visual feast for the eyes! Then read the text all about ants. So cool and so much information! (Start your own Ant Farm after reading this!)
Strange Nature: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss by Gregory Mone, photographs by Levon Biss Stunning photographs labeled with information about cool insects like the tiger beetle, mantis-fly, and the Orchid Cuckoo Bee accompany kid-friendly informational writing with the perfect amount of text to keep readers learning and engaged. Read where each insect lives, their size, the most important information about the insect. You’ll love this bug book because both the photos and the writing are AMAZING.
Caterpillar and Bean A First Science Storybook by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Hannah Tolson
This is the story of a seed wedged in a crack in the ground that swells with the rain. See how the root pushes out the shoots and leaves. This is also the story of a caterpillar who hatches from an egg, eats and eats the leaves of the plant, and turns into a beautiful butterfly. You’ll enjoy the enthusiastic, lyrical story which develops several naturalist topics including seed and plant growth and the life cycle of a butterfly in this latest nonfiction picture book in Martin Jenkin’s First Science Storybook series.
Moth & Butterfly by Dev Petty, illustrated by Ana Aranda
Two good caterpillar friends with a lot in common go through the amazing process of metamorphosis. Then they pop out of their cocoons– one, a butterfly, and the other, a moth. Now they have new differences. Butterfly’s wings are colorful and Moth’s are beige. Butterfly flies during the day and Moth flies at night. Even still, some things are still the same — they still have cool moves and a good friendship.
Worlds Strangest Creepy-Crawlies Top 40 Weird and Wonderful Hair-Raising Bugs
Big, bold text and huge color photographs catch your attention immediately starting with #40, the elephant beetle and ending with #1, the exploding ant. Huh!? Yes, this ant from Malaysia explodes and dies — yikes! Each bug featured gets a 1- or 2-page spread including important facts, a habitat map, photographs, and ratings on the “strangeometer” for creepiness, superpowers, bug beauty, and fight factor. Irresistible!
Bee by David Hawcock and Lee Montgomery
This is a short, fun, and factual lift-the-flap, pop-up book.
The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins Discover the world of beetles, the many different sizes and shapes as well as their behaviors, life cycles, communication, and more. Jenkins illustrations of beetles are eye-catching.
Yucky Worms by Vivian French, illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg
The cover and illustrations drew me into this picture book; the writing kept me reading. Learn how important worms are to the growing plants as well as the danger worms face.
Illumibugs: Explore the world of minibeasts with your magic 3 color lens by Carnovsky, illustrated by Barbara Taylor
Hold up the detachable color lens up to the colorful illustrations organized by continent, and you’ll see bugs POP out and off the pages! Informational text pages in black and white provide more information on each bug so readers can learn about the bugs they see. FUN!
Fly Guy Presents Scary Creatures! by Tedd Arnold
Get 5 books in 1 in this large-sized book filled with these level 2 titles: Sharks, Dinosaurs, Insects, Bats, and Snakes. Fly Guy and Buzz visit places like the aquarium or the museum to learn about different creatures. Colorful drawings and photographs illustrate the topics about which they’re learning with an appealing layout. The text of facts and conversation bubbles are just-right and comprehensible for growing readers.
Insect Superpowers 18 Real Bugs that Smash, Zap, Hypnotize, Sting, and Devour! by Kate Messner, illustrated by Jillian Nickell
Styled to look like a comic book of superhero action with oversized pictures and the occasional large comic-style typeface of smack! pow! and chomp! impress upon the reader just how super these superbugs are. Bugs like the Green tiger beetle, the fastest of all insects. Messner shares the must-know basics (name, size, hideout, superpower) then launches into fascinating details about each including what they eat (favorite foods) and who eats them (archenemies). Action-filled cartoon panels show a bug stalking and then devouring its food. Interesting insets of information narrate more facts about each insect. What kid could resist reading this enthralling tome!?
BUGS! Animal Planet Amazing Animal Facts Chapter Books by James Buckley, Jr.
Paint by Sticker Kids Beautiful Bugs I’ve already done one of these myself, they’re so fun! (But I wish my fingers were kid-sized so it would be a bit easier.) However, these are meant for kids so I suppose I better share… The sticker bugs are like a paint by number only with stickers. Look on the sticker page for the correct number. Then match it to the spot on the bug illustration. The book has perforated pages making tearing out the sticker page and the art easy. Would your kids like this sticker book?
