Life Science 

"I Hear a Pickle: and Smell, See, Touch, & Taste It, Too!" by Rachel Isadora is a delightful picture book that introduces kindergarteners to the five senses through relatable everyday activities. The book begins by listing the five senses, providing a clear introduction to the concepts that will be explored in greater detail. Each sense—hearing, smelling, seeing, touching, and tasting—gets its own section, featuring simple sentences and engaging illustrations. In each section, the book explains each sense using various examples that are easy for young children to understand. It also clearly identifies which body part is responsible for each sense. Moreover, every page depicts children experiencing their senses in familiar situations, making it easy for kindergarteners to connect the ideas to their own lives. This book would make an excellent read-aloud choice, helping to solidify students' understanding of the five senses and how they are used every day.

“Look, Listen, Taste, Touch, and Smell” by Pamela Hill Nettleton is a clear and engaging nonfiction picture book that explains the five senses and how we use them every day. Each sense is presented in its own section, accompanied by examples that illustrate how we experience it in our daily lives. For instance, it mentions hearing music, tasting ice cream, and feeling something soft. The book also describes the body parts responsible for our five senses, making it even easier for young children, such as kindergarteners, to understand. 

"What’s Alive?" by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld is a nonfiction book designed to help kindergarteners explore the differences between living and non-living things. The author uses simple questions and colorful illustrations to help children identify the characteristics of all living things. The main idea of this book is to demonstrate that, despite their diverse appearances, living things share common characteristics, including humans. For example, living things grow, breathe, eat, and move. The book also emphasizes that plants are indeed living things, even though they don’t move like humans and animals. This book explains the difference between living and non-living things from a fun perspective, making it engaging and easy for young students to understand.

"Living and Nonliving" by Carol K. Lindeen is a picture book that uses real-life photographs to explore the concept of categorizing the world into living and nonliving things. The book identifies the characteristics of living things, highlighting their need for water, food, air, and space to survive. It contrasts these living things with nonliving things, noting that the latter do not require anything to live, nor do they grow or change. The side-by-side photographic examples, such as a bird next to a ball, make these comparisons easy for young students to understand. Additionally, at the end of the book, a section is included that invites readers to identify which photos depict living things and which show nonliving things, allowing students to engage their critical thinking skills. This book serves as an excellent introduction to the concept of living and nonliving things, providing a clear foundation of knowledge.

"My Baby Blue Jays" by John Berendt is a beautifully photographed nonfiction book that tells the true story of a pair of baby blue jays growing up right outside the author's window. Berendt shares his firsthand observations as he watches the baby birds hatch, grow, and learn to fly with the help of their blue jay parents. Through his photographs, Berendt captures the lives of these two baby blue jays, providing a great way for young students to visually see how the babies resemble their parents and rely on them for survival while also observing the life cycle of a blue jay. The book discusses how the babies need food, shelter, and space to live. Berendt walks readers through the life cycle of a bird, from egg to fledgling, using this real-life example. Lastly, through his writing and photographs, children can see the similarities between offspring and their parents, supporting the idea that while offspring are similar, they are not identical to their parents. This book is an excellent resource for laying the foundation during lessons on the basic needs of life and life processes.

"What Do Living Things Need?" by Elizabeth Austen is a concise and accessible picture book that explains the essential needs shared by all living things. Each page features clear text paired with real-life photographs. For example, one page states, “Living things need water,” and includes an image of a raccoon drinking water next to a water lily. While the concepts are straightforward, this book effectively introduces the idea that all living things require food, water, air, shelter, and space to thrive. It also includes a science activity for the class, promoting hands-on learning and enhancing students' understanding. Additionally, the book contains questions that encourage kindergarteners to observe and reflect on their environments, fostering critical thinking. A glossary is also provided for quick reference to key vocabulary terms, like what is meant by "space" in this context. Overall, this engaging and straightforward picture book is an excellent resource for helping young students develop a solid foundational understanding of the basic needs of living things.

"The Amazing Life Cycle of Butterflies" by Kay Barnham, illustrated by Maddie Frost, is an engaging book that guides readers through each stage of a butterfly's life, from egg to caterpillar, chrysalis, and finally to adult butterfly. The book features playful illustrations and age-appropriate explanations of metamorphosis, making it a valuable resource for understanding life cycles. Additionally, it includes facts and diagrams about butterflies, highlighting that many species are endangered due to the use of pesticides and the lack of suitable habitats. This book would be an excellent read-aloud in a kindergarten classroom, especially during lessons focused on the introduction of life cycles.

"Are You My Mother?" by P.D. Eastman tells the story of a baby bird searching for its mother. During its search, the baby bird encounters various animals, including a cow, a dog, and even a construction vehicle, asking each one, “Are you my mother?” Ultimately, the baby bird joyfully reunites with its mother. This book emphasizes the idea that while offspring may not be identical to their parents, they often share similarities and belong to the same species. As a fictional picture book, it is an excellent read-aloud choice for kindergarteners learning about animal offspring and the ways they are alike and different from their parents.