Looking for zoo books for your preschool theme? Check out our favorites!
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BOOK LIST: ZOO BOOKS
One great theme to use in your preschool classroom or at home with your little ones is ZOO.
Preschoolers love this theme since they’re endlessly fascinated by animals at the zoo. Plus I love that you can teach this theme any time of the year…it’s not tied to one specific season or holiday.
Keep reading to check out some of our favorite Zoo books for preschool that you’ll definitely want to read to your little ones…plus I’ve included a freebie and a snack idea to make these books come alive!
Looking for Zoo activities to go along with these books? Check these out!
ZOO BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? Eric Carle has always been one of my favorite children’s authors. This book shows your little one different animal moms with their babies. Just like all of his books, the illustrations are bright and colorful, and the story is very sweet.
Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo: I think this book is such a fun read! The rhythmic text and great illustrations tell a story of animals taking over the orchestra. You’ll also find a CD included with the book.
Penguinaut! Orville is a little penguin with big dreams to get to the moon! But once he makes it there, he realizes he’s lonely without his zoo friends. I love the message behind this book, which is to be persistent, never give up, and value friends and family.
Ellie: Little Ellie the Elephant struggles to find her talent when trying to save her beloved zoo. When she finally picks up a paintbrush, she finds what she was meant to do. I love that this book shows the importance of not giving up and finding your own strengths!
How to Catch a Unicorn: My daughter is obsessed with unicorns, so this is a favorite in our house! The bright pictures and rhyming sentences take you through a day at the zoo while the kids are trying to catch a unicorn. Will they succeed in the end?!
Ten Playful Penguins: This is a playful spin on “Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.” Follow the little penguins as they interact with other animals. There are also 3D penguins on the pages, which is a wonderful sensory experience for our youngest learners.
Actual Size: This is a great book when learning about sizes and comparing different animals. There are incredible illustrations, fun facts, and lengths and weights of different animals.
ZooZical: This book is the cutest! You and your little one will both enjoy reading all about how the first ZooZical was made! There are also lines from recognizable songs in the story (ex: “The seals on the bus go round and round”) which makes it easy to sing along.
Midnight at the Zoo: This book is full of fun analogies and alliterations! Mia and Max have an adventure of a lifetime getting stuck in the zoo!
The Way to the Zoo: Sylvie finds a secret door to the zoo and you’ll never believe the adventures she has! Follow along and see all the animals she comes across.
Crock O’Clock: This is a fun spin on “The 12 Days of Christmas,” but instead of gifts, it’s the meals of a crocodile! This is a fun way to work on counting with your little one.
Yasmin the Zookeeper: This book has just three short chapters, making it a great first chapter book to read aloud to your preschooler. In the back of the book, you’ll find “think about it, talk about it” scenarios to talk about with your little. There is also information about Pakistan (Yasmin’s culture) and a fun activity!
ZOO BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
From Head to Toe: Here’s another classic Eric Carle book that’s sure to be a hit! This book contains colorful images of different animals doing different actions. Your little can mimic the actions of the animals on each page, which is a great way to get them up and moving.
What Do You Do If You Work at the Zoo?: This book will expose your child to a wide variety of animals. They’ll learn interesting facts and what it takes to care for these animals. The back of the book is filled with more information about animals and zoos around the world.
A Very Fiona Christmas: This book is adorable!! The zoo animals teach Fiona all about Christmas since this will be her first. Each page is filled with colorful illustrations and sure to keep your little’s attention.
River Rose and the Magical Lullaby: Grammy Award-winning musician Kelly Clarkson did such a great job when creating this book! River Rose and her pup, Joplin, have a big zoo adventure! It includes a lullaby that you and your little can listen to with the link included in the book.
The Opposite Zoo: This book uses zoo animals to teach your little all about opposites, which is a wonderful way to build their background knowledge and vocabulary.
Peek-a-Boo Zoo!: This book is adorable and such a quick and easy read. It has rhyming and interactive peek-a-boos with cutouts inside the book.
Wild About Books: I love the way this book reads with its great rhyming text and use of onomatopoeias. Find out which books the animals love! It also mentions well known books like Harry Potter and Goodnight Moon.
“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” Said the Sloth: Another Eric Carle favorite! Follow the day of a sleepy sloth with vibrant pictures through the entire book. You’ll also find a page in the back filled with animals and their names to help your little one learn more.
Wild About You! This book uses colorful images and fun little rhymes to talk about the babies in the zoo. There is even a fun interactive page where your little one can look for some of the babies.
Good Night, Gorilla: It’s bedtime at the zoo, and all the animals are going to sleep…or are they? This book has colorful pictures and very little text, making it a great bedtime story for your little one.
Construction Zoo: If your little one is a fan of construction books and zoos, this is the PERFECT book for them! This book tells the story of how the animals and construction trucks renovate the zoo. Your little one will love pointing out the similarities between the animals and construction machinery (like the elephant and bulldozer…they look so similar!) This is a great way to engage your little and make the book more interactive!
If Anything Ever Goes Wrong at the Zoo: Leslie asks to bring home animals every Saturday when she visits the zoo. One rainy day makes all her wishes come true! Read along to see how Leslie keeps the animals safe for the night.
ZOO BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Giraffes Can’t Dance: The annual Jungle Dance is coming, and Gerald is ready to dance…but when the animals tease him, how will he respond? You’ll see all kinds of zoo animals in this book (even though they’re not in a zoo). There is rhyming and a great message of embracing your differences! *If you love this book, check out these activities we’ve paired with it to bring it to life!*
What Do They Do With All That Poo?: This book takes an educational approach to explaining how animals digest and produce waste. There are a lot of facts about how the animals feed and process food.
Jack at the Zoo: This is a cute little chapter book simple enough to read during one sitting or for multiple bedtime stories! Simple sentences and rhymes tell the story of a mix up at the zoo.
Dear Zoo: Another favorite interactive book! A kid writes to the zoo asking for a pet, and the zoo responds by sending different animals. Your little one will love lifting the flaps to see what the zoo has sent them! Which animal will the kid keep? This book has simple and short sentences, making it a good read for any age! *If you love this book, check out these activities we’ve paired with it to bring it to life!*
Dear Zoo Animal Shapes: This book piggy-backs off “Dear Zoo” and is great for exposing your little one to different animals found in the zoo. It also has the cutest illustrations!
Waddle! This book is one of my favorites for this theme! It’s a “scanimation” book, which means as you turn the page, you’ll see the animals move! Your little can even do the motions along with the animals for a more interactive experience!
Zoo’s Who?: This is one of my favorites for our youngest learners. It combines learning about animals with sensory exposure. Each page allows your little one to feel different textures associated with the animals.
Elephant (Wiggle-Waggles): I was initially drawn to this book for the cute and moveable book cover. The story about a friendly little elephant is just as adorable as the cover. It’s a short and sweet read with rhymes throughout.
My First Peek-a-Boo Animals: I love this book because of how interactive it is. You will read clues to your little one about the animal behind the flap. When you’re ready, lift the flap and find out if you were right! This is such a fun way to learn about different animals.
Zoo Babies! This book has the most adorable real life photos of baby animals, and the short rhyming sentences are perfect for any age.
Good Night Zoo: This book has beautiful illustrations and takes you through a day at the zoo. You’ll start by greeting the gorilla in the morning and end by wishing sweet dreams to the polar bears.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?: Another great Eric Carle book! If your little one is a fan of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? then they’ll love this one, too. It includes colorful images, rhymes, and the noises animals make.
That’s Not My Panda: I love this book, not just for the cute panda, but also for the sensory aspect! Each page has a part of the panda that your little can feel and learn about different types of textures.
ZOO BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
My Big Animal Book: This is another great interactive book! It has real photographs of different animals and divides them into categories (pets, farm, etc). On each page, a clue is written and your little guesses the animal described.
1, 2, 3 to the Zoo: A Counting Book: Another Eric Carle choice on this list! In this book, each car on the train has one more zoo animal than the car before, which makes it ideal for practicing counting with your little one. In true Eric Carle fashion, the illustrations are fantastic and colorful!
Xander’s Panda Party: Xander the Panda wants to host a panda party at the zoo, but there’s a problem…he’s the only panda! He then expands his party to all the bears and invites Koala, but she’s not a bear at all…she’s a marsupial! Xander has to rethink his plan if he wants to have a fun party!
The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo: This is such a fun series where the Gingerbread Man gets loose at different places such as school & on a firetruck. In this version, the Gingerbread Man runs loose at the zoo and has to solve riddles to catch up with his class (and avoid being eaten!)
Will Giraffe Laugh? Giraffe is cranky today, and his friends want to cheer him up. Will they succeed and find out laughter is truly the best medicine for a case of the grumpies?! If your little one has ever been in a grumpy mood, they’re sure to relate to Giraffe!
ZOO SNACK
Want to pair one of your zoo preschool books with a fun snack? Try these delicious Monkey Cookies! Your preschooler is sure to enjoy making (and eating!) these adorable animals. Click here to find the directions to this yummy snack!
MOVE LIKE AN ANIMAL ZOO FREEBIE
If you’re looking for a great zoo freebie for your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten kiddos, try “Move Like an Animal.” This game combines literacy AND gross motor skills and goes along perfectly with your zoo theme. Click here to read more about it and grab a copy for your kiddos!
ZOO MATH & LITERACY PRINTABLES
I hope this book list helped you fill-in your zoo lesson plans for your preschool classroom or homeschool. If you want an entire pack of printable math & literacy centers for this theme, check out my A Day at the Zoo Preschool Activity Pack.
SHARE YOUR FAVORITES
Do you have any favorite Zoo books for preschool? I’d love to hear them and add them to our list! Comment below or find me on Instagram [@littleslovelearningblog].
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Looking for other book lists for preschool and kindergarten? Click HERE to check them out!
Happy Learning!
