Growing List of Children’s Books About Nocturnal Animals

Nocturnal animals are active at night and we never see many of them during the day. Discover all the fascinating creatures you have been missing by reading a great book.

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Nonfiction

Beginning Reader

 

Nocturnal Animals by Abbie Dunne

An introduction to animals that are active a night. Features short sentences, controlled vocabulary, and big, enticing photographs. The back matter includes an activity suggestion.

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Capstone Press (August 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1515709787
ISBN-13: 978-1515709787

Many beginning reader books focus on one particular type of nocturnal animal, such as the following:

Porcupines (Nocturnal Animals) by Mary R. Dunn

Did you know that one reason we rarely see porcupines is because they are nocturnal?

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Series: Nocturnal Animals
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Capstone Press (February 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1429661933
ISBN-13: 978-1429661935

 

Fireflies (Nocturnal Animals) by Mary R. Dunn

Fireflies are beetles that light up the night with their ability to glow.

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Series: Nocturnal Animals
Publisher: Capstone Press (August 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1429671203
ISBN-13: 978-1429671200

 

Raccoons (Nocturnal Animals) by J. Angelique Johnson

Raccoons are nocturnal animals.

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: Capstone Press (February 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1429661941
ISBN-13: 978-1429661942

 

Picture Books

 

Night Creatures: Animals That Swoop, Crawl, and Creep While You Sleep by Rebecca E. Hirsch and illustrated by Sonia Possentini

As the sun sets, night creatures awaken. While camping out in their rural backyard, a parent and child watch bats flap, bobcats pounce, and rabbits race. Gorgeous  illustrations bring the nocturnal world to life in this lyrical and informative picture book.

Be sure to check out the incredible free activity guide to accompany the book. It is perfect for any unit on nocturnal animals. Rebecca has instructions for taking a night hike, as well as activities that reflect how your senses change in the dark. What might you touch and feel? How might your color vision change? What might you hear? What might you smell?

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 – 10 years
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Millbrook Press ™ (September 7, 2021)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1541581296
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1541581296

You’re Invited to a Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration by Loree Burns and photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

What is a moth ball? It is a nighttime party to attract moths to your yard. Learn how to make a moth bait that will attract  buggy guests (recipe included). Or you can entice moths by hanging a sheet over a line with a light shining through (instructions included). Then wait for the guests to arrive!

The book is illustrated with lovely photographs taken at an actual moth party. They look like so much fun.

See more and activity suggestions at Growing with Science.

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 – 8 years
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Charlesbridge; Illustrated edition (April 7, 2020)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1580896863
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1580896863

Night Creepers by Linda Stanek and illustrated by Shennen Bersani

 

The simple, lovely text makes it shine. The detailed sidebars and extensive back matter sends it to another level of usefulness for educators.

Direct link to extensive .pdf teaching guide

Age Range: 3 – 7 years
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing (September 10, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1607183234
ISBN-13: 978-1607183235

Nocturnal Animals (Learn about Animal Behavior) by Kelli L. Hicks and  Bernd Heinrich (Consultant Editor)

 

This title is an informational book for children in first and second grade.

Age Range: 6 – 9 years
Publisher: Capstone Press (August 1, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1429693126
ISBN-13: 978-1429693127

In his newest picture book, The Bat Book illustrated by Nate Jensen and Tristan Jensen, Conrad Storad uses a story within a story format to engage young readers. He also throws lots of science into the mix.

In the book Little Boy Bat, the main character who lives under the famous Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas, decides to write a book to help humans learn bats are not frightening. The result is both enlightening and fun.

Ages: 5-10
Publisher: Sunbelt Publications (March 25, 2015)
ISBN-10: 189179566X
ISBN-13: 978-1891795664

 

Where Are the Night Animals? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) by Mary Ann Fraser

Although older, the books in this series are uniformly excellent.

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (December 12, 1998)
ISBN-10: 0064451763
ISBN-13: 978-0064451765

 

Sounds of the Wild: Nighttime (Pledger Sounds) by Maurice Pledger

What could be more fun than a pop-up book that also makes the sounds of nocturnal animals around the world?

Nightime emphasizes how many animals that are active at night communicate via sound.

Age Range: 5 and up
Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books; Pop edition (October 28, 2007)
ISBN-10: 1592234712
ISBN-13: 978-1592234714

 

Out of Sight Till Tonight!: All About Nocturnal Animals (Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library)
by Tish Rabe

Told in romping rhyme, the books in the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library series reveal serious, well-researched facts.

Age Range: 5 – 8 years
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (March 24, 2015)
ISBN-10: 0375870768
ISBN-13: 978-0375870767

 

Moonlight Animals (Lightbeam Books) by Elizabeth Golding and illustrated by Ali Lodge

Another interactive picture book, Moonlight Animals allows children to “light up” nighttime animals, no battery required. (No “magic” required either).

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: Running Press Kids; Nov edition (August 30, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0762443162
ISBN-13: 978-0762443161

Middle Grade

The Bat Scientists by Mary Kay Carson and photographs by her husband, Tom Uhlman

 

Author Carson accompanies bat scientist Merlin Tuttle into a cave in Texas to find out what studying bats in like. Immediately the reader learns that this field is not for the squeamish. Why would anyone wade through bat guano teeming with insects while breathing through a respirator in a smelly cave at temperatures of 100° F? They do it because it turns out that bats are pretty important in the scheme of things. By learning more about them, hopefully we can protect these fragile and misunderstood little creatures before it is too late.

Reviewed at Wrapped in Foil

Age Range: 10 and up
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (September 28, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0547199562
ISBN-13: 978-0547199566

Fiction

 

Night Animals by Gianna Marino

Preschoolers will enjoy this book that is likely to soothe those anxious about the dark and at the same time teach about nocturnal animals.

Age Range: 3 – 5 years
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (July 14, 2015)
ISBN-10: 0451469542
ISBN-13: 978-0451469540

Do you have any suggestions for our list of children’s books about nocturnal animals? We’d love to hear them.

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