Want to ramp up your STEM activities for preschoolers? Read some of these children’s book about cars, trucks, and trains. No need to stay in the nonfiction section, either.
Then build some actual ramps and learn about physics with toy cars and trucks.
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Board Books
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Jill McElmurry
At a recent STEM story time, I let the kids pick the book for us to read. Little Blue Truck was clearly a fan favorite.
In the book, a truck helps a bigger truck who is stuck in the mud. (Note: the central concept of the importance of friendship might be more appropriate for the older preschoolers.)
Although the genre is fiction, you can extend learning with STEM activities like rolling toy trucks in playdough or blue paint to find out more about how friction works.
HMH Books has some great Little Blue truck party and activity ideas to download
Age Range: Baby – 3 years
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; Brdbk edition (July 7, 2015)
ISBN-10: 9780544568037
ISBN-13: 978-0544568037
ASIN: 0544568036
Calling All Cars by Sue Fliess and illustrated by Sarah Beise
Follow all sorts of cars through a day long road trip, which ends with a gentle bedtime message:
Rest cars, Hush cars
No more rush, cars.
Cars pull in, turn off the light.
Sweet dreams, sleepy cars…goodnight!
The artist added interest by including clues to the events of the next page. Children will have great fun guessing what comes next.
Age Range: 1 – 4 years
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; Brdbk edition (June 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 9781492638360
ISBN-13: 978-1492638360
ASIN: 1492638366
Freight Train by Donald Crews
Another familiar favorite for members of STEM story time. Introduces color and also some terminology about trains, for example caboose and cattle car. Simple, but with gorgeous artwork.
Age Range: 2 – 4 years
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (September 20, 1996)
ISBN-10: 0688149006
ISBN-13: 978-0688149000
Tons of Trucks by Sue Fliess and illustrated by Betsy Snyder
Sue Fliess is the queen of the fun, bouncy rhyme that is so perfect for this age group. Technically a novelty book, the pages have lots of parts to spin and peek under. Toddlers will love it.
Age Range: Baby – 3 years
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; Ltf Nov edition (July 3, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0547449275
ISBN-13: 978-0547449272
Beginning Readers
National Geographic Readers: Trucks by Wil Mara
To increase interest, this informational text is narrated by a truck driver named “Slick.” Describes some different types of trucks and some of their parts, like the hydraulics.
Age Range: 4 – 6 years
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books; National Geographic Readers edition (September 8, 2009)
ISBN-10: 9781426305269
ISBN-13: 978-1426305269
ASIN: 1426305265
Picture Books
Race! by Sue Fliess and illustrated by Edwardian Taylor
Cars go on a race through a winding course that turns out to be the back yard of a very imaginative boy. Read it again to see what you missed racing through the first time.
Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: little bee books (July 4, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1499802374
ISBN-13: 978-1499802375
If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen
Also told in rhyme, this imaginative text explores the potential of cars . Involves thinking way outside the box. Shifts towards the upper end of the recommended age range and maybe beyond.
Age Range: 3 – 5 years
Publisher: Puffin Books; Reprint edition (June 14, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0147509149
ISBN-13: 978-0147509147
ASIN: 0142408255
What Do Wheels Do All Day? by April Jones Prince and illustrated by Giles Laroche
All the places readers may find wheels in use, from the familiar like cars and bikes, to less familiar like helicopter rotors. Simple vocabulary, so probably the lower end of the recommended age range.
Age Range: 4 – 7 years
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (May 22, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0618563075
ISBN-13: 978-0618563074
Wheels on the Bus (Raffi Songs to Read) by Raffi and illustrated by Sylvie Wickstrom
Wheels on the Bus is a classic song. The illustrations are somewhat dated.
Age Range: 2 – 3 years
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (January 20, 1998)
ISBN-10: 0517709988
ISBN-13: 978-0517709986
Cars and How They Go by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Gail Gibbons
If you are an adult and want to know more about how a car works, this is the book for you. It gives details about the inner workings of combustion engines, etc. Probably most useful for children with a passion for learning what makes a car go.
Grade Level: 2 – 3
Publisher: Trophy Pr (August 1, 1986)
ISBN-10: 0064460525
ISBN-13: 978-0064460521
Grace Hopper enlisted in the Navy during World War II and discovered a love for computers. She rose to the rank of Rear Admiral before her retirement. Among her many accomplishments she is probably best known for naming the “computer bug.”
by D. Anne Love and illustrated by Pamela Paparone
by Laurie Wallmark and illustrated by April Chu, which is the story of a unique and fascinating woman who was years ahead of her time.
by Danica McKellar
by Danica McKellar
Author Margot Lee Shetterly wrote the original bestselling book, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, for adults. In this picture book for children, she gives a brief summary of each woman’s career, interweaving their stories and at the same time emphasizing their similar struggles as human computers for NASA.
With short sentences and controlled vocabulary, Rissman uses a question-and-answer format to introduce beginning readers to bats. Find out what a bat is, what they eat, and where they go in the winter.
Bats is a reader level 2, for children 4 to 8 years old. It is full of gorgeous full-color photographs, accurate scientific information, and at the top of some pages are silly riddles and jokes that kids will love. The photograph of baby fruit bats all cuddled in blankets at a bat rescue nursery is too cute for words. This book is a great way to find out more about bats!
In addition to facts about bats, the author discusses how humans effect bat populations. She offers suggestions how we can protect and encourage bats.
Author Marta Magellan starts by explaining all the ways that bats are helpful, including that bats:
Gail Gibbons always knows what kids are curious about for a given topic. She describes different kinds of bats, as well as their physical characteristics, behaviors, and life cycle.
by Mary Kay Carson and photographs by her husband, Tom Uhlman
It’s always tricky to know where to place these delightfully imaginative books. Although the story flies off into the realm of science fiction, readers are sure to learn a lot of science facts.
Readers learn a lot from a mixed up bat who thinks she’s a bird. A classic.
by Rita Gray and illustrated by Kenard Pak
This title includes information about both solar and lunar eclipses. There’s also an activity suggestion and viewing tips.
All you’ll need to learn about the eclipse. There’s also an accompanying activity book available.
For this book, Lewis combines some of the best poems written about animals with phenomenal photographs, many from National Geographic’s own archives. Starting with a chapter called “Welcome to the World” and moving through “the big ones,” the little ones,” “the winged ones,” etc., Lewis has arranged the poems in such a way that they feel like a coherent whole, even though they are by poets as diverse as D.H. Lawrence, Ogden Nash, and Jane Yolen.
As an expansion of a poem originally featured in the next book, Spectacular Science, it gives an overview of scientific fields for the youngest reader.
Hopkins has selected 15 poems by a variety of poets and about a variety of science-related topics. Probably best for grades 2-3.
Get that wacky author-and-illustrator pair together and you know it’s going to be a funny book.
In this book, Sidman features the species that survived rather than went extinct. Each of the 14 creatures she has chosen is shown in a two-page spread. On one page is a lovely, creative poem and opposite is a page of exquisitely condensed scientific information, including scientific names.
Again features poems and then sidebars with scientific facts about how animals survive winter.
A lively introduction to camouflage in the animal kingdom that also introduces a number of novel sea creatures, like pipefish and red sea dragons. The bright illustrations by the author are unique and eye-catching, and looking for the animals hiding in each spread is great fun. This classic is well worth revisiting.
by Tish Rabe and illustrated by Aristides Ruiz
Why stop at just Poetry Month? This anthology contains poems and activity ideas for an entire school year. Both teacher and student additions by grade level are available.
National Geographic Children’s books pair top quality photographs with clear, age -appropriate informational text. Polar bears are in the news today, and this book is a great introduction for the youngest reader.
Grouped by whether they occur on the land, in the sea, or in the air, this book features many of the key animals found in the Arctic.
The Sills are a talented couple who have been collaborating on books in the About Habitats series. If you have seen their work before, you know what to expect. John Sill’s gorgeous watercolor illustrations catch the readers’ eyes. Then they turn to Cathryn Sill’s clear, uncomplicated language. In remarkably few words she explains the scene and draws readers into it.
The photographs in the book are the author, Mark Newman, who is a famous wildlife photographer. Need I say more?
The Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science series books are always well-researched and informative. Add illustrations by award-winning author-illustrator Jason Chin and you have a treat.
Gail Gibbons is the queen of children’s nonfiction. She always seems to know what questions children ask.This book covers the life of polar bears in detail.
Ever see a picture or cartoon with penguins and polar bears in the same scene? This book carefully explains why that is incorrect and covers the life of each animal.
by Laaren Brown
by Craig Hammersmith
by April Pulley Sayre
by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Violeta Dabija
by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Jason Chin
goes from familiar (getting a glass of water) to less familiar (forms of water/weather) and then returns to drinking water again (familiar).
by George Ella Lyon and illustrated by Katherine Tillotson
by Barbara McKinney and illustrated by Michael S. Maydak
by Nancy Bo Flood
by Steve Kortenkamp is a visually-stimulating way to learn about our sun, the planets, moons and even far away galaxies.
by Nick Hunter explores what stars are, where they come from, what makes them shine, what people thought of them in the past, and how we study stars today, starting with the nearest star, the Sun. A fun activity is provided along with advice on viewing stars.
by Martha E. H. Rustad is a quick introduction to topics ranging from the moon and planets to the Big Bang. Colorful photographs and eye-catching illustrations help keep interest and put things in perspective. See how many Earths placed on top of each other would equal the height of the sun. Fascinating!
by Nick Hunter explains how these bits of dust and ice orbit the sun in our solar system. Starting with ancient records of comets, Hunter describes some of the most famous comets and how they were discovered, He concludes with an activity using balls and a playing field to help children conceptualize the vastness of space.
by Nick Hunter (Author) examines both solar and lunar eclipses, as well as eclipses on other planets. The book covers what an eclipse is, what eclipses can look like, how they happen, what people thought of eclipses in the past, and how they are studied today. He concludes with an activity, along with advice on viewing eclipses.
by Nick Hunter covers some of the coolest phenomena we can see without a telescope: the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. He explains what they are, what they look like, where they can be seen, and how they are caused. Readers also learn about the significance of solar storms, the Southern Lights, what people thought about auroras in the past, and how they are explored today. As with the others in this series, he concludes with a fun activity.
by Jessie Hartland
