Animals nonfiction books for children
Children’s nonfiction books about animals, including wildlife, behaviour, conservation, endangered species, animal diversity and evolution. This list contains 50+ titles, that are perfect for children who are fascinated by the natural world to read at home, or ideal for stocking non fiction sections of primary school libraries. This list features books by Mike Barfield, Julie Beer, Ed J. Brown, Dieter Braun, Susan Martineau, Brooke Barker and Moira Butterfield.
Animals nonfiction books for children – our recommendations
The Wild Life of Animals by Mike Barfield and Paula Bossio. 
The Brilliant Book of Animal Bones by Anna Claybourne. 
A Wild Child’s Guide to Endangered Animals by Millie Marotta. Animal FACTopia!: Follow the Trail of 400 Beastly Facts by Julie Beer
Did you know that apes pick lice out of each other’s fur and eat them? This and 400 other ‘beastly’ nuggets feature in this chunky hardback that’s bursting with fact-checked energy and inspiration. With bright backgrounds and eye-popping photography, Animal FACTopia! will be a surefire hit with children in KS2.
Epic Animal Journeys: Migration and navigation by air, land and sea by Ed J. Brown
Exploring nature’s Sat Nav free miracle of migration, follow birds, salmon, butterflies and elephants as they travel great distances. A magnificent large format, full-colour hardback Epic Animal Journeys features enticing illustrations and lots of interesting facts. Stunningly Illustrated, this book will be a great resource for research and home learning in upper KS2.
Wild Animals of the World by Dieter Braun. 
An Anthology of Intriguing Animals by Ben Hoare. 
Royal Animals by Julia Golding and Emily Sutton. Sharks! Sharks! Sharks! by Susan Martineau and Vicky Barker
Find out whether a shark really wants to eat you or not in this awe-inspiring nonfiction book that’s packed with detail. And it’s not just a fabulous fact book about sharks, but a deeper dive into how they live, work together and protect their young. Beautifully illustrated, this large format hardback is perfect for KS1 and lower KS2 libraries.
Big Cats (A Day in the Life) by Tyus D. Williams and Chaaya Prabhat
Set over a day in multiple locations, the reader is thrust into a world of zoology and the lives of leopards, lions, tigers and panthers. Guided by ecologist Tyus D Williams, children will learn about habitats, social groups and hunting. It’s a compelling format that will grip many children, including those that don’t always opt for longer texts. Ideal for years 3-6 and primary school libraries.
Koala (Young Zoologist) by Chris Daniels and Marianne Lock. 
If the World Were 100 Animals by Miranda Smith and Aaron Cushley. 
Amazing Animal Journeys by Laura Marsh. How Do Meerkats Order Pizza by Brooke Barker
How does your dog know if you are smiling? Find out this and more in this fun nonfiction book that explores the lives of creatures and looks at the strange methods scientists use to try to understand them. Through vibrant comic strip graphics, the fascinating behaviours of bonobos, lizards, humpback whales and more are revealed. The book’s focus on diverse scientists also adds an inclusive touch. Highly recommended for KS2 libraries and STEM topics.
Animal Sidekicks by Macken Murphy and Dragan Kordic
This fascinating hardback profiles a different and unusual story of animals and plants living together in each chapter. ‘Species’ podcast host introduces KS2 readers to the concept of symbiosis, children will learn about the eel and the wrasse, the skink and the tree, the hippo and the terrapins and more. With each double-page split into bite-sized graphic windows, fact boxes and bursts of short narrative, this is a fabulous book to share, explore and inspire further research and reading. Highly recommended for primary school libraries.
Penguins by Kay de Silva. 
The World’s Most Atrocious Animals by Philip Bunting. 
Animal Super Powers by Nick Crumpton. Animal All Stars by Clare Balding
Join commentator Clare Balding for a laugh-out-loud comic-strip style journey through the animal kingdom’s most entertaining sports day. From the Australian tiger beetle to the peregrine falcon, animals go head-to-head in this rip-roaring guide filled with incredible facts and laugh-out-loud commentary. Perfect for animal-loving children in KS2, it combines jokes with fascinating factual nuggets about the world’s most extraordinary creatures.
Up Close by Isabel Thomas and Dawn Cooper. 
Curious Creatures Working With Tools by Zoë Armstrong and Anja Sušanj. 
Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark by Zoe Armstrong and Anja Sušanj. Open Wide! by Letizia Diamante and Ed J. Brown
Open Wide! by Letizia Diamante explores a diverse collection of animal mouths, from the awesome jaws of great white sharks to surprising garden snail teeth. Children aged 7+ will find it highly engaging, with superb visuals and interesting facts about how animals use their mouths not just for biting food, but for carrying babies, building shelters, climbing, and more. The vivid illustrations and accessible interactive content really bring the biology to life. Highly recommended for children in lower Key Stage 2.
Wildlife Crossings by Catherine Barr and Christiane Engel
Uncover the challenges faced by seven different species due to human encroachment. From elephants to spoon-billed sandpipers, learn how habitat fragmentation endangers these creatures and explore efforts to reconnect their pathways through wildlife corridors. With startlingly vivid illustrations and a compelling narrative nonfiction style, this book will cause readers aged 6+ to pause for thought and think deeply about conservation. Highly recommended.
Animal Talk by Michael Leach, Asia Orlando and Meriel Lland. 
Encyclopaedia of Animals by Jules Howard and Jarom Vogel. 
Curious Creatures Talking Together by Zoe Armstrong. Do You Know Where the Animals Live? by Peter Wohlleben
Do You Know Where the Animals Live? by Peter Wohlleben explores the emotional lives of animals found in North America and Europe. Ideal for 8-12 year olds to peruse independently, this book offers fascinating windows into animal behaviours and how they interact with each other and their environments through absorbing text and full-colour photographs. It includes useful activities and engaging quizzes to inspire further reading about animals’ lives and how they relate to human actions. It’s ideal for KS2 classroom libraries.
The Variety of Life the Variety of Life by Nicola Davies and Lorna Scobie. 
National Trust: How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear by Jess French. 
Mad About Monkeys by Owen Davey. 
Forgotten Beasts by Matt Sewell. 
Lifesize by Sophy Henn. 
National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia by Lucy Spelman. 
How Animals Build by Moira Butterfield and Tim Hutchinson. 
Lesser Spotted Animals by Martin Brown. 
Atlas of Animal Adventures by Rachel Williams, Emily Hawkins and Lucy Letherland. Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this animals nonfiction book list, as well as class sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org UK. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or your classroom library.
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Animals resources for teachers
- Born Free offers a range of free resources for teachers including a themed ‘Lions for Life’ unit for KS3 covering biology, geography, philosophy and ethics; and primary age activities featuring art ideas from John Dyer, debate ideas for discussing circuses, and a unit on the ivory trade.
- London Zoo features a huge range of practical animal related downloadable activities for schools and home-schooling, covering EYFS, KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4.
- World Wildlife Fund has a lesson library for teachers which include lesson plans, videos and interactive activities for primary and secondary age students. Topics include protecting butterflies, pandas and climate change.
- RSPCA’s animal education website looks to ‘inspire the next generation of animal advocates’. There are lots of free ideas, activities, examples and teaching points.
- Chester Zoo has a comprehensive searchable and filterable resource bank filled with inspiring learning resources to use at school or at home. There’s material for primary and secondary age children with lots of cross curricular opportunities.
- Nat Geo Kids has put together a fantastic site for teachers of primary school children. Ready made resources include packs on arctic seals, red wolves, seahorses, sharks, bees, rainforests, octopuses, black rhinos and more.
BISAC JNF003000 JUVENILE NONFICTION / Animals / General | Thema YNN
