Books for Curious Kids Ages 0-5

This Better Beginnings list was compiled by children's literature specialists from the State Library and SciTech and are great for encouraging curiosity and children aged 0-5.

Updated November 21, 2024
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Up, down, and around
Ayres, Katherine.
Paper Book
This garden is on the move! A good-time, rollicking celebration of things that grow. PEPPERS GROW UP. POTATOES GROW DOWN. PUMPKINS VINE AROUND AND AROUND. From seeds dropping into soil to corn bursting from its stalks, from children chasing butterflies to...
Heads and tails
Canty, John
Paper Book
White fluffy tail or blue-green feathers? Hop, slither, and fly from one page to the next in this fun guessing book. Would you be able to guess an animal if you could see only its tail? Clever clues and a turn of the page reveal its identity. Whether the answer is a slow-moving...
From head to toe
Carle, Eric
Paper Book
From Eric Carle, the New York Times bestselling creator of beloved books including The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Grouchy Ladybug, comes From Head to Toe, a colorful and energetic book that will have young readers clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and wiggling their toes! ...
Fish eyes : a book you can count on
Ehlert, Lois.
Paper Book
In this New York Times Best Illustrated Book, brightly colored fish paired with interactive die-cut pages introduce young children to counting and basic addition in this fun and accessible concept book by Caldecott Honor-winning author-illustrator Lois Ehlert. Bold...
Monkey puzzle
Donaldson, Julia
Paper Book
When little monkey can't find his mother, butterfly offers to help in the search. Little monkey says that his mother is big, so butterfly leads him to . . . an elephant. No, that's not right! Little monkey says his mom is furry, so butterfly leads him to . . . a bat. That's not right either. From...
Pizza day
Iwai, Melissa
Paper Book
A young boy and his father gather ingredients in the garden to prepare pizza on a hot day in this preschool picture book companion to Soup Day. On a sunny, summer day, a young boy and his father assemble the ingredients for a homemade pizza. From gathering fresh garden...
Shape by shape
MacDonald, Suse.
Paper Book
What am I? I lived a long, long time ago. I had round eyes... lots of sharp teeth... This new concept book from Caldecott Honor illustrator Suse MacDonald is sure to entertain children. As readers turn the brightly colored, die cut pages, shapes on each page...
What will hatch?
Ward, Jennifer
Paper Book
Jelly, jiggly. What will hatch? Wiggly, squiggly . . . tadpole. What is more exciting than waiting for an egg to hatch? Creatures of all varieties begin inside an egg--and those eggs also come in all shapes and sizes. From a squiggly tadpole to fuzzy robin to...
Let's go visiting
Williams, Sue
Paper Book
A colorful farmyard visit brightened by lively baby animals and lots of counting fun. Let's go visiting and see who's ready to play--one foal, two calves, three kittens, four piglets, five ducklings, and six puppies! And once we've stomped in the mud with the piglets and swum in the lake...

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