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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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
This high-quality Spanish-language edition of the Eric Carle favorite From Head to Toe can be enjoyed by fluent Spanish speakers as well as those learning the language, whether at home or in a classroom. Las risas no dejaraán de oirse mientras los niños (¡y los adultos!) participan en el...
What are stars?
Daynes, Katie
They twinkle in the night sky, but what exactly are stars? Which one's the nearest? Can humans visit a star? Curious little children can lift over 30 flaps to find the answers to these questions and many more in this delightful introduction to stars and the night sky, with simple explanations and...
Buildablock
Franceschelli, Christopher
Paper Book
In this companion to Alphablock, Countablock, Dinoblock, and Cityblock, readers are introduced to more than 24 construction machines. As in the previous books, Buildablock features die-cut shapes on every other spread and the charming art of British design team Peskimo. Alphablock was chosen one of...
Tip tip dig dig
Garcia, Emma
Paper Book
A parade of colorful construction vehicles doing their work means plenty of joyful noise! From the crane that lifts, lifts, lifts to the bulldozer that push, push-pushes, to the steamroller that rolls, rolls, rolls, every machine here makes it own special sound. And the surprise ending,...
Where, oh where, is Rosie's chick?
Hutchins, Pat
Paper Book
Rosie is on the lookout for her lost baby chick in this funny and surprising companion to the beloved picture book, Rosie's Walk, by author-illustrator Pat Hutchins. Rosie has lost her baby chick. She looks under the hen house. She looks behind the wheelbarrow. But little...
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...
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 a...

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