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
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
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...
Buildablock
Franceschelli, Christopher
Paper Book
SMASH . . . CRASH . . . WRECKING BALL! Dig into construction sites and building machines in Buildablock, a fun addition to the acclaimed Abrams Block Book series. STARRED REVIEW *"Bold colors and thoughtful design will engage little hands and eyes as...
Donde Esta El Pollito de Rosalia?
Hutchins, Pat.
Paper Book
Right after Rosie's chick hatches from its egg, it disappears! Where oh where could it be? Join Rosie as searches the farm. Children will love looking for the chick in the illustrations.
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...
First the egg
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro.
Audiobook
Which came first? The chicken or the egg? A book about transformations -- from egg to chicken, seed to flower and caterpillar to butterfly. An entirely fresh and memorable presentation on the concepts of growth and creativity.
Construction
Sutton, Sally.
Paper Book
"The simplicity of the telling and the rich details in the spreads make this a must-have for all libraries serving young children." -- School Library Journal (starred review) Thonk! Clonk! Clap! The team behind Roadwork and ...
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...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.