Just a few months ago, we decided to make a huge change in our family.
We got a pet.
Our rescue dog has been….a bit of a challenge, but we love him to pieces already.
Which started me to thinking about how to talk about pets with young learners. And I thought I’d share a fun list of books about pets for kids to read!
These picture books (some of which I own) are wonderful for talking about pets in early grades.
So if you’re planning a pet unit or if you’re thinking of adopting a pet for your family or classroom, these are excellent for helping kids learn more about caring for different kinds of pets.
Read on to see the full list of pet books for kids.
And, for more fun with animal learning in early grades, take a look at our Zoo Animal Learning Cards!
20 Books about Pets for Kids
This list of books includes both fiction and non-fiction selections.
All of them feature plenty of pictures, so they’re best suited to preschool and early elementary students.
Some of them even talk about pets from a historical perspective – from pets that lived in prehistoric epochs to pets that have lived in the White House!
How to Use These Books about Pets with Students
Of course, a natural way to use these books to share a few of the selections during read-aloud time.
But you can also introduce them with an appropriate craft.
For example, the book “Can I Be Your Dog?”, which is on the list (and a personal favorite of mine) goes perfectly with a Coffee Filter Dog Craft.
Or you might read one of the books together in class. Then ask your students to go home and return with one fact they’ve learned about a pet in the book.
Some of the books about different types of pets are great for this.
See the full list of books about pets below!
20 Fun Books about Pets for Kids to Read
These picture books are excellent for talking about pets with young learners!
Some are non-fiction books about pets, which feature facts for students to learn. Others are fiction storybooks with beautiful pictures that are great for keeping young readers engaged!
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National Geographic Kids Everything Pets: Furry facts, photos, and fun-unleashed!
Take a look at some of these other ways to teach early learners about animals!
