Today I have a nice collection of about 15 picture books about ants for kids. The list includes both fiction and non-fiction ant books for preschoolers and young elementary children. It’s a great variety of stories about ants for preschoolers to compliment your ant thematic unit.
Stories About Ants for Preschoolers
If you’re teaching your preschooler about ants then you’ll definitely want to include some great pictures books about ants into your homeschool ant unit study plans. Books have the ability to teach children so much and they can be so much fun to enjoy as a family. So they are a must when it comes to unit studies.
Just be sure to include both fictional stories about ants as well as non-fiction books about ants. Even young children can be introduced to the joy of learning through non-fiction books and there is a great variety of non-fiction books geared towards all ages of children even as young as toddlers these days.
So let’s get to the list of picture books about ants for preschoolers and young elementary children. A lot of these even your toddler will enjoy reading with you too!
Fiction Picture Books About Ants
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
The three-time Caldecott medalist tells the tale of two ants who decide to leave the safety of the others to venture into a danger-laden kitchen.
One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J Pinczes
One hundred hungry ants march off single file to sample a picnic, but when the going gets too slow, they divide into two rows of fifty, then four rows of twenty . . . until they take so long that the picnic is gone!
It’s an Ant’s Life by Steve Parker
Presents all kinds of factual information about ants in the form of a scrapbook prepared by one ant.
The Magic School Bus Gets Ants in Its Pants: A Book about Ants by Joanna Cole
Filming Keesha’s pet ant for a science project fair, the students in Ms. Frizzle’s class take a journey into the lives of ants during which they learn many fascinating facts about the ant community.
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
What would you do if the ant you were about to step on looked up and started talking? Would you stop and listen? What if your friends saw you hesitate? That’s what happens in this funny, thought-provoking book. Originally a song by a father-daughter team, this conversation between two creatures, large and small, is bound to inspire important discussions. It might even answer that classic childhood question: To squish or not to squish?
There’s an Ant in Anthony by Bernard Most
Can you find an ant in the name Anthony? A black ant? A red ant? A fire ant? How about a carpenter ant? Or is the ant in Anthony not an insect at all?
I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track by Joshua Prince
What an entertaining trip this is! Children will delight in the playful and musical language, endearing and uniquely styled illustrations, and wonderfully warm story that make this picture book so special. When switchman Jack, eating lunch by his shack, spies an ant walking along the railroad track, he immediately gets worried: it’s an eastbound ant on the westbound track, and that means a train could run SMACK into the little guy. He knows he has to do something to help… Youngsters will feel gratified and reassured by Jack’s affection for the tiny creature: after all, they—just like the ant—are very small in a big world. And they’ll really love the way the adorable little bug has the smarts to save itself!
The Ants Go Marching by Dan Crisp (Classic Books With Holes)
One by one the ants march to get to shelter from the rain, in this illustrated version of the classic children’s song.
The Ant and the Elephant by Bill Peet
The elephant is the kindest animal in the jungle, rescuing the giraffe, lion, and rhino, but who will return the favor when the elephant needs help?
Non-Fiction Ant Books for Preschoolers
Ant Cities by Arthur Dorros (Lets Read and Find Out Books)
Did you ever wonder where an ant goes when it disappears into an anthill? Underneath the hill, there are miles of tunnels and hundreds of rooms! With simple, easy-to-understand words and colorful illustrations, Arthur Dorros explains the life of a harvester ant for the early reader and even shows readers how to build their own ant farms!
The Life and Times of the Ant by Charles Micucci
Not mighty in size, but mighty in resourcefulness and industry, the ant has crawled the earth since prehistoric times. It has dwelt in rainforest tree trunks and acorns of oak trees, beneath logs, and under sidewalks. It has protected forests by capturing insects, cleared weeds away from acacia trees, and by growing gardens has released important nutrients into the soil. Seed lifters, dirt diggers, social beings, ants have the most advanced brain of all insects! So watch where you step, especially on a warm day: a small but mighty ant may be underfoot.
Thinking About Ants by Barbara Brenner
Asks the reader to imagine what it would be like to be an ant, describing what ants look like, what they eat, where and how they live, and more.
National Geographic Readers: Ants by Melissa Stewart
Ants are everywhere. They creep, they crawl, they climb, and they fall. But they get up and they keep on working. Ants come in all different shapes, different sizes, and different colors. And they do a lot of different jobs. These hard-working little creatures thrive wherever they go, making whatever adaptations necessary in their ever-changing world.
Are You an Ant? by Judy Allen (Backyard Books)
Backyard Books: Are You an Ant? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries will give children who love to track ants an inside look at the everyday life of this fascinating insect, as they explore the similarities and differences to themselves.
Anthill by Petra Bartikova
We see ants almost every day, but have you ever wondered what they do on a daily basis or what it would be like to live inside of an anthill? Now you can find out! This charming, one-of-a-kind board book features dozens of adorable illustrations, educational captions, vocabulary words, cut-out accents, and hidden chambers to be revealed, Anthill will delight kids while they learn all about busy ants and the amazing work they do!
Enjoy These Picture Books About Ants
As you plan out your ant thematic unit I hope you and your children enjoy adding these ant books to your reading list. Also be sure to check out the other ant themed posts I have as you work on planning your ant homeschool unit. And have fun!