Top 16 Preschool Books About Water Updated 04 /2024

When young kids play with water, they also learn a lot about it. You can learn about everything from the water in the faucet to the rain and then to the ocean in the books below.

Agua, Agüita/Water, Little Water

By: Jorge Tetl Argueta

Everyone calls me "Little Water." My name is Water. Award-winning children's book author Jorge Argueta has written a beautiful, poetic ode to the life-giving power of water. He tells it in English, Spanish, and Nahuat from the point of view of one drop. Felipe Ugalde Alcántara, who did the illustrations for this poem about the importance of water, did them in a way that reflected Argueta's indigenous roots and his love of nature.

All the Water in the World

By: George Ella Lyon

Rich, rhythmic language and beautiful illustrations make this book a beautiful picture of the water cycle and more. "Thirsty air/licks it [water] from lakes/sips it from ponds/guzzles it from oceans..." will be read aloud and talked about.

Animal Poems of the Iguazú

By: Francisco X. Alarcón

They were written by Francisco X. Alarcón, who visited the Iguaz National Park in South America and fell in love with its animals and sky. Each page has pulsating paintings that swirl and move, which makes each poem even more alive and interesting.

Hello Ocean / Hola Mar

A child tells us about her trip to the ocean and invites us to go with her. When she looks at the pictures and reads the story, she feels the sea with all of her senses.

I Know the River Loves Me

By: Maya Christina Gonzalez

Celebrate the river's magic and music with this poem that also talks about how important it is to take care of our rivers. As the waves move across the pages, they bring the river and her friend to life.

In the Rain

By: Elizabeth Spurr

This is what happens when it's raining. A young girl makes a paper boat, tries to make mud pies, and has other springtime fun. Elizabeth Spurr and Manelle Oliphant work together to make a great reading experience for toddlers.

Little Kids First Big Book of the Ocean (National Geographic Kids)

By: Catherine D. Hughes

National Geographic Kids First Big Book of the Ocean is a cute book about animals in the sea. It includes dolphins, sharks, sea otters, and penguins, as well as some other animals that aren't as well-known. There are more than 100 adorable animal photos in the profiles, which include information about their sizes, diets, homes, and more, as well as a lot of other fun facts. This book will quickly become a favorite at storytime, bedtime, and any other time. It will also be a favorite at school.

Sea Life (TIME for Kids Informational Books)

By: Dona Herweck Rice

From the tide pools to the ocean, the sea is home to a lot of interesting creatures. A picture glossary of marine animals, informative text, and vivid photos will keep young readers interested from the start to the very end of the book.

The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks

By: Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen

An unflappable science teacher drives the magical school bus into a cloud, where the kids shrink down to water droplets and follow water as it moves through the city's pipes.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

By: Langston Hughes

Stunning watercolors make Hughes' poem about African American history and a journey through time into something that will stay with you for a long time and make you both happy and sad. A note at the end of the book tells about the illustrator's personal connection to the poem.

Water (TIME for Kids Inforamtional Texts)

By: Dona Herweck Rice

From streams to oceans, tide pools to rivers, water is everywhere we look. It's all around us! Beginning readers learn about different types of water in this Spanish-translated, nonfiction title, which is for kids. Readers will learn and be intrigued at the same time by reading clear, informative text and looking at interesting photos.

Water Rolls, Water Rises/El agua rueda, el agua sube

By: Pat Mora

Here is a poem that talks about how the movement and moods of water on Earth show how beautiful the natural world really is. There are fourteen water landscapes and cultures around the world that we visit in each evocative verse. Each is accompanied by an image that captures the drama, joy, power, grandeur, or peacefulness of water in a way that makes us feel like we're there.

Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems

By: Kate Coombs

When people look at translucent watercolors and short, different poems, they go on a trip to the sea. Seabirds, fish and coral are all there in each short verse. Evocative language makes you think of the sea and its many hidden treasures in a way that will stay with you.

Water: Up, Down, and All Around

By: Natalie M. Rosinsky

Young scientists should learn about the water cycle. Photos and simple text in full color show how water evaporates and condenses, how dew and frost form, and how water can be in three different states at the same time. Natalie M. Rosinsky, an award-winning author, has written a fun, fact-filled text for a read-aloud or a first read-alone. The illustrations are lovely, too. Contains hands-on experiments, too!

We Are Water Protectors

By: Carole Lindstrom

Carole Lindstrom's picture book, We Are Water Protectors, is based on the many Native-led movements in North America. It's a call to action to protect the Earth's water from harm and corruption.

People drink water as the first medicine.

You and everyone else will be affected by it, as well as connected to each other,

To protect her people's water, one young water protector fights back against a black snake that wants to destroy the Earth and poison their water.

The Water Princess by Susan Verde.

She wrote The Water Princess. I love it. It's based on a true story about a young girl who wants to bring clean water to her town. How some villages in the world don't have clean water, so they work all the time for it.

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