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Five Faves: Animals

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I love picture books and short informational books so much! I always appreciate when a beautiful story can be told in a very succinct manner. I enjoy recommending picture books and shorter informational books to anyone and everyone. Even if it's a topic a person doesn't think they are interested in, it's easy to say, "Oh, here, read this. It's just a quick read!" Sometimes people learn they are more interested in a topic than they realized. A topic almost everyone loves is animals. Recently, I have read an abundance of animal stories. Here are five of  my favorites, and I hope you enjoy them as well.

Springtime Storks
Written by Carol Joy Munro
Illustrated by Chelsea O'Byrne
Westminster, MD: Minerva, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2024. Picture Book.

This story is one of my favorite picture books I have read this year, and it completely drew me in. It is told from the perspective of a female stork, Katerina, who is shot down while flying. A kind man scoops the bird up to help her, but doesn't know that her mate, Luka, is left behind in the field, worried sick. This is a beautiful love story as well as a tribute to the kindness in humans, inspired by a true story. This book left me feeling hopeful in humanity, and appreciative of the bonds animals can form.

We Leap Together
By Christopher Silas Neal
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2025. Picture Book. 

This beautiful book draws such lovely parallels between animal life and the world as humans experience it. The color palette is gorgeous, and the words really spoke to me. Reading picture books is such a great way to teach children about humanity, and how to appreciate the world around them. This book would be a great place for starting so many discussions about similarities and differences, patterns, as well as the beauty of nature, and the strength of family bonds.

Born Inside a Nest So Small
By Iza Trapani
Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2025. Informational.

Hummingbirds are so interesting to me. Their grace and delicate presence are intriguing. This beautifully illustrated informational book includes a list of additional reading recommendations, as well as websites to learn more about hummingbirds. I appreciated the author's note where the reader learns more about why the book was written. The poetic nature is perfect for presenting the subject matter.


Not a Dog
Written by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez
Illustrated by Laura Gonzalez
Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2025. Informational.

This book includes a variety of learning elements: shapes, Spanish vocabulary words, and the fact that prairie dogs are not actually dogs. This is a quick read about an animal I had never had any reason to be interested in. Because of reading this book, I learned some interesting things about the rodent, and more about prairie life. I really appreciated the illustrator's work to tie all the animal life together so nicely.

Poo Pile on the Prairie
By Amy Hevron
New York: Beach Lane Books, 2025. Informational.

The title of the book made me chuckle, as I'm sure it will most kids. If you are a grown-up who wants to shy away because of the title, please don't! This book is very informative and will delight kids who are interested in ecology or plants and animal habitats, and especially how they can coexist. The author does a great job presenting information in a way that is very appealing to kids. The book follows the poo pile through all four season. I think readers will be left astounded at how much they learn!
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