A Universe of Stories – Robots

How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk

Pearl and her trusty rust-proof robot, Pascal, need to build a sandcastle before summer vacation is over, and they’re going to do it using code.

Robot in Love by T. L. McBeth

A shy robot falls in love and works up the courage to speak to its crush.

Love, Z by Jessie Sima

A little robot named Z finds a message in a bottle signed, “Love, Beatrice” and, unable to learn what love is from other robots, sets out on a quest to find the answer.

Little Robot Alone by Patricia MacLachlan

When Little Robot finds a creative solution to his loneliness he gets straight to work on shaping the perfect companion out of metal, and affectionately names him Little Dog.

Brobot Bedtime by Supdipta Bardhan-Quallen,

Bedtime for young robots means recharging and entering sleep mode, but when Beep has trouble powering down, can his brothers help?

Bitty Bot by Tim McCanna

All of the bots in Botsburg are powering down for the night … but Bitty Bot isn’t tired! Bitty decides to build a rocket and go on a space adventure instead of going to sleep.

Spare Parts by Rebecca Emberley

While searching for a replacement heart at the Spare Parts Mart, a lonely robot finds a friend.

Tin by Chris Judge

A metal boy named Tin is looking after his little sister Nickel one afternoon when she grabs hold of a balloon and floats away. Tin and his dog Zinc set off in hot pursuit as she floats towards the big city. Can they rescue Nickel before she goes too far?

Cookiebot! : a Harry and Horsie Adventure by Katie VanCamp

When Harry and his best friend Horsie build a robot that can reach the cookie jar for them, it goes out of control and wreaks havoc around the city.

Nonfiction:

Robots by Cody Crane

Learn all about robots, from how they are designed and built to which exciting new kinds of robots you might see in the future.

Robots by Nathan Lepora

Explores how robots function and are made, looking at their computing components and how engineers design them with specific capabilities.

Magnetic Robot Art with Tin Cans: https://fun-a-day.com/magnetic-robot-art-with-tin-cans/

Ocean Life

Hello, My Name is: How Adorabilis Got His Name by Marisa Polansky

A new creature is added to the deep-sea tank, but what will they call this flapjack octopus? Includes an author’s note on Adorabilis and its name.

The Fish and the Cat by Marianne Dubuc

A playful cat, a courageous fish… Where will their adventures take them?

Aquarium by Cynthia Alonso

In this wordless picture book, a little girl learns about love, nature, and the transformative power of letting go when a little fish leaps into her life.

Prince and Pirate by Charlotte Gunnufson

When a pirate fish and a prince fish are dropped into the same fish tank, it doesn’t seem like they’ll ever get along–until the arrival of a third fish inspires them to cooperate.

Henny, Penny, Lenny, Denny, and Mike by Cynthia Rylant

Five guppies love their life in a little girl’s fish tank until some new additions shake things up.

The Only Fish in the Sea by Philip Stead

Sadie and Sherman set out to rescue little Ellsworth, the goldfish Amy Scott received for her birthday and threw right into the ocean.

Sea Monkey & Bob by Aaron Reynolds

A sea monkey who is afraid of sinking and a pufferfish afraid of floating to the surface conquer their fears by sticking together.

Goldfish on Vacation by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Three goldfish live in a small bowl, in an apartment building, in the middle of a big city, until one summer they get to go on vacation–in a fountain, with lily pads, and reeds, and other neighborhood goldfish. Based on a true story that happened in New York City on Riverside Drive and 76th Street at the Hamilton Fountain over the summers of 1992 to 2005.

The Boy and the Whale by Mordicai Gerstein

Abelardo defies his father’s instructions and sets out to free a whale caught in their tangled fishing net.

Barnacle is Bored by Johnathan Fenske

Barnacle is bored by the monotony of the tides, and envies the fish who swim freely–until an eel comes along.

Poor Little Guy by Elanna Allen

An octopus gets a big surprise when he chooses to pick on a tiny fish in the ocean

The Blobfish Book by Jessica Olien

This true (clever) story about the (misunderstood) Blobfish is sure to make you smile. Full of fun facts about sea creatures in the deepest reaches of the ocean, this book is perfect for any science lover.

Making squishy fishy aquariums in preschool: https://teachpreschool.org/2011/10/24/making-squishy-fishy-aquariums-in-preschool/

Caterpillar Adventures

The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach

A caterpillar learns to be patient while trying to metamorphosize.

Caterpillar Dreams by Clive McFarland

Follows the adventures of Henri the Caterpillar, who leaves the safety of his garden to embark on an adventure of a lifetime.

Mr. King’s Machine by Geneviève Côté

Mr. King likes pretty things. He also likes machines. So when he discovers a flower that has been nibbled by a caterpillar, he builds himself a Caterpillar-Catcher. Off he zooms–unaware that his machine is filling the sky with smoke and that his friends are calling him to stop!

Hedgehugs and the Hattiepillar by Steve Wilson

Horace and Hattie watch a caterpillar become a butterfly … and are inspired to attempt a transformation of their own!

Holey Moley by Lois Ehlert

After digging holes and munching on crawly bugs, a chubby mole settles in her cozy burrow for winter. Includes glossary identifying all of the different worms, caterpillars, moths, and butterflies included in the illustrations.

Bye, Bye, Butterflies! By Andrew Larsen

Inspired by the sight of some school kids releasing butterflies up into the sky, a young boy turns into a “butterfly scientist” and helps his teacher and classmates care for some caterpillars as they grow into butterflies.

Bob and Otto by Robert Bruel

Otto the worm is shocked to discover that his best friend Bob is actually a caterpillar who emerges one day as a butterfly.

Wonderful World of Water!

Water Land : Land and Water Forms Around the World by Christy Hale

Based on Montessori teachings, die-cut pages identify and contrast types of water bodies and their corresponding land masses to help young readers understand how connected the earth and the water really are.

Hey, Water! By Antoinette Portis

Splashy illustrations and simple text explore water in its many shapes and forms.

Wet by Carey Sookocheff

Explores getting wet in good ways, such as stepping into a pool, and bad ways, such as sitting on a bench after rain.

Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre

In her latest gorgeously photo-illustrated nonfiction picture book, celebrated author April Pulley Sayre sheds new light on the wonders of rain, from the beauty of a raindrop balanced on a leaf to the amazing, never-ending water cycle that keeps our planet in perfect ecological balance.

Water is Water : a Book About the Water Cycle by Paul Miranda

A spare, poetic picture book exploring the different phases of the water cycle in surprising and engaging ways

Watersong by Tim McCanna

A fox’s journey to take shelter from a rainstorm, told entirely in onomatopoeia.

Friends by Geraldo Valério

When a girl and a frog go to the beach to fish, they are frustrated to find that the fish aren’t biting. Instead, they stare into the water and make faces at their reflections. Then, something spectacular happens. The reflections take on lives of their own, transforming into a mermaid with her own pet frog. Surprise gives way to delight as they invite the girl and the frog to enter a stunning underwater world. The new friends swim and play amongst colorful sea creatures until they discover a pair of glowing pearls and turn them into matching necklaces.

Ice Boy by David Ezra Stein

Tired of helping others cool their drinks, Ice Boy proceeds to sneak out of the freezer and heads to the beach, where his edges begin to blur. Eventually he melts and becomes Water Boy and then he evaporates and turns into Vapor Boy. Then a big storm freezes him back into Ice Boy and sends him home–before a new adventure begins.

Me and You and the Red Canoe by Jean E. Pendziwol

In the stillness of a summer dawn, two siblings leave their campsite with fishing rods, tackle and bait, and push a red canoe into the lake. A perfect morning on the water unfolds, with thrilling glimpses of wildlife along the way.

Water absorption experiment: https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/preschool-water-science-experiment/

Three water experiments: https://www.playfullearning.net/resource/water-is-water-3-experiments-for-kids/

Dinosaur Bones

What if You Had T. Rex Teeth? : and Other Dinosaur Parts by Sandra Markle

From a velociraptor’s sharp sickle-tipped toes to a T. rex’s giant curved teeth, and from the body armor of an ankylosaurus to the long neck of a brachiosaurus, discover what it would be like if you had one of these wild dinosaur parts.

Dinosaur : a Photicular Book by Kathy Wollard

We see their bones in museums. But now, see dinosaurs as if you were traveling on an expedition a hundred million years ago. Using unique Photicular technology, DINOSAUR takes an extraordinary leap to bring these legendary and long-extinct creatures back to life.

Fossil by Fossil : Comparing Dinosaur Bones by Sara Levine

This lively picture book will keep young readers guessing as they find out how human skeletons are like and unlike those of dinosaurs!

Marlo and the Dinosaurs by Christopher Browne

When Marlo wakes up from his afternoon nap, he spots something curious…. His investigation brings him into a lush jungle, where a whole new world full of colorful dinosaurs of every size awaits him.

Am I Yours? By Alex Latimer

Some friendly dinosaurs must help a lost egg after it’s blown out of its nest. But if they are to reunite the little egg with its true parents, they must first discover what kind of dinosaur lies inside.

The dinosaur expert by McNamara, Margaret

Future scientist Kimmy eagerly shares information about dinosaurs during a school field trip until classmate Jake tells her “girls aren’t scientists,” but Mr. Tiffin sets her straight.

Dino Duckling by Alison Murray

A funny and touching celebration of difference, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. Dino Duckling can dive, swim and fish just like his duckling brothers and sisters. But when the time comes for the family fly south for the winter, Dino Duckling finds he really is different!

The T-Rex Who Lost His Specs! By Jeanne Willis

A young Tyrannosaurus rex with very poor eyesight loses his eyeglasses, resulting in chaos for himself and the creatures around him.

Rex by James Simon

A terrifying Tyrannosaurus rex spends his days raging through the jungle and scaring all the other dinosaurs until one night a tiny dinosaur hatches from an abandoned egg and decides that the big dinosaur is his father.

How To Be a T-Rex by Ryan North

Tyrannosaurus Rex enthusiast Sal transforms herself into an uncontrollable T. Rex, partly because her brother said it would be impossible, but soon discovers the downsides of always being fierce.

One Hundred Bones by Yuval Zommer

Scruff the dog is a stray who just loves to dig. It doesn’t make him the most popular dog in town. But when he sniffs out a pile of old bones, he gets all the neighborhood dogs to help him. They uncover not one, not two, not three … but 100 bones and make the most exciting dinosaur discovery of all time!

Dinosaur skeleton craft with pasta and coffee grounds: http://www.lovingmynest.com/learning-activities/dinosaur-craft/

Digging for dinosaur bones – salt dough: http://: https://theimaginationtree.com/digging-dinosaur-bones-maths-game/

Dinosaur fossils – salt dough: http://: https://www.makelifelovely.com/diy-dinosaur-fossils-with-salt-dough/#

Frozen dinosaur eggs: : https://theimaginationtree.com/frozen-dinosaur-eggs-sensory-play/

https://www.thecrafttrain.com/sparkly-paper-plate-dinosaurs/ Paper plate dinosaurs: