By Lerner Publications Editorial Director Ashley Kuehl

When we talk to librarians, we like to ask about the most popular topics in their libraries. Many of their answers change from season to season, but one topic that remains consistent every year is animals.

Kids love animals and animal books.

So we’re always trying to figure out what kinds of animal books for kids we can make. We also try to come up with intriguing new ways to categorize and highlight animals. Here’s a quick look at a few awesome animal series we’ve published recently.

Animal books for kids

Rain forest and ocean animals

For our youngest readers, we have a wild array of both rain forest animals and ocean animals in Bumba Books, our PreK-1 brand. Gorgeous photos show color-changing chameleons, creepy vampire bats, leaping dolphins, stinging jellyfish, and more. These books are almost as great as taking readers on a field trip to the rain forest or the ocean. Maybe better, because there’s no risk of being bitten by anything!

Dogs

Animals often play a starring role in our beloved Lightning Bolt Books brand, written to a 2nd-grade reading level. First up, who can resist Hero Dogs? Have you ever seen a dog at an airport or a hospital? What was it doing there? Learn all about dogs and their jobs in this high-interest nonfiction series.

Baby animals

Next up, adorable baby animal books for kids! Farm animals, African animals, and Australian animals provide heaps of cuteness, along with facts on life cycles, family life, and more.

Sharks

If you’re looking for something a little less tender at the same reading level, I am delighted to present Shark World, also from Lightning Bolt Books! How many teeth can you count on these fascinating creatures?

Predators

Next up, slightly scarier books for a slightly older audience. Watch out for these Predators! Readers will love learning how these animals hunt their prey. Our Searchlight Books brand offers nonfiction titles at a 3rd- or 4th-grade reading level.

Animal superpowers

And last (for this roundup, anyway), but certainly not least: we all know that skunks spray, tigers hunt, and birds fly south for the winter–but what about exploding ants, freezing frogs, and dancing bees? Animal Superpowers, also from our Searchlight Books brand, explores some of the amazing traits and skills animals use for migration, hibernation, communication, and more.

Are there any animals we missed? Do your kids want a different kind of animal book? Leave us a comment and let us know!