Books for Teaching About Water

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From Unit Plan: Water Works Wonders

Water is everywhere. You can see the water cycle in different stages and examine the various bodies of water on Earth. Help students understand and discover that concept through the beautiful illustrations, photographs, and text in these books.

GENERAL BOOKS ABOUT WATER

A Cool Drink of Water by Barbara Kerley
This book from National Geographic, has beautiful photographs depicting people all over the world collecting, chilling and drinking water.

Classroom Tip: Have students draw pictures of how they use water for a class book.

A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder by Walter Wick
Color photographs of water in various states capture moments of change in beautiful patterns.

Classroom Tip: Have students cut out photographs of water from magazines and make a collage.

I Am Water or Soy el agua by Jean Marzollo
Colorful cut-paper illustrations and simple text depict a rainy day, steam cooking, and ice cubes.

Classroom Tip: Draw pictures of where students find water in their home.

Water: Emergent Reader Science by Susan Canizares; photographs by Pamela Chanko
Vivid photographs with simple descriptions of water in all its forms help students contrast the larger concept with familiar sights they can easily identify.

Classroom Tip: Go on a water-hunt field trip around the school and community and take pictures of places you can find water.

BOOKS SHOWING EVENTS IN THE WATER CYCLE

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema; illustrated by Beatriz Vidal
A cumulative rhyme tells of the importance of rain to nature and a legend of how Ki-pat brought the rain to his drought-stricken homeland.

Classroom Tip: Experiment for a week with two plants. Water one and don't water the other. Discuss what happens.

Come On, Rain by Karen Hesse
The magnificence of a sudden rainstorm on a sweltering hot day is captured in this portrayal of the tenderness of mother-daughter relations and the power of nature to transform life.

Classroom Tip: Draw a crayon picture depicting an outdoor scene and then splatter it with drops of blue watercolor paint.

The Rain Came Down or Y siguió lloviendo by David Shannon
An unexpected rain shower causes an uproar in a small community.

Classroom Tip: Compare and contrast how the characters feel in the beginning of the to the end after the rain stops.

Little Cloud by Eric Carle
A little cloud transforms into various shapes and sizes until he joins with other clouds to make a rainstorm.

Classroom Tip: Make a simple outline of an object or animal and then glue cotton balls to it, filling in the shape.

The Snowflake: A Water Cycle Story by Neil Waldman
This book follows the journey of a single drop of water throughout the year.

Classroom Tip: Make paper cut-out snowflakes and hang from the ceiling.

The Snowy Day or Un día de nieve by Ezra Jack Keats
A young boy explores the world of snow and how it melts.

Classroom Tip: Put shaved ice in the water table for children to explore.

BOOKS ABOUT BODIES OF WATER

Across the Stream by Mirra Ginsburg; illustrated by Nancy Tafuri
A hen and her chick have a bad dream and go through an amazing rescue against the backdrop of a stream.

Classroom Tip: Discuss alternate endings to the story.

Hello Ocean by Pam Muñoz Ryan; illustrated by Mark Astrella
Told in rhyming text, A child explores the ocean through each of her five senses.

Classroom Tip: Create an ocean discovery table using sand and shells.

In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
Shows the activities of pond creatures throughout the seasons of the year.

Classroom Tip: Make a classroom pond diorama.

The Water Hole by Graeme Base
From the plains, jungles, woodlands, and deserts of the world, the animals come together to drink from a mysteriously diminishing water hole.

Classroom Tip: Fill a cup with water and watch it evaporate over time.

Books for Learning About the Water Cycle
Teacher created book list includes tips for classroom use.

The Magic School Bus Dries Up: Desert Animal Adaptation
For once, Arnold is prepared for a field trip! He's wearing desert survival gear. But the class discovers that desert animals have built-in ways of surviving.

How Much Rain?
Students make predictions about how much rain a storm will yield. They then put a jar outside during a rainstorm and measure the results afterwards.

LESSON PLAN	I Just Drank George Washington’s Water! Students learn about the water cycle through a lesson emphasizing the continuity of this process by claiming we may use the same water as George...
UNIT PLAN	Water Works Wonders Present students with an in-depth introduction to water in all it's forms. This lesson unit discusses the water cycle, including the properties...
ONLINE ACTIVITY	StudyJams! - Water Cycle Watch a video about the water cycle.