Our vertebrate series has been lots of fun. Here are some of our favorite books from our final unit … with a mammal theme!
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Just choose books based on your child’s age and what you think will engage your child’s interest. I recommend checking out the “Look Inside the Book” feature on Amazon and reading reviews there. Another place to learn about a book is on YouTube. You can typically see the entire book there.
Montessori-friendly books use photos or realistic illustrations. They don’t have talking animals or a lot of fantasy. But many books that have fantasy and talking animals are wonderful books, and I love sharing them with children who understand the difference between fantasy and reality.
For toddlers and preschoolers, about ¾ of the books I use are typically Montessori friendly (focusing on reality without smiling or talking animals or smiling or talking vehicles).
Books for a Mammal Theme
Again, in this post, there’s also a major emphasis on mammal books as used for animal classification, since this is part of our vertebrate series.
I’m featuring books here for a mammal theme mainly for preschool through elementary-age kids. The books on our forward-facing shelf are all Montessori-friendly, nonfiction books.
Books for a Mammal Theme
Books from series I love and normally feature on the forward-facing display, but they’re in a book basket this unit:
- The Big Book of Beasts is part of a great series (I have the whole series)!
- Animal Classifications: Mammals (from a helpful animal classification series by Angela Royston)
- Marvelous Mammals: This series (I have and recommend the whole set) is great for young readers and preschoolers who are learning about animal classifications!)
Top Shelf of Forward -Facing Display:
- National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia (You’ll notice that I love National Geographic books with their gorgeous photos!)
- A Mammal Is an Animal
- National Geographic Kids Ultimate Mammalpedia
2nd Shelf:
- National Geographic Kids Prehistoric Mammals
- The Fantastic World of Marine Mammals
- About Mammals
3rd Shelf:
- The Book of Horses is filled with easy-to-understand information and beautiful photographs of horses.
- Bears Are Curious (I already had this, and it appears to be out of print. It’s available used, though. My grandson loves it and has read it a few times.)
- National Geographic Kids Cats vs. Dogs
- What’s the Difference? Monkeys and Apes is a simple but information-filled book about primates. It appears to be out of print, but it’s available at a reasonable price used.
4th Shelf:
- One Gorilla is a Montessori-friendly counting book with fascinating realistic pictures. Young children love looking at the primates’ eyes. The book is recommended for ages 3-7, but I especially like it for ages 2-4. Many younger toddlers will love it as well. It was a favorite of my grandkids as toddlers. I still like to get it out for a mammal unit even when they’re older because the eyes are so amazing!
- I Am Jane Goodall
- National Geographic Kids Squeak!
Bottom Shelf
On the other side of the room, we have some favorite fiction mammal books featuring anthropomorphism (where animals have been given human characteristics), such as Berenstain Bears, Curious George, Elephant & Piggie, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Pete the Cat.
Shelf with Fun Fiction Books for a Mammal Theme
On our shelf is:
- Elephant and Piggie series (This is the first book in the Curious George books where Curious George goes to live in the zoo. In Curious George Takes a Job, he runs away from the zoo and ends up back with the man in the yellow hat. He lives with the man in the yellow hat after this book.)
- I Am Invited to a Party! (just one of the fun books in the Elephant and Piggie books)
- The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree (just one of the fun books in the Berenstain Bears books)
- Pete the Cat and the New Guy (where Pete the Cat meets his new platypus friend; one of the fun books in the Pete the Cat books)
Book Basket with Fiction Books for a Mammal Theme
We had some of the fun fiction books in a book basket: Berenstain Bears books, Curious George books, Pete the Cat books, Elephant and Piggie books, Clifford the Big Red Dog books, and Daniel Tiger books.
Some other animal and mammal books we’re using that are in another book basket:
- Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth
- Nature Anatomy
- National Geographic Kids Little Kids First Big Book of Animals
- The Animal Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of Life on Earth is great for plant and animal classification as well as animal themes.
- DK Smithsonian Animal Book
- Animalium: Welcome to the Museum
- Mammal pages from My Encyclopedia of Very Important Things
- Mammal Pages from DK’s First Animal Encyclopedia
- DK’s Animal Atlas
- The Big Book of Beasts is part of a great series (I have the whole series)!
- Animal Classifications: Mammals (from a helpful animal classification series by Angela Royston)
- Marvelous Mammals: This series (I have and recommend the whole set) is great for young readers and preschoolers who are learning about animal classifications!)
- National Geographic Kids Peek Otter!
- National Geographic Kids A Zebra’s Day
- National Geographic Kids Bears
You can see lots of the mammal books as they’re published here.
More Mammal Resources and Activities:
Montessori-Inspired Mammal Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, DIY Movable Alphabet, and Creative Writing (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber).
More (Non-Human) Mammal Resources and Activities
Free Mammal Printables and Montessori-Inspired Mammal Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Toddler Geography Activities with Baby Beluga
- Montessori-Inspired Horse Unit
- Wonderful Whale and Water-Bead Sensory Bin
- Free Raccoon Printables and Montessori-Inspired Raccoon Activities {Kissing Hand Unit}
- Free Raccoon Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Raccoon Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Polar Bear Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Lamb Printables and Montessori-Inspired Lamb Activities
- Free Lamb Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Lamb Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Simple African Animal and Continent Map Cut-and-Paste Activity {Free Printables}
- Free Bear Printables and Montessori-Inspired Bear Activities,
- Free Bear Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download,
- Free Bear Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Panda Printables and Montessori-Inspired Panda Activities
- Free Panda Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Panda Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download),
- Free Bat Printables and Montessori-Inspired Bat Activities
- Free Bat and Vampire Bat Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Bat Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Rabbit Printables and Montessori-Inspired Rabbit Activities
- Free Rabbit and Kitten Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Phonics Instant Download)
- Free Rabbit Cutting Strips
- Montessori Vertebrate Resources (including a Mammal Printable Pack) for Preschool Through Elementary
- Montessori-Inspired Dolphin and Whale Resources for Preschool Through Elementary
All-About Me-Related Posts About Humans (Since We’re Mammals, too)
- “All About Me” Free Printables and Activities
- Free Me on the Map Printables and Montessori-Inspired Me on the Map Activities
- Free Feelings Printables for a Montessori-Inspired Emotions and Feelings Unit
- Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
- Free Skeleton Printables and Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
- Hands-on Fun with Montessori-Inspired Human Skeleton Activities
- Free Brain and Growth Mindset Printables and Montessori-Inspired Brain Activities
- Brain Hemisphere Hat and Montessori Activities to Learn about Parts of the Brain
- Free Brain Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Brain Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Heart Printables and Montessori-Inspired Heart Activities {Human Heart and Valentine Hearts}
- Montessori-Inspired Heart and Circulatory System Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Heart Unit {Hundreds of Human Heart and Valentine Heart Resources}
- Free Heart and Valentine Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Instant Downloads)
- The Best Heart Books for Kids {Human Heart, Love, and Valentine’s Day Books}
- Free Colors and Diversity Printables and Montessori-Inspired Colors and Diversity Activities
- Human Body Unit Study Pinterest Board
Helpful Animal Classification Posts
- Living and Non-Living
- Plant and Animal Sorting
- Montessori Animal Classification
- Free Zoo Printables and Montessori-Inspired Zoo Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Animal Units
- Montessori Vertebrate Resources for Preschool Through Elementary
- Free Amphibian Printables and Montessori-Inspired Amphibian Activities
- Free Reptile Printables and Montessori-Inspired Reptile Activities
- Free Fish Printables and Montessori-Inspired Fish Activities
- Free Bird Printables and Montessori-Inspired Bird Activities post
- Free Mammal Printables and Montessori-Inspired Mammal Activities post
- Montessori Invertebrate Resources for Preschool Through Elementary
I hope you enjoy studying mammals!
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
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