Preschoolers love a catchy rhyme and a predictable text. Books like these are crowd pleasers in preschool and Pre-K alike. Some fun titles in this category include:
"Miss Spider's Tea Party," by David Kirk, is the story of a lonely vegetarian spider who tries to persuade her insect neighbors to come visit, but must prove her kindness in order to gain their trust. This counting book has engaging rhymes and brilliant illustrations.
"The Flea's Sneeze," by Lynn Downey, tells the rollicking tale of a bug with the sniffles who astonishes a barn full of creatures.
"Bug in a Rug," by Sue Graves, is a story about the funny things a baby bug digs up with his favorite shovel.
"Bugs Bugs Bugs," by Bob Barner, is a bright rhyming book suitable to introduce a bug unit.
"I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track," by Joshua Prince, offers kooky illustrations of a happy-go-lucky hobo ant and the railroad worker who rushes around trying to save him from the train.
Non-rhyming fiction about bugs abounds for older kids, but preschool titles in a straightforward narrative must be simplistic and engaging to be age-appropriate. Some popular choices include these:
"Inch By Inch," by Leo Lionni, tells of an inch worm who uses his wit and measuring skills to outsmart a bird.
"Hey, Little Ant," by Phillip and Hannah Hoose, debates whether a little boy should step on the ant he finds.
Two by Eric Carle: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," which tells the familiar tale of an overeating caterpillar counting his food before he spins a cocoon, and "The Very Quiet Cricket," an adorable bug story with a surprise chirp at the end to delight preschoolers during circle time if they listen carefully.
Preschoolers love to learn about nature and will often ask "Is that real?" when read a story. These titles provide accessible facts about bugs for the littlest listeners.
"Bug Safari," by Bob Barner, takes a budding boy scientist on a trip through his backyard with a magnifying glass.
"Are You a Ladybug?" and "Are You a Spider?" by Judy Allen offer simple factual text paired with photographs.
"An Insect's Body," by Joanna Cole, the author of the Magic School Bus series for older kids, tells about the parts of a bug.