25 Books About Animals: Perfect For Your Homeschool

Animals can be a fascinating part of childhood and of learning. These 25 books are our absolute favorites for adding books about animals to your homeschool.

If your child loves animals, use it to your advantage! These are wonderful books to add to your homeschool. They’re perfect for learning and intriguing the animal lover in your family.

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Herriot: By far our favorite picture books featuring animals are those written by James Herriot. Bonny’s Big Day and The Christmas Day Kitten top the list. Sweet, simple stories of ordinary animals touching the lives of those around them with soft calming illustrations make for perfect bedtime or anytime reading.

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion: Harry is introduced in a hilarious story of misplaced dirt. You can’t help but fall in love with Harry even if he is a bit naughty. If you like this one, be sure to check out the other three books featuring Harry the dirty dog.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter: Classic sweet, often silly stories about animals going about their days. Be sure to check out the Beatrix Potter: Ultimate Collection kindle edition. My youngest has enjoyed reading these on the go.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown: I get such a kick out of reading this book a loud! The only right way to do it is to be completely shocked when Mr. Tiger decides he doesn’t want to wear clothes and pretend to refuse to allow your children to look at the picture. Oh’ the giggles that will ensue because of course tigers and other animals don’t wear clothes anyway!

Who Wants Arthur? by Amanda Graham is just plain fun. A pet store dog tries everything to attract attention so he can have a forever home. Even though this book is out of print it is pretty easy to get a copy and well worth it!

Five o’clock Charlie is only one of many amazing horse books by Marguerite Henry. If you like this one, check out her others!

You may have heard of Balto, the famous sled dog, but what about Togo by Robert J. Blake? Read the story of another of the dogs on the team that saved a town and inspired the Iditarod race.

Little Polar Bear by by Hans De Beer is a sweet story full of many animal characters.

We love books with humor and Night Animals by Gianna Marino is just the type we like, with a surprise ending that leaves everyone giggling.

Through poetry and short informational sentences, Dear Treefrog by Joyce Sidman opens a world by showing similarities between us and the animals we encounter. Be sure to check out Sidman’s other books as well. They are also fantastic!

The Animal Book: A Collection of the Fastest, Fiercest, Toughest, Cleverest, Shyest―and Most Surprising―Animals on Earth by Steve Jenkins is a big book for those who love to leaf through finding outstanding pictures and interesting facts.

Robins!: How They Grow Up by Eileen Christelow: The very first time we read this book we knew it was a keeper. Two teenage Robins explain their life cycle in a straight forward conversational way. We loved learning all the nitty-gritty details of a robin’s life. Be sure to read the author’s note in the back for a small chuckle.

Even if it is above your child’s reading level, consider The Animal Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of Life on Earth by David Burnie. A good heavy book with pictures and graphics will grow with a budding reader for many years to come!

Adopted By An Owl: The True Story of Jackson the Owl by Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen is a lovely story told with beautiful illustrations and prose.

Got artists? Ralph Masiello’s Bug Drawing Book and Ralph Masiello’s Ocean Drawing Book are perfect for beginning and advanced artists alike.

Baby animals are always a popular subsection of animals. Learn more about them in This Is How I Grow by Dia L. Michels.

Strange Nature by Gregory Mone showcases one father’s exploration of insects with his son. He then turns it into an amazing book of bug photographs that your family will love!

Interested in studying wild animals? Wild Horse Scientists by Kay Frydenborg and other books in this series offer a unique look at what scientists do all day.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: Horse lovers with love Black Beauty, animal lovers will too! Even if horses are not the fortunate favorite, all enjoy the story of Black Beaty and his enduring good temper through good and bad situations. This book is a classic for a reason.

Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton: Seaton, an amateur animal observer shares what he has seen and learned through short stories. The stories are interesting, but the ending almost always ends in tragedy. Even so, we enjoyed learning about the behaviors of rabbits, crows, and dogs.

*The Tarantula in My Purse and 172 Other Wild Pets by Jean Craighead George: One of our absolute favorite animal read alouds of all time! Jean grew up collecting and caring for wild pets and naturally passed this on to her own children. Some stories made us laugh, others made us sad, but we enjoyed them all.

The Rise of Wolf 8: Witnessing the Triumph of Yellowstone’s Underdog by Rick McIntyre: While all my children listened to the audio version, this non-fiction book may be enjoyed more by older children. Rick, a long time wolf watcher, tells the fascinating story of wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park. I appreciated the straightforward interpretation of wolf behavior without the anthropomorphism so common in a book of this type. This book even inspired us to take our family to Yellowstone to see the wolves!

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford is best enjoyed as a read aloud. A story of resilience and adventure!

Another story of canine devotion, Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight will delight dog lovers everywhere!

The All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriot is certainly for advanced readers or as a read aloud. While these books give an excellent description of what it was like to be a vet in the early 20th century, they mention vices some parents may not be ready to have their children read about.