Recommended Picture Books for Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Exhibits

Beyond Spaceship EarthNefertiti: The Spidernaut By: Darcy PattisonIllustrated by: Valeria TisnésSummary: The extraordinary story of a tiny jumping spider who spent 100 days onthe International Space Station learning how to hunt in microgravity.*Featured in Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons for Grades 3-5

Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System!By: Kathleen V. KudlinskiIllustrated by: John RoccoSummary: From the first humans wondering about the night sky to the demotion of Pluto to dwarf planet status, this book is an entertaining and informative look at how scientific theories change as new evidence is discovered.*Featured in Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons for Grades 3-5

Space Exploration (Time for Kids)By: Christine DuganSummary: Describes the history of space exploration, the technologies that havemade it possible, and what the future might hold.*Featured in Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons for Grades 3-5

The International Space StationBy: Franklyn M. BranleyIllustrated by: True KelleySummary: From the Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out series, this book describes the history of the ISS and descriptions of life in space. Readers will come away with an understanding of the project’s promise and possibilities.

ScienceWorks Next Time You See SeriesBy: Emily MorganSummary: These books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena such as pill bugs, sunsets, spiderwebs, and clouds. Designed to be experienced with an adult – be it a parent, teacher, or friend – Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

FossilWritten and illustrated by: Claire EwartSummary: A girl finds a fossil buried in the sand, which takes her imagination back in time to the life of a prehistoric pterosaur, Ornithocheirus. Watercolor illustrations and poetic text give readers an idea of how this ancient creature may have lived, died, and became fossilized over time.*Featured in Chapter 16: Fossils Tell of Long Ago, Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons

Come on RainBy: Karen HesseIllustrated by: Jon J. MuthSummary: A young girl awaits the rain during a heat wave in the city.*Featured in Chapter 18: What Will the Weather Be?, Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons

What Will the Weather Be?By: Lynda DeWittIllustrated by: Carolyn CrollSummary: This book explains the basic characteristics of weather – temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, air pressure – and how meteorologists gather data for their forecasts.*Featured in Chapter 18: What Will the Weather Be?, Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons

Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean Written and Illustrated by: Arthur DorrosSummary: From the Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out series, follows water from brook to stream to river to ocean. Full color illustrations show where water comes from, how it travels, and where it goes.

If You Find a RockBy: Peggy ChristianIllustrated by: Barbara Hirsch LemberSummary: Soft, hand-tinted photographs and simple, poetic text celebrate the variety of rocks that can be found, including skipping rocks, chalk rocks, and splashing rocks.*Featured in Chapter 16: If You Find a Rock, More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons

Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, RoughBy: Natalie RosinskyIllustrated by: Matthew JohnSummary: Simple text and cartoonish illustrations provide information on igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.*Featured in Chapter 16: If You Find a Rock, More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons

Ada Twist, Scientist By: Andrea BeatyIllustrated by: David RobertsSummary: In this charming story about a girl on a mission to use science to understand her world, young Ada discovers that her boundless curiosity can help her solve one smell of a mystery!*Featured in Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons: Grades K-2