These pond books are perfect for bringing the charm of small ponds into the preschool classroom! The tiny ecosystems are perfect for studying life cycles, animals, and insects. Here are some amazing pond books to incorporate into the classroom pond life unit.
Pond life is a wonderful preschool theme because it explores animals that many students see in their yards, parks, and neighborhood. Add in the peaceful scenery, the enticing water, and all of the natural elements, and it’s like pond life was made for preschoolers to explore!
In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
This gorgeous pond book’s simple, rhyming text begins with a frog leaping past an astonished child. The story follows the frog through the pond past sleeping turtles, spinning insects, and even past a few predators – but the frog always slips by. One lovely aspect of this book is that it doesn’t just depict the pond in the spring, which is when most people think of it, but it also shows the frog settling down for hibernation as snowflakes begin to fall.
Extending the Learning: Frog Craft
This sweet frog craft project is a chance for students to explore sculpting and mixed media art. They’re also adorable!
Duck and Goose by Tad Hills
Duck and Goose find what they believe is an egg and immediately start to bicker over it. The bickering turns to plans for the future, then to friendship when they finally realize it’s not an egg, but a ball. This pond book isn’t necessarily about a pond, but it is sure to be a favorite!
Extending the Learning: Humpty Dumpty
Encourage more “eggcellent” fun with these Humpty Dumpty activities in the classroom!
Worm Weather by Jean Taft
Celebrating the joy of a rainy day, two siblings splash and explore while worms wriggle in the rain. Preschoolers love to find the wiggly worms on nearly every page. A perfect springtime read!
Extending the Learning: Worm Activities
Preschoolers are fascinated by wriggly, slimy worms! These worm activities bring nature indoors with both real and toy worms.
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
In this lovely book, the author shifts perspective to show what happens both above and below the watery surface. A small child and their mother paddle through the pond, observing the life around them. This book shows many pond animals in their environment and has a fantastic section in the back full of information about every creature discussed in the book.
Check out this Resource from my Shop!
Pond Life Preschool Unit for Circle Time
$10.00Explore POND LIFE with this complete unit that includes daily lesson plans, activities, and ideas that you need to teach preschool and Pre-K students about the pond. Everything is written out and planned to make your job easier!
- 10 circle time lessons
- 10 math, literacy, & fine motor centers
- Book Recommendations
Ducks Away by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
Poor Mama Duck just wants to take a nice walk with her five ducklings when disaster strikes! This book is a great addition to both a pond unit and a math center, as it displays all the different ways five ducklings can be divided. Don’t worry; it still has a happy ending!
Extending the Learning: Chip Clip Poems
Counting up and down is a perfect Chip Clip Poem activity! Make one to go along with the book, or use one of the free ones below!
10 FREE Chip Clip Poems!
One of the main goals for preschool math is that students begin to understand computation. When it is presented in a natural, playful way through songs and fingerplays, the concept of computation (making sets by adding and subtracting objects) is both fun and appropriate for preschool students.
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More Pond Books
There are so many pond books for preschoolers – here are some more favorites!
Pond Life
- Life in a Pond by Carol Lindeen
- Down by the Cool of the Pool by Tony Mitton
- Life in a Pond by Allan Fowler
- In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
- Piggy and Dad Go Fishing by David Martin
- Ribbit! by Rodrigo Folgueira
- Pond Walk by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
- Turtle Splash! by Cathryn Falwell
- Are You a Dragonfly? by Judy Allen
- On Duck Pond by Jane Yolen
- Pond Babies by Cathryn Falwell
Frogs
- One Frog Sang by Shirley Parenteau
- It’s Mine! by Leo Lionni
- Frog’s Lunch by Dee Lillegard
- Hungry Harry by Joanne Partis
- Growing Frogs by Vivian French
- Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni
- Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan
- Why Frogs are Wet by Judy Hawes
- Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni
Worms
- Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
- I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt
- Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer
- Wiggle and Waggle by Caroline Arnold
Ducks
- The Duck Says by Troy Wilson
- Super Duck by Jez Alborough
- Little Quack by Lauren Thompson
- One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root
