12 Weather Books for Preschool and Kindergarten
Inside: a curated list of fiction weather books for preschool and kindergarten
Wind and rain; sun and fog; and snow! We love reading about them all. If you’re looking for picture books to go along with your weather unit, I’ve got you covered here. Or, if you simply want new inspiration for your next library haul – you can find that in this list too.
These 12 weather books for preschool or kindergarten are each about multiple types of weather, all in one book.
On the other hand, if you’re looking just for books about storms, or books about snow or sun, you can check out my more specific lists:
Weather Concept Books
This first group of weather books is the very simplest, just right for young preschoolers or even toddlers.
Weather by Jill McDonald is a bright and colorful concept book that little ones will find relatable.
Elmer’s Weather by David McKee – Elmer fans will love seeing their favorite patchwork elephant in all kinds of weather. This is a simple concept book rather than a full-on story.
Ready for Weather by Sarah Jones is an engaging and colorful word book. It shows and names what we wear in different types of weather.
The Weather / El Tiempo by Gladys Rosa-Mendoza is another bright and relatable concept book. I love this one because it names each type of weather in Spanish as well as English.
Short Picture Books About Weather
Preschoolers will find these simple picture books relatable, and I think you’ll enjoy reading them aloud.
The Weather by Olivia George – A little girl observes the weather through her bedroom window.
The Weather Girls by Aki is a whimsical, rhyming trip around the seasons.
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring by Kin Eagle – is a takeoff from the familiar nursery rhyme “It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring”. The imaginative illustrations and extra verses cover windy, snowy, sunny, and chilly weather.
Longer Weather Stories
These weather books are the best of the bunch. Kids who can sit and listen to follow a more complicated plot will LOVE these stories!
Wild Weather Soup by Caroline Formby – This fanciful exploration of weather around the world and up to the ozone layer would be fun to pair with a nonfiction weather book.
A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Mizumura isn’t really about weather, but this involved storyline contains a section where girls play a weather forecasting game. Pair it with a discussion about how weather is really predicted, and don’t miss also talking about the book’s historical setting and moral dilemma.
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackhall was the 2019 Caldecott winner. Watch the weather turn from calm to stormy and then foggy and icy as this story of a lighthouse keeper progresses.
Ling & Ting: Together in All Weather by Grace Lin is a very early chapter book that also makes an engaging read-aloud. Follow twins Ling and Ting as they hide from a scary storm, sell lemonade in the hot sun, and more.
Finally, don’t miss Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. This outlandish, hilarious classic would be a fun complement to any weather unit.
More Resources for Teaching about Weather
Little kids ask so many big questions! I really like the site Weather Wiz Kids for helping answers they can understand. It’s written by a real meteorologist, so you can trust that it’s accurate as well as accessible.
I went looking for a big list of weather activities, and I came up with several. Playdough to Plato has a great list. We Are Teachers has a long one. Then I remembered that I also have a big collection of activities and crafts on my Weather Pinterest board.
Last but not least, I want to share with you the little Weather theme emergent readers in my store. These are Personalized emergent readers, meaning you can type student names on one page, and they automatically fill in on every page of the book.
I hope you find the perfect weather book for your kids. As I write this, we are at that crazy time of year where it was 80 degrees this morning and was 65 by lunchtime.