Children’s Books about Geography
Help your child learn about their world, our cities and states, and how to read a map with these children’s books about geography.
Here are some startling facts I learned from my son’s former after school care program:
- Most primary school students don’t understand the differences between a city, state, and country.
- Many kindergarten through second graders refer to California as a country rather than a state.
- Seven out of 10 of these same kids think the words “country” and “state” are interchangeable.
Introducing young children to geography is a fantastic way to learn about where we live. For instance, we can explain that the Earth consists of seven continents, and that most are further segmented into countries. From there, countries divide into states, cities, towns, and right down to our own homes.
We can hang a large map of the world for kids to point to and discuss with us. A globe would also be a fantastic way to show the geography of our planet on a 3D model.
What can you teach your child about geography? Consider these objectives and goals:
- Identify your city, state, and country on a world map.
- Talk about the difference between a map and a globe.
- Introduce scale, a map key, symbols, and other important features on a map.
- Learn interesting things about different cultures (along with your own).
- Define these vocabulary words: country, state, city, culture, globe, map, geography, and continent.
Children’s books about geography
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And of course, you can read plenty of geography books for kids.
These picture books can help young readers understand the concept of maps and globes. They can also learn how to locate different countries, oceans, and major landmarks. And they can read plenty of information about different people who live in places far away from them.
Take a look at a few of our favorite list of books to read:
The 50 States by Gabrielle Balkan and Sol Linero
Lift-the-Flap Picture Atlas by Jane Chisholm and Helen Lee
How to Go Anywhere (and Not Get Lost) by Hans Aschim and Nainoa Thompson
Maps by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski
Geography from A to Z by Jack Knowlton and Harriett Barton
The World Book by Joe Fullman and Rose Blake
Where Do I Live? by Neil Chesanow and Ann Iosa
Kids Voyage to Seven Continents by Judy Winters
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney and Qin Leng
Good Night America by Adam Gamble and Suwin Chan
Smart About the Fifty States by Jon Buller
The Little Man in the Map by E. Andrew Martonyi and Ed Olson
Follow That Map! by Scot Ritchie
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
The Firekeeper’s Son by Linda Sue Park
A World of Wonders: Geographic Travels in Verse and Rhyme by J. Patrick Lewis
My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Raise the Flag by Clive Gifford
Free printables: Want even more book ideas? Join my newsletter and grab your Read Aloud Book List! You’ll get hundreds of favorite selections to read aloud with your kids. Get it below—at no cost to you: