Children are born as true scientists. They are not afraid of asking silly questions. Of course, they might sound “silly” to us grown-ups. But that evolutionary instinct of pursuing after knowledge – be it elementary or complicated – has brought us humans to the top of the food chain.
Learning is a continuous process and does not (should not) have an end. But I can be very confident saying that we lose curiosity over time. Due to our worldly worries, many of us do not focus on gathering knowledge. A baby, when born, will try learning and adapting its parents, fellow beings, and environment
Best Books to Promote Curiosity & Encourage Learning For Children!
After the age of 5 years, kids will start observing a lot more. They will be at the peak of exploring the world exposed to them. And that is when we need to engage the children with exciting information, books, and experiences. In this article, I have compiled the best children’s books that promote curiosity among them. This will encourage them in learning new information in an engaging way.
You go talk to kindergartners or first-grade kids, you find a class full of science enthusiasts. They ask deep questions. They ask, “What is a dream, why do we have toes, why is the moon round, what is the birthday of the world, why is grass green?”
These are profound, important questions. They just bubble right out of them.
You go talk to 12th graders and there’s none of that. They’ve become incurious. Something terrible has happened between kindergarten and 12th grade. ― Carl Sagan
1. Science Year by Year: A Visual History, From Stone Tools to Space Travel
Well, the book title says it all. In order to understand scientific principles and improve our scientific temper, we need to look at past discoveries and inventions. How the discoveries were made and what societal impact they created has to be taught to students. From control of fire to landing on the moon, this book contains major scientific breakthroughs from history.
The timeline of scientific achievements mentioned will provide comprehensive insight. Introduction to great personalities like Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, and Stephen Hawking will kindle the learning spirit among readers. The children will get the opportunity to choose their inspiration in the book and maybe continue to travel down their path. You can get the book here! 📖
Reading Age: 7-10 years
Rating: 4/5
2. The Periodic Table Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Elements
“Chemistry is, well technically, chemistry is the study of matter. But I prefer to see it as the study of change” – Walter White from the TV Show Breaking Bad
The matter is made up of particles and will possess certain physical and chemical properties. Everything in our known physical universe has a chemical makeup. The basic building block is called an atom. So, the nature and properties of these atoms and the sub-atomic particles and how they interact will be regarded as chemistry.
Understanding various chemical elements present in our universe will help us explore and use them to our advantage. Dmitri Mendeleev published the periodic table of elements in the 19th century. He arranged the elements based on crucial factors like atomic number and properties. New elements have been added to the table as new discoveries were made.
Usually, the periodic table and its elements will be taught to school students much later. And, it will be not an entertaining task. But that’s where this book will be helpful. It will contain attractive and colorful images of the elements, unknown facts, and trivia. This is a captivating book not only for children but for elders as well. You can get the book here! 📖
Reading Age: 7-10 years
Rating: 3/5
3. Life Cycles: Everything from Start to Finish
I have a friend who is a paleontologist. After seeing the Jurassic Park movie during his childhood, he got inspired and started reading books regarding dinosaurs. Currently, he is working at a national museum in UAE. The books made him more curious about the ancient animals that walked across the earth. He does not stop learning even now.
“Life Cycles: Everything from Start to Finish” is a book I would recommend to children. The book contains striking images of various types of fascinating fauna, their habitat, migration patterns, etc. Kids also will be introduced to the compelling topic of evolution. You can get the book here! 📖
Reading Age: 7-10 years
Rating: 3/5
4. What Happened When in the World
“History repeats itself”. It is not just another punchline. As far as our current geopolitics is concerned, we need to understand the history of our world to prepare for the future. Kids have the habit of asking how it all began. And they will not stop there. It is usually followed up with why, where, and so on. This book will cover crucial timelines in humanity’s modern history.
Children will get amusing and captivating details ranging from the Egyptian Pharaohs to the Mongol dynasty, from the Vikings to the colonial Americas. An essential aspect of this book is that it is an engaging, colorful book with fun-filled facts. In my opinion, it is a perfect book to hone children’s curiosity towards the fields of History and Geography. You can get the book here! 📖
Reading Age: 9-12 years
Rating: 3/5
5. Art: A Children’s Encyclopedia
One of the poorest decisions of parents nowadays is to persuade a child towards one mainstream educational course or subject. We need to realize that we are invalidating a child’s aspiration to learn, be curious, and have fun in due process. It is a shame that art nowadays is not even considered a field of work. There’s more to art than just the overrated auction houses and self-proclaimed art connoisseurs. Art is one of the rare forms by which we humans express freely. It is one of the things which sets us apart from other beings.
And, kids are natural artists. A 2-year-old baby would be attracted to bright colors. Well, art plays a vital role in the brain development of children. It keeps the frontal cortex of the human brain active. Research shows that children prone to the habit of drawing and painting have better creative thinking abilities. “Art A Children’s Encyclopedia” is a handy yet comprehensive book designed for 10-year old kids. The book contains expert insights for learning the subject along with explanations for some legendary paintings such as Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night”. You can get the book here! 📖
Reading Age: 10-12 years
Rating: 4.5/5
6. The Story of Life: Evolution
Alright, this is a bit more sophisticated than my other suggestions. But the evolution of life on earth is one of the most controversial topics in science. But in actuality is not something to be debated. It cannot be debated because evolution is a fact. Despite that, there are conservative creationists who prefer to believe in fairy tales written by folks from centuries ago.
Kids have to realize the role of critical thinking in science. It all starts by unlearning everything that everyone would’ve gained through years of indoctrination and then relearning stuff based on facts.
The Story of Life: Evolution is an essential book for understanding how life on earth evolved over millions of years. There’s this unintelligent question that makes rounds on the internet from time to time – If Humans evolved from monkeys, why are the species that evolved not alive now! Well, Humans belong to the biological group called Great Apes, and there was a long-lost common ancestor. The answer is evolution, and this book provides detailed accounts of not just human evolution but the evolution of living things in general. You can get the book here! 📖
Reading Age: 10-14 years
Rating: 4/5
Conclusion: In a nutshell, we as elders should nurture and cultivate the habit of reading. And what better way than to buy them these books that would ultimately make them more inquisitive. Also, these books would work their magic if the young readers have an engaging company – collaborative reading. Hoping this list would put a smile in the minds of future geniuses, cheers!