4 Picture Books About Bats

Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon: When a young bat is separated from her mother, she joins a nest of baby birds. In a beautifully illustrated book with lots of loving close-ups, Stellaluna tries to fit in but learns that she is happiest being herself. Along with her newfound friends, she also discovers that sometimes friends can be very different in some ways but alike in the ways that count. This book is my favorite book about bats, and my daughter loved it, even at age four, but I do find it gets a little long for most children under 5. Also, to set up another point of contrast, Cannon makes Stellaluna a fruit bat who does not like the bug feast the mama bird brings back for her babies. This may be confusing for young children who are learning that most bats eat bugs.

Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies: A community of bats heads to the beach for moontans and bugmallows. The illustrations manage to be cute and naturalistic at the same time–no easy feat when your subject is bats. A few facts about bats are interwoven with the storyline but I wish there were more included. Still, this is a faster-paced, shorter, more lively read than Stellaluna, making it my pick for the under 5 crowd.

Baby Bat’s Lullaby by Jacquelyn Mitchard: A mama bat soothes her baby to sleep in much the same way that human mothers guide their own children to slumber–except the baby must sleep now that the sun is rising. This simple twist delights my children, as does the gentle depiction of motherly love. And the glee the baby bat takes in his burgeoning abilities makes me smile, too. The text is rhythmic, rhyming poetry–a sweet, lyrical introduction to bats.

Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) is a good non-fiction introduction to the world of bats. Children will love the interesting facts about bats. I appreciate that the book helps dispel myths about these creatures and explains why they are essential to our ecosystem.