Light and Color Books for Kids

What's That Shadow?: A Photo Riddle Book (Nature Riddles)

This light and color book for kids is a riddle book that offers a quick introduction on what light and shadows are, then has riddles pertaining to a shadow shown on each page. Simple format, large print, and variety of objects used for shadows.

What Makes a Shadow? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Ages 3-6. This is a new edition of the original Let's-Read-and-Find-Out book has full-color illustrations. Shows children discovering what shadows are and how they are formed. Purchase this great addition to your science book library from the link above.

Whose Shadow Is This?: A Look at Animal Shapes - Round, Long, and Pointy (Whose Is It?)  

This book examines a variety of different animal shadows including shadows produced from a hummingbird, a gibbon, a reindeer, a camel, a porcupine, a giraffe, and an ant.

Shadows and Reflections  

For 4 - 8 year olds, 1990 book. The sets of images include objects, animals, and people reflected in mirrors, glass, metal, and water. The author has included more examples of reflection than shadow, but readers will realize that a reflection is sometimes also a shadow.

Exploring Light and Color (Little Scientists)

This book illustrates light and color concepts in a simple way. It engages a child's visual sense with activities that explore such questions as - why the sky is blue, what makes a rainbow, and how light bends. The author understands how to communicate with 4-8 year-olds. Purchase from link above.

Light and Dark (Everyday Science)

This book for 4 - 8 year olds has basic text and suggested activities that illustrate the nature of light and various optical principles.

Simple illustrations.

All about Light (Rookie Read-About Science (Prebound))

PreS-Gr. 1. This light and color book for kids explains fundamental concepts for the very young. Clear and colorful examples from a child's world make the subject matter easy to understand. Also has a vocabulary page.

Light and Color (Fun Science Projects)

This book is more advanced than the others but its simple text and full-color pictures provide a step-by-step format that helps children learn the basics of photosynthesis, splitting light into a spectrum, and much more.

Goodnight Moon

This wonderful classic by Margaret Wise Brown demonstrates light fading and the room getting darker and darker. Great discussion starter for light and dark.

See more Goodnight Moon activities ...  

The Very Lonely Firefly
The firefly in this story meets other lights (a bulb in a window, a candle, a flashlight, the shining eyes of an owl, car headlights, fireworks), in his search for companionship.

A great story to read when introducing light sources to children. Purchase it by clicking on the link above.