Best Science & Nature Books for 1st Grade

First graders, ages six and seven, will find science picture books here that range from the backyard to the bottom of the ocean. Margaret Peot's The Science of Light introduces things that shine, flash and glow, and Megan Clendenan's Just in Case, the 2026 Orbis Pictus Award winner, explains how a vault in the Arctic protects the world's seeds. Micha Archer's Wonder Walkers, a Caldecott honor book, invites young readers to ask their own questions about the world outdoors.