Picture Books for a Community Scientist

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Inspire curiosity, global connection, and your next act of community science

New technologies have fueled a global push for citizen or community science, connecting curious individuals with researchers looking to gather and analyze vast quantities of new data. Now your family can spend meaningful time together supporting this research!

Before you check out our project instructions and Become Community Scientists, explore this fantastic collection of science-centric books to spark wonder.

Doing Good Together is transitioning to the more inclusive term “community science” rather than citizen science, simply because citzenship is not a prerequisite for participating and can be frighting to some science lovers.


Conversation Starters

  • What is community or citizen science?

  • Why do you think it might be a good idea to encourage everyday citizens to participate in science?

  • What could be a challenge or problem with having the public contribute to scientific research?

  • How do you think it might feel to participate in a global scientific endeavor?

  • What research would you do if you could?

  • What did you learn in this book? What surprised you?

  • What new questions do you have or what are you curious about as a result of reading this book?


Featured DGT Favorite

Moonlight Crab Count by Dr. Neeta Bathala and Jennifer Keats Curtis
Join Leena, her mother, and her dog Bobie on a journey to count horseshoe crabs. Discover the simple truth that knowledge is a treasure we all should hunt for, kids and families as well as scientists!


Actual Size by Steve Jenkens
This wonderfully-illustrated book brings the wild world into vivid perspective.

Animalium: Welcome to the Museum by Jenny Broom
Take a trip to the world's most accessible natural museum and spend hours learning about the natural world with this incredible book.

A Passion for Elephants: The Real Life Adventure of Field Scientist Cynthia Moss by Toni Buzzeo
Set the stage for your own observations of nature with this excellent biography.

Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story by Anna Forrester
Spend exciting summer evenings with Jojo and her family, counting bats to help scientists studying white-nose syndrome.

Big Questions from Little People: And Simple Answers from Great Minds by Gemma Elwin Harris
Scientists, philosophers, and specialists weigh in on the weighty, perplexing questions curious grade-school kids are famous for.

Citizen Science: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns
Get started with simple, flagship community science projects through Audubon, FrogWatch USA, and more. 

Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and A Hundred Sea Turtles by Phillipe Cousteau
Discover the incredible difference curious kids can make in the world. A little courage and perseverance and make big-hearted kids unstoppable!

If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers by David Smith
Grapple with big, hard-to-imagine ideas by scaling them down with clever metaphors brought to you by the same author who created If the World Were a Village.

Monarch Butterflies: Explore the Life Journey of One of the Winged Wonders of the World by Ann Hobie
This beautiful introduction to all things monarch is sure to inspire your family to take action. It gently illustrates how human behavior has harmed monarchs and then offers substantive ways kids can help make a positive difference. Also check out Monarch Joint Venture’s collection of community science projects.

Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space by Dominic Walliman
Enjoy lessons on the cosmos from the world's smartest cat!

Ruby’s Birds by Mya Thompson
Join Ruby in discovering the fun of birdwatching, a pastime you can pursue whatever you are! Learn Ruby’s tips for taking nature walks, find out how to spot birds in your neck of the woods, and connect with Celebrate Urban Birds, a community-science project at the Cornell Lab.

Outdoor Science Lab for Kids: 52 Family-Friendly Experiments for the Yard, Garden, Playground, and Park by Liz Lee Heinecke
Part of the incredible Lab Series, this edition will inspire your whole family to bring science to your time outside.

What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada
This beautiful book is perfect for people of all ages, all aspirations, and all phases of creative endeavor. How do you nurture an idea? You'll see!

Back to Read Together for more book lists...

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Or check out these projects and book lists to inspire your family to heal the Earth.

Disclaimer:  Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.