There are many more nonfiction books in the adult reading world than there are in the children's realm, but nonfiction children's books are HOT (and probably always will be)! And since picture books are a form, not a genre, each type of book listed here would be an example of a nonfiction genre or sub-genre, if you will.
TYPES OF NON-FICTION IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS
There are all kinds of nonfiction children's books out there waiting to be explored, and waiting to be written. The following are the most common types on nonfiction books found in children's literature.
Concept Books
This category of nonfiction books for children are typically for the younger audience, such as preschoolers. These books cover include topics such as counting, the alphabet, opposites, colors, days of the week, and more.
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
- Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Animals
Animal books abound. There is always a market for more animal picture books. They can be about life cycles, compare/contrast, a day in the life of, habitat, or anything that has to do with teaching kids about animals.
- No Two Alike by Keith Baker
- A Warm Winter Tail by Carrie A. Pearson
- Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde
Craft/How-to
Children love to do all kinds of things and want to learn how to do even more. These could be how-to craft books, cooking books, how to play certain games, how to start a collection, how to become an entrepreneur, anything really!
- Draw the DC Universe by Klutz
- Sleeping in a Sack: Camping Activities for Kids by Linda White
- Origami for Children by Mari Uno
Biographies
Biographies for children are exploding right now. Publishers, teachers, and librarians can't seem to get enough of them. Autobiographies would be a sub-genre of this category. There are biographies about people in certain careers, inventors, famous people, lesser known people, presidents, athletes, scientists, artists, you name it! The blog, True Tales and a Cherry on Top by Jeanne Walker Harvey, reviews nothing but picture book biographies.
- The Noisy Paintbox by Barb Rosenstock
- A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jennifer Fisher Bryant
- Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris
History/Events
Children's books about historical events or current events create this genre of kids books. These could be books about a war, political events, social events, etc. They are not really about a certain person, but more about what happened. Oftentimes, biographies are historical because one person usually had a huge impact on what happened.
- The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak
- The Alamo from A to Z by William R. Chemerka
- Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
- Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet (this might actually fall under biography)
- The Carpenter's Gift by David Rubel (technically, I think this one is actually historical fiction)
