Bat Books for Kids

Are you on the hunt for the best bat books for kids? Over the years, I have found a handful of books to both educate and entertain readers. This collection is filled with fascinating facts, stunning illustrations, endearing characters, and stories that will help your students learn more about these incredible creatures. Here are some of my favorite bat books for kids.

You can click on any of the titles below to learn more about each book or find all of these bat books on my Amazon page.

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Bat Books for Kids

Stellaluna

by Janell Cannon

Knocked from her mother’s safe embrace by an attacking owl, Stellaluna lands headfirst in a bird’s nest. This adorable baby fruit bat’s world is literally turned upside down when she is adopted by the occupants of the nest and adapts to their peculiar bird habits.

Nightsong

by Ari Berk

Sense is the song you sing out into the world,
and the song the world sings back to you.

With these words, Chiro’s mother sends him off into the night for the first time alone. It’s an adventure, but how will he find his way? And how will he find his way home? As the young bat discovers, navigating the world around him is easy as long as he uses his good sense.

Bats

by Gail Gibbons

Though people often think of bats as scary, bats are really shy, gentle animals. There are nearly 1000 different species of bats, and they live on every continent except Antarctica. Some are tiny, but the giant flying fox bat has a five-foot wingspan! Popular science author Gail Gibbons also discusses the efforts to protect the world’s only truly flying mammals. A final page offers additional facts.

You can find activities to pair with this book here.

Bats at the Library

by Brian Lies

Can it be true? Oh, can it be?
Yes!—Bat Night at the library!

The enchantment of story time is near—come bats, come one and all, and gather around for the tale of the night.

Roam the book-filled halls on this inky evening as the bats wander around the library and cause all sorts of mischief.

National Geographic Kids Bats

by Elizabeth Carney

They live in spooky caves, in forests, even in the dark reaches of ordinary attics and bridges. They flock by the hundreds, and they sleep while hanging upside down! In this beautifully photographed Level 2 Reader, kids learn about one of the most interesting creatures around—and discover the bat’s unique place in the wild and in the world.

Fiona the Fruit Bat

by Dan Riskin

It’s time for Fiona the fruit bat to take her very first flight, but she’s scared. How will she fly when she can’t see in the dark? Mama just says, “listen.” But how will listening help her to see? Then she hears a mysterious sound from deep in her cave. To find out what’s making that noise—and to finally fly—Fiona will have to unlock a secret hidden inside herself.

The Magic School Bus: The Truth about Bats

by Eva Moore

Once Ms. Frizzle took us all over the U.S. looking for bats. We thought she was batty! But then we found out some really amazing things about bats, like what they eat, where they live, how echolocation works, and lots more bat facts and bat myths.

You can find activities to pair with this book here.

The Magic School Bus In the Bat Cave

by Jeanette Lane

Bats are living at Tim’s house . . . but where did they come from? Ms. Frizzle and her class are on the case! Climb on board the Magic School Bus and find out about the fascinating world of bats.

The Magic School Bus Going Batty

by Joanna Cole

Driven batty by their lessons on nocturnal animals, the students in Ms. Frizzle’s class participate in a nighttime adventure that is complicated by the bus’s new wings and a rumor that Ms. Frizzle is a vampire.

The Magic School Bus Fact Finder: Bats

by Kris Hirchmann

Take a page from Ms. Frizzle’s book. Better yet, read all of her class notes and find out the incredible facts about the only flying mammals: BATS.

Ready, Freddy! Going Batty

by Abby Klein

It’s Halloween time, and Freddy is already spooked — something has been making strange noises in his family’s attic! Can Freddy solve the mystery, or will he be too frightened to find out?

You can find activities to pair with this book here.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat

by Lucille Colandro

There was an old lady who swallowed a bat.

I don’t know why she swallowed a bat,

imagine that.

The Old Lady is back and this time she’s swallowing a bat, an owl, a cat, a ghost, a goblin…and more! This Halloween-themed twist on the classic rhyme will delight and entertain all brave readers who dare to read it!

Bitsy Bat, School Star

Bitsy is a little bat with big star dreams of making friends at her new school. But when she arrives, Bitsy doesn’t feel like she fits in. The other kids sit on their chairs, but sitting upright makes Bitsy dizzy. The other kids paint with their fingers, but Bitsy would rather use her toes. Everyone tells Bitsy she’s doing things wrong-wrong-wrong, so she tries harder…and ends up having a five-star meltdown.

Now Bitsy feels like a very small star and doesn’t want to go back to school. But with help from her family, Bitsy musters her courage, comes up with a new plan, and discovers that being a good friend is just one of the ways she shines bright!

Fly Guy Presents: Bats

by Tedd Arnold

It’s time for a field trip! Fly Guy and Buzz are going into a bat cave to learn all about bats. With straightforward text, humorous asides, and kid-friendly full-bleed photographs throughout, young readers will love learning all about these nocturnal creatures.

You can find activities to pair with this book here.

Amara and the Bats

by Emma Reynolds

Amara loves bats! Her favorite thing to do is to collect bat facts and watch the amazing mammals fly at night by her house. But when Amara moves to a new town, she learns that her beloved bats no longer roost nearby because so many trees are being cut down.

Amara is upset. What can she do to help? She’s just one person, and the problem feels so much bigger than her. But after doing some research, she discovers that there are many young people making big changes all around the world. Inspired to take action, Amara gathers her new friends to help save the bats. Together, she knows they can make a difference!

All About Bats

by DK

DK Super Readers Level 1: All About Bats will introduce kids to the lives of bats―from how they find their way in the dark to what they eat and how they sleep upside down―and is a motivating introduction to using essential nonfiction reading skills, proving ideal for children ready to enter the riveting world of reading.

Brilliant Bats

by Laaren Brown

This book is part of Scholastic’s Icky Sticky Readers. Explore everything awesome about bats in a fun, accessible, and laugh-out-loud format! Find out which is the biggest bat, and which is as tiny as a bumblebee. Learn the secrets of these shy mammals that hide by day and fly at night. Can you hear as well as a bat can? Definitely not–bats have super sharp hearing, and they use ultrasonic squeaks to find their prey and recognize each other.

You can find activities to pair with this book here.

The Bat

by Elise Gravel

The Bat covers habitat (bats live everywhere except Antarctica!), species (there are over 1,200 kinds of bats), echolocation, hibernation (bats hibernate just like bears!), conservation (don’t disturb a sleeping bat!) and much more. Although silly and off-the-wall, The Bat contains factual information that will both amuse and teach at the same time.

Booker the Library Bat

by Jess Brallier

Booker the bat has completed his training and he’s excited to report for duty as the newest guard at the Joanina Library in Coimbra, Portugal. His job is to fly through the stacks at night, gobbling down the bugs that are in turn eating the 200,000 antique leather books. It’s the perfect job for Booker, because he loves to read. And now he’s saving books!

There’s only one problem: how will he fit in with the other guards? They’re so cool and confident, and what if they don’t like him?

But when Booker spots a human attempting to steal pages from one of the valuable books, he summons his courage, (echo)locates the other bat guards, and swoops in with a plan to save the day!

Bat Jamboree

by Kathi Appelt

The Bat Jamboree was held early this year, at the old drive-in movie not too far from here. It was standing room only as the houselights went down. The spotlight came up — there wasn’t a sound! Then: 1 bat sang.2 bats flapped. 3 bats cha-cha-ed. 4 bats tapped.

Every year a troupe of 55 buoyant bats comes up with 10 fabulous acts to entertain and instruct an enthusiatic audience. And every year the bats top themselves when they perform the grandest finale of all . . .

With its exuberant text and enchanting illustrations, Bat Jamboree is both a counting book and a thrilling theatrical event.

Zipping Zapping Zooming Bats

by Ann Earle

Bats fly into the spotlight in this exploration of such basics as where they live, how mothers raise their pups, and how they hunt for food. Included as well is a simple plan for a building a backyard bat house.

Bat Loves the Night

by Nicola Davies

Night has fallen, and Bat awakens to find her evening meal. Follow her as she swoops into the shadows, shouting and flying, the echoes of her voice creating a sound picture of the world around her. When morning light creeps into the sky, Bat returns to the roost to feed her baby . . . and to rest until nighttime comes again. Bat loves the night!

Bats: Biggest! Littlest!

by Sandra Markle

Why is the world of bats so varied? The littlest bat is as light as a penny. The biggest bat can have a wingspan as long as a bathtub. Some bats have little flaps on their noses. Others have huge ears. The unique traits of each species help it survive in its special place in nature . . . but how?

Never, Not Ever!

by Beatrice Alemagna

The other animals are marching dutifully to school, but Pascaline could care less. “Never, not ever!” she declares. She’s NOT going. And nothing—not even her parents pulling her by her feet—will change her mind.

She shrieks so loudly that her parents shrink down to the size of peanuts—becoming just the right size to fit snugly under Pascaline’s wing. Now they can all go to school together!

Bats: Nocturnal Flyers

by Rebecca Rissman

This book takes readers on a journey through the night to discover the world of nocturnal animals living in their own backyards. This title focuses on bats, showcasing their behavior, habitat, diet, and the things they get up to when we’re asleep!

The Bat Book

by Charlotte Milner

Did you know that there are two main groupings of bats, or that the bat is the only mammal that can fly? Children will be fascinated by the beautiful illustrations and learn plenty of bat facts on every page.

Simply Sound: Science Adventures with Jasper the Origami Bat

by Eric Braun

Jasper the origami bat is new to this noisy household. He may be a bat, but he doesn’t know much about sound. Luckily Leo is there to teach him about sound waves, vibration, pitch, and more. Grab some earplugs and join Jasper as he learns all about sound.