Shapes: Books for Young Children

These books encourage young children to look for shapes all around them — at home, in their neighborhood, and beyond. They also provide important examples of ways to include culturally relevant and diverse examples when teaching young children about new concepts.

Related resources

For related books and activity ideas, see the following:

All Around Us

All Around Us
Illustrated by: Adriana Garcia
Age Level: 6-9, 9-12
Language: English

Grandpa says circles are all around us. He points to the rainbow that rises high in the sky after a thundercloud has come. Can you see? That's only half of the circle. That rest of it is down below, in the earth. He and his granddaughter meditate on gardens and seeds, on circles seen and unseen, inside and outside us, on where our bodies come from and where they return to. They share and create family traditions in this stunning video adaptation of the Pura Belpré award-winning exploration of the cycles of life and nature.

Babies in the Park: Autumn Babies

Illustrated by: Adela Pons
Age Level: 0-3

An endearing board book with adorable babies on the go during the fall season. Featuring diverse characters and highlighting early concepts like shapes and repetition, books in the Babies in the Park series encourage an appreciation of nature and outdoor imaginative play.

Babies in the Park: Spring Babies

Illustrated by: Adela Pons
Age Level: 0-3

What will babies find in the park on a beautiful spring day? This series features diverse characters and highlighting early concepts like shapes and repetition, books in the Babies in the Park series encourage an appreciation of nature and outdoor imaginative play.

Babies in the Park: Summer Babies

Illustrated by: Adela Pons
Age Level: 0-3

Whether they are chasing butterflies or playing in the sun, these babies are having an exciting day at the park! Featuring diverse characters and highlighting early concepts like shapes and repetition, books in the Babies in the Park series encourage an appreciation of nature and outdoor imaginative play.

Babies in the Park: Winter Babies

Illustrated by: Adela Pons

Spirited, rhyming text and colorful, graphic art reveal an energetic cast of babies having an action-packed day of play in the park on a cheerful winter day. Featuring diverse characters and highlighting early concepts like shapes and repetition, books in the Babies in the Park series encourage an appreciation of nature and outdoor imaginative play.

City Shapes

Illustrated by: Bryan Collier
Age Level: 3-6

Join a young girl as she travels around her city noticing different shapes on buses, kites, and more. Collage and paint illustrations and a lyrical text create a memorable journey while encouraging close observation.

Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes

Illustration of children in front of mosque
By: Hena Khan
Illustrated by: Mehrdokht Amini
Age Level: 3-6

From a crescent moon to a square garden to an octagonal fountain, this breathtaking picture book celebrates the shapes—and traditions—of the Muslim world. Sure to inspire questions and observations about world religions and cultures, Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets is equally at home in a classroom reading circle and on a parent's lap being read to a child.

Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes

Children Holding a Tortilla
Illustrated by: John Parra
Age Level: 0-3, 3-6
Language: Spanish vocabulary featured

Circles, squares, triangles, ovals and stars are all around! The rhyming text incorporates Spanish words which are defined in illustrations reminiscent of folk art. A glossary of Spanish words concludes this engaging glimpse into Mexican culture.