Weather books for preschool are one of our favorite ways to turn everyday moments into learning, especially on rainy days when weโre stuck inside and watching the clouds roll by.
When my son was little, he had endless questions about thunder, snow, and why the wind made the trees bend, so picture books became our go-to starting point for real conversations.
Over the years, weโve read a lot of weather stories together, but not all of them held his attention.
The ones below are the titles he actually sat through, asked questions about, and wanted to reread.
If youโre planning a simple weather unit or just want cozy storytime picks that teach something real, these books strike a nice balance between fun and learning.
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Preschool Books About The Weather
Reading together has always been one of our favorite parts of the day, and weather books for preschoolers gave us so many easy ways to talk about rain, sunshine, and snow in a way my son actually understood.
The 25 books below work well for ages 3โ5 and helped turn simple storytime into real learning. Some sparked questions about thunder, others led to cloud watching out the window, and a few became regular rereads on rainy afternoons.
Youโll find a mix of playful picture books, gentle seasonal stories, and simple nonfiction titles that explain weather without overwhelming little learners. Whether youโre building a weather unit or just adding variety to your bookshelf, these picks make the science of weather feel approachable and fun.
Budding Flowers, Breezy Days by Essie Bell
This book became a favorite during our spring unit, my son especially loved noticing which flowers in the story matched the ones blooming outside. The illustrations gently walk kids through each season, helping them see how weather changes the world around us. Itโs one of those quiet, beautiful books that leads to lots of little โAha!โ moments, especially when paired with nature walks.
Oh Say Can You Say What’s the Weather Today? by Tish Rabe
If your child loves silly rhymes and bright illustrations, this book is a win. We had such a laugh reading it aloud, Dr. Seuss-style tongue twisters kept us on our toes! It does a surprisingly good job explaining weather terms like cumulus clouds and rain cycles in a way that feels more like a game than a science lesson.
This was one of the first nonfiction weather books we read, and it hit the sweet spot between being educational and easy to follow. The bright layout and short chunks of info helped my son stay focused, and he still points out weather terms he learned from it when we watch the forecast together. A solid pick if you're just introducing basic concepts.
Thunderstorms used to scare my son, but this book helped him feel more in control. The story breaks down what thunder and lightning actually are, without being too intense or technical. After reading it, we even made our own โstorm in a jarโ to keep the conversation going. Itโs a gentle introduction to a powerful natural event.
Eric Carle never misses, and this story is no exception. My son loved imagining what heโd shape-shift into if he were a cloud, this turned into a whole afternoon of cloud-watching and sketching. The book encourages creativity while subtly introducing how clouds change and move. Great for sparking outdoor exploration after reading.
This oneโs better if your child is a bit more curious than cautious, tornadoes can be a heavy topic. That said, Gibbons does a great job using illustrations to make the science behind storms understandable and less intimidating. We used this book during a Midwest weather week and paired it with a mini tornado in a bottle experiment.
We live in a warm climate, so this book let my son experience the magic of snow for the first time, through the eyes of a child seeing it fall outside his window. The poetic tone and gentle illustrations make it feel like a quiet winter morning. It led to lots of questions, and even a cotton-ball snow scene craft afterward.Add our snowman handprint art to your lesson plans too!
This one always brings a smile, itโs simple, familiar, and perfect for singing aloud when the skies turn gray. Weโve read it on countless rainy afternoons, often followed by splashing in puddles or making paper umbrellas. Itโs a sweet way to turn a gloomy day into something fun and cozy.
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Weather
This book is packed with real photographs, which made it especially appealing when my son wanted to โsee the real thing.โ We didnโt read it in one sitting, itโs better to explore a few pages at a time, but it answered so many of his big weather questions. It felt like having a mini weather encyclopedia at our fingertips.Related: Use with our free weather patterns worksheets.
We paired this with cutting paper snowflakes and freezing water to see how crystals form, super hands-on. The visuals are stunning and really highlight the science in a way that preschoolers can follow. My son was amazed that no two snowflakes are alike, and now he brings it up every time he sees frost on the car windows.
How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney
This story is such a fun blend of color, weather, and teamwork. Itโs not strictly a weather book, but the storm-cloud conflict tied in nicely when we talked about how light and water make rainbows. Plus, it opened up a good conversation about friendship and working together, which is always a bonus.
We sang our way through this one, yes, literally. Itโs a cheerful read that gets kids moving, even on dreary days. The animal illustrations are joyful and energetic, and after reading, my son insisted we dance to the song in our living room while pretending it was raining. Definitely a mood-lifter.
This was a sensory hit, flaps, textures, pop-ups. Itโs the kind of book where every page brings a โWow!โ (pun intended). My son loved the hurricane page the most because of the spinning wheel, and it helped him visualize big weather systems without fear. It turned weather into a playful adventure.Add our free weather memory game too.
This oneโs a calm, balanced read that gives kids a little bit of everything. It helped us compare different weather types without diving too deep. We read it early in our weather unit and returned to it again when a new kind of weather popped up, like snow flurries or strong winds, so it served as a great reference point.
This book turned an ordinary rainy day into an adventure. The rhyming text is quick and fun, and we ended up reading it more than once in a single sitting. Afterward, we checked the sidewalk for real worms (and found plenty), which made the story feel even more real. Itโs a great pick for encouraging curiosity in little moments.
Freddy was an instant hit in our house, my son loved that he was a weather-obsessed frog! The story combines humor and actual forecasting basics, which led to my son pretending to be โFreddyโ and giving weather reports in the kitchen. If your child likes characters with a bit of spunk and purpose, this oneโs a winner.
Kite Day: A Bear and Mole Story by Will Hillenbrand
This sweet little story inspired us to make our own paper kites and test them out in the backyard. It captures the joy of a windy spring day and the teamwork between Bear and Mole is gentle and lovely. We used this book to talk about wind and also friendship, double win.Related: K is for kite handprint art
We didnโt just read this one, we used it. Itโs part book, part craft guide, and perfect for kids who like to get hands-on. We built a simple weather vane after reading the wind section and even kept a weather journal for a week. Definitely a go-to if youโre planning a full weather unit at home.This is one of the best books about seasons for preschoolers.
This oneโs more poetic and slower-paced, which made it a nice quiet-time read. My son liked guessing who liked the rain in each part, frogs? snails? kids? It gave us a reason to talk about animals and how they handle weather too. Soft, thoughtful, and just a little whimsical.
This one is great for preschoolers who want โrealโ weather info without getting overwhelmed. My son loved the vibrant photos and learning weather words like โanemometerโ (which he then tried to pronounce for a week). We used this as a follow-up to our more story-based books for a stronger science tie-in.
We first read this one on a windy day, which made it extra memorable. It explains different types of wind and how they move things around us. Afterward, we watched leaves blow across the yard and tried racing paper boats in the breeze. Itโs simple but really effective for connecting story to real-life experiences.
Spring is Here: A Bear and Mole Story by Will Hillenbrand
This book felt like a cozy little celebration of spring. My son loved the idea of Mole trying to wake up Bear, he found it hilarious. Itโs a gentle way to introduce how seasons change and what spring looks like after a long winter. We ended up making spring collages the same week, pulling in flowers, sunshine, and all the things Bear might see when he wakes up.Have fun with our free spring bingo too!
My Little Golden Book About Weather by Dennis R Shealy
Classic Golden Book charm with a solid weather overview. Itโs nostalgic for me, but also worked well for teaching the basics in a way that wasnโt too dense. We read this as a bedtime story more than once, itโs short, simple, and sparked a few โwhyโ questions that led to deeper conversations.
A bit more advanced, but we used parts of this book in small chunks. My son loved the mazes and weather matching games, it felt like play, but with a science twist. I wouldnโt use it as a first weather book, but itโs a great follow-up once theyโve got the basics and want to โdoโ something with what theyโve learned. Use it with our weather activities for preschoolers to turn reading into a hands-on learning experience.
This oneโs a better fit for older preschoolers or early elementary kids, but we still found value in it. We read selected pages together, especially the parts about the water cycle and clouds. Itโs definitely a book to grow into, and if your child is always asking โwhy does this happen?โ, this book will help answer that.
Clare Brown is the founder of Homeschool of 1, where she shares free printables and creative learning activities for kids in preschool through 8th grade. Her work has been featured in Parade, HuffPost, Business Insider, Motherly, AOL, and Yahoo. Read more.