Africa is home to an amazingly broad spectrum of animals. All walks of life live in Africa, and many of them interact in magnificent and awe-inspiring ways.
African animals command respect, both for their intricacies and intelligence as well as their firm standings as kings and queens of the animal kingdom. Lions, elephants, and giraffes stand out as some of the most beloved animals on the planet, but there are millions more to examine and marvel at.
The following books give children a good introduction to the wonderful range of wildlife that lives in Africa. Let’s dive in!
Check Amazon- Beautiful photographs
- Excellent primer for kids that are about to start learning biology, science, and more
- Geared toward 8-12-year-olds
Check Amazon- Also published by National Geographic
- Full of intriguing facts about the jaws of lions and the speed of cheetahs
- Great for older kids (ages 7 to 9)
Check Amazon- Published by National Geographic
- A great way for our young child to get a grasp on the fundamentals of life
- Perfect for kids who are learning the basics of counting, shapes, and animals
Check Amazon- 32 pages.
- Recommended for children ages 3 through 9.
- Weaves fictional storytelling with factual information about animals
- Story allows kids to personalize the animals
- All proceeds from this book go to support endangered lemur populations around the world
Check Amazon- Great book for small children
- Have fun with your child searching for the animals on the page
- Over thirty pages of beautiful illustrations, alphabetical games, and puzzles
A-Z-Animals’ Top Picks for the Best Children’s Books About African Animals
1. The Ultimate Book of African Animals by Beverly Joubert
The Ultimate Book of African Animals is exactly what it sounds like; a perfect examination of the African wild.
Accompanied by beautiful photographs of all the animals described, this book goes into detail about these amazing animals and where they stand in their ecosystems. Kids that are starting to read and comprehend on their own will enjoy this book a great deal.
It’s an excellent primer for kids that are about to start learning biology, science, and more. It doesn’t go too deep, but it’s geared for the curious kid with a budding passion for the animal kingdom.
The Ultimate Book of African Animals is hardcovered, geared toward kids eight through 12 years old, and includes 192 pages.
Pros and Cons of The Ultimate Book of African Animals by Beverly Joubert
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This 192-page book is enhanced by beautiful photos of all the animals described. | None |
| It provides detailed information about each animal and where they stand in their ecosystems. | |
| It’s an excellent primer for kids who are beginning to learn about biology, science, and more. | |
| It’s geared toward kids eight through 12. |
- Beautiful photographs
- Excellent primer for kids that are about to start learning biology, science, and more
- Geared toward 8-12-year-olds
2. National Geographic Readers: Roar! 100 Facts About African Animals by Stephanie Warren Drimmer
Roar! 100 Facts About African Animals is stuffed with facts that kids will love.
It’s fun for toddlers to learn the basic African animals, but older kids start to get curious for more. These facts are the type of interesting tidbits that kids can marvel at, talk to their friends about, and think about for years to come.
African animals are intriguing to kids and adults alike, so these facts might be interesting to you as well. That said, hearing about the jaws of lions, the lumbering stature of elephants, the speed of the cheetah, and the rhino’s horn can lay the foundation for wonder and amazement at what exists out there in the world.
So, if you’ve got an avid reader at home, they’ll love this book if they love animals. It’s written for kids at the ages of seven to nine, includes 48 pages, and boasts 100 interesting facts.
Pros and Cons of National Geographic Readers: Roar! 100 Facts About African Animals by Stephanie Warren Drimmer
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book is targeted toward kids ages seven to nine. | None |
| It features the kinds of facts about African animals that kids can marvel at, share with their friends, and remember for years to come. | |
| Some examples include information about lions’ jaws, the stature of elephants, cheetahs’ speed, and rhinos’ horns. | |
| This book includes 48 pages and includes 100 interesting facts. |
- Also published by National Geographic
- Full of intriguing facts about the jaws of lions and the speed of cheetahs
- Great for older kids (ages 7 to 9)
3. Little Kids First Board Book: African Animals by National Geographic Kids
This National Geographic Kids book is perfect for kids who are learning the basics of counting, shapes, and animals.
The skill of counting is interwoven with various African animals like lions, elephants, and more. This book can be a constant companion for your child as they start to get a solid grasp of the fundamentals of life.
Including the animals is just a wonderful way to incorporate the natural world into their early learning process. National Geographic has other, similar books that incorporate subjects like the ocean, space, dinosaurs, weather, and more.
Little Kids First Board Book is geared toward infants and kids up to two years old. It has 26 pages, and each page includes photographs of the target animal.
Pros and Cons of Little Kids First Board Book: African Animals by National Geographic Kids
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This board book is ideal for kids who are learning the basics of counting, shapes, and animals. | None |
| Counting is interwoven with various African animals. | |
| National Geographi includes similar books about the ocean, space, dinosaurs, the weather, and more. | |
| This book is appropriate for infants and kids up to two years old. | |
| It has 26 pages and each page features a photograph of the target animal. |
- Published by National Geographic
- A great way for our young child to get a grasp on the fundamentals of life
- Perfect for kids who are learning the basics of counting, shapes, and animals
4. Aye-Aye Gets Lucky by Terri Tatchell (Author), Ivan Sulima (Illustrator)
Aye-Aye Gets Lucky does a wonderful job of weaving fictional storytelling with factual information about animals.
The protagonist, Aye-Aye, is a kind of lemur who has fun pranking human visitors, only to find that they banish him from his environment. As he tries to make his way in the new world, he’s joined by other animals that are in need of help.
The story allows kids to identify with these animals before reading the factual information about various species at the end of the book. It ties environmentalism, endangered species, and human activity into a clear picture that kids will understand.
All proceeds from this book go to support the endangered lemur populations around the world. This is a paperback book with dozens of great illustrations, 33 pages, and language suitable for kids three to nine years old.
One reviewer said that this book has “no basis in actual animal behavior” and that 1) flying foxes don’t eat insects and 2) aye-ayes are nocturnal.
Pros and Cons of Aye-Aye Gets Lucky by Terri Tatchell (Author), Ivan Sulima (Illustrator)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book weaves fictional storytelling with factual information about African animals. | One reviewer said that this book has “no basis in actual animal behavior” and that 1) flying foxes don’t eat insects and 2) aye-ayes are nocturnal. |
| The main character, Aye-Aye, like to prank human visitors, who eventually banish him from their environment. | |
| In the wild, he’s joined by other animals that need help. | |
| The book provides factual information about various species at the end of the book after the story. It explains environmentalism, endangered species, and human activity in a way that children can understand. | |
| All proceeds from this book go to support the endangered lemur populations. | |
| This paperback book includes dozens of great illustrations, 33 pages, and language suitable for kids three to nine years old. |
- 32 pages.
- Recommended for children ages 3 through 9.
- Weaves fictional storytelling with factual information about animals
- Story allows kids to personalize the animals
- All proceeds from this book go to support endangered lemur populations around the world
5. I Spy Jungle & Safari by Nualler Casbow
I Spy Jungle & Safari is a great book for small children and those who aren’t expert readers quite yet.
The book allows kids to see cartoon depictions of Africa’s most famous animals, giving you the chance to explain the animals and talk about why they’re so special. Plus, it’s always fun to search for animals on the page and think about them once you find them.
This I Spy book is a great way to instill the love of animals in your child. It’s chock-full of beautiful illustrations, alphabetical games, 26 puzzles, and 33 pages.
Pros and Cons of I Spy Jungle & Safari by Nualler Casbow
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book is ideal for small kids who aren’t expert readers yet. | None |
| It features cartoon depictions of Africa’s most famous animals, giving you the chance to explain why each animal is unique and special. | |
| Finding all the animals on the page is great fun! | |
| This 33-page gook is filled with illustratons, alphabet games, and 26 puzzles. |
- Great book for small children
- Have fun with your child searching for the animals on the page
- Over thirty pages of beautiful illustrations, alphabetical games, and puzzles
Which Book Is Right for You?
For kids six to ten, The Ultimate Book of African Animals is a great one. Children of that age might also love Aye-Aye Gets Lucky because it’s an interesting read and it opens up some new, complicated topics such as endangerment.
For younger kids, I Spy will be an excellent primer. That said, you’re the one who knows your child best so you know what will spark their interest.
What really matters is that they’re learning about these animals and developing a curiosity for the natural world!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.
