Learning to tell time can be tricky for kids. Luckily, there are several entertaining and useful picture books out there that introduce children to the concept of time telling and the function of clocks. Here are ten great children’s books about telling time.
Tuesday
In this incredibly drawn book, artist/author David Weisner explores the secret life of frogs in the wee hours of night. The part of this book that lends itself to young readers is the virtual lack of words. There are a few, but the rest is illustrations, allowing children to tell the story in their own words as they flip through the book.
The Clock Struck One
In this fun and fast-paced book we start out with a story similar to the nursery rhyme “Hickory Dickory Dock.” However, pages into the book, more characters are introduced on a wild chase that even Mother Goose couldn’t have dreamt of.
What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?
This book actually has a Mr. Wolf finger puppet in it, allowing you or your child to act the part of Mr. Wolf as the book is read. For my little reader, that’s incentive enough to pick up the book. The story is also a great way for children to see time represented in both the digital and analog formats.
A Second Is A Hiccup
Need a way to put increments of time into verbage that your child will understand? Then, this is the book for you. By comparing a second to how long it takes to give mom a kiss, the concept of time is put into terms that little ones can more easily understand.
What Time Is It, Mr. Crocodile?
Poor Mr. Crocodile has a hard time getting his daily to-do list done, no thanks to a group of silly monkeys. However, for all the trouble that those monkeys cause, they end up helping Mr. Crocodile more than he’d ever imagined.
Cluck O’Clock
Ever wanted to spend a day in the life of a chicken? This book does! Readers get to see how a silly group chickens and one rooster spend their day from sun up to sun down. The whimsical illustrations and rhyming text make for a fun read for both big and small.
The Grouchy Ladybug
Not only is the grouchy ladybug grouchy, she’s also majorly lacking in manners and doesn’t really know how to appropriately relate to people. Lessons on all of these important behaviors are learned as the book progresses in addition to exposing children to the concepts of time passage.
Clocks and More Clocks
Poor Mr. Higgins is struggling because the many clocks in his house are off, they’re times aren’t in sync. After he consults with a clockmaker, Mr. Higgins finds out why he needn’t worry anymore.
Telling Time with Big Mama Cat
Big Mama Cat has some very important things to do during her busy day. Luckily, she can tell time, so she can stay on schedule. This book was super fun because there is a foldout clock with moveable hands, so my little reader could practice time-telling as we were reading the book.
Bats Around the Clock
This book is a blast, especially for anyone who used to watch Dick Clark’s American bandstand. It features a bunch of sock-hopping, disco dancing bats that get down and boogey as the clock moves through the hours..
How do you explore time telling with your children?
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