Books on Farm Animals

If you’re in need of the perfect books on farm animals, look no further. And for even more great books, see our best preschool books recommendations!

Kids of all ages have an innate fascination with farm animals and farm life. Maybe it’s because we quickly teach toddlers the different sounds animals make. But year after year, the farm theme is one of our favorite preschool themes.

Farm animals and farm life teach young children the importance of taking care of others, hard work, cooperation, and responsibility. Reading farm animal books and preschool farm books not only teaches children these important lessons, but it also helps foster a love of learning at an early age.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of the best books on farm animals. Use these books as a great farm read-aloud, a circle time book, or as a favorite bedtime story.

If you’re doing a farm theme, we even have some farm lesson plans in both our preschool store and toddler store.

Get our free book guide to always have a wonderful book to read next!

Lastly, don’t miss our adorable farm finger puppets – a free printable that’s perfect to pair with books on farm animals!

Books on Farm Animals

Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton

A musical introduction to farm animals! This toe-tapping rhyme will have your kids singing along and dancing too! This adorable book features a snappy do-si-do where the animals sing along and dance together. The rhythm and rhyme are hard to resist and will have your child remembering every dancing animal! A must-have farm animal book for young children!

Little Blue Truck

This favorite is a perfect farm book for toddlers and preschoolers. It is a rhyming story with an emphasis on sounds — a toddler’s delight! As an added bonus, this farm book is all about helping and kindness:

The hen came flapping
with the chick and the duck,
and everybody pushed
the Little Blue Truck.

This book on farm animals easily becomes a favorite read-aloud for any family or classroom!

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

A great introduction to all things farm life! The simple, rhyming text takes us on a journey through a typical day at the farm. Margaret Wise Brown includes sound words to help the animals come to life along with the lovely and detailed illustrations. This book is a great tool for learning about day and night and winding down for bedtime. The relaxing tone is a perfect read-aloud for both toddlers and preschoolers!

Click Clack Moo Cows that Type

These clever cows find a typewriter and soon they go on strike with the farmer! They want electric blankets in exchange for their milk and eggs. The entire farm story is inventive, fun, and full of giggles for all! It will leave you wanting to read even more of the Click, Clack books!

Pete the Cat and Old McDonald had a Farm by James Dean

Pete the Cat is at it again! This time, he is grooving along to the classic song, “Old McDonald had a Farm”. Each page depicts a verse from the song along with the animals on the farm. Your child will be tapping along and singing with Pete as he shares 14 farm animals and the sounds they make. A great addition to any library and a definite farm animal preschool favorite! Your preschooler will love singing along while reading the book.

My Chickens Lay Eggs by Sherry Crelin

You don’t have to be a farmer to raise farm animals! Little Jenny’s family embarks on an exciting new adventure raising chickens in her suburban backyard. Jenny is four years old and is excited to care for her chickens and help her family build a chicken coop. They used to buy eggs at the store, but not anymore! This adorable, yet informative farm book helps preschool readers learn where food comes from and shares lots of interesting facts about chickens.

Saving Emma the Pig by John Chester

This farm animal book is a true story that will warm your heart and have you searching for other true stories about the special relationship between animals and the people who care for them. Emma is a very sick pig who is about to give birth to 17 piglets. But Emma is too sick to care for her babies so Farmer John and his team step up to help Emma and her piglets. It’s not easy feeding and caring for 18 pigs but with compassion and love, this story has a beautiful and happy ending!

Ragweed’s Farm Dog Handbook by Anne Kennedy

Ragweed is the family farm dog. Told through Ragweed’s point of view, we learn all the tips and tricks to being a big help on the farm. This preschool farm book is nothing short of hilarious. Ragweed tells you all the things NOT to do, while you learn that his entire motivation throughout the story is to earn biscuits from the farmer. An adorable tongue and cheek story that will have your preschooler and toddler begging you to read it over and over.

Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig

Storytime just got better with this fun shoe-tapping book! Follow along to the beat and find all the farm animals waking up as they catch on to the tune. The rhythm and rhyme of this book makes it almost impossible not to sing and the catchy tune will have little ones dancing along! A perfect book to introduce farm animals and animal sounds in an engaging song. This farm animal book combines both literacy and movement, which is always a win.

Cows Can Moo! Can You?: All About Farms by Bonnie Worth

Read along with Cat in the Hat as he spends a day on the farm! Cat in the Hat takes you along to the Greenbean family farm where we learn about dairy cows, plowing the fields, taking crops to market, and much more! This rhyming text introduces new farm vocabulary and will have your little one speaking farm lingo in no time! This is a great book to talk with preschoolers about where food comes from and the work that farmers do on a daily basis.

The Flea’s Sneeze

This book about farm animals is super fun and the rhymes are simple yet perfect. Plus, children will learn to sequence at the same time:

Everyone slept peacefully except —
A rat, a cat,
A black-eyed bat;
A cow, an owl,
A feather fowl;
A dog, a hog,
An old barn frog.”

This farm animal book is a must-read for a preschool farm theme!

Open the Barn Door by Christopher Santoro

A quick and easy interactive read, this book engages toddlers and preschoolers to lift the flaps on each page to explore the animal sights and sounds of the farm! You’ll meet 10 different animals including the cow, horse, chickens, cows, and pigs and practice making the animal sounds. This is a great book about farm animals that little ones can re-read on their own and mimic the text and sounds.

Moo, Moo Brown Cow by Jakki Wood

A catchy story to the tune of Baa, Baa, Black Sheep… this book takes preschoolers on an adventure through the barn as we find new baby farm animals and their mothers.  The author cleverly uses adjectives to describe each animal and infuses the name for each baby animal to boost vocabulary development. Whether you sing the tune or simply read the text, this book on farm animals is sure to delight and to teach!

Wishy-Washy’s Farm by Joy Cowley 

Mrs. Wishy-Washy is a big fan of clean animals. She scrubs and washes all her farm animals until they are squeaky clean. But the farm animals have had enough! They run off to the city and find themselves in places they certainly don’t belong! Then real trouble happens and they find themselves locked in a cage. Can Mrs. Wishy-Washy save them from their big city disaster? This story is a cute introduction to farm animals and the difference between city and country life. If you love this book on farm animals, be sure to check out the other books featuring Mrs. Wishy-Washy.

What’s This? Down on the Farm by Aaron Adams

Down on the Farm is a great find with large colorful illustrations, short rhyming verses and seek and find tasks for little ones to search for. Each page displays a new search and children look for them in different parts of the farm. It spotlights asking and answering questions and reinforces colors too making it a perfect and preschool and toddler farm book.

Maisy’s Morning on the Farm by Lucy Cousins

Maisy takes us through the busy start to any farm day! Who knew there were so many chores on the farm? Feeding chickens, milking the cows, and of course breakfast for Maisy too! This simple and short toddler farm book is just right for little ones and a perfect way to teach chores and responsibility!

The Cow Said Neigh! By Rory Feek

The Cow Said Neigh! is a great example of staying true to yourself and being proud of your own talents and strengths. This story follows different farm animals who all wish they were more like other animals on the farm. The cow wants to run like the horse and the dog wants to be inside like the cat. All this farm commotion will have young readers laughing along! A great read to teach preschoolers not to compare themselves to others. We all are exactly who we are meant to be.

Duck on a Bike by David Shannon

This lively farm animal book will have kids screeching with laughter! One ordinary day on the farm, Duck decided that he wanted to try out his luck riding a bike. He hopped on a nearby bike and began to ride. It was a bit tricky at first, but he began to get the hang of it. He rode by his barnyard friends and greeted them one by one. The animals are shocked by Duck’s antics but soon have an opportunity of their own to ride a bike. Will they join Duck and ride around the farm? A classic David Shannon story that has laughable moments and adorable illustrations.

Farm Books

These preschool farm books talk about farm life, farm foods, farm vehicles and the day to day happenings on the farm. Here’s a list of some of the best farm books.

Grandpa’s Tractor by Michael Garland

This heartfelt book tugs at your heartstrings as Grandpa Joe brings his grandson Timmy back to the old family farm. We see the dilapidated rusty red tractor in the forgotten fields, the tractor that belonged to Grandpa Joe’s father. Beautifully illustrated, it depicts life on the farm through the special memories of a once young boy, who now shares that nostalgia with his grandson Timmy.

Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter by Eugenie Doyle

You’ll first notice the beautiful and serene illustrations when you open this book as the farm gets ready to rest for the winter. After a long season of producing crops, it’s time to settle in for the coldest season. This book spotlights each season and the crops that grow and how we use those crops for a specific purpose. This book is full of animals, food, and the change in seasons and is a great tool for new learning and deep conversations. A beautiful story with thoughtful text and a detailed look into how farms work this is a perfect farm book for preschoolers.

Farming by Gail Gibbons

Gail Gibbons takes us on a journey through the year and the plentiful crops of each season. How do farmers plant the seeds? How are the crops harvested? This book offers a detailed look into the workings of a farm and teaches us about the animals, plants, and equipment of farm life. The bright and appealing illustrations will keep toddlers and preschoolers interested and excited to read other Gail Gibbons books!

Tractor Mac Farm Days by Billy Steers

Tractor Mac wakes up excited and ready to start his day! Follow him as we learn how to use a tractor to plow, break up the soil, and plant seeds for new plants. The large red tractor has a very important role in farm life and Tractor Mac’s simple text is perfect for teaching young children about farm equipment and farming practices. Join Tractor Mac in over twelve different books about harvesting the crops, building a barn, and even learning to fly!

Right this Very Minute by Lisl H Detlefsen

Looking for a preschool farm book that helps little ones learn how food goes from the farm to their table? Look no further! This book goes into detail about the many foods that we eat and drink including orange juice, maple syrup, peanut butter and so much more! The detailed illustrations will spur interactive moments leading to discussion about the foods that we eat every day.

On the Farm, at the Market by G. Brian Karas

This informative book shares a peek into how farms work to help our communities and how different crops need different things. We discover how a mushroom farm, produce farm, and dairy farm work. The farmers take their farmed goods to the local market and sell to the community. This book spotlights working together, eating fresh and local produce and goods, and learning about all types of specific farms. A great book to teach preschool readers about where their food comes from!

Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

Have you ever been apple picking in an orchard? Apple Farmer Annie is here to teach you all about how apple farms work in this wonderful preschool farm book. We follow her through her day as she picks baskets of ripe apples, sorts and organizes them, and then uses the apples to make delicious foods. She makes applesauce and apple cider. She makes cakes, pies, and muffins with her apples. But… she is most excited to sell her apples at the local market! This story has simple text and clean and vibrant illustrations. Young readers will love learning about all the things you can make using apples and learn new vocabulary as they read. An ideal fall read aloud and a great way to introduce new foods!

Farm Animal books are a great way to engage both toddlers and preschoolers. Not only are farm animals fun and engaging, these books also teach kids the importance of hard work and responsibility. Farm animal books also highlight where food comes from, helping both toddlers and preschoolers connect with their food.

While we absolutely love farm animals books, here are even more books we love and recommend:

Best of Books

• Best Ocean Books for Kids
• Best Read-Aloud Preschool Books
• Best Rhyming Books for Kids
• Best Yoga Books for Kids
• Best Friendship Books for Kids

Books for Social/Emotional Growth

• Powerful Preschool Books that Celebrate and Accept Differences
• Books on Kindness
• Books that Teach Gratitude and Thankfulness for Kids
• Books About School for Kids

Seasonal Books

• Pumpkin Books Perfect for Reading this Fall
• Fantastic Fall Books for Preschoolers
• Not So Scary Monster Books for Kids
• Winter Books