I Can Read! Books in Order
Children'sFictionScience & Nature
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The I Can Read! book series, authored by Arnold Lobel and published between 1947 and 1999, features simple, educational stories centered on young characters learning about animals and nature. Each book explores themes of observation, care, and the life cycles of different creatures through everyday experiences. The series emphasizes curiosity and hands-on learning, often focusing on how children discover and understand the natural world around them.
Books in this series
Ordered by first publication where known. The official numbering for this series is incomplete in our sources, so we don't show series numbers we can't verify.
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Buy on Amazon1947 · Millicent E. Selsam
Hidden Animals" by Millicent E. Selsam explains how certain animals use camouflage and adaptive coloring to blend into their environments, helping…
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Buy on Amazon1958 · Syd Hoff
Danny and the Dinosaur is a children's picture book by Syd Hoff, first published in 1958, that follows a boy named Danny as he explores the city with…
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Buy on Amazon1960 · Millicent E. Selsam
A young boy buys two goldfish and learns about caring for them, including what fish food they need, how fish breathe, and why plants are needed in a…
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Buy on Amazon1961 · Phleger, Fred B.
Aku, an Indian boy, names one of the baby salmon in the river Red Tag. Once Red Tag is big enough, she starts her journey to the sea, and the story…
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Buy on Amazon1961 · Millicent E. Selsam
A young boy goes for a bird walk with his father. Through the walk he learns to use field glasses and a guide book, and eventually is able to watch…
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Buy on Amazon1962 · Millicent E. Selsam
A young girl finds some caterpillars, keeps them in jars, feeds them, watches the caterpillars spin cocoons, and finally sees them emerge as moths…
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Buy on Amazon1962 · Syd Hoff
Chased away by the other cavemen because he is different, Stanley finds a new and better way of living.
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Buy on Amazon1963 · Millicent E. Selsam
Greg makes fascinating discoveries about things he finds at home when he looks at them through his new microscope. The book explores the hidden…
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Buy on Amazon1965 · Millicent E. Selsam
Bill and Jerry want pets and settle on turtles, which meet all their requirements. Once each boy brings his turtles home, he realizes there is much…
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Buy on Amazon1966 · Millicent E. Selsam
Two boys collaborate with a museum professor to categorize their animal pictures into appropriate groups. The process involves identifying shared…
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Buy on Amazon1966 · Millicent E. Selsam
Follows the growth of a duck, a bird, a gorilla, and a lamb, tracing each from a helpless, weak new-born creature to the age of independence.
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Buy on Amazon1968 · Mildred Myrick
When a new neighbor discovers his ant nest has been accidentally destroyed, two boys learn how to make an ant nest of their own, and how to catch…
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Buy on Amazon1972 · Millicent E. Selsam
A youngster investigates the procedures involved in getting the potato from the farmer's field to the dinner table. The book explores the journey of…
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Buy on Amazon1977 · Arnold Lobel
A mouse tricks a weasel into gathering ingredients from different stories to make a mouse soup. The weasel follows the mouse's instructions,…
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Buy on Amazon1978 · Phyllis Flower
Easy-to-read text and illustrations trace the life of a barn owl, following him from his birth until he leaves the nest and finds a mate of his own.
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Buy on Amazon1987 · Millicent E. Selsam
An easy-to-read science text that traces the fertilization of the egg and the growth of the embryo through to the hatching out of the chick.
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Frequently asked questions
What order should I read the I Can Read! books in?
Read them in publication order — the list above is sorted by first publication where known, starting with “Hidden Animals”.
How many books are in the I Can Read! series?
We list 22 books , published between 1947–1987.
Where can I buy the I Can Read! books?
Each title above links to Amazon. See our affiliate disclosure.
More series like I Can Read!
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.