Books about Bats

📝 This post, Books about Bats, was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with new information and resources.

I never thought much about bats growing up. Every once in a while, someone would say they saw a bat, but I never saw what they saw. Then, while living in Australia, that completely changed. We lived on the 24th floor of an apartment building right across from Hyde Park in Sydney. And one night, about 20-30 minutes after sunset, we witnessed our first “flyout.” A “flyout” is a mass departure of bats from their roosts to find food. We watched for the bats every evening — it became our nightly ritual from about October through March when the bats stopped coming.

We were warned by the locals, however, to never look up with your mouth open underneath a colony of bats or you may end up with some guano in your mouth!! 😄

We later learned that the bats we had been watching were Grey-Headed Flying Foxes — one of the largest bat species in the world. Some of them had wingspans reaching over three feet- much bigger than we imagined bats could be! Pretty amazing for a family that had never paid much attention to bats before!

Since then, my boys and I have been fascinated by bats. I started collecting children’s books about bats — both fiction and non-fiction — and together we began learning about and appreciating bats and their incredible impact on our environment. Here are some of our favorites!

Fiction Books about Bats

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Knocked from her mother’s wings by a hungry owl, Stellaluna lands in a bird’s nest and is adopted by the bird family. She learns to act like a bird — until she meets some bats who teach her what she really is! A classic that kids absolutely love.

Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame, Bats at the Beach  by Brian Lies

Three wonderful books featuring bats having fun in unexpected places. Gorgeous illustrations and so much personality — perfect for read-alouds!

The Bat in the Boot by Annie Cannon

A family finds a bat in their mudroom and cares for him until his mother returns. A sweet and gentle story perfect for younger readers.

Nightsong by Ari Berk

When Chiro’s mom sends him off into the night alone for the first time, he wonders how he will find his way. A beautiful coming-of-age story about trusting your instincts.

I’m Not Scary by Rabat Kaduji

Bat just wants to make friends and share some cake, but everyone is scared of him! A sweet bedtime story with gorgeous glowing illustrations — perfect for Halloween or any time of year!

Fiona the Fruit Bat by Dan Risken

Fiona is scared to take her first flight in the dark. A sweet and informative picture book about echolocation written by a real bat scientist. 

Non-Fiction Books about Bat

Hello Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde

Poses and answers a series of questions about bats in a simple, engaging format. Perfect for early readers curious about the natural world.\

Bats by Gail Gibbons

Chock full of bat information with Gail Gibbons’ signature clear illustrations and accessible text. A must for any bat unit!

National Geographic Kids: Bats by Elizabeth Carney

A great introduction to bats from one of the best non-fiction series for kids.

Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats by Ann Earle

A fun and informative look at bats from the beloved Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science series.

The Nature Kid’s Guide to Bats by David Anderson

Filled with fascinating bat facts, activities, and photographs. My boys especially loved learning how many mosquitoes a bat can eat in a single night!

Once you have read a few of these great books about bats, why not extend the learning with a simple bat craft? This egg carton bat craft is so simple and so fun — and it makes a great extension activity to go along with any of the books above!

Egg Carton Bat Craft

Like most parents and teachers, I always seem to have empty egg cartons around, so I decided to put a few of them to good use! This is a fun craft any time of year, but tie a piece of festive Halloween ribbon on top, and you have the perfect Halloween decoration! Here is how we did it!

What You Need:
🦇 Empty and clean egg carton
🦇 Scissors
🦇 Black paint and paintbrush
🦇 googly eyes
🦇 Ribbon or string
🦇 Hot glue (optional)

How to Make Your Egg Carton Bats:

🦇 Cut the egg carton into pieces with 3 holes each
🦇 Paint the egg cartons black and allow them to dry
🦇 Cut a piece of ribbon or string, fold it in half, and hot glue it to the top of the bat
🦇 Add the googly eyes — if you don’t have sticky-back eyes, use a hot glue gun or Elmer’s Glue
🦇 That’s it — simple and so cute! 

Looking for even more ways to extend your bat learning? These bat activities are perfect for the classroom or for homeschool families who want to dig a little deeper! 

Bat Activities for the Classroom

Looking for even more ways to extend your bat learning? These bat activities include prior knowledge activities, a true/false sort, informative writing, reflective writing, and a bat word search. Perfect for the classroom, homeschool, or a bat-themed literacy unit!

👉 Bat Activities — Informative and Reflective Writing, True/False Sort

Free Bat Word Search

Want to try a free bat activity? Grab this free Bat Word Search — perfect for Halloween centers or a fun bat unit activity!

👉 Download the Free Bat Word Search

Whether you are reading fiction, exploring nonfiction, or making egg carton bats, I hope these bat books and activities inspire your own bat adventures! 

Do you have a favorite bat book? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!