Information & kids books about Costa Rica for before you visit – a list of books about Costa Rica!

A week or two before we go explore somewhere, I like to check out a bunch of books about the area and get the whole family excited about where we’re going! I think it’s helpful to have some context and information before you show up and take a tour, and my kids love seeing pictures of places they’re going to visit or wildlife they might be able to spot.

I was surprised that there weren’t more books out there with how popular it is to visit Costa Rica, please leave a comment if you know any that I missed!

Here are some other posts you might be interested in while you’re here!

• 7 steps to plan a family vacation
• 25+ best international beach vacations for families
• Christmas break 10 day Costa Rica itinerary with kids – our trip!

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Information & kids books about Costa Rica for before you visit

Rainforest books

• Over and Under the Rainforest by Kate Messner- not specific to Costa Rica, but Central America rainforest focused – this award winning series is geared at early elementary but has beautiful illustrations for all ages.
• The Forest in the Clouds by Sneed B. Collard III- this book focuses on Monteverde, sharing background information about what a cloud forest is, geared at early elementary ages.
• When Plants Took Over the Planet by Chris Thorogood- this is definitely not specific to the region, but does have a rainforest section and is perfect for talking about some of the unique plants you’ll see while hiking! This book has modern illustrations but is packed with information, geared at upper elementary ages.
• The Forever Forest: Discover the Importance of Saving Our Planet by Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini- the true story of how kids worked together to purchase and protect a tract of land in Monteverde!
• The Umbrella by Jan Brett- a classic picture book with beautiful, detailed illustrations, this story is geared at young children and set in the rainforest.

Culture books

• Costa Rica ABCs by Sharon Katz Cooper- a simple overview of the country’s culture, in ABC format, geared at younger kids.

Animal-specific books

• Science Comics: Frogs by Liz Prince- this graphic novelseries is a big hit in my house, very information-packed, geared at upper elementary/early middle. It doesn’t focus on Costa Rica but highlights some of their frogs!
• Flashy, Fantastic Rain Forest Frogs by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent- a short, non-fiction book that talks about some of the frogs that live in the rainforest, geared at early elementary.
• Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey by Loree Griffin Burns- a photograph-based picture book talking about a butterfly farm in Costa Rica, geared at early elementary.

Chapter books

• The Scarlet Macaw Scandal (Nancy Drew: All New Girl Detective #8) by Carolyn Keene – set near Corcovado National Park, this chapter book solves a mystery alongside exposure to some of the area wildlife.

Wildlife guides

• Hidden Kingdom: The Insect Life of Costa Rica by Piotr Naskrecki- this isn’t a wildlife guide per se as much as a nonfiction reference book, not geared at kids but lots of fun pictures and information.
• Pocket Guide to the Insects of Costa Rica by Paul Hanson, Kenji Nishida, & Ángel Solís- a wildlife guide to local insects.
• Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Field Guide by Twan Leenders – a wildlife guide to reptiles, we used this one and it was great!
• The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide  by Richard Garrigues- a wildlife guide to birds.
• The Wildlife of Costa Rica: A Field Guide by Fiona A. Reid, Twan Leenders, Jim Zook , & Robert Dean – a general wildlife guide.