It was a little hard to narrow down this book list – which is why there are 43 books on here. We have read so many good ones, but woodland creatures make such great anthropomorphic characters that I had to be careful with my balance of fiction and non-fiction.

You may find a free printable of my list of 43 books on – again for FREE. 🙂

If you want to skip the download, you can find the list on both or

Depending on the time of year and your proximity to the woods, it can be hard to find time and space to see these animals in the wild. Some are very skittish and some are risky – all are wild and therefore should be treated as potentially dangerous. One of our naturalist friends told us that a good rule of thumb is to use your thumb to determine how close you should be to a wild animals. Put your arm out in front of you, hold up your thumb, and with one eye closed, stand far enough away from the animal that it is completely covered by your thumb. This should give you at least somewhat of a head start should any chance happen.

Of course, most animals just want to get away from humans. Your best bet for finding these creatures would be to go to a local zoo. Encourage your kids to complete a woodland creatures BINGO card or just a checklist as they go throughout the zoo. You could also do a photo hunt by getting pictures of each of the animals. I don’t know about your zoo, but chipmunks and squirrels are common as they run around the grounds outside of any enclosures. What animals are common to your part of the world?

We have a state park that we have got to know (Ohio State Parks are the best in the nation – actually legitimate winner!) and from spending time there and with others who spend a lot of time, we’ve got to know quite a bit about our local fauna. It has taken practice to stay quiet and still enough and to notice signs of certain kinds of wildlife. A local photographer shared that he likes to go to the same spot at the lake at daybreak and see what creatures will come up. A few animals seem to be on a pretty consistent time schedule – deer appearing on a bank, disappearing into the trees after taking a drink, certain birds landing on the water, and a beaver swimming from one side to another, pushing a stick ahead of itself.

Let me know what wildlife you have noticed when you next spend time outside!

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