There are absolutely wonderful German nonfiction series for children. The most well known is Ravensburger’s Wieso Weshalb Warum series that explain common topics (e.g. our bodies, robots, airplanes, Christmas traditions).
In general, I find that the Wieso Weshalb Warum books go into more depth than Americans might expect for the target ages, which makes the books both a rich resource for young children, but also more flexible for older children. There are over 100 different spiral-bound books, with a large-format series for ages 4-7 and a smaller format “Junior” series for ages 2-4. Many of the same topics are covered in both versions, with appropriate levels of depth and detail for each age group.
At my house, the science-focused titles have been the biggest hits. The explanations of the solar system, robots, and dinosaurs were really perfect for each age — simple, but with enough richly illustrated detail and interesting interactive elements, such as flaps and moving parts, to keep children fully engaged. I think the series also shines when covers social-emotional topics, such as emotions or making friends and handling conflict (e.g. Ängstlich, wütend, fröhlich sein or Helfen, teilen, sich vertragen). I like the overall tone of the books, which is friendly and focused on the child’s experience of the world. I will say, the series does fall on the more conventional side for German books. For example, the book on family includes references to different family constellations, but centers a married, heterosexual couple with bio kids from that marriage as the norm.
More recently, Ravensburger introduced a “Wieso Weshalb Warum Profiwissen” series for ages 8-12. There are also a few spinoffs in alternate formats, such as early readers and activity books. Given the long publishing history, books in the core series are easily found on the secondhand market and Amazon.com. Almost any book in the Wieso Weshalb Warum series is a safe bet, but here are some of our personal favorites:
Junior Series (2-4):
Standard Series (4-7):
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