Many educators associate picture books with the primary grades, but picture books can benefit students of all ages. Great picture books can simplify complex concepts and help students connect with history. However, finding high-quality historical picture books for kids can be challenging.
I want to save you time, so I’ve compiled a list of my favorite U.S. Constitution picture books for kids.
Disclosure: The links in this post are Amazon affiliate links. This means I may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
We the Kids
This short and sweet picture book breaks down the preamble of the U.S. Constitution. It goes through the preamble word-by-word and explains the concepts using kid-friendly definitions and illustrations.
This book is appropriate for ages eight and up.
Ideas for Using this Book:
- First, pass out copies of the Constitution’s preamble to students. Ask them to read it and highlight words and phrases they don’t know.
- Ask students to write what the preamble means in one sentence.
- Then, read We the Kids. As you read, have students jot down the meaning of the words they highlighted.
- Discuss the meaning of the preamble and have students revise their one-sentence summaries.
We the People
Book Description:This beautifully illustrated picture book details the events leading up to and during the Constitutional Convention. This picture book emphasizes the challenges delegates faced as they tried to draft the Constitution.
This book introduces several Founding Fathers, such as James Madison, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. Although We the People does not describe the Convention’s discussions about slavery, it does include discussions delegates had about how the president would be elected.
This book is appropriate for ages ten and up.
Ideas for Using this Book:
- Before reading, ask students who wrote the Constitution. While reading, ask students to identify key Founding Fathers who participated in the Constitutional Convention. They could also record where they were from and what they contributed to the Constitution. Students could organize their thoughts in a table like this:
| Founding Father Name | State | Contributions to the Constitution |
| George Washington | ||
| James Madison | ||
| Benjamin Franklin |
- You could also ask students to identify challenges delegates faced while writing the U.S. Constitution. Students could write down how each of these challenges was solved and what compromises were made.
A More Perfect Union
Creating a document to unify all of the separate U.S. states was a complicated but important process. This U.S. Constitution picture book breaks down how the Constitution was written, similar to We the People above. However, this book is a little simpler, making it ideal for younger students or English Language Learners.
This U.S. Constitution picture book does a great job discussing delegates, the New Jersey and Virginia plans, and ratification. However, A More Perfect Union does not address discussions delegates had about slavery or how to elect the president. This book also includes an illustrated map and helpful information about the Constitution at the end of the book. It also includes a summary of amendments and signers of the Constitution by state.
This book is appropriate for ages eight and up.
Ideas for Using this Book:
- After reading the book, ask students to use this free Google Slides template to create a timeline of the U.S. Constitution’s creation. Students can use the table of dates at the back of the book to help. This free US Constitution timeline could be used as an answer key.
- After creating the timeline, analyze it as a class. What surprises students about the timeline? What do they learn from it? (Click here for more help teaching with timelines.)
The Bill of Rights
Who says cartoons can’t be educational? This book contains fun cartoon-style illustrations that teach about the Bill of Rights. Each amendment is explained in kid-friendly language and includes an adorable illustration.
At the end of this book, you will find a glossary and additional facts about the Bill of Rights.
Ideas for Using this Book:
- This book goes perfectly with my free Bill of Rights lesson. In this lesson, students will dive deep into the Bill of Rights! Here are some of the activities included:
- For each amendment, students find an illustration that best represents the main idea.
- Students analyze 12 task cards containing fictional scenarios. As students walk around the room analyzing each task card, they use evidence from the Bill of Rights to decide which amendment was violated in the scenario.
- Students create a classroom Bill of Rights describing what rights and responsibilities each student has in the classroom.
Download your FREE Bill of Rights Lesson:
D is for Democracy
Alphabet books may take you back to your early childhood, but they can be an engaging tool for students of all ages! Each page in this ABC book briefly discusses a U.S. Constitution or U.S. government term. The book covers important concepts such as democracy, elections, founding fathers, congress, taxes, and more.
Ideas for Using this Book:
- Before reading this book, give students a blank ABC Graphic organizer and ask them to think of a Constitution or U.S. Government-related word for each letter. For example, A could be for amendment, B could be for Bill of Rights, and C could be for Constitution (or Congress!)
- Then, read the book and see how many words the students “got right”. If time permits students can share their own words for each letter.
Free U.S. Constitution Activity
I hope these 5 U.S. Constitution picture books for kids help bring extra engagement to your U.S. Constitution unit.
Do you need more help teaching about the U.S. Constitution?
Download your FREE Bill of Rights Lesson:
More U.S. Constitution Resources
Are you looking for more resources to help you teach the U.S. Constitution?
I’ve also created a 3-week US Constitution unit.
If you need a huge time-saving solution, this is it. Imagine having your entire unit planned.
This unit covers how the Constitution was created and how the US government works. Students participate in a simulation where they act as delegates at a Constitutional Convention and debate issues like presidential terms and representation in Congress.
What’s included?
Key Lessons:
- The Articles of Confederation
- Three Branches of Government
- The Constitution in Your Daily Life
Here’s what teachers are saying:
Learn more about the U.S. Constitution unit!
Plan All Your Lessons in 5 Minutes
You can get the U.S. Constitution unit even cheaper by bundling. My Ultimate Savings Bundle includes all my U.S. History resources at a 20% discount.
I know the challenge of developing a high-quality history curriculum from scratch.
Save countless hours and secure the best deal with my Ultimate Savings Bundle.
Great for teachers who need everything at a significant discount.
Get 20% off all of my U.S. history resources with this bundle.
What’s included?
- All of my interactive units covering Native American Regions to the Civil War (28 weeks of lesson plans)
- All U.S. history Quote of the Week resources (40 weeks of engaging and rigorous bell work that integrates literacy skills)
Who is this for?
- New teachers seeking top-quality, ready-to-go lessons.
- Experienced teachers needing fresh resources and more free time.
Save 20% and reclaim your prep time with the Ultimate Savings Bundle!
Leave a Reply