One of the few silver linings to the pandemic has been how much my love of nature has grown. During long walks in my neighborhood and in one of our city’s old growth forests I’ve become attentive to the small daily changes in nature. Soon, my 8 year old and I will be staring a backyard garden as part of our homeschooling. All of this also gives us more opportunities to talk about what taking care of the environment looks like.

In this post, I share 19 diverse children’s books that are inspiring our talks about caring for the environment, and helping us explore the wonders of the natural world.

Disclosure: For your convenience, this post includes affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I received free copies of Zonia’s Rainforest and World of Plants from Candlewick Press in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

19 inspiring children’s books about protecting the environment and experiencing nature

Zonia’s Rainforest by Juana Martinez-Neal

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In this gorgeously illustrated tale, Caldecott winner Juana Martinez-Neal introduces children to Zonia and her rainforest home in Peru. Zonia is an Asháninka girl who experiences both the delights of her land and the threats to the people and animals who have lived there for thousands of years. As the rainforest calls to Zonia, she – and all of us – must answer. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 4 – 8)

Where’s Rodney? by Carmen Bogan and Floyd Cooper

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Reading this book immediately made me think of the many children my mother taught as a third grade teacher. Like Rodney, lots of them loved to move but had little chance to explore nature.

Rodney’s high energy is entertaining to his classmates and frustrating for his teacher. When she tells him they’ll be visiting a park, Rodney isn’t excited. He’s seen the small park in his neighborhood, and it’s a sad place that his mother wants him to stay away from. But when their visit turns out to be to a majestic national park, Rodney discovers a place where he can truly be himself. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Margarito’s Forest/El Bosque de Don Margarito by Andy Carter and Allison Havens

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This unique book is based on the true story of Don Margarito Esteban Álvarez Velázquez, a Mayan Guatemalan farmer who planted a forest when many others thought he was foolish. In the story, Don Margarito’s daughter, Doña María Guadalupe tells her grandson Esteban why they are still planting trees even though there are already so many.

Doña María teaches Esteban that they are following traditional Mayan ways of respecting and caring for their environment. “This forest is my partnership with the land,” she tells him. While Doña María had to leave their land during Guatemala’s dirty war, she returned and teaches Don Margarito’s ways to children today. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9)

A World of Plants by Martin Jenkins and James Brown

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My kiddo and I have been diving deep into botany lately, so I was delighted to review this oversized plant guide packed with beautiful drawing and plant facts. It covers so much, from how plants use the carbon cycle, the many ways plants are pollinated, to the chemical processes happening inside of a plant. Children may not have thought about topics like how plants protect themselves, but these are covered too. This gorgeous book is a must have for the classroom, homeschooling, or young plant lovers. (Recommended for ages 7 – 12).

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade

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One of the greatest threats to the environment is oil and gas extraction. We Are Water Protectors is an amazing tribute to indigenous water protectors. A young Ojibwe girl has heard stories of a black snake that could destroy the land. Now that this snake (oil pipeline) has finally arrived, the girl rallies her people to stand for the water. It’s no surprise that this book won the Caldecott Medal, with its powerful message and gorgeous paintings. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 4 – 8.)

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Old Enough to Save the Planet by Loll Kirby and Adelina Lirius

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In this beautifully illustrated book, meet 12 unsung kids and teens who are doing their part to protect the planet from climate change and other perils. The illustrations and text are jam packed with details about both threats to the environment and the persistent, creative ways young people are responding. This inspiring book is full of practical ideas that kids can try in their own homes and communities. (Recommended for ages 6 – 11)

Home for a Penguin, Home for a Whale by Brenda Williams and Annalisa Beghelli

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Young children can learn about the homes of 23 marine animals in this story with simple rhyming text and rich illustrations. Kids who love finding little details will delight in the hidden sea snail on each page. Parents and educators can also use the 8 pages of illustrated educational notes after the story to teach about climate change, plastics, and other threats to the ocean environment. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Hiking Day by Anne Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell

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Children’s books that tell stories of Black children enjoying nature are few and far between. Hiking Day, a sweet, quiet story of a girl walking through the forest with her parents, helps fill this gap. I loved the funny details, like a porcupine who’s covering a trail marker, temporarily making the family think they’re lost. Readers experience all the senses during the hike, with the child saying the forest “looks like the inside of my mother’s terrarium,” while the leaves crunch beneath her feet. This is a great book to read before heading out on a hike with your family! (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

I Am Farmer by Baptiste Paul, Miranda Paul, and Elizabeth Zunon

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As a child, Tantoh Nforba loved plunging his hands into the squishy dirt in his grandmother’s garden. He loved asking questions, whether it was about how things grew or asking countless questions in school about topics like biology and weather.

Nforba’s classmates nicknamed his Farmer as an insult, but turned the nickname into his own personal badge of honor. In college, he learned about the importance of clean water not only in his lessons, but also when he contracted typhoid.

In the seven years it took him to recover, Nforba decided that he would dedicate himself not only to farming, but to farming in a way that will bring clean water to people. While some laughed at his efforts, many more people joined his movement to protect the environment. Because like Tantoh Nforba, they believe that “water is life.” (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)

The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales by Dawn Casey and Anne Wilson

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The seven ancient folk tales in this collection, some funny and some more serious, are taken from cultures from around the globe. The stories show children how we depend on our environment, while also celebrating the beauty of nature. “Why the Sky is Far Away,” a Nigerian story, tells how people once could eat pieces of the sky whenever they wanted. When more is taken than people need, the sky retreats. Any child obsessed with all things smelly and gross will enjoy the Welsh tale “Stink Water.”

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My favorite story in the collection is Amrita’s Tree, which is based on a true Indian tale of the Bishnoi tribe’s reverence for nature. Amrita is the original tree hugger, a little girl who centuries ago wrapped her body around a tree to protect it from woodcutters. The collection of stories includes a craft to accompany each tale, plus an introduction to each culture where the story takes place. (Recommended for ages 5 – 10.)

Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora del Arcoíris by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Elisa Chavarri

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Like many Mayan women in Guatemala, Ixchel’s Mama weaves beautifully patterned cloth. Ixchel wants to weave too, both because she loves the cloth, but also to help pay for school. Her Mama’s thread is too precious to waste, so Ixchel tries making her own loom and weaving grass.

Later she tries with bits of wool, but neither material results in beautiful fabric that people would want to buy. As Ixchel walks through the village, there are so many colorful plastic bags swirling around that she can hardly walk. Could she have found a new source for “thread” that could also clean up her community? (Recommended for ages 5 – 9)

Call Me Tree/Llámame árbol by Maya Christina Gonzalez

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My absolute favorite yoga pose is the tree pose. It helps me still my mind in a way that nothing else does. So, it’s not surprising that I love this book! The simple bilingual English/Spanish text follows a child from seed (sleeping “within the deep, dark earth”) to a slow flourishing.

As the child/tree grows and rises, they see many other trees (many of them doing tree pose!) Like all trees, they are strong and free. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Kids’ Garden by Whitney Cohen and Roberta Arenson

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This is actually an activity deck, not a book, but kids will learn plenty from the garden and nature themed resources! Engaging in gardening is one of the best forms of environmental education, and this deck includes both indoor and outdoor activities for all seasons of the year. Along the way, they’ll learn about animal habitats, plant life cycles, and more. (Recommended for ages 6 – 11)

The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter by Shabazz Larkin

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Shabazz Larkin isn’t going to try to convince kids that bees aren’t a little scary. But, he says “we may want the bees gone because their sting hurts. But if they were all gone, it would hurt much worse.” After explaining pollination, he points out that bees are a lot like his kids. They “flew in my face and prance on my food.” Yet they’re also his “strawberry heart.” This sweet and funny book will put a smile on grownups’ and kids’ faces alike, while highlighting bees’ importance to our environment. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth by Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton

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This gorgeous book introduces kids to the amazing bio-diversity of our world through fascinating pictures and engaging text. Kids learn how there are so many plants and animals living in places we wouldn’t even think of.

The story also talks about how living things depend on each other, and why we need our environment to be diverse and complex. This is a great entry point to talking about the loss of habitats caused by harmful practices like factory farming.  (Recommended for ages 5 – 9).

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer, and Elizabeth Zunon

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Even before he built a windmill, William Kamkwamba dreamed constantly of building things and taking them apart. When his community faced a severe drought, William learned at the library that windmills could produce electricity and pump water.

This picture book tells the true story of how he built a windmill for his village in Malawi, using only junkyard parts and library books for guidance. This story of persistence and creativity will inspire kids who want to fight hunger and poverty, while repairing the environment. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 4 – 8)

Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock by Aslan Tudor and Kelly Tudor

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Ten-year-old Aslan Tudor was among the tens of thousands of Native Americans and other supporters who travelled to Standing Rock in 2016. They declared that “Mni wiconi (water is life),” in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Aslan and his mother share their photos and experiences at the camp, including the traditional Lakota school that Aslan and his siblings attended while they were there. This is an excellent introduction to resistance to injustice from a child’s perspective. (#ownvoices, recommended for ages 5 – 10.)

Thank You Earth: A Love Letter to Our Planet by April Pulley Sayre

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The vivid photographs in this love letter to the earth remind children of all the tiny and enormous things that make our planet amazing. Along the way, young children are being introduced to concepts like patterns and radials, and to key nature vocabulary. (Recommended for ages 3 – 6)

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