Celebrate Earth Day by reading some of these beautiful children’s books about Mother Earth, birds, trees, mountains, and all things green!
Driftwood Days
Written by William Miniver
Illustrated by Charles Vess
Under autumn leaves, a boy watches a beaver build a dam. One of the branches slips away, carried downstream by the river. Through the changing seasons, the branch makes a long, epic journey to the sea, before finally getting tossed back onto shore. Changed by the elements, the branch—now driftwood—lies patiently on the beach, until the boy discovers it once again.
Featuring breathtaking artwork by Charles Vess, Driftwood Days offers readers a beautiful, multilayered story about nature, science, childhood, and change.
Fur, Fins, and Feathers
Written and Illustrated by Cassandre Maxwell
A fascinating and factual book that will delight animal lovers
Ages 5 to 9
Abraham Dee Bartlett knew from a young age that he wanted to spend his life working with animals. But in Victorian London, there weren’t many jobs that provided an opportunity to do that. Still, Abraham spent years gaining knowledge and pursuing his dream until he eventually became superintendent in the London Zoo. Driven by his compassion for the animals, Abraham dramatically improved the conditions of the zoo to ensure that the animals could be happy and healthy.
With engaging back matter and charming illustrations, Cassandre Maxwell’s book brings to life the little-known story of the man who helped to create the modern zoo.
Hello, Earth!
Poems to Our Planet
Written by Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by Miren Asiain Lora
We walk on Earth’s surface every day, but how often do we wonder about the incredible planet around us? From the molten cracks below to the shimmering moon above, Hello, Earth! explores the wonders of the natural world. This playful journey across our puzzle-piece continents does not hesitate to ask questions—even of the Earth itself!
Joyce Sidman’s imaginative poems encourage boundless curiosity, and Miren Asiain Lora’s stunning paintings capture the beauty of Earth’s ecosystems, creatures, and powerhouse plants. The book concludes with extensive scientific material to foster further learning about how the earth works, from water cycles to plate tectonics to the origin of ocean tides.
A gorgeous, expansive celebration of science and art, Hello, Earth! is a book to cherish in whatever landscape you call home.
Hidden City
Poems of Urban Wildlife
Amy Schimler-Safford
Sarah Grace Tuttle
A poetic book highlighting everyday nature
The perfect blend of science and poetry, Hidden City demonstrates that nature can thrive anywhere, even in highly populated areas. In this graceful collection of poems, skyscrapers serve as perches for falcons, streetlights attract an insect buffet for hungry bats, and an overgrown urban lot offers shelter to both flora and fauna. Hidden City also includes engageing supplementary materials, which provide scientific information about the animals and plants featured in the book.
Coupled with beautiful collage illustrations, the poems in Hidden City offer readers the perfect reminder to notice and care about their environment.
No Place Like Home
Ronojoy Ghosh
Ages 4 to 7
A hilarious story about finding your place in the world
George is a bit of a grump. He doesn’t like ice cream, his tiny house, or the crowded city he lives in. Perhaps he would be happier if he could find a place that truly feels like home. And so George decides to go exploring…
Young children will delight in this fun, inviting story about discovering where you really belong.
One Million Oysters on Top of the Mountain
Written by Alex Nogués
Illustrated by Miren Asiain Lora
Translated by Lawrence Schimel
Ages 6-10
Come closer and look at these rocks: they’re not normal stones at all! They’re thousands and thousands of mollusks, fossilized together in the sediment. But how did a million oysters ever land on top of a mountain?
Written by a geologist, this inquisitive journey guides readers through the movements of seas, strata, and tectonic plates. The landscapes of the present can be clues to events in the past. Lush, atmospheric illustrations offer fascinating details to discover, and sidebars and an extensive glossary provide intriguing connections to marine biology and scientific history.
A compelling introduction to earth science, this book will encourage readers to ask questions, think critically, and embrace their curiosity about the natural world.
Two Little Birds
A sweet story about nature’s patterns and about growing up
Mary Newell DePalma
Ages 4-8
Two little birds hatch and grow until one day, they see an amazing sight: hundreds of birds, all flying together in one direction. They decide to join in, and so begins an amazing and sometimes dangerous journey that they never could have imagined. Eventually they return home — and the cycle starts over again.
This simple story, nicely complemented by warm and colorful illustrations, subtly celebrates the wonder of migration. Two Little Birds is a perfect book for introducing young children to nature’s small miracles.
