I am in love with all of these childrens books about the environment — it’s such a fundamental thing to teach your kids.
Even though we’re focusing on an Earth Day study unit today, really every day should be about the environment! My sons feel very connected to the environment and it is a constant discussion about taking care of the world around us.
You can find these children’s books about the environment at your local library or purchase through the affiliate links provided for your convenience. In addition to recommending environmental children’s books, I’ve teamed up with some fellow bloggers to offer you homeschool and classroom resources to teach kids about Earth Day!
Childrens Books about the Environment
The Curious Garden: While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world. This is an enchanting tale with environmental themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page, adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book.
Don’t Throw That Away!: A Lift-the-Flap Book about Recycling and Reusing (Little Green Books): Follow an eco-conscious super hero as he teaches kids how to recycle and reuse common household items! The six large flaps throughout show that oridinary trash is really a treasure. From turning old clothes into fun costumes or an old box into a brand new car, kids will learn that saving the environment is super cool!
Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World: In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring, here is a biography of the pioneering environmentalist. “Once you are aware of the wonder and beauty of earth, you will want to learn about it,” wrote Rachel Carson, the pioneering environmentalist. She wrote Silent Spring, the book that woke people up to the harmful impact humans were having on our planet.
Arthur Turns Green (Arthur Adventure Series): Arthur comes home from school and begins sneaking around the house, taking notes and talking about a Big Green Machine. D.W. is suspicious of her brother’s weird behavior, but when Arthur shows up late for dinner with green hands, she really gets the creeps! But it turns house Arthur is making a poster listing all the ways to save energy at home–and go green!
The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever: Katherine Olivia Sessions never thought she’d live in a place without trees. After all, Kate grew up among the towering pines and redwoods of Northern California. But after becoming the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science, she took a job as a teacher far south in the dry desert town of San Diego. Where there were almost no trees.
Kate decided that San Diego needed trees more than anything else. So this trailblazing young woman singlehandedly started a massive movement that transformed the town into the green, garden-filled oasis it is today. Now, more than 100 years after Kate first arrived in San Diego, her gorgeous gardens and parks can be found all over the city.
Why Should I Recycle?: What if everybody threw away old bottles and newspapers, littering the world with glass and plastic and tin cans that should be recycled and made into new products? Mr. Jones is a teacher who sets a good example for kids by separating his trash for recycling. When he takes them on a class trip to a recycling plant they learn the value of recycling. Part of every child’s development involves asking questions.
The EARTH Book: With his signature blend of playfulness and sensitiviy, Todd Parr explores the important, timely subject of environmental protection and conservation in this eco-friendly picture book. Featuing a circular die-cut Earth on the cover, and printed entirely with recycled materials and nontoxic soy inks, this book includes lots of easy, smart ideas on how we can all work together to make the Earth feel good – from planting a tree and using both sides of the paper, to saving energy and reusing old things in new ways.
Like these childrens books about the environment? Find even more engaging book lists for kids with more than 100 book-themed reading lists!
Earth Day Study Unit
In addition to recommending childrens books for the environment, I’ve teamed up with some fellow bloggers to offer you homeschool and classroom resources to teach kids about Earth Day!
Inspiring Earth Day Reading List for Children by Crafty Mama in ME
Earth Day Inspired Tissue Paper & Water Transfer Art by Play Dough & Popsicles
Book Inspired Bird Activity by Bambini Travel
Earth Day Word Activities by Books and Giggles
Egg Shell Gardens by Schooling a Monkey
Earth Science Crafts for Kids byThe Usual Mayhem
Earth Day Activity by The Moments at Home
Earth Day Worksheet by Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading
Earth Day Activities for Teens by FrogMom
For further Earth Day study unit resources and ideas, consider the following affiliate links: