Planet Power! 9 Books to Raise an Earth Lover
By Rachel Ward
A pile of leaves, a collection of beach pebbles, a ladybug perched on your fingertip—nature holds endless wonders for young children, who are just beginning to explore the world around them. Of course, heading into the great green yonder and letting your tyke get into the thick of it is a great way to spark conversations about the role humans play in caring for our planet, but even if you can’t make it out, we’ve got you covered when you stay in: Check out these 10 reads designed to inspire a love of nature in your child and teach her ways we can all take care of our one and only Earth.
1. A Leaf Can Be… by Laura Purdie Salas
Age group: Toddlers and up
Your little one will fall in love with leaves as he learns all about the many roles that leaves play throughout the four seasons. Soft, creative descriptors like “tree topper” and “air cleaner” make this book a perfect way to introduce the science of trees to toddlers, while the fact list and glossary at the end provide more learning opportunities for older readers.
2. We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers by Lauren Child
Age group: Toddlers and up
Lola finds out that if she can recycle 100 items, she’ll be given her own tree to plant—and she really wants a tree of her own. With time running out, Lola enlists the help of her classmates to meet her goal!
3. A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer
Age group: Preschool
It may not look like much, but there’s more to a log (and under, on, and around it) than meets the eye! This book explores how logs are created, introduces children to the animals that live in or around a log, and lays the foundation for talking about life cycles of plants and animals.
4. Water Is Water by Miranda Paul
Age group: Toddlers and up
Does your tot love jumping in puddles—or swimming or sledding? Introduce her to the wonder of the water cycle and show her that rain, snow, steam, and bodies of water are all made up of the same substance. (Good old H two O!) The story follow a family’s activities throughout the year, while the text poetically describes the many forms that water takes.
5. Why Should I Save Energy? by Jen Green
Age group: Preschool
Just like many kids, the stars of this book take electric lights, plumbing, and microwaves for granted—until there’s a blackout! When they learn that all of those modern conveniences need energy to work (and that energy comes from “non-renewable” natural resources), the kids make a goal to use less energy.
6. If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian
Age group: Toddlers and up
This book celebrates rocks of every kind (big, little, round, triangular, white, striped!) and teaches young explorers the wonders of our rock-filled world. From stones for skipping to rocks for climbing to moss-cushioned boulders that are perfect for sitting on, rocks…ROCK!
7. In a Nutshell by Joseph Anthony
Age group: Toddlers and up
How surprised will your little acorn be to find that giant trees all start out in a nutshell? This book gives kids an in-depth look at the life of an oak tree from start to finish, detailing the tree’s growth, its narrow escape from forest fires, and its eventual return to the earth as a wonderful old log, where it serves as a habitat for animals.
8. In the Wild by David Elliott
Age group: Toddlers and up
This adorable book gives your curious explorer a rundown of the denizens of Earth’s wildest places, including the lions on the wide-open African savannah, the jaguars living in the hidden depths of the rainforest, and the polar bears traversing the frosty reaches of the Arctic!
9. Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals
Age group: Toddlers and up
Old (and even rotten food) gets a new lease on life with this “recipe” for compost stew, which lists one item for each letter of the alphabet and teaches him which items should and should not go into a compost pile.
