Celebrate Earth Day every day by reading some of these great children’s books about mother earth, recycling, planting trees and all things green! appropriately, most of them are printed on recycled or eco-friendly paper. looking for more? Use our book search tool to find new books for kids of all ages!
the book of earth by todd parr
You are reading: Best earth day books
Vivid illustrations help children understand all the reasons to take care of our planet. “I turn off the faucet while I brush my teeth…” says the narrator, “because I love fish.” The book comes with a poster that lists simple tips for kids on “going green.”
a tree for green start
This board book is part of the green start series, an eco-friendly line of books made from 98% recycled materials and printed with eco-friendly inks. A Tree tells kids about all the wonderful jobs a tree does, like sheltering baby birds and feeding hungry bugs. consider reading it before a preschool nature walk.
grade: preschool and up
curious george plants a tree by margret and h.a. king
Our favorite little monkey is eager to help out at the local museum’s “green day” by starting his own recycling crusade. As usual, George’s excitement gets the better of him and he gets into a little trouble. but in the end, he makes it to the museum celebration and enjoys planting trees with his community, making this the perfect book for your tree planting day.
grade: preschool and up
the earth and me by frank asch
See Also: The Best Completely Free Kindle Books for 2022 | Digital Trends
This story is full of sensitivity that will resonate with adults as well. “The earth and I are friends,” the book begins. “Sometimes we go for walks together. I tell her what’s on my mind. She listens to every word.” we are reminded that although it seems that nature will always be there for us like a dear old friend, we cannot take it for granted.
grade: preschool and up
peter brown’s curious garden
Children who live in the city will love this story. A little boy named Liam comes across a garden in distress and decides to give it some care. over time, he spreads throughout the gloomy gray city, returning some exuberant nature to the landscape. Speaking of going green!
grade: preschool and up
compost stew by mary mckenna siddals
this book offers “an a to z recipe for soil” – a cute tutorial for composting. Little kids who love dirt and worms will be big fans of composting because, as the story points out, you can mix everything from eggshells to fruit pulp to grass clippings to hair clippings, plus one or two insects.
grade: preschool and up
olivia’s birds: saving the gulf by olivia bouler
olivia bouler, a young bird lover who was concerned about the effects of the 2011 gulf oil spill, took action in an impressive way. She wrote a letter to Audubon saying she was “11 years old and she was willing to help,” and included her beautiful bird paintings. Audubon, in turn, published the artwork and interesting facts about the birds in olivia’s birds, which raised more than $175,000 for oil spill cleanup. how cool is that?!
See Also: Lindsay McKenna – Book Series In Order
grade level: kindergarten and above
the lorax by dr. seuss
First published in 1971, this eco-friendly classic by dr. seuss is still a great read for earth day. when the greedy yesteryear cuts down the beautiful truffle trees to make them, the fuzzy yellow lorax speaks “because trees have no tongues.” history reminds us all that the beauty of the earth could be fleeting without our help.
grade level: 1st grade and up
michael recycle by ellie bethel
who is michael recycle? a green caped superhero with the power to educate and excite cities about recycling, of course! This rhyming story gets creative by conveying the importance of recycling to kids.
grade level: 1st grade and up
joanna cole’s magic school bus and climate challenge
trying to explain the complex concepts of global warming and climate change to children? turn to mrs. crimp! In this magical school bus adventure ride, kids take to the air above their city to see harmful carbon dioxide emissions in action, giving them a good reason to go green on the ground again.
grade level: 2nd grade and up
See Also: 19 Best Landscaping Books for Gardeners, Architects, and Designers