We all know that books are great ways to entertain our children, but we also know that books are a great education resource too.
Countless studies have told us that reading to our children, or encouraging them to read by themselves, stimulates imagination, expands vocabulary, develops higher I.Qs, improves attention spans, and develops analytical and logical thinking.
One of the most important aspects of books has always been the power to teach children the difference between what’s right and what’s wrong. In today’s world, where the environment and issues around the environment are becoming increasingly important, books provide us with a fantastic resource to educate our children about this topic.
To make things a little easier for you, our staff has compiled a list of our favorite kids’ books with an environmental message, along with summaries of each.
The Lorax
By Dr. Seuss
The first book on the list is a book that spread environmental preservation and awareness before it became mainstream.
The Lorax is a beautiful book that conveys the consequences of choosing unsustainable development over the environment, through a mix of poetry and storytelling.
The Lorax, written back in 1971 and made into a film in 2012, is a cautionary tale about damaging the environment for industrial gain. The story, which tells us of a creature called the “Once-ler” who cut down all the “Truffula trees” for the “biggering and biggering” of his manufacturing operation, goes on to lament the loss of their once beautiful eco-system:
"Once-ler! He cried with a cruffulous croak.
Once-ler! Your’re making such a smogulous smoke
My poor Swomee-Swans…why, they can’t sing a note
No one can sing who has smog in his throat."
Curious George Plants A Tree
by Margaret & H.A. Rey
There is something about that Man with the Yellow Hat that kids can’t get enough of!
In this book, we follow George around town as he learns what can and what can’t be recycled as the local museum hosts a recycling and plant a tree day. George also learns the right time to recycle things – recycling prior to being finished with an item lands this little monkey in trouble!
What Does It Mean to Be Green?
By Rana Diorio and Chris Blair
This book gives excellent practical insights for kids to make green choices in their daily lives.
The messages are made fun and engaging through the story of two kids who go around finding ways to make their daily lives greener. The book is also filled with colorful illustrations.
Fishing in the Air
By Sharon Creech
Fishing in the Air tells the story of a boy and his father who go out to fish, with a can of fish and some sandwiches. The book deals more with imagination and bonding than eco-preservation per se.
Still, exciting activities in nature can be a great way to introduce your kid to the wonders of nature.
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
By Lynne Cherry
This book tells the heartwarming story of a village saving a kapok tree.
A man starts cutting the kapok tree but soon falls asleep out of exhaustion. While he is sleeping, all the village people, including a child, whisper into his ear why he should not cut the tree.
When the man wakes up, he is convinced he should save the tree and goes away.
Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up
by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen
Starting off in the classroom, the children are told that they have to do a science project about air pollution. Because they don’t know much about air pollution, they go on a field trip to learn some more information. On the way they learn why clean air is important and what they can do to keep it clean.
The book was sponsored by the EPA and includes a checklist with tips on how to keep the air clean such as, “ask your bus driver to turn off the engine when the bus is parked.”
Mars, Jimmy and Me
by Barrett K. Hays
The main character, Jimmy, lives on Mars and has to be very careful not to leave the “covered planet zone”. The book follows Jimmy when he breaks a rule by bringing a blue beetle (who he names Clarissa) from Earth back to Mars with him. Clarissa then comes to the rescue and saves the day, proving that bugs are out friends!
Dr. Hays, a physician of over 30 years, stated that “we have real environmental issues…Global warming, the use of plastic, the need to talk about clean air and the connection to the rise in asthma”.
A House Is a House for Me
by Mary Ann Hoberman
A House Is A House For Me is a beautifully written rhyming book. The story looks at different houses and who lives in each one: “A hill is a house for an ant, an ant. A hive is a house for a bee. A hole is a house for a mole or a mouse. And a house is a house for me!”
The poem finishes with a very clear message to all its readers, “Each creature that’s known has a house of its own. And the Earth is a house for us all.”
I Know the River Loves Me / Yo se que el rio me ama
Written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
This bilingual book tells the story of a little girl named Maya and her relationship with a river.
In the story, whenever Maya visits the river, it jumps up to greet her. It cools her in the summer, and keeps her company in winter. Maya tells us that the river takes care of her, and she takes care of it. Gonzalez writes about the environment in a way that’s easily understood by children, explaining that the world and its resources keep us safe and that we, in turn, should keep it safe.
The Trouble with Dragons
by Debi Gliori
In this tale we see a planet populated by self-centered, careless and selfish dragons who don’t care about pollution or sustainability. The dragons, who chop down wood and eat all the food, now realize that they’re in trouble because of their lifestyle.
The dragons start to rethink their behaviour.
The book is written in verse form, and is eco-conscious itself – having been printed with vegetable ink on FSC certified paper and recycled material.
Hey! What's That Nasty Whiff?
by Julia Jarman and Garry Parsons
The main protagonist in this tale is a hyena who ‘s fed up with cleaning up after all of the other animals. Encouraged by the culture, the hyena takes a rest from all their cleaning.
At first, nobody notices. But of course, eventually they do resulting in them coming together and realizing that saving the planet is a chore for everybody.
The Wombles to the Rescue
by Elisabeth Beresford
After having to leave their burrow because big heavy lorries threatened to make the roof cave in, the Wombles return safely back. But they’re not safe yet, as the Wombles have noticed now that the humans have realized there’s an energy crisis, they’re not throwing away as much for the Wombles to gather!
Wasted World (Horrible Science)
by Nick Arnold and Tony DeSaulles
If you like Horrible Histories, you’ll like the Horrible Science series too! Wasted World tackles environmental issues such as climate change, global warming, toxic waste and greenhouse gases. With plenty of fantastic facts, quizzes and cool cartoons, this book is for the slightly older child, but definitely worth a look
Ravenwood
Another one for older children is Ravenwood by Andrew Peters.
The main protagoinist, Ark, is a 14 year old plumber boy who lives in Arborium, a beautiful forest island that has been carved out of the giant branches of a huge canopy of trees. One day, Ark overhears a plan to cull the tree for wood, that’s now more previous than gold itself.
Ark, the unsuspecting hero, then finds himself racing to the deepest and darkest roots of Ravenwood in order to save his home. The tale is a cautionary one, that warns against not being green.
The Curious Garden
by Peter Brown
Liam is such a cute character for kids to relate to! His wonder and curiosity at finding a garden that he can call his own will likely encourage you to create little gardening projects with your kids.
The gist of the story is that, while out exploring one day, 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.
The power of a little one making big changes is a great lessons for small kids!
I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature
This is one for the parents! Mom & Dad should check out “I Love Dirt” by Jennifer Ward, a book that has 52 activities to help your little ones discover the wonders of nature.
Don’t worry, there's nothing too gross in these activities (they are all Mom-friendly).
This is a really fun book to have on hand as spring heads your way. With more time outside and a summer vacation that needs to be filled with fun adventures, this is the perfect book to help you start mapping out fun for your eco-explorer!
This book works for city dwellers and country dwellers alike so we can all appreciate the nature we inhabit.
If we haven’t mentioned one of your favorites, please share in the comments below!
I’d love to add Lily Bowers and the Uninvited Guest by Jess Lohmann. The magical world of Lily Bowers, an eco fantasy book, is aimed at children and young people, encouraging them to learn and be inspired to look after nature and animals.
FFI: https://jesslohmann.com/lilybowers/
I’d like to add a book that I wrote and illustrated called “Fernando Invents Socks!”, about a penguin and chicken who ingeniously escape from ocean trash, and use their new skills to start a recycling business, you can find it here at https://tadpohl.com/product/fernando-book/. I hope you like it 🙂
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