Books About Farms and Rural America for Kids

Living in the extreme northwest corner of New Jersey is one of the most rural areas of the state. Let's celebrate with great children's books about farms and rural American life. These types of books can help us connect kids to nature and even teach our children where their food comes from.

Updated June 16, 2026
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Stanley the farmer
Bee, William
Paper Book
It's another busy day for Stanley and friends on the farm! From plowing the field, to planting and watering the seeds, to harvesting the wheat--all on his trusty red tractor, big green combine, blue baler, and trailer--Stanley the hamster has a lot to do on his farm. Luckily, his...
Big red barn
Brown, Margaret Wise
Paper Book
Margaret Wise Brown's simple, rhythmic text about the cycle of a day on a farm, where a family of animals peacefully plays and sleeps, has charmed generations of children. As in her classic Goodnight Moon, Brown engages children and helps settle them down for sleep as they follow along...
Farm
Cooper, Elisha.
Paper Book
Society of Illustrators 2006 Gold Medal recipient, Elisha Cooper, captures the smell, taste, and feel of the changing seasons on a farm.Society of Illustrators 2006 Gold Medal recipient, Elisha Cooper, captures the smell, taste, and feel of the changing seasons on a farm.There is so much to look at...
Farm
Halley, Ned
Paper Book
Here is an exciting and informative guide to the past, present and future of farming. Superb color photographs give the reader a unique "eyewitness" view of farm animals, crops, machines, harvesting and every other aspect of farming. See all kinds of farm animals, both new breeds and old, a seed...
Farmer John's tractor
Sutton, Sally.
Paper Book
Rhyming read-aloud text and atmospheric illustrations tell a satisfying tale of a family stranded in a flood -- and a reliable old tractor to the rescue. Farmer John's tractor lies locked in the shed,rusty yet trusty and orangey red. When the rain comes that season,...
This is the farmer
Tafuri, Nancy.
Paper Book
Just right for toddlers, an appealing book in which each action propels the next, from a farmer kissing his wife, who then pats the dog, to a cat, a mouse, geese, and a donkey....There's a lot to discover and discuss in these expansive, beautifully observed illustrations.
Farmer duck
Waddell, Martin.
Paper Book
Martin Waddell's uplifting modern fable and Helen Oxenbury's humor and pathos make this a very special collaboration. Farmer Duck isn't your average duck. This duck cooks and cleans, tends the fields, and cares for the other animals on the farm--all because the owner of the farm...
Farmer boy
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
CD
The Story of a boy named Almanzo Wilder...While Laura Ingalls grows up on the western prairie, a boy named Almanzo Wilder is living on a farm in New York State. Almanzo and his brother and sisters work at their chores from dawn until supper most days -- no matter what the weather. There is still...

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