Earth Day Books for Children

Earth Day is an annual event that takes place on April 22nd. Here are some books for children about nature, climate, and the earth.

Updated April 19, 2025
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Recycle and remake
Paper Book
Kids are on a mission to save the Earth! Recycle and Remake is the hands-on, practical guide you need to get started. This gentle, but empowering book is full of creative making activities, information, and ideas that give young eco-warriors (like you!) the know-how to...
Thirst
Bajaj, Varsha
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller The riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone. Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines....
One day this tree will fall
Barnard Booth, Leslie
Paper Book
Discover how a tree's wounds and decay bring new life to the forest ecosystem in this lyrical nonfiction picture book for fans of Because of an Acorn and A Stone Sat Still. When a tree falls, is its story over? There are many ways a tree's story...
Papilio
Clanton, Ben
A tale told in three parts by three friends! Powerhouse creators, Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, have come together to create a wholly inventive picture book that is perfect for fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Introducing Papilio Polyxenes, the...
The first rule of Climate Club
Firestone, Carrie
Paper Book
An eighth grader starts a podcast on climate activism and rallies her friends to create lasting change in their local community and beyond, in this companion to Dress Coded. When Mary Kate Murphy joins a special science pilot program focused on climate change, the class...
Carl and the meaning of life
Freedman, Deborah
Paper Book
From the often Caldecott-buzzed Deborah Freedman, a sweet and funny story about finding your place in the world. Carl is an earthworm. He spends his days happily tunneling in the soil until a field mouse asks him a simple question that stops him short- "Why?" Carl's quest takes...
Saving American Beach : the biography of African American environmentalist MaVynee Betsch
King, Heidi Tyline
Paper Book
This heartfelt picture book biography illustrated by the Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes, tells the story of MaVynee Betsch, an African American opera singer turned environmentalist and the legacy she preserved. MaVynee loved going to the beach. But in the days of Jim Crow, she...
Somos guardianes del agua
Lindstrom, Carole
Paper Book
From author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Michaela Goade comes a New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal winning picture book that honors Indigenous-led movements across the world. Powerfully written and gorgeously illustrated, We Are Water Protectors,...
We are water protectors
Lindstrom, Carole
Paper Book
From author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Michaela Goade comes a New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal winning picture book that honors Indigenous-led movements across the world. Powerfully written and gorgeously illustrated, We Are Water Protectors,...
History smashers : Earth Day and the environment
Messner, Kate
Myths! Lies! Recycling scams? Discover the real story behind the first Earth Day celebration and some of the biggest US climate catastrophes--and their solutions! Don't miss the award-winning History Smashers series as they get to the truth on the biggest environmental fibs!
A hat for House : one storm, many helpers
Perrott, Audrey
Paper Book
An uplifting picture book debut about community and hope. One windy day, House's hat blows clean off his head! His friends are happy to help, but nothing they try seems quite right. Then the wind gets even stronger and thunder rumbles, making House wonder how...
Wild places : the life of naturalist David Attenborough
Rocco, Hayley
Paper Book
An inspiring and accessible picture book biography of the beloved naturalist, broadcaster, and documentarian David Attenborough--stunningly illustrated by a Caldecott Honoree. As a boy, David loved exploring the wild places near his home in England, collecting fossils, rocks, and...
A roof!
Sy, Stephanie Ellen
Paper Book
A dazzling picture book debut about a young girl in the Philippines who returns a neighbor's roof after a typhoon with the help of her community. Typhoons are a regular part of Maya's life in the Philippines, but after this storm, she finds something unusual in her backyard-a...
Along the Tapajós
Vilela, Fernando
Paper Book
A USBBY Outstanding International Book An Amazon Best Book of 2019 in the Ages 6-8 category A Junior Library Guild Selection A Capitol Choices Book Cauã and Inaê are a brother and sister who live in a small community along the Tapajós River in...
The watcher : Jane Goodall's life with the chimps
Winter, Jeanette.
Paper Book
Acclaimed picture book biographer Jeanette Winter has found her perfect subject: Jane Goodall, the great observer of chimpanzees. Follow Jane from her childhood in London watching a robin on her windowsill, to her years in the African forests of Gombe, Tanzania, invited by brilliant scientist Louis...

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