Earth Day: Books for Kids

Fiction and non-fiction titles for kids all about our planet, climate change, and the great outdoors!

Updated March 21, 2024
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The gentle genius of trees
Bunting, Philip
Paper Book
Let trees teach you everything from how to branch out to how to stay rooted in this delightful blend of nonfiction and inspirational humor by author-illustrator Philip Bunting! What could we clever humans ever learn from trees? Find out when you take a stroll through the woods...
The observologist
Clarkson, Giselle
Paper Book
A highly illustrated, playful field guide for budding natural scientists and curious observers of the world right under our noses.Observology is the study of looking. An observologist makes scientific expeditions, albeit very small ones, every day. They notice interesting details in the world around...
The outdoor scientist : the wonder of observing the natural world
Grandin, Temple
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned scientist and autism spokesperson Temple Grandin comes a book about exploring the world around us, asking questions, and making sense of what we see--with 40 fun outdoor activities that promote independent thinking, which kids...
Earth hour : a lights-out event for our planet
Heffernan, Nanette
Paper Book
Click flashlights, light lanterns, and get ready to turn electric lights out to celebrate Earth Hour! Wherever you are, you can help our planet. Kids around the world use electric energy to do all kinds of things--adults do, too! From cleaning the clothes we play in, to lighting...
Rise to the sky : how the world's tallest trees grow up
Hirsch, Rebecca E.
Paper Book
What is the tallest living thing? It's not an elephant, or a giraffe, or even a blue whale. It's a tree! Trees are the tallest living things on Earth. But how do they grow to be so tall? Science writer Rebecca E. Hirsch presents a poetic introduction to the tree life cycle in Rise to the...
The last straw : kids vs. plastics
Hood, Susan
Paper Book
"Thoughtful and thought-provoking, this book will plant the seeds of environmental activism in young readers." --Kirkus (starred review) "I encourage everyone to read this book." --Dr. Jane Goodall There's no doubt about it--plastic is in almost...
My big book of outdoors
Hopgood, Tim
Paper Book
Introduce little ones to the great outdoors with this beautifully illustrated treasury exploring the wonders of nature in four glorious seasons. From vibrant springtime flowers to sweet fruits on summer trees, from the falling of autumn leaves to snowdrops in winter, this ode to...
The way of the hive : a honey bee's story
Hosler, Jay
Paper Book
"A wonderful graphic novel."--Neil Gaiman Experience the life of a honeybee in this coming-of-age story about a bee named Nyuki, in this full-color graphic novel by Jay Hosler, perfect for curious kids who are fans of the Science Comics series. Nyuki is a brand-new...
Old enough to save the planet
Kirby, Loll
Paper Book
Author Loll Kirby and illustrator Adelina Lirius's picture book Old Enough to Save the Planet is an inspiring look at young climate change activists who are changing the world.   The world is facing a climate crisis like we've never seen before. And kids...
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,...
The Water Lady : how Darlene Arviso helps a thirsty Navajo Nation
McGinty, Alice B.
Paper Book
This inspiring picture book tells the true story of a woman who brings desperately needed water to families on the Navajo reservation every day. Underneath the New Mexico sky, a Navajo boy named Cody finds that his family's barrels of water are empty. He checks the chicken coop--...
The brilliant deep : rebuilding the world's coral reefs : the story of Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation
Messner, Kate
Paper Book
The Brilliant Deep is the proud recipient of the ALA Notable Children's Books Award, the NSTA-CBC Best STEM Trade Books Award, the Junior Library Guild Selection and the ILA Teacher's Choices. All it takes is one: one coral gamete to start a colony in the ocean, one person...
Drawn to change the world : 16 youth climate activists, 16 artists
Reynolds, Emma
Paper Book
"A brilliant, powerful, must-read for anyone and everyone on planet earth." --Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear The climate crisis is reaching a critical tipping point--and you might have heard of the countless amazing young people who are taking action and speaking up for...
Magic trash : a story of Tyree Guyton and his art
Shapiro, J. H.
Paper Book
Vacant lots. Abandoned houses. Trash--lots of trash. Heidelberg Street was in trouble! Tyree Guyton loved his childhood home--that's where his grandpa Sam taught him to "paint the world." So he wanted to wake people up... to make them see Detroit's crumbling communities. ...
The global ocean
Strauss, Rochelle
Paper Book
Though we think of Earth's five oceans as separate and distinct, they are actually a linked system of circulating water that is one single ocean - the global ocean. This comprehensive overview explores the global ocean's enormous influence on the planet, as well as humans' often-detrimental...
Be thankful for trees
Ziefert, Harriet
Paper Book
What gives you a seat, a floor for your feet?A place you can sit with your family to eat? The pum-pum of a drum, a guitar's twangy strum . . .Tree wood makes music zing, ping, and hum. Using lilting, rhyming couplets, this book...

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