These picture books are great resources for kids and families who want to know more about environmental issues. Many of the books listed here are appropriate for a wide age range. The non-fiction, in particular, is clear enough to be read aloud to preschoolers but complex enough to hold the interest of much older kids.
Happy reading!
Note: We highly recommend checking these out from your local library. Sharing resources is a great way to reduce greenhouse gases, supports your local institutions, and teaches children the value of the local library. If you’re interested in buying a book, you can find your local independent bookseller here: https://www.indiebound.org/ . And it would be great if you’d kick us a buck for helping! 🙂
Non-fiction About People Who Have Made a Difference :
- The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadev Payeng by Sophia Gholz
- One Plastic Bag: Isatau Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul
- I Am Farmer: Building an Environmental Movement in Cameroon by Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul
- Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson
- Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter
- Olivia’s Birds: Saving the Gulf by Olivia Bouler
- Rachel Carson and Her Book that Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor
- The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs by Kate Messner
Informational Nonfiction :
- Climate Change by John Woodward
- What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French
- If Sharks Disappeared by Lily Williams
- If Polar Bears Disappeared by Lily Williams
Stories With Environmental Themes :
- Life by Cynthia Rylant
- Tokyo Digs a Garden by Jon-Erik Lappano
- Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman
- The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
- Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
- Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers
- Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker
- Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Philippe Cousteau
If you have recommendations for how to make this list easier to use, please let us know!
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