27 Books that Hug the Earth: An Earth Day Booklist for Kids

Earth Day is just a few days away and it is one of my favorite days of the year. It’s a time when our communities share a like-minded cause of remembering to care and cherish our Earth. Here at Jump into a Book it means, along with getting outside to frolic in nature, that it’s a great opportunity to take a good book along with you.

Here are a bunch of Earth Day Books for Kids to get you going. All of these books are favorites here and have a place not only on the book shelves, but also on coffee tables and night stands all throughout the house! I’ve also added some nature-loving/earth friendly activities and links for you to take a look at too.

Hope you enjoy them and have a very Happy Earth Day!

What Does it Mean to Be Green? This colorful, insightful story, demystifies for children what it means to be green by helping them to view everyday tasks through an environmentally-friendly lens. The book empowers children to do whatever they can to protect the earth’s precious resources.

Olivia’s Birds: Saving the Gulf {by Olivia Bouler}One 11 year-old girl can make a difference-as budding ornithologist and artist Olivia Bouler has proven, single-handedly raising over $175,000 for the Gulf Coast oil spill recovery. Devastated by the disaster and eager to do her part, Olivia wrote a letter to Audubon, “11 years old and willing to help” offering her own bird paintings to raise contributions for Gulf recovery efforts. The idea took flight, and Olivia proceeded to send out over 500 paintings, many of which are captured in this lavish picture book that recaps her valiant campaign to save birds affected by the spill. Olivia has been a guest at JIAB and I have also had the pleasure of meeting this delightful young lady in person.

The Magic School Bus and the Climate Change

Like it or not, global warming is a hot topic, and it will affect the younger generation the most. So why not turn to the teacher kids like the most, Ms. Frizzle! Only the Friz can boil all the hoopla down to the scientific facts in a fun and informative way.

The World is Waiting for You {by Barbara Kerley}

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question kids get asked over and over. But very few connections are made for kids between the present and the future. This book shows kids a pathway from their current interests and talents to a future career or interest. And in so doing, it also encourages adventure, exploration, and discovery, three core principles of National Geographic’s mission. It’s a celebration of possibility–so simple and so profound.

Care for Our World {by Karen S. Robbins}

Get ready to meet some truly wonderful wild animals from every continent on Earth. As children turn the pages of this book, they’ll encounter dozens of playful creatures in their natural habitats and will learn about the importance of caring for all the plants, animals, and people that call planet Earth their home. A timely reminder of the responsibility every generation shares: to nurture and respect life in all its many forms

P.S The author also has a wonderful playset available! The Care for our World play set includes everything you need to create and explore your own wildlife habitat. Simply punch out and assemble the pre-cut animals and plants, and use the habitat box as a backdrop for hours of imaginative play.

2012 Playset of the Year, Creative Child Awards
2012 Top Toy of the Year, Creative Child Awards
2012 Runner-up in the Children’s Books Category, Green Book Festival

View it here

10 Things I can do to Help my World { by Melanie Walsh} Even young children are eager to help the environment — and here is a bright, inviting novelty book that offers simple ways to make a difference.

Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature By Nicola Davies

This stunning book takes us through the 4 seasons and beacons us out into the natural world. From listening to the pond in Spring to seeing bird tracks in the snow, this exquisite column of nature poems captures the sights and sounds of a child’s experiences from building dens to planting acorns, watching the birds above and tasting a crisp apple. Children soon appreciate that whatever is outside their window they are free to venture and explore. Be sure and take a peek at a past book review JIAB did of this book and profile of author Nicola Davies.

If You Spent the Day with Thoreau At Walden Pond by Robert Buleigh: In this lovely picture book, Robert Burleigh and Wendell Minor imagine a special day spent with the celebrated writer and naturalist through the eyes of a child. Together Thoreau and the young boy watch small but significant wonders such as swimming fish, fighting ants, and clouds in the sky. It is a day full of splendor and appreciation of the outdoor world.

A Year in the Secret Garden by Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters:A Year in the Secret Garden; a modern spin on a timeless classic. With over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for families to enjoy, learn, discover and play together, A Year In the Secret Garden is an opportunity to introduce a new generations of families to the magic of creating special learning and play times outside in nature. This book encourages families to step away from technology and get into the kitchen, craft room and garden.

THIS STRANGE WILDERNESS by Nancy Plain. This wonderful books is the winner of the Spur Award for Best Western Juvenile Nonfiction and is an excellent of  biography of John James Audubon.

I Love Dirt:52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature {by Jennifer Ward} Protect our earth by learning to cherish it. I Love Dirt! presents 52 open-ended activities to help you engage your child in the outdoors. No matter what your location—from a small patch of green in the city to the wide-open meadows of the country—each activity is meant to promote exploration, stimulate imagination, and heighten a child’s sense of wonder.

COMMON GROUND:The Water, Earth, and Air We Share {by Molly Bang} A simple story of our planet’s natural resources with jewel-like paintings by Caldecott Honor author Molly Bang. Through the example of a shared village green and the growing needs of the townspeople who share it, Molly Bang presents the challenge of handling our planet’s natural resources. Full color picture book.

Let’s Go Outside: Outdoor Activities and Projects to Get You and Your Kids Closer to Nature by Jennifer Woods

From Author Richard Louv:

• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder
• The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder

Sharing Nature With Children 20th Anniversary Edition– Joseph Bharat Cornell

From Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield

• Nature’s Playground: Activities, Crafts, and Games to Encourage Children to Get Outdoors

• Go Wild!: 101 Things to Do Outdoors Before You Grow UP

• Make it Wild!: 101 Things to Make and do Outdoors

• Run Wild: Outdoor Games and Adventures
• The Stick Book: Loads of Things You can Make or Do With a Stick

 

From Sharon Lovejoy

Sunflower Houses: Inspiration from the Garden- A Book for Children and their Grown-ups

Hollyhock Days” Adventures for the Young at Heart

Roots, Shoots, Buckets, & Boots: Gardening Together with Children

Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars: Grandma’s bag of Tricks

**some of these links are affiliate links. If you click through and buy a book, I get a tiny little commission at no extra cost to you.

Something To do

Earth Day Coloring & Activity Book from the EPA: One of the most popular publications for young children, this is an 11-page coloring book full of tips for making the Earth a better place. Download a printable copy and feel free to make as many copies as you’d like. You can also order a printed copy of “The Happy Earth Day Coloring and Activities Book” from US EPA Region 5 on the publications order page.

Repurposing Ideas- Laundry Bottle Pet Food Scoop:Even your pets can go green for Earth Day! Recycle an empty laundry bottle into a use scooper for your pet’s food. We even have a suggestion for the part of the bottle you cut off and don’t use! Get directions HERE.

Got Ugly Sweaters? Upcycle them! Upcycling is taking something old and repurposing it into something new. Check out these adorable Upcycled Sweater Pillows from DiyInspired.com

How’s this for thinking out-of-the-box..or..bag..um..anyway: Recycle Your Chip Bag Into a Book Cover! Along with school shopping and choosing a new lunch box, one back-to-school tradition is covering your school books. Some schools require it, some don’t, but your kids are sure to get a kick out of customizing their books with covers made from recycled materials. Check this out from Make And Takes.

Visit kind-friendly Nature Sites Online:

Nature. Play. Trips. by GoExploreNature.com eases families into the outdoors with travel ideas, kid-friendly nature activities, and play-infused parenting
Earth Day Groceries Project – An easy, cost-free environmental awareness project. Students decorate borrowed grocery bags with environmental messages about reuse, recycling, wildlife, etc. The bags are then returned to grocery stores, and on Earth Day customers receive their groceries- along with the message that kids care about our environment- in the decorated bags.

Kids For Saving Earth (KSE), providingEnvironmental Education Curriculum for all ages.
Environmental education curriculum by mail and online for free at Kids For Saving Earth. Environmental
education topics such as conservation, endangered species, rainforests, forests, toxic waste sites, health issues, ecological concerns and more is covered on this website. Earth Day should be every day!

Nat Geo Kids inspires young adventurers to explore the world through award-winning magazines, books, apps, games, toys, videos, events, and a website, and is the only kids brand with a world-class scientific organization at its core. National Geographic Kids magazine (10 issues per year) and Little Kids magazine (six issues per year) are photo-driven publications and are available on newsstands or by subscription in print and on tablets.

Here’s some more great resources for parents and kids for Earth Day:

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