Books to Celebrate Earth Day

There are so many great Earth Day books that have been published for children.  It’s actually pretty exciting to see this topic covered so well.  I’ve narrowed down a few of my top picks and hope that you will check them out with your young readers.

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Favorite Earth Day Books for Kids

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty

Narrated by Earth, we of some important facts about our planet from how the continents formed to life that existed more than 400,000,000 years ago. Maybe if we understand our planet better, we’ll take care of it more.

The Wartville Wizard by Don Madden

The town is being buried in trash.  Careless citizens are throwing gum and soda bottles on the ground.  One tidy man realizes he has the power to get rid of the trash and teaches the town a lesson.  This is such a fun and silly book packed with a powerful environmental message.

Thank You, Earth by April Pully Sayre is a breathtaking photographic journey around planet Earth. The text is a love letter to the beautiful planet with live on each day. Kids will be inspired to take a camera outside and capture the beauty around them.

This Is Our Earth by Laura Lee Benson and illustrated by John Carrozza

Benson uses rhythmic verse to paint a portrait of appreciation for our earth at the top of each page.  The subtext at the bottom of each page gives facts to introduce life and earth sciences.  I love the last line, “This is our Earth to cherish and love.  To clean and protect from below and above.”

Our Earth by Anne Rockwell

This story explains how our earth has changed over time.  Islands, glaciers, volcanoes, coral reefs, forests, and caves are all explored in this simple introduction book.

Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole

In the garden that Jack built you will see and meet lots of plants and animals.  Over the course of this cumulative book, you will watch his garden bloom.  This is an excellent book for building vocabulary.

Wilson’s World by Edith Thacher Hurd and Clement Hurd might be a bit hard to find. Wilson sets out to paint a picture and create a story that he titles, “THIS IS WILSON”S WORLD”.  As Wilson adds more and more to his picture he realizes that his “world” is quickly becoming polluted and crowded.   So, he takes out a clean piece of paper and begins to create a world that he really wants to be a part of.  He creates a world where everyone takes care of the environment.

Dear Children of the Earth by Schim Schimmel

This is a letter that Mother Earth writes to the world about the importance of respecting the planet.   Schimmel’s acrylic paintings are a beautiful accompaniment to the poignant text.

City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan

A vacant lot sits in the middle of a city block.  A young girl has an idea to turn the run-down lot into a green space.   The story blossoms into a whole neighborhood coming together to create this beautiful space.  At the end of this book are tips to starting your own community garden.

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