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by JaNay Brown-Wood, Illus. by Olivia Amoah.

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For younger readers (3-6): Author and poet JaNay Brown-Wood’s cumulative tale, similar to “The House That Jack Built,” starts promisingly: “Here are the seeds that we will sow to help our garden grow.” But as time passes, the children quickly learn that things rarely go as planned in the garden. Plants will droop without enough sun and wilt without enough water. Suddenly, “OH NO!” becomes the children’s repeated refrain. Eventually, the pair come to see that nature itself provides everything a magnificent garden needs to flourish!

This engaging read-aloud doubles as a child-friendly lesson on what plants need in order to grow.

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On the first day of spring, when the city is quiet and still, little Yaya takes the A train down to New York City’s southern shores with her mama and aunties to greet Mama Ocean and celebrate the arrival of a new season through a ritual of letting go of the past and embracing the new. (Amazon Summary)

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When Grandma walks to her special garden, her granddaughters know to follow her there. Grandma invites the girls to explore her collection of treasures--magical rocks, crystals, seashells, and meteorites--to see what wonders they reveal. "They are alive with wisdom," Grandma says. As her granddaughters look closely, the treasures spark the girls' imaginations. They find stories in the strength of rocks shaped by volcanoes, the cleansing power of beautiful crystals, the mystery of the sea that houses shells and shapes the environment, and the long journey meteorites took to find their way to Earth. This is the power of Grandma's special garden, where wonder grows and stories blossom. (Amazon Summary)

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The Thing about Bees: A Love Letter - Shabazz Larkin

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The Thing about Bees: A Love Letter - Shabazz Larkin

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Shabazz Larkin’s The Thing About Bees is a Norman Rockwell-inspired Sunday in the park, a love poem from a father to his two sons, and a tribute to the bees that pollinate the foods we love to eat. Children are introduced to different kinds of bees, “how not to get stung,” and how the things we fear are often things we don’t fully understand. (Amazon Summary)

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One winter morning, Lina wakes up to silence. It's the sound of snow -- the kind that looks soft and glows bright in the winter sun. But as she walks to her grandmother's house to help make the family recipe for warak enab, she continues to listen.

As Lina walks past snowmen and across icy sidewalks, she discovers ten ways to pay attention to what might have otherwise gone unnoticed. (Amazon Summary)

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A Sky That Sings - Anita Sanchez & George Steele

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A Sky That Sings - Anita Sanchez & George Steele

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Mia and her tía are spending a sunny afternoon at the park, bird-listening! Some people enjoy bird-watching but as a blind person, Mia uses her other senses to identify different birds by their unique calls and songs. She calls it bird-listening. (Amazon Summary)

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Six-year-old Jax can't wait to leave Detroit and spend a week with his grandparents in coastal Virginia, where he's sure he'll be spoiled with the kinds of special things he enjoys at home: toys, movies, and hamburgers. As he dreams of the adventures he'll have, his PopPop has other ideas. He fills their days with timeless summer fun―crabbing, shucking corn, and counting fireflies. (Amazon Summary)

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A lively afternoon together in Nana’s garden is full of laughter, discovery, and connection. In lyrical text that blends past and present, Memory Garden takes us to the places we leave behind but never forget.

Written and illustrated by a loving mother daughter duo, the nostalgic text and vibrant illustrations invite us to enjoy the beauty of Iranian gardens – and culture - in an adventure that will resonate with readers of all backgrounds. (Amazon Summary)

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It's Joy's first summer in her grandmother's South Carolina garden—a rite of passage. In the midst of okra, spinach, and strawberries, Grammy teaches Joy that plants are friends with many uses. Herbs, for example, can be turned into medicine (Amazon Summary)

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Set in the Nicola Valley, British Columbia, in Canada's westernmost province, a First Nations family goes on an outing to forage for herbs and mushrooms. A grandmother passes down her knowledge of plant life and the natural world to her young grandchildren. (Amazon Summary)

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When the squeal of tires and thrum of Grandpa's hammer fill the air, Grandma gets thirsty for a cup of quiet.
“That's silly, Grandma,” her granddaughter says. “Quiet can't fit in a cup and you can't drink it.”
But together, they venture into the garden to collect the calming sounds of nature, and their cup grows and grows. (Amazon Summary)

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On a hike with her grandparents, a young Indian-American girl makes note of all the things in nature that are brown, too. From a nurturing mother bear, to the steadiness of deep twisting roots, to the beauty of a wild mustang, brown is everywhere! On her way, the girl collects the beautiful brown things she encounters as mementos for a scrapbook to share with a very special new addition to her family--a baby brother! (Amazon Summary)

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A Tlingit grandmother takes her young granddaughter to a nearby island for a berry-picking adventure in the forest. To alert the forest bear and the various types of berries that glow “like little jewels” of their presence, the pair sing a harvest song: “Salmonberry, Cloudberry, Blueberry, Nagoonberry. Huckleberry, Soapberry, Strawberry, Crowberry.” Grandma teaches the girl that “we speak to the land…as the land speaks to us,” and “we sing too, so the land knows we are grateful.” As they gather berries in the misty rain, they listen to the sounds of insect wings, inhale the sweet scent of cedar, and feel the soft moss on tree branches. Back at home, “the kitchen glows like a summer sky” as the girl, her grandmother, her father, and her younger sister make syrup, marmalade, jelly, jam, pie, and scones to share. When winter comes, the forest is described as “dreaming, waiting for berry song.” Seasons change, marking the passage of time and leading to a bittersweet, full-circle ending.

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Amidst all the buildings, people, and traffic in his neighborhood, Jayden sees nature everywhere: the squirrels scrounging, the cardinals calling, and the dandelions growing. But Mama doesn’t believe there’s nature in the city. So Jayden sets out to help Mama see what he sees. With the help of his friend Mr. Curtis, Jayden plants the seeds of a community garden and brings together his neighbors—and Mama—to show them the magic of nature in the middle of the city.

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by Rio Cortez, Illus. by Ashleigh Corrin

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Every day, Abuela misses the ocean in Puerto Rico. But on Saturdays, when the sun is high, Abuela takes her granddaughter on a walk down the hill in Harlem to Twelfth Avenue, to a place that is just as magical: the Hudson River.

There, they admire the iconic waterway that brought millions of new Americans to its shores, make offerings to Yemaya, the goddess portrayed as a mermaid in ancient religions, and celebrate familial love passed down through the generations, showing the vastness of expansive intergenerational love, memory and the childlike curiosity they each inspire.

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by Melissa Cristina Márquez, Illus. by Devin Elle Kurtz

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As the sun sets over another gorgeous day at la Playita Del Condado in Puerto Rico, Meli doesn't want to go home. She loves the ocean more than anything, and with only five minutes left at the beach, she knows exactly where her last stop should be: the tidal pools. They are small universes of their own teeming with critters and creatures of the ocean. While looking into the pools, she meets a crab, Jaiba, who takes her on a dreamlike underwater adventure, teaches her about the importance of shark conservation, and reveals Meli's ultimate destiny: to become the Mother of Sharks.

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"Rodney! Where's Rodney?" Rodney's teacher has had enough because Rodney is never in his seat. He's at the window looking at the world outside because outside is where he really wants to be. But Rodney is about to visit a whole new world, one that takes him more outside than he's ever even dreamed! Where's Rodney? is illustrated by Floyd Cooper, Coretta Scott King Award winner and NAACP Image Award nominee.

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Indigenous author

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Teachings of the Great Outdoors - Danisha Dumornay

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Teachings of the Great Outdoors - Danisha Dumornay

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Might be a little long, is aimed toward 6-11 year olds.

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Indigenous author.

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Tim has always loved nature. His dad always taught him to explore and adventure through their own backyard. So Tim observed, he collected, and he recorded it all in his nature journal, just like Dad!

But when one day Dad is too busy to look at his findings, Tim takes it upon himself to show Dad all his adventures. And after looking through his dad’s old nature journals, Tim gets sleepy and goes on some dreamy adventures of his own.

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In this lushly illustrated picture book, the kids in this neighborhood stay in perpetual motion. They play games, ride bikes or scooters, climb trees, roll down grassy hills, and catch frogs, clearly enjoying the outdoors and one another. Twilight settles over their suburban neighborhood as they catch fireflies and splash in a shallow stream, ignoring calls to come home. Ending with an invitation to all dusk explorers, this book persuasively advocates for unplugged, tech-free days, beckoning readers to get outside and play, play, play.

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Outside is waiting, the most patient playmate of all. The most generous friend. The most miraculous inventor. This thought-provoking picture book poetically underscores our powerful and enduring connection with nature, not so easily obscured by lives spent indoors.
Rhythmic, powerful language shows us how our world is made and the many ways Outside comes in to help and heal us, and reminds us that we are all part of a much greater universe. Emotive illustrations evoke the beauty, simplicity, and wonder that await us all . . . outside.

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Weslandia — Paul Fleischman & Kevin Hawkes

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Weslandia — Paul Fleischman & Kevin Hawkes

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Wesley makes his summer project to build a new civilization. He plants a new crop and soon discovers they tower above him and are useful for more than food.

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Sam & Dave Dig a Hole — Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

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Sam & Dave Dig a Hole — Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

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Sam and Dave are on a mission to find something spectacular. So they decide to dig a hole. Although they find nothing, the day turns out to be spectacular anyway. Deadpan humor masters, Barnett and Klassen use wit and visual humor to provide another stellar story.

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Follow Grandpa Green's great-grandson into the garden he created to carry his memories of his life. A meditation on life and nature.

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A little bear is so excited to see spring, he doesn't want to hibernate through winter. He leaves his den to see what he can find. With the help from some friends, he discovers some beautiful things, but are they spring?

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Lois Ehlert's iconic collage format takes on a new beauty in this book about the life and functions of a tree.

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The Not-So-Great Outdoors — Madeline Kloepper

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The Not-So-Great Outdoors — Madeline Kloepper

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A reluctant camper misses her urban oasis when she takes a trip to the wild with her family. Soon she starts to discover that nature can sparkle just as much as her beloved city.

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When a little girl runs by a boy's window, he is intrigued to leave his phone behind and follow her outside. This book celebrates the beauty of the outdoors and all it has to offer kids and adults alike.

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A little girl searches her backyard woods for the fairies she knows must live there and provide magic for her every day. With lyrical read-aloud text and search-and-find elements in every piece of art, this is a book children will want to read over and over.

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Grandfather and I — Helen E. Buckley & Jan Ormerod

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Grandfather and I — Helen E. Buckley & Jan Ormerod

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A young boy and his grandfather go for a walk, enjoying the sights of the neighborhood and the nature around them. When everyone seems like they are in a hurry, grandfathers remind us to slow down.

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The Honeybee Man — Lela Nargi & Krysten Brooker

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The Honeybee Man — Lela Nargi & Krysten Brooker

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The story of Fred, the honeybee man, offers an inside look at the life of a bee. Fred keeps hundreds of bees on his Brooklyn rooftop, watching over as they tend their hive, make bee babies, create wax rooms, and pollinate Brooklyn flowers, all with the goal of making their famous honey.

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Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious — Jacqueline Briggs Martin & Hayelin Choi

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Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious — Jacqueline Briggs Martin & Hayelin Choi

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Alice Waters, a chef who studied in France and opened a restaurant in Berkeley, California, believes good food starts in the field. She started Edible Schoolyard in hopes to share that belief with kids in her community. This is the story of her world travels, her studies in food, and how she helped a community see where delicious begins.

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Stories from Bug Garden — Lisa Moser & Gwen Millward

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Stories from Bug Garden — Lisa Moser & Gwen Millward

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Meet the bugs of Bug Garden: an unladylike lady bug, an enthusiastic rolly polly bug, an adventure-dreaming cricket, and more! Their stories take shape as the flowers bloom.

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Our School Garden! — Rick Swann & Christy Hale

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Our School Garden! — Rick Swann & Christy Hale

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Michael is nervous about his new school, until he discovers the garden. He tastes leaves, digs for bugs, and enjoys every activity. But he also learns how to harvest his hard work and share it with his community. Written by a school librarian and gardner, this book illustrates the power of nature and education.

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Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table — Jacqueline Briggs Martin & Eric-Shabazz Larkin 

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Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table — Jacqueline Briggs Martin & Eric-Shabazz Larkin 

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Will Allen is a former professional basketball player who turned an abandoned lot in Milwaukee into a thriving urban farm. As tall as his truck and able to hold a head of cabbage in one hand, Allen was an unexpected farmer. But his creative problem solving brought a new form of life and energy to a part of the city. This is the story of his vision to bring nature to the city and transform lives.