We read Earth Day picture books throughout the entire year… not just during all of my kids’ Earth Day celebrations.
But Earth Day is a such wonderful chance to talk to your kids about the importance of the environment.
Children are curious about their world. Once you start a conversation, they may just not stop talking!
Even though these recommended books are focused on the environment, we read all of these terrific books throughout the entire year.
You can find these Earth Day picture books at your local library or purchase through the affiliate links provided for your convenience.
Best Earth Day Picture Books for Kids
Earth Day is a wonderful chance to talk to your kids about the importance of the environment. Children are curious about their world. Once you start a conversation, they may just not stop talking!
The Lorax (Classic Seuss): Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth’s natural beauty.
The Curious Garden: While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.
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.
My Garden: The girl in this book grows chocolate rabbits, tomatoes as big as beach balls, flowers that change color, and seashells in her garden.
Earth Day, Birthday! It’s April 22, and Lion and his friends want to plant trees, recycle bottles, and have fun on Earth Day. But not Monkey. He wants to celebrate his birthday. Can he convince the other animals that it really is his birthday? Violet Kim’s humorous artwork, rendered in paper, photographs, and colored pencil, highlight the sunny, friendly world of the animals.
Earth Day: An Alphabet Book: Children and adults will delight in Earth Day, a litany of gratitude that celebrates earth’s diverse species, from apricots to groundhogs to junebugs, from quahogs to zinnias, zucchini and zebras with bright and whimsical illustrations. In alphabetical order, the wonders of nature arise from the page, reminding readers that every day is a reason to give thanks and that miracles are as simple as ABC.
Charlie and Lola: We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers: After Charlie convinces Lola to recycle her old toys instead of throwing them away, Lola discovers a recycling competition. If she can recycle one hundred plastic, metal, and paper items, she can get her very own real live tree to plant. But she only has two weeks, so Lola decides to ask her classmates to help. They turn out to be extremely very good recyclers indeed.
The Giving Tree with CD: This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest: The author and artist Lynne Cherry journeyed deep into the rain forests of Brazil to write and illustrate her gorgeous picture book. One day, a man exhausts himself trying to chop down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forest’s residents, including a child from the Yanomamo tribe, whisper in his ear about the importance of trees and how “all living things depend on one another” . . . and it works.
The EARTH Book: With his signature blend of playfulness and sensitiviy, Todd Parr explores the important, timely subject of environmental protection and conservation in this eco-friendly picture book. Featuing a circular die-cut Earth on the cover, and printed entirely with recycled materials and nontoxic soy inks, this book includes lots of easy, smart ideas on how we can all work together to make the Earth feel good – from planting a tree and using both sides of the paper, to saving energy and reusing old things in new ways.
Don’t Throw That Away! Follow an eco-conscious super hero as he teaches kids how to recycle and reuse common household items! The six large flaps throughout show that oridinary trash is really a treasure. From turning old clothes into fun costumes or an old box into a brand new car, kids will learn that saving the environment is super cool!
It’s Earth Day! (Little Critter): Little Critter is on a mission! After watching a film about climate changes at school, Little Critter decides to do his part to slow down global warming. With the help of his family and friends, Little Critter begins to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Together they learn about the importance of not wasting water or energy. Join Little Critter as he plants a tree, makes a climate control machine, and helps the polar bears.
Celebrating Earth Day (Celebrating Holidays): Read about the history of Earth Day from the first celebration back in 1970, to today’s annual observance on April 22.
Clifford’s Spring Clean-Up (Clifford the Big Red Dog): Clifford’s hard at work getting the house clean. When Emily Elizabeth airs out some throw rugs, he grabs the living room carpet and gives it a good shake–in fact, he shakes it to pieces! What Clifford does best is help clear out the weeds for the vacant lot on Earth Day.
Recycle!: A Handbook for Kids: This lively and informative handbook explains the process of recycling from start to finish. The book focuses on 5 different types of rubbish – paper, glass, aluminium cans, plastic and polystyrene.
Like these Earth Day picture books? Find even more engaging book lists for kids with more than 100 book-themed reading lists!
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That was a great collection. “Lorax” is a personal favorite with my kids. Also, my kids’ love for Todd Parr’s books is great. Still, three books are new to us. We will add to our list and read soon.
I love it when I introduce people to NEW books 😀 The Curious Garden has to be my boys’ absolutely favorite.
Thanks for your wonderful list of Earth Day books. Our children also enjoyed reading D is for Dudley by Ron Chandler. The story is about the importance of saving sea turtles and protecting the marine environment.
Ooo. Thanks for the tip. My youngest is absolutely in love with sea turtles!
Please add the recently published “What On Earth Can We Do?” by Emily Sper to your list. “A concise but thorough environmental primer for young readers enhanced by colorful and attractive illustrations.” —Kirkus Reviews