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Every kid goes through different phases and enjoying different types of books. We’ve been through a horse phase, firefighter phase, soccer/football/hockey/baseball phase, and plenty of others. When a phase hits, we stock up on those types of books from our library. Through each phase, though, I always try to include some nature/outdoor books as options. And there are so many great outdoor books to choose from!! We love finding new ones and reading old favorites!
Our boys are close enough in age where we can usually get away with reading the same level of book. If the oldest one picks them out that is – if the younger one does, it doesn’t keep the attention of the oldest.
So these are some of the most recent nature/outdoor books that both boys have enjoyed.
A Walk in the Forest by Maria Dek. Our youngest one (1.5) especially liked this book, more so than our 3.5 year old. There are very few words in this book, but it really is like taking a walk in the forest and all of the things you may encounter or imagine while doing so.
Henry Works by D.B. Johnson. This is part of a series of books based off of the life of Henry David Thoreau. We’ve read one other in the series (Henry Climbs a Mountain), but this one was better received by our boys. It’s a cute story showing the ways Henry the Bear takes care of plants along his walking route and the community of people he does life with. I also love the map (because I’m a Geographer and all books should have maps if possible! 🙂 ) they have of Henry’s walking route at the front and end of the book!
Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal. Even if it is not spring, this is a great gardening book as it goes through the entire cycle and seasons of gardening, from the dreaming stage (in winter), to the planting and watering and harvesting (in spring/summer/fall), and finally to winter’s fallow. For kids who like to dig in the dirt and find bugs, this book shows what is going on “up” in the garden as well as “down” below the surface in the dirt. It can be a little long for our younger boy, but the illustrations keep him entertained fairly well!
Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson. While we’re on the topic of gardening, this has been a fun book (even for our 3 year old, although I think the target audience is a bit younger). There are actions for the reader to do while reading, such as “tap the cloud and wish for rain” and “wiggle your fingers to water the flowers.” It’s a fun book that always creates laughter! At the end of the book, there is a page with more details about the value of worms, butterflies, and bees, which has been a great conversation starter with our older one.
This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers. This book might not quite qualify as your typical outdoor book. It’s about a boy who claims a wild moose is his own pet moose. But the illustrated scenery is great, and the plot is so cute! Oliver Jeffers is one of our favorite authors as he is creative, funny, and the messages in his books can really tug at your emotions. Not outdoorsy, but others ones of his that we have liked include Stuck; Here we Are ; How to Catch a Star. I know he has several others, but we haven’t read those ones yet.
StoryWorlds: Nature by Thomas Hegbrook. This is a wordless book that has captured the imagination of both boys. We have told many (and varied!) stories of a little boy or girl who goes and finds the animals/scenes. Sometimes with the younger one, we just talk about the illustrations. You can use this book in so many ways, and the illustrations are beautiful.
Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward and Steve Jenkins. This one is nice for younger kids as it is short and rhymes and has larger, bolder illustrations. It’s a quick and educational read showing how different birds build nests. It shows a variety of birds from flamingos, weaver birds, and penguins to more common birds like cowbirds, hummingbirds, and woodpeckers. There is a little sidebar on each page, too, that provides a little more detail, which helped with keeping our older boy interested.
Please share your favorite books! We love to read new ones!