It's April, which makes me think about Earth Day and the environment. Here are some books that you can use this month or any month to inspire young readers to think about the world around them.
Rock by Rock: The Fantastical Garden of Nek Chand
written by Jennifer Bradbury
illustrated by Sam Boughton
Until Barb Rosenstock's book about Mr. Chand was the first time I had heard of him or his amazing rock garden. Sculptures, waterfalls, structures, and more all built out of rocks and other materials found in junk piles, Nek Chand created a place of refuge in his new land of India. Having moved from his native Pakistan to India during the Partition of 1947, Mr. Chand wanted to find a place that reminded him of his home. For eighteen years he worked on it by himself before workers discovered his refuge.
A wonderful book to celebrate reusing and creating something new!
Zee Grows a Tree
written by Elizabeth Rusch
illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
This was such a clever book! Inside is both a fiction story and nonfiction facts about a youngster growing up alongside her Douglas fir tree. The day young Zee is born, her parents (owners of a tree farm) gift her with a newly sprouted Douglas fir tree. Readers watch as young Zee and the tree grow up side by side. Each layout has a smaller print nonfiction fact that explains to readers what is happening to the tree as it grows. Additional information is included in the backmatter.
The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom
by Lita Judge
This book has been receiving a lot of praise lately and I am jumping on the bandwagon! You'll never think of a tree the same way after reading this book. It's amazing how trees form their own community and know how to help one another out - whether it's from a common predator or from needing additional nutrients in the soil.
In each layout, Judge has a gorgeous illustration, a poem that lyrically tells you information, and a longer piece of text that gives a scientific explanation. Whether you read this book from cover to cover, or just specific layouts, readers will walk away amazed at what these quiet giants can do! In the backmatter, Judge includes even more information about the poem that covers historical information, facts, and environment protection information.
I would expect to hear this title being mentioned during award season next winter.
The Big Beach Cleanup
written by Charlotte Offsay
illustrated by Katie Rewse
Young Cora is excited about the end of summer sandcastle contest, but it's cancelled early on because of the waste that clutters the beach. Cora knows her two hands can help with the cleanup, can she get more hands to help?
Full of reminders of how people can help keep beaches and the environment clean, this book is a great one to read this Earth Day!
Look What I Found in the Woods
written by Moira Butterfield
illustrated by Jesús Verona
An interactive book that shows three children walking through the woods and finding some woodsy treasure. Full of information about trees, leaves, seeds, and shells, readers will learn new facts and also get an idea of the treasure that can be found on a walk. I also like the interactive checklists of things to find in certain illustrations!
publishes April 20th
This is not a new book, but it is new-to-me, so I'm including it in the roundup!
What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet
written by Jess French
This book came to my attention because it is listed on our 2022 IL Bluestem Award list. It's a DK book, so you know it's a book that you don't have to read cover to cover, but will have lots of facts and infographics. The environment is a topic that more and more young readers are growing concerned about and this one breaks down a lot of information and gives tips that will make young readers think and act upon the new information!
Hope you found a new book or two to share this month!
Another tree book is The Very Oldest Pear Tree by Nancy I Sanders...it's like a biography of a tree (and all that it saw...so also a history book). It might not be the standard Earth Day book, but we can certainly speak to the importance of long-living trees.
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