Children start hearing about climate change, global warming, and the problems facing the natural world at a very young age now.
But how can you help young readers better understand these issues without overwhelming them?
Well with these awesome books for budding environmentalists, of course! Enjoy!
Here We Are Notes For Living On Planet by Oliver Jeffers
This picture book is perfect for the youngest age group to learn about our planet and why it will make a difference to treat each other and the planet well.
It was written for the author’s own son, so it’s had a proper field test before it was published.
You can find it online here and here.
The Last Polar Bear by Jean C George
If your kids love stories about protecting nature then this informative book looks at a polar bear cub that is in search of his mother. It’s awesome!
And if they love this picture book, then there are loads of others in this series. It’s the kind of book that can help make a difference in your home and turn young people into avid readers. And that’s important.
You can find it online here and here.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
This is a clever book about nature and how we should all treat it with respect.
It asks the question, can we take the world for granted and what will happen if we do?
It’s also a story about being a parent. What happens if your little girl (or boy) starts to take you for granted?
You can find it online here and here.
The Water Princess by Susan Verde
This awesome book is based on Georgie Badiel’s life as a young girl in Burkina Faso. It’s not about climate change but rather about the importance of the availability of clean drinking water.
Even adults can learn something about the environment and the impact that it can have on a community and a child when things don’t go well.
You can find it online here and here.
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen’s one of our favorite writers and he deals with a whole range of issues in his adult novels based on science, he even examines the Earth’s climate and the impact on a whole range of people in those books.
However, in this charming children’s book – he’s talking about saving owls. There’s time enough to deal with climate change once you’ve done that.
You can find it online here and here.
The Life of a Little Plastic Bottle: Padded Board Book by Igloobooks
All kids know that plastic is a problem for the environment but they may not really understand how that comes to be.
This is a great book that follows the journey of a single plastic bottle and it how it affects creatures and other living things as its story plays out. It’s suitable for even the youngest reader and it will have a profound effect on them.
You can find it online here and here.
The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics by Susan Hood
This is another charming tale of how plastic waste can hurt the Earth and the environment and also how children can take charge of the fight against this damage and ensure their own future!
There’s nothing like being inspired to take your part on the right side of history, right?
You can find it online here and here.
Our World Out of Balance: Understanding Climate Change and What We Can Do by Andrea Minoglio
This is for older kids and it’s meant to inspire them to think about how they can save their own environment by solving some of the very real problems in front of them, with their friends.
It’s a great way to show your kids that there is hope and that while Greta Thunberg may have a point about the state of the Earth, there are ways to make things better too.
You can find it online here and here.
The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth: Understanding Our World and Its Ecosystems by Rachel Ignotofsky
If your kids wonder how plants and trees and humans all go about affecting each other – this is the book for them.
It’s a guide to ecosystems and biodiversity for kids of almost any age.
You can find it online here and here.
What A Waste: Rubbish, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French
The mission of this book is simple.
It tells in extraordinary illustrations the story of what we are doing to our planet and how we can make changes in our habits that will protect the Earth in the future.
You can find it online here and here.
It’s never too early to start your kids on stories of tackling climate problems or plastic waste and these books are so good that you might enjoy them too!