Curated by Amanda McGuire Rzicznek | BGSU Professor
Professor Amanda McGuire Rzicznek has curated a list of children’s books for kids to read or have read to them to help them learn about the environment.
Hello, Earth!: Poems to Our Planet by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Miren Asiani Lora (ages 4-8)
From Joyce Sidman: “We walk on Earth’s surface every day, but how often do we wonder about the incredible planet around us? From the molten cracks below to the shimmering moon above, Hello, Earth! explores the complex wonders of our natural world. This playful poetic journey across our puzzle-piece continents does not hesitate to ask questions—even of the Earth itself! Extensive back matter fosters further learning about everything from water cycles to plate tectonics to the origin of ocean tides. “
Hey, Water by Antoinette Portis (ages 4-8)
From Penguin Random House: “This latest work from award-winning author/illustrator Antoinette Portis is an engaging, aesthetically pleasing nonfiction picture book, complete with accessible backmatter on the water cycle, water conservation, and more.”
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade (ages 4-8)
From Macmillan: “Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption.”
The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth by Rachel Ignotofsky (ages 9-12)
According to Penguin Random House: “Making earth science accessible and entertaining through art, maps, and infographics, The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth explains how our planet works—and how we can protect it—from its diverse ecosystems and their inhabitants, to the levels of ecology, the importance of biodiversity, the cycles of nature, and more.”
Strange Birds by Celia C. Perez (ages 9-12)
According to Brightly: “While spending their summer in a sleepy Florida town, three highly different girls — Ofelia, Aster, and Cat — come together for a shared mission: to put an end to an endangered-species-unfriendly tradition carried out by the Floras, a local Scouts group.”
Climate Changed: A Personal Journey Through The Science by Philippe Squarzoni (ages 12+)
From Abrams Books: “Documentary, diary, and masterwork graphic novel, this up-to-date look at our planet and how we live on it explains what global warming is all about. With the most complicated concepts made clear in a feat of investigative journalism by artist Philippe Squarzoni, Climate Changed weaves together scientific research, extensive interviews with experts, and a call for action.
Taking on the Plastics Crisis by Hannah Testa and illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky (ages 12+)
From School Library Journal: “Testa writes with passion about the specific actions that she and other young people have taken to reduce plastics use and repair environmental damages. The result is a blueprint that readers can use to immediately curtail and eventually eliminate single-use plastics from their own lives and their communities.”
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