Nature!! In Picture Books

Summer is a great time to engage children with the natural world by turning the outdoors into a classroom. Help them get excited about plant and animal diversity by exposing them to picture books that stimulate their sense of wonder about nature and ecosystems.

Deep in the Swamp, written by Donna M. Bateman and illustrated by Brian Lies.

Deep in the Swamp is a rhyming and counting book that's easy to read aloud as a lilting spoken song. The illustrations are gorgeous and detailed, based on real flora and fauna found in a swamp near the Florida-Georgia border. After the story, there are pages that include details on the plants and animals described so that more advanced readers can learn more!

Forest Bright, Forest Night, written by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Jamicheal Henterly.

This book teaches the difference between nocturnal and diurnal animals through illustrations and rhyming couplets. This is actually two books in one; after finishing the daytime section you flip the book upside down to read the nighttime section (it's a neat gimmick, but was a little confusing for the two-year-old I was attempting to read the book with). I love that one can find the nocturnal animals sleeping in the pictures of daytime animals and the other way around in the nighttime section. Definitely a beautiful book to add to your collection. 

We're Going on a Leaf Hunt, written by Steve Metzger and illustrated by Miki Sakamoto

We're Going on a Leaf Hunt is a book that I usually save to read out loud to my toddlers in the autumn, but why wait? It's based on the feel and cadence of the popular children's song "Going on a Bear Hunt" but instead it's all about hiking through nature to find different shapes and colors of leaves from different types of trees. Just like the bear hunt, We're Going on a Leaf Hunt teaches the developmentally appropriate concepts for 2-4 year-olds of over/under, through/around. This would be a good read if your child has an interest in learning about different types of trees, as the book clearly illustrates the different shapes of the different types of trees (maple, oak, birch, and hickory). 

Do you have a favorite nature book to read with your little one? What other ways can we teach children an appreciation for nature? Let me know in the comments, and no matter what, Keep Reading!!!