My Kindergarten students contributed their thoughts on these books.  Please read my quick synopsis and their review or take away.  All names changed to protect the innocent.

The Earth Book by Todd Parr

Perfect for preschoolers through First grade.  Simple and fun, but gives environmentalism a fresh feel.

Kindergarten Reviews

Alex: It teaches you to reuse paper.               Arnold: It reminds you to recycle and save a little food.                                                                   Cara: It makes you learn to clean up the whole earth.

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs-Martin

The real life account of a professional basketball player building a community garden in an abandoned city lot.  An incredible story.  Great for 2-5, but my Kindergarteners were enthralled.

To Purchase this book on Amazon, click here:

The EARTH Book

Kindergarten Review:

Ben: “You can read it so other kids know to eat vegetables, vegetables, not just fruit.  Vegetables make your poop come out.”

To Purchase on Amazon, click here: Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table

We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow

I love this book, the text is simple and beautiful.  The pictures follow two families on different continents plant a tree.  It comes full circle in the end to show how their family grew as well as the tree.  My students were enchanted by it.

Kindergarten Reviews:

Joey: “It shows tree on different continents.”

Trevor: “You will become a fan of plants trees, and that is good.”

To purchase on Amazon, click here:We Planted a Tree

Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson

A non-fiction book in story form, it tells the story of Wangari Maathai, the first African American woman and environmentalist to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

Kindergarten Reviews:

Sam: “Read this book because it teaches you not to take things for yourself and help the whole world.”

Nicholas: “I knew this was true because there were plants and no monsters.  The guys that planted the coffee were bad because they just wanted the money for themselves, not the experience of the adventure.”

To Purchase from Amazon, click here: Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace

Bumblebee, Bumblebee, Do you know me? by Anne Rockwell 

Simple, repetitive, with a nice beat for preschoolers. It is a guessing game book, so you can make extensions or tie it in with a plant unit easily. Great for early childhood to Kindergarten.l Lesson plans to go with it can be found online.

My students simply say: “You learn about flowers, that is nice.”

To Order on Amazon, click here: Bumblebee, Bumblebee, Do You Know Me?: A Garden Guessing Game

These Bees Count! by Alison Formento

What a wonderful book to show children how bee-keeping works.  Part counting book and part informational narrative, it is great to show children bees are not to be feared, but cared for. Lesson plans to go with it can be found in a google search.

One student said: “If you don’t like bees then you can see the experience of the bees. It helps you learn about them.”

To Purchase this book on Amazon, click here: These Bees Count!

Miss Rumphius by Barbar Cooney

Positively Timeless, it is perfect for young children to help them think about how they can help the world, and perfect for older elementary for the same reason.  A good book to read out loud every Earth Day.

 Sophie: “It teaches you about kindness and keeping the world beatiful instead of stony and ugly.”

To buy on Amazon, click here:Miss Rumphius

Honey a Gift From Nature: by Yumiko Fujiwara

A wonderful book that shows a boy and his father keeping bees and harvesting the honey.  A great blend of story and information, with beautiful pictures.

To buy on Amazon, click here: Honey: A Gift from Nature

Composting: Nature’s Recyclers by Robin Kootz 

A simple but clear and concise book on how ecosystems and decomposing work.  Good extensions and experiments to try in the back.

To buy on amazon, click here:Composting: Nature’s Recyclers (Amazing Science)