Celebrate Earth Day this year with these colourful and thoughtful picture books! Each one teaches a lesson or fosters a love of nature in a kid-friendly way. You'll definitely want to add these Earth Day readalouds for Kindergarten to your reading list!
I absolutely love teaching kids about Earth Day, but there is certainly a fine line to walk when developing environmental awareness with the next generation. It can be genuinely frightening, and the last thing we want is to make our students feel unsafe. But it's also so important to help teach young children about ecological balance and how to care for planet Earth.
These Earth Day books make it easy! They focus on explaining the relationships between plants and animals on the planet, how individuals can create social change, or the systems of the earth, like the water cycle. They'll help your little learners see all the positive changes they can make and inspire them to take action!
If you love nature and want to make your classroom a cozy environment, try these Relaxing Nature-Themed Classroom Ideas.
Best Earth Day Readalouds for Kindergarten
What if Everybody Did That? - Ellen Javernick
This is one of my favourite books for teaching kids to take care of the earth. It raises the question of individual responsibility in a very kid-friendly way. It might not seem like a big deal to drop one banana peel or soda can on the ground, but if everyone did that, the earth would be covered with trash. It subtly raises the question of actions having consequences and will prompt the most amazing class discussions!
We are Water Protectors - Carole Lindstrom
Told from an indigenous perspective, this award-winning picture book highlights the importance of water in nature and encourages students to protect this resource. It carefully shows how water is not just a substance outside of us but that we ourselves are made of this life-giving liquid. Such an important lesson!
The Tree Lady - H. Joseph Hopkins
This book shares the true story of Katherine Olivia Sessions, who sparked a movement to plant sunny San Diego, California with trees! I love that this book ties conservation with individual action and also highlights the challenges Katherine had to face as a woman advocating for change over a century ago. It's the perfect book for Earth Day and should be in every classroom library!
GROW: How We Get Food From Our Garden - Karl Beckstrand
Although you can certainly read this book during other units, it's a perfect choice for Earth Day! The main character and his grandfather explore the farm to learn where their food comes from. Many young people are unaware of where food comes from, and it can be eye-opening to understand just how much effort goes into growing food, too.
Michael Recycle - Ellie Bethel
In this lighthearted book, Michael Recycle crashes in Abberdoo-Rimey, a town overflowing with a mountain of trash. It's clever and colourful with lots of fun rhyming phrases while also offering practical tips to help students take better care of our planet.
My Friend Earth - Patricia MacLachlan
I love how this story shows young readers the many ways Earth cares for its people, animals, and plants. Written by award-winning children's author Patricia MacLachlan, the text is warm and cozy without any fear-mongering or panic. The creative design of this picture book makes it even more engaging for young children, with interactive flaps and die-cut windows that allow readers to see several pages at the same time!
Earth Day Every Day - Lisa Bullard
This book starts by orienting kids to the fact that they're all Earthlings and highlighting the things that harm our shared home. It focuses specifically on Earth Day (April 22) and highlights different Earth Day activities young environmentalists can do to care for the planet, like raising money to support endangered animals, planting trees, and more. Great for Pre-K to 3rd Grade!
Finding Wild - Megan Wagner Lloyd
Follow two kids as they leave the city to find the wild of nature. I especially love the message that nature is all around us! This book taps into the sensory experience of being in nature, and would be a great way to launch a writing activity about the five senses. Go for a nature walk and have kids write or draw what they perceive outdoors!
The Earth Book - Todd Parr
This title is targeted to really young kids from ages 2 to 5, so it's a great first book to share for Earth Day. It really highlights the small actions kids can take to help the earth while also explaining why in a kid-friendly way. For example, it takes about how little things make a big difference, like turning off the water when you're brushing your teeth, using both sides of the paper, carrying your own bags to the farmers market, etc.
Berry Song - Michaela Goade
Berry Song is a recent Caldecott Award winner that's perfect for celebrating Earth Day! It follows an American indigenous family as they harvest berries throughout the seasons and thank the earth for providing their food. It's a beautiful story about loving the land and is perfect for kindergarten and primary students!
Green Machine: The Slightly Gross Truth About Turning Your Food Scraps into Green Energy - Rebecca Donnelly
I love how playfully this non-fiction book teaches kids about composting and green energy! It dives deep into what happens to food scraps after we toss them in our green bins while also addressing how electricity is generated. Such a good book for science-minded kids of all ages!
The Lonely Polar Bear - Khoa Lee
It can be challenging to foster environmental awareness and teach about climate change without causing students to feel afraid and overwhelmed. This book does a great job of gently portraying the consequences of climate change without making it scary. A little polar bear cub is separated from his mother after a storm and ends up alone. He eventually finds friends in the other animals around him, including a little girl.
One Plastic Bag - Miranda Paul
In Gambia, a glut of plastic bags led to pollution, bad smells, and a slew of other environmental consequences. This story shares how a young girl named Isatou Ceesay and the women of her community decided to turn those bags into something new to clean up her community and generate a new source of income. I love the emphasis on community action and thinking creatively about waste!
The Curious Garden - Peter Brown
This is such a great book full of hope and possibility! Liam is a young boy who happens to find a garden in need of love. He decides to care of it, and it begins to expand beyond his wildest dreams. It's such a wonderful lesson about caring for the natural world and will make every child want to start their own garden!
Bloom Boom! - April Pulley Sayre
This author publishes non-fiction books that are very visual and feature tons of brilliant, full-colour images of the seasons. This one, in particular, shows flowers and explosions of blooms during Spring. These would be amazing books to keep on hand to teach about the seasons, but they can also be an amazing tool to expand what your students know about the world around them.
Change Starts with Us - Sophie Beer
If you want to help your students find small ways to make a big change, read this book! It spotlights different ways to support your environment, like planting trees, recycling, reducing energy usage, and standing up for your beliefs. It does advocate for eating less meat, so bear that in mind for your particular set of students.
