Earth Day is coming up quickly! And while I believe EVERY day is Earth Day, April 22nd is an annual celebration around that world that honors Earth’s gifts and helps raise awareness of the need to protect Earths’ natural resources for future generations. To help launch your Earth Day discussions and activities in your class this week, here is a list of some of my favorite new and “go to” Earth Day books! You will notice a letter-writing “trend” in the first several books on this list – perfect to inspire letter writing to Mother Earth!
The World is Ours to Cherish: A Letter to a Child – Mary Annaise Heglar
Starting my Earth Day book list is this new release I included in the recent spring GearPicks Pack book subscription box. This book is written as a letter from Earth encouraging readers to not only notice and appreciate the wonders all around them, but also do what they can to take care of the Earth. A perfect anchor book to inspire writing letters to the Earth for Earth Day! (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2024)
Love, the Earth – Frances Stickley
Another beautiful new Earth Day book written as a rhyming letter from Earth to all who inhabit it. Beautifully illustrated with a wonderful message that, just as there is only one of you, there is also only one earth, and we need to care for it just like it cares for us. A great book for younger readers. (Candlewick Press, 2024)
Dear Earth – Isabel Otter
Young Tessa decides to write a love letter to the Earth. She first describes the wonders of the oceans, savannahs, mountains, deserts and forests, then promises to take care of all its beauties and wonders. I love that this small act of writing a letter shows that this young child is starting to think of her role as a caregiver and activist. A great book to inspire your students to write their own letters to the Earth! (Caterpillar Books, March 2020)
If You Come to Earth – Sophie Blackall
If you could write a letter about Earth to someone who lives on another planet, what would you tell them? That is the premise of Sophie Blackall’s book, which is one of my favorites to share in preparation for Earth Day. A young child named Quinn writes a letter to a perspective alien, telling all about Earth, its place in the universe, the parts of it that make it Earth, living and non-living things – but most importantly interconnectedness. (Check out my OLLI lesson I developed and shared during Covid using this book!) Moving, gorgeous and tender! Available in French. (Scholastic, 2020)
Thank You, Earth: A Love Letter to Our Planet – April Pulley Sayre
This has been my “go to” Earth Day book ever since it was released in 2018 and I have used it to inspire many students to write Thank You letters to the Earth! Gorgeous descriptive language, this book offers an ode to the many things that our earth gives us – trees, water, air, and mountains, habitats, tiny plants, beautiful birds, unique animals. The photographs are gorgeous and the end of the book gives suggestions for how children can help our planet. (Greenwillow Books, 2018)
Doug – The Story of a Tree – Cathy Hussey
This story, written by Cathy Hussey, an accomplished BC educator from Victoria, honours and celebrates the life of a local BC Douglas Fir tree named Doug. It is a hopeful story, told over centuries, from the perspective of Doug and the other creatures living in the forest. Beautiful photographic illustrations by Simon Mendez. Highly recommend this one to add to your Earth Day collection! (Miriam Laundry Publishing, 2024)
You and the Universe – Stephen Hawking
Based on Stephen Hawking’s final Earth Day message, this book encourages young readers to ask big questions about the Universe and the Earth. Hawking poses great questions to readers and answers some of those questions in the back. While Hawking’s specialty is the stars, he urges all of us to remember the earth, too, and not to get so lost in the stars that we forget where we stand. A book that incluedes deep-thinking questions for readers? Of course it’s on my list! (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2024)
Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Earth – Nicola Davies
I love EVERYTHING Nicola Davies writes so was thrilled to see her new book released last month. This non-fiction book focuses on the natural world and, specifically, the impact different trees have on our planet. The book includes information about how the trees produce oxygen, the process of photosynthesis, and climate change. The illustrations by Emily Sutton are large and lovely. An excellent, content-rich anchor book for building knowledge about the importance of trees and their impact on our environment. LOVE this one for both Earth Day and scientific knowledge building! (Candlewick Press, 2024)
One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth – Nicola Davies
Because I’m a such a big Nicola Davies fan, I had to include this one on my list as well! This book is written as a dream-like journey across the world as seen through the eyes of two young girls. They observe life as it happens in just one minute of time – a glimpse of biodiversity combined with an urgent message about climate change. Fascinating, beautiful, imaginative, and inspires a LOT of curiosity! (Candlewick Press, March 2023)
Black Beach: A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth Day – Shaunna & John Stith
A great option for a book that outlines the origin of Earth Day. I like that the book showed how everyone tried to help with the cleanup and that the children then took up environmental activism. Includes a two page 4 year timeline laying out how Earth Day started. (Little Bee Books, Feb. 2023)
Be A Good Ancestor – Leona Prince
SO much to love about this book! It is a beautiful poetic call, through the lens of Indigenous beliefs, about generations and nature. The book is a reminder to us all of the interconnectedness & circle of life we all live, as well as the the impact of the ancestors that came before us. Gorgeous illustrations! (Orca Book Publishers, May 2022)
The Earth Gives More – Sue Fliess
Rhyming text takes readers through the seasons in a neighborhood, focusing on what nature is doing during different seasons and what people can be doing to take care of the Earth. It’s a simple celebration of all the Earth gives us and a gentle plea to do “help the Earth thrive and grow.” (Albert Whitman Company, 2019)
Kate, Who Tamed the Wind – Liz Garton Scanlon
Published in 2018, I only just discovered this little gem a few months ago but had to include it! It is a delightful, rhythmic read-aloud about a girl who solves a windy problem (wind is reaking havoc on her neighbour’s house) with an environmental solution: planting trees. This is a lovely story but it also illustrates an important scientific concept very well. A great anchor book for Earth Day but also for primary students learning about ecosystems. (Anne Shwartz Books, 2018)
Only One – Deborah Hopkinson
A young girl takes readers on a space tour – from the beginning of the universe through a vast number of stars and planets, eventually focusing on our galaxy, solar system, and the importance of caring for our planet. Lovely illustrations! An excellent anchor book for both Earth Day and building knowledge about the solar system! (Anne Schwartz Books, 2022)
My Friend Earth – Patricia MacLachlan
Such a beautiful, engaging book with unique dye-cut, “peek-through” illustations. The narrator personifies Mother Earth and describes her different acts through the seasons. Gorgeous illustrations and a great message about the importance of our friend Mother Earth. (Chronicle Books, 2020)
Adrienne Gear - Reading Power Ltd. 