Earth Day is April 22, and we are preparing by reading and taking action in our communities and beyond. Read some books to learn about our planet, then go to earthday.org to see how you can get involved in saving it!
Aani and the Tree Huggers by Jeannine Atkins and Illustrated by Venantius J. Pinto
“A testament to heroism, based on events in northern India in the 1970s. When cutting crews came to slash the forest, women and girls faced down the developers and halted the destruction. More books of this caliber might help save the planet.” — Smithsonian
Alicia and the Hurricane / Alicia y el huracán: A Story of Puerto Rico / Un cuento de Puerto Rico By Lesléa Newman and Illustrated by Elizabeth Erazo Baez
“While reading this book I was taken back to the fear and uncertainty of the days before and after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017 . . . Alicia and her family remind us that if we are together, HOPE, like the song of the coquí, will be ever present in our lives.” — Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto, Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2013–2020; Weissman Fellow, Mount Holyoke College, 2021
All Around Us by Xelena González and Illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia
This gorgeous picture book —winner of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor and American Indian Youth Literature Award Picture Book Honor—celebrates the circles that surround us, in the sky, the earth, our neighborhoods, ourselves . . . if we just dare to look for them.
Download the teacher’s guide and check out the Spanish edition.
The Bee Tree By Stephen Buchmann, Diana Cohn and Illustrated by Paul Mirocha
This beautifully illustrated STEM picture book is both a fascinating insight into honeybee behavior and a satisfying story of coming of age.
Butterfly for a King: Saving Hawai’i’s Kamehameha Butterflies by Cindy Trumbore and Illustrated by Susan L. Roth
⭐ “A beautiful story beautifully told.” — Booklist, starred review
⭐ “A triumph; highly recommended for all libraries.” — School Library Journal, starred review
Cotorras sobre Puerto Rico: (Parrots Over Puerto Rico) by Cindy Trumbore and Illustrated by Susan L. Roth
⭐ “This gorgeously illustrated history of the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot, along with the settlement and development of Puerto Rico, underscores the environmental consequences of human populations on indigenous animal species.” — The Horn Book, starred review
Galápagos Girl/Galapagueña by Marsha Diane Arnold and Illustrated by Angela Dominguez
This charming bilingual English & Spanish picture book from the illustrator of Mango, Abuela, and Me introduces the fascinating creatures of the Galápagos Islands through the life of one very lucky girl.
The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families By Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore
⭐ “Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore’s The Mangrove Tree describes how these trees were planted by local women—earning them much needed income—while the leaves from the mangrove trees feed Hargigo’s sheep and goats. . .” — School Library Journal, starred review
Download the teacher’s guide and check out the Spanish edition.
Nibi’s Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco and Illustrated by Chief Lady Bird
This bright and vivacious book from two Native creators celebrates the energy, moxie, and determination of water activists of all ages.
Prairie Dog Song by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore Illustrated by Susan L. Roth
⭐ “[T]he entire book is a worthy work of science-and-arts integration. An inspiration.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Puffling Patrol by Ted Lewin, Betsy Lewin and Photographed by Ted Lewin, Betsy Lewin
Ted and Betsy Lewin travel to Iceland to learn about the “Puffling Patrol,” a group of children who rescue lost puffins and return them to sea.
Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Johnson and Illustrated by Sonia Sadler
⭐ “This debut picture biography, idealized and inspiring, draws on Wangari Maathai’s autobiographical writing to present an overview of the activist’s life from childhood to the present . . . Vibrant and accomplished.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Water Rolls, Water Rises / El agua rueda, el agua sube by Pat Mora and Illustrated by Meilo So
⭐ “A lovely bilingual addition to the ‘sense of wonder’ shelf.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
When the Shadbush Blooms by Carla J. S. Messinger, Susan Katz and Illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden
A young Lenape Indian girl observes and reflects on the small, important ways her family today, and her ancestors generations before, celebrate the cycle of seasons.
Where Wonder Grows by Xelena González and Illustrated by Adriana Garcia
⭐ “Enchanting. . . It’s a sweet summoning emboldened by González’s starry-eyed text, an assortment of phrases and statements that gesture toward the promise found in young readers everywhere. Garcia’s muralist background lends itself here to striking, gorgeous artwork that embodies a whimsical sense of cosmic compassion. . . Simply dazzling.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Download the teacher’s guide and check out the Spanish edition.
More Resources
10 Children’s Books that Celebrate Earth Day
A Culturally Responsive Approach to Earth Day: Key Questions for Classroom Discussion
Climate Justice Book Collection