Nature books for kids: Spring

20 books for kids … and the kid in you, too

Welcome to the second installment of my series on seasonal books for kids! Spring is just around the corner, so let’s celebrate with a list of children’s books about springtime.

There are so many wonderful books about spring! It’s hard to narrow them down. I tried to select a variety—some about the changing seasons, some about planting seeds and growing gardens, some about springtime animals, and some about exploring nature. I hope you like them.

Bee: A Peek-Through Picture Book, written and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup. (2017).

Kids can follow the wondrous bee as it finds flowers and communicates with other bees.

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring, written and illustrated by Kennard Pak. (2020).

In this story, a young boy watches the seasons change and greets springtime.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. (2017).

Children learn about what’s happening in a garden—both above ground in the leaves and sprouts, but also under the ground in the soil.

We Are the Gardeners, written by Joanna Gaines and illustrated by Julianna Swaney. (2019).

This beautifully illustrated book follows a group of children as they plant a garden.

The Hike, written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. (2019).

This fun book tells the story of a group of adventurous children who go exploring on a hike together. I particularly love the sketchbook notes and details.

A Seed is Sleepy, written by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long. (2014).

This book will help children learn how seeds grow and become plants.

Finding Wild, written by Megan Wagner Lloyd and illustrated by Abigail Halpin. (2016).

Where is “wild”? Where is nature? In this book, children learn that it can be closer than they might think.

A Day with Yayah, written by Nicola Campbell and illustrated by Julie Flett. (2017).

Set here in BC, an Indigenous grandmother and grandchild spend the day together. She shares her knowledge of plants and animals, the earth, their culture, and their language.

Miss Rumphius, written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. (1985).

Such a classic! This award-winning book follows the story of a woman who makes the world a more beautiful place by planting flowers.

Planting a Rainbow, written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert. (2001).

This is a colourful book that helps children learn how plants grow from seeds.

Lola Plants a Garden, written by Anna McQuinn and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw. (2017).

Here’s a sweet story of a girl who plants a garden.

Worm Weather, written by Jean Taft and illustrated by Matt Hunt. (2015).

Springtime means rain! In this book, kids splash in the rain and celebrate the season.

Zoe and the Fawn, written by Catherine Jameson and illustrated by Julie Flett. (2019).

Featuring Indigenous Okanagan/Syilx words, this sweet story follows a girl and her father as they search for a fawn’s mother.

The Honeybee, written by Kirsten Hall and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. (2018).

Illustrated by the award-winning Canadian artist Isabelle Arsenault, this book celebrates the important and amazing honeybee.

Because of an Acorn, written by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer and illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon. (2016).

An acorn is just the beginning. This story tells how one small piece of nature can affect so many other things.

City Green, written and illustrated by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan. (1994).

Celebrating its 25^th anniversary, this is an optimistic book about the power of children who want to make a difference in the world.

And Then it’s Spring, written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Erin E. Stead. (2012).

A boy and his dog wait patiently for springtime.

Mama Built a Little Nest, written by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Steve Jenkins. (2014).

Learn about different types of birds and the variety of nests they build for their babies.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. (1902).

Beatrix Potter’s timeless books, featuring a delightful cast of creatures in the English countryside, are springtime classics.

The Keeper of Wild Words, written by Brooke Smith and illustrated by Madeline Kloepper. (2020).

This story celebrates nature, language, and the relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter.

Stay tuned for the next segment of this series: Summertime Books!

Posts in this series:

Leah Payne