Green Books for Eco-Minded Kids and Parents

If you’re concerned about the environment, or an advocate of green living, it’s likely that you want your child to learn about these issues too.

These books are an age-appropriate way to introduce your future environmentalist to issues like how to reduce your carbon footprint, protect endangered species, cultivate green spaces, recycle, and more.

Baby Loves Green Energy

by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Irene Chan

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The latest addition to the Baby Loves Science series manages to present global warming in a way that even babies can understand: just like Baby, Earth has a blanket, and it’s made of air! When greenhouse gases get trapped beneath the blanket, Earth gets too warm. Luckily, there are green energy options and little things Baby’s family can do to help Earth stay at a comfy temperature.
(Ages 0 – 3)

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Penguins Don’t Wear Sweaters

by Marikka Tamura, illustrated by Daniel Rieley

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This one’s a kid-friendly look at the aftermath of an oil spill near a penguin habitat in Australia. Well-meaning humans knit sweaters for the penguins to protect them from the oil, but actually, a penguin’s own feathers — and clean, clear water — is the best solution for our tuxedoed friends.
(Ages 2 – 5)

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Noah Builds an Ark

by Kate Banks

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As the skies grow cloudy and Noah’s parents stormproof their townhouse, Noah turns his attention to all the creatures who make up his backyard’s ecosystem. Determined to help, Noah builds a cozy ark for his non-human neighbors to ride out the storm.
(Ages 3 – 7)

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A New Green Day

by Antoinette Portis

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An engaging and lyrical guessing game full of bright, mixed-media artwork, A New Green Day shows readers how to look at their outdoor surroundings in all-new ways. After solving the book’s riddles, they might even be inspired to create their own.
(Ages 3 – 7)

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Compost Stew

by Mary McKenna Siddals, illustrated by Ashley Wolff

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If you’ve ever been curious about starting a household compost, Compost Stew is a wonderful introduction. An A to Z of compost-friendly ingredients, it’ll have readers saving their apple cores and excited about reducing waste.
(Ages 3 – 7)

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10 Things I Can Do to Help My World

by Melanie Walsh

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This super child-friendly book has beautifully die-cut pages filled with ways that even young children can help the environment, from planting seeds to turning off the lights when they leave a room.
(Ages 3 – 7)

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Bag in the Wind

by Ted Kooser, illustrated by Barry Root

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Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Ted Kooser’s first picture book is a beautiful story of a plastic bag that’s been thrown away, but is then blown into the wind and travels from person to person, all of whom find new uses for it.
(Ages 5 – 8)

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Can We Save the Tiger?

by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Vicky White

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This astonishingly beautiful book narrates the way human behavior impacts the survival of various endangered species both in positive and negative ways. Adults and children alike will find plenty to be entranced by here.
(Ages 5 – 8)

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Michael Recycle

by Ellie Bethel, illustrated by Alexandra Colombo

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This oversized book with rhyming text and a child superhero is perfect for reading aloud. The Earth-friendly superhero’s adventures continue in the Michael Recycle series.
(Ages 6 – 8)

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Recycle and Remake

by DK

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Recycle and Remake is full of creative activities to keep budding environmentalists busy. While they’re turning old T-shirts into a tote bags and upcycling bottles into planters, they’ll also learn about the bigger concerns we should all be thinking about — on Earth Day and every day — in order to restore and preserve our precious home planet.
(Ages 6 – 9)

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I Love the Earth

by Rachel Ignotofsky

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The author of the bestselling book Women in Science has created a beautiful journal that will help young readers and adults alike reflect on their planet impact. Learn about the ecosystems and how to help improve the environment while engaging with Ignotofsky's writing and drawing prompts. If you're looking for more fun, check out the author's The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth Puzzle.
(Ages 10+)

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This article was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2020.