Kids absorbs a lot of information, and that is a great advantage for us caretakers. At around this time, we can give them a lot of insights and knowledge about protecting and conserving Earth. One of the best ways to do that is through the books they’re reading, and here are twelve books that can guide them.
1. Ravenwood by Andrew Peters
In this book, we will follow the main protagonist called Ark, a 14 year-old plumber. He lives in Arborium, a serene, picturesque forest island. The problem arises when Ark finds out that there is a plan to cull the trees for wood because wood is more precious than gold.
Not letting it happen, Ark journeyed to the deep, dark part of Arborium called Ravenwood. He takes the risk so that he can save his home from danger. In short, Ravenwood will make kids realize about the dangers of not being eco-friendly in today’s world.
2. Sandy’s Incredible Shrinking Footprint by Femida Handy and Carole Carpenter
Gr.2- inspired by- Sandy's Incredible Shrinking Footprint, students thought of ways to shrink their own footprints! pic.twitter.com/YYavaj8IhU
— Mrs. Pellicori (@MrsPellicori) June 3, 2015
In this story, Sandy is the main character who visits her granddad’s house every summer and she loves playing on the beach. But one day, she’s stunned by a lot of trash on the beach. She wants to clean it, so she picks it up. There, she meets an old woman that encourages her to reduce footprint on Earth.
Here’s a quote from the book, taken from the old woman, “The footprint of your life is the mark you leave on the world. Its size depends on what you eat … what you play with … how you get around … all kinds of little choices can make your footprint smaller.” It’s pretty clear about what the book is going to teach the kids.
3. Moon’s Messenger by Virginia Kroll
This is a tale of a moon and a sea turtle. A sea turtle approaches Moon who’s sitting on a beach, inviting her to go on an adventure to see how humans have destructed animals and Earth.
There are climate change, oil spills, and habitat destruction among other things. Upon learning the hurtful truth, Moon becomes disheartened, but she remains optimistic about the things she can do to make a positive change.
Read also: Sea turtle population is decreasing, here’s how you can save them.
4. The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up by Joanna Cole
This book is probably a bit similar to the kids’ daily life. The story starts with a situation in a classroom, where the teacher tells the children to work on a science project about air pollution. The kids don’t know much about it (just like what’s happening in real life, no?) and so they go on a field trip to get knowledge and information.
The students don’t learn about clean air when they’ve arrived, they learn the importance and how to keep it clean on the way. And to make this book more informative to the kids who are reading it, there’s a checklist with tips to achieve clean air like asking the bus driver to turn of the engine when it’s not moving.
5. Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Cullerton Johnson
The main character, Wangari Maathai is a girl from Kenya. Her community has taught her to respect trees, and when she has a chance to get education in the United States, she returns to her home country. There, she uses her knowledge to educate her community and fix the environmental destruction by planting trees.
Her initiative is called the Green Belt Movement, which not only help the environment but also women of Kenya in terms of economic security. She receives some resistance, but her persistence leads her to being elected to Kenya’s parliament and winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her environmental achievements
So this book will teach your kids about determination and hard work that always pay off. It also teaches them about how important it is to go back to the community and change them in order to get improvement in the future.
6. I Know the River Loves Me by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Maya is a little girl who has a special relationship with a river (a bit like Moana). So everytime Maya goes to the river, it greets her enthusiastically. The river keeps her cool in summer, and keeps her company during cold winter.
It is simple, but for little children, this book lets them know about environment without difficulties. They’ll understand that environment keeps us safe and we should keep it safe in return. Pretty good start, don’t you think?
7. The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks, by Barb Rosenstock
Great illustrations will help your kids understand things easier, and you can find that in this book. It tells the story of a historical camping trip in Yosemite with Roosevelt and Muir that develops into the creation of national parks and protected public wilderness in modern era. Even though it has a lot of information, the book is easy-reading and certainly not boring at all.
8. Mars, Jimmy, and Me by Barrett K. Hays
If your kids love sci-fi or planet stuff, this book is perfect for them. They’ll follow the story of Jimmy who lives in Mars. He has to follow a strict directive to stay within the safe area of the planet. However, Jimmy breaks the rule and he brings a blue beetle called Clarissa from Earth. Trouble comes, but Clarissa unexpectedly rescues Jimmy and she saves the day.
Since the cool supporting character happens to be a bug, your kids will realize that bugs are friends and they’re not to be afraid of. In fact, they’ve been helping planet Earth going on until now.
9. The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rainforest by Lynne Cherry
The story tells a man who initially wants to cut down an enormous tree but changes his mind. He reconsiders after he has a dream of animals who live in the tree. This book will teach the kids about how animals depend on trees and other natural resources just like humans, and we should conserve them both in the best way we can do.
Read also: Books that will get you to start sustainable living.
10. Why the Sky is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale, by Mary-Joan Gerson and Carla Golembe
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP316Zchgzn/?tagged=whytheskyisfaraway
If your children are a fan of folktales (or if you enjoy reading them those), they’ll love this story. This book delivers message to them without being condescending or preachy. The kids will get the understanding that keeping the environment safe has been done since a long time ago. Other than that, this book emphasizes on using natural resources carefully and sustainably.
11. World Without Fish by Mark Kurlansky
Maybe your kids love fish, or on the contrary, dislike them. Either way, this illustrated book shows them how the world will be like when all fish are completely gone. The kids will place themselves in the underwater world and they’ll know the devastation if humanity doesn’t change its behaviour for over 50 years.
This book will let them imagine about the extinction of marine life and how it will greatly change everything about Earth. It may seems a bit grim for a children’s book but worry not, World Without Fish also has details about the things we can do to avoid an ecological disaster like fish extinction.
12. One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia by Miranda Paul
Plastic bag is a big issue to environment disaster, and this book will make the kids aware about it. It all begins when the people of Njau, Gambia, simply throw away plastic bags when they don’t need it anymore. As a result, the bags clog waterways and eventually kill animals.
Isatou just can’t let the bags harm the environment and she decides to take an action. She gathers all plastic bags, clean them, and transform them into beautiful purses. Then, she teaches other women in the village to do the same and give them and the environment a better future.
Read also: This is a project to make plastic bags a lot more eco-friendly.
Which book do you think will be your children’s favorite? Do you have some ways to help your kids understand about environmental conservation? Comment down below and make sure to check out this article for another children-related reading.
Source(s)
https://humaneeducation.org/2017/14-picture-books-exploring-eco-friendly-actions/
https://greenerideal.com/news/entertainment/0729-10-best-eco-friendly-books-children/
https://livegreen.recyclebank.com/6-Great-Eco-Friendly-Books-for-Kids
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2017/apr/14/the-best-books-about-green-living-for-children-of-all-ages
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