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Picture Books that Inspire a Love of Nature

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INSIDE: Picture Books that Inspire a Love of Nature

I remember exactly where I was when I found my literary teaching inspiration. My kids and I were sitting on the couch together as I read aloud from Anne of Green Gables when we came to this section:

“Mrs. Lynde says it made her blood run cold to see the boys climbing to the very tops of those big trees on Bell’s hill after crows’ nests last Friday,” said Marilla. “I wonder at Miss Stacy for encouraging it.”

“But we wanted a crow’s nest for nature study,” explained Anne. “That was on our field afternoon. Field afternoons are splendid, Marilla. And Miss Stacy explains everything so beautifully.”

Miss Stacy is my hero. She took Anne and her classmates out of the classroom and encouraged them to experience the natural world around them and to “think and explore and discover for themselves.” We all want that for our children, don’t we? After all, that’s a solid foundation for raising life-long learners.

As a homeschooling family, we have made nature study and time in nature a part of our learning every week. I believe this is an important facet of helping my kids think and explore and discover for themselves. Homeschool or not, every family with children of any age can make nature study a regular part of their life with a handful of great books and some peaceful pockets of time to explore.


Why Do Nature Study?

Picture Books that Inspire a Love of Nature.

Some of you might feel solid on the concept of nature study already, but others might feel uncertain. Maybe you don’t think your kids will enjoy it. Or maybe you don’t enjoy the thought of nature hikes in the great outdoors.

Trust me. There’s a version of nature study for everyone, and everyone in your family will benefit.

So what are these potential benefits? Nature study can do the following:

  • Encourage curiosity and investigation skills
  • Strengthen observation skills and awareness of surroundings
  • Lay groundwork for other areas of science
  • Cultivate relationships to things recognized in nature
  • Build nature stewardship
  • Creates fun opportunities to connect with your family

Nature study is about creating a habit of noticing. It’s not just seeing something in nature and appreciating it. It’s taking time to notice the details and wonder at it.

What nature study is not: Look at that bird! What a pretty color red. *moves on*

What nature study isLook at that bird! What a pretty color red. I remember reading that the male birds are sometimes brighter. There might be a female close by to compare. Do you see its short, sharp beak? I wonder if the bird uses it for breaking open hard seed shells to eat. Let’s watch and see what it does.

This effort of slowing down is contradictory to our fast-paced lives and quick headline-reading culture. However, like all skill building, it gets easier with practice. And it’s so worth it.

Carving out space in your weeks to slow down, be still, and simply observe nature will add heaps of value to your family’s quality of life.


How to Begin

First, let’s talk about some simple ways to get started on nature study.

Picture Books that Inspire a Love of Nature.

Here are some easy steps:

  1. Begin in your own yard. Observe and identify trees, plants, birds, and insects that come to you. Plant a butterfly garden and identify insects that visit. Chart the changes you observe throughout the seasons. You could do this and nothing else for a whole year and increase your family’s nature IQ by tenfold.
  2. Take nature walks and notice things. An inquisitive spirit is contagious. If you start wondering aloud, your kids will pick up on the habit. A little enthusiasm goes a long way.
  3. Start a nature journal to record observations. Encourage each family member to keep a nature journal to draw what you observe and make a few notes to solidify the knowledge in your mind. Sometimes it can be hard to draw certain things in nature (such as moving animals). Consider taking a picture and journaling at a later time or identifying and journaling from a field guide.
  4. Create a nature pack. Having an outdoor adventure pack with tools and resources ready to go is extremely helpful for getting out the door. No excuses if you have time to explore and everyone has on shoes. Simply grab your pack and head out.
  5. Encourage nature study at home with picture booksThere are some beautiful picture books about nature that offer a wealth of information to inspire an interest and love of nature exploring. Let’s discuss some of our favorites.

Nature Study Picture Books

Dianna Aston Books

This nature book series written by Dianna Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long is full of interesting information and astonishingly detailed illustrations. The main text is simple and poetic, but each page also contains factual information about what is pictured. This makes it valuable for any age group including kids long past typical picture book age. One of our favorite parts of the books is comparing the illustrated inside cover page to the endpaper in the back.

A Seed Is Sleepy

A Seed Is Sleepy

A Seed Is Sleepy from award-winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston offers children a beautiful and informative look at the intricate, complex, and often surprising world of seeds. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts, making it perfect reading material at home or in the classroom.

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An Egg Is Quiet

An Egg Is Quiet

This stunningly beautiful and wonderfully informative book from award-winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston makes for a fascinating introduction to the vast and amazing world of eggs. Featuring poetic text and an elegant design, this acclaimed book teaches children interesting facts about eggs.

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A Nest Is Noisy

A Nest Is Noisy

From the award-winning creators of An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Butterfly Is Patient, A Rock Is Lively, and A Beetle Is Shy comes this gorgeous and informative look at the fascinating world of nests, from those of tiny bee hummingbirds to those of orangutans high in the rainforest canopy.

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A Butterfly Is Patient

A Butterfly Is Patient

The creators of the award-winning An Egg Is Quiet and A Seed Is Sleepy have teamed up again to create this gorgeous and informative introduction to the world of butterflies.

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A Beetle Is Shy

A Beetle Is Shy

The award-winning duo of Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long team up again, this time creating a gorgeous look at the fascinating world of beetles. From flea beetles to bombardier beetles, an incredible variety of these beloved bugs are showcased here in all their splendor.

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Kate Messner Books

This series by author Kate Messner and illustrator Christopher Silas Neal is another beautiful set worth having on your bookshelf. It walks children through nature and inspires close observation through lyrically worded stories and sweet illustrations. Although they are told as narrative, each book has a detailed glossary at the end to learn more about what you’ve encountered in the story.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt there is a busy world of earthworms digging, snakes hunting, skunks burrowing, and all the other animals that make a garden their home.

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Over and Under the Pond

Over and Under the Pond

In this gorgeous companion to the acclaimed Over and Under the Snow and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal bring to life a secret underwater world.

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Over and Under the Snow

Over and Under the Snow

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow.

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Bird Books

Bird-watching is something my family enjoys, and we’re always on the lookout for fun books about birds. These lovely picture books each offer something unique to learn about our fine feathered friends.

Feathers: Not Just for Flying

Feathers: Not Just for Flying

Young naturalists explore sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many, remarkable uses of feathers. A concise main text highlights how feathers are not just for flying.

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Mama Built a Little Nest

Mama Built a Little Nest

A delightful exploration of the incredibly variety of nests birds build for their babies, illustrated by a Caldecott Honoree.

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Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?

Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?

Woodpecker calls from a tree, "cuk-cuk-cuk." Starling sings, "whistle-ee-wee." But have you heard the nesting bird?In this book, we hear all the different bird calls in counterpoint to the pervasive quiet of a mama bird waiting for her eggs to hatch.

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On the Wing

On the Wing

David Elliott’s witty verse takes flight with gorgeous illustrations in an enchanting look at fifteen avian species for birders of all ages.

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Botany Books

Nature study can be as simple as planting a seed in a pot of soil, caring for it, and observing changes each week. These books about seeds, plants, and how they work will encourage an interest in botany and possibly planting a small garden of your own.

Jack’s Garden

Jack’s Garden

"Building on a rhyme that will be familiar to many children, author-illustrator Cole creates an enticing guide to creating a garden. 'This is the garden that Jack planted...'

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The Tiny Seed

The Tiny Seed

Eric Carle’s classic story of the life cycle of a flower is told through the adventures of a tiny seed. This mini-book includes a piece of detachable seed-embedded paper housed on the inside front cover.

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The Reason for a Flower: A Book About Flowers, Pollen, and Seeds

The Reason for a Flower: A Book About Flowers, Pollen, and Seeds

The reason for a flower is to manufacture seeds, but Ruth Heller shares a lot more about parts of plants and their functions in her trademark rhythmic style.

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Plants That Never Ever Bloom: A Book About Plants without Flowers

Plants That Never Ever Bloom: A Book About Plants without Flowers

Perfect for introductory science and biology lessons! Explore science. This nonfiction picture book serves as an introduction to plants that do not have flowers like mushrooms, seaweed, ferns, and more!

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Because of an Acorn

Because of an Acorn

Because of an acorn, a tree grows, a bird nests, a seed becomes a flower. Enchanting die-cuts illustrate the vital connections between the layers of an ecosystem in this magical book.

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Stories That Inspire Nature Exploration & Conservation

Over in the Wetlands: A Hurricane-on-the-Bayou Story

Over in the Wetlands: A Hurricane-on-the-Bayou Story

Over in the Wetlands: A Hurricane-on-the-Bayou Story: Journey to the Louisiana wetlands and watch as all the animals of the bayou experience one of nature’s most dramatic and awe-inspiring events: a hurricane.

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The Raft

The Raft

The Raft: Inspired in part by his own childhood, this gorgeous picture book from Jim LaMarche tells the story of one stubborn boy’s unexpectedly wonderful summer on the river.

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Pond

Pond

The joy of the seasons, the wonder of discovery, and the appreciation and respect for the natural world is at the heart of this book, drawn from the childhood of award-winning illustrator Jim LaMarche.

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Click here for more great Picture Books About Nature Study!

Note: All book covers are clickable links!

Nature Study
Miss Rumphius
The Raft
Minn of the Mississippi
Paddle-to-the-Sea
Pagoo
The Little Island
A Beetle Is Shy
A Butterfly Is Patient
A Nest Is Noisy
A Rock Is Lively
How Do Apples Grow?
In November
Over in the Meadow
The Reason for a Flower: A Book About Flowers, Pollen, and Seeds
Album of Horses
A Seed Is Sleepy
An Egg Is Quiet
Water Dance
Where the River Begins
The Story Book of Science
Animalium: Welcome to the Museum
Anno’s Journey
Atlas of Adventures: A Collection of Natural Wonders, Exciting Experiences and Fun Festivities From the Four Corners of the Globe
Atlas of Animal Adventures: A Collection of Nature’s Most Unmissable Events, Epic Migrations and Extraordinary Behaviours
Because of an Acorn
Jack’s Garden
Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones
Seed-Babies
Botanicum: Welcome to the Museum
A House Is a House for Me
Bees: A Honeyed History
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
Cabinet of Curiosities: Collecting and Understanding the Wonders of the Natural World
Pocket Guide to Animal Tracks
In the Small, Small Pond
A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog
Apples
Curiositree: Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature
Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life
Farmer Boy
Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle
Fall Leaves
It’s Snowing!
In Mary’s Garden
The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks
Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas
In Blue Mountains: An Artist’s Return to America’s First Wilderness
The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon
The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever
Handbook of Nature Study
Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling
Lightship
Mountain Dance
Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World
Over and Under the Snow
Over and Under the Pond
Owl Moon
Pond
Sky Tree
The Swiss Family Robinson
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
The Burgess Bird Book for Children
The Tiny Seed
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
The Secret Garden
Over in the Wetlands: A Hurricane-on-the-Bayou Story
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Wonder Garden
Beautiful Birds
Under Water, Under Earth
Snowflake Bentley
Creaturepedia: Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth
Twelve Kinds of Ice
The Big Book of Animals of the World
Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre and His World of Insects
Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America
On the Wing
Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter
Plants That Never Ever Bloom: A Book About Plants without Flowers
Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?
Feathers: Not Just for Flying
Mama Built a Little Nest
Mother West Wind “Where” Stories
Old Mother West Wind “How” Stories
Miss Maple’s Seeds
Mother West Wind “Why” Stories
Thornton Burgess Bedtime Stories Audio Book
The Burgess Seashore Book for Children
Out of School and Into Nature
Animal Architects
Animal Doctors
A Tree Is Nice
Wildflowers, Blooms & Blossoms
In the Tall, Tall Grass
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
Leaf Man
Look What I Did with a Leaf!
Why Do Leaves Change Color?
Fall Walk
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
The Boy Who Held Back the Sea
The Carrot Seed
A Tree Is a Plant
Snowflakes in Photographs
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Curious About Snow
Snow Is Falling
Snowflakes Fall
Animals in Winter
When It Starts to Snow
When Spring Comes
From Seed to Plant
Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature
How a Seed Grows
Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move
The Curious Garden
Sunflower House
It Starts With a Seed
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!
Planting a Rainbow
999 Frogs Wake Up
Mossy
Flowers Are Calling
In Like a Lion Out Like a Lamb
It’s Spring!
Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms
A Walk Through the Woods
Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau
Leaves Fall Down
We Are the Gardeners
Tell Me, Tree
Sing a Song of Seasons
Rocks, Fossils & Arrowheads
Wisdom, The Midway Albatross
The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist
Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back: A Native American Year of Moons
The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps
A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park
We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest Season

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2 Comments

  1. I absolutely love this post. Books suggestions along with advice about how to proceed with nature study! Perfect!

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