Favorite Children’s Nature Books for Kiawah Enthusiasts
By Cindy Perry
Are you looking for a holiday gift for a special child? As a former early childhood teacher, mother of three, and grandmother of two, I’ve become a collector of engaging children’s literature. Some books are on my favorite list because of the stunning artistic illustrations while others earned that recognition due to their captivating stories, interesting facts, or inspirational messages. However, one thing they all have in common is that they’ve been frequently requested by young readers, the best judges of a good read.
With the holiday season approaching, I want to share a few of my all-time favorite children’s nature books that reflect some of the wildlife, habitat, and environmental health issues that Kiawah enthusiasts are passionate about. If you’re looking for a good children’s nature book, consider almost anything by Eric Carle, along with new ones that I’ve recently discovered, like Olly the Oyster Cleans the Bay, Can You Hear the Trees Talking, and Follow the Moon Home. A few others, Birds in My Backyard, and Mimi’s Adventures on Kiawah Island are recent works from local authors with themes especially pertinent to Kiawah. I even included books for older readers that may have more select passionate interests.
After you browse through this list developed with Kiawah in mind, I invite you to share some of your suggestions for children’s nature books in the comment section below. After all, personal recommendations are often the most treasured ones, and I can always find a space on my shelf for another beloved story.
Toddlers (Ages 0 – 3)
Bear on a Bikeby Stella Blackstone, illustrated by Debbie Harter
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? By Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Preschoolers (3 – 8)
Birds in My Backyard by Lisa Donovan, illustrated by Dee Paras
Local author, Lisa Donovan, crafts an intriguing story about a variety of common birds found in many backyards with beautiful prose and colorful collage illustrations. After I read this to my three-year-old grandson, he transformed into a bird dancing, flying, and pecking at imaginary seeds for the rest of the afternoon. This informative and delightful book is sure to please bird-loving children and adults.
Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones by Ruth Heller
This classical book from 1999 still engages children with its rhythmic verse and beautiful illustrations as children explore a variety of animals that lay eggs. It is a whimsical children’s story that many science and homeschool teachers highly recommend for its scientific accuracy. If your child enjoys this book, consider Heller’s A Reason for a Flower: A Book About Flowers, Pollen, and Seeds.
The Curious Gardenby Peter Brown
This story is about a little boy who lives in a dreary world. One day he discovers a neglected garden and transforms it into a lush green world. This wonderful nature book that shows how one child can make a difference comes highly recommended by our local children’s librarian.
The Earth and Iby Frank Asch
This beautifully illustrated story is about a friendship between a child and the earth as they learn the importance of taking care of each other. When the child is happy, the earth is happy. Asch uses color and symbolism within the story as the child and earth play, dance, and talk, just like real friends. It promotes the essential message of the need to take care of the earth.
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
A beautifully illustrated story about a hermit crab who has outgrown his old shell “house” and must move into a new, bigger shell. Moving is not always easy. His new friends help him decorate this new shell, making it into a beloved home.
Mimi’s Adventures on Kiawah Island by Catherine Farley and Kennedy Goodman, illustrated by Susan Leggett
Another local author crafted a book about two deer, Mimi and Ray, exploring Kiawah and meeting up with many of our native wildlife. Children who frequent Kiawah will recognize many of the familiar places Mimi explores.
Over in the Ocean by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon
This author adapts the classical “Over in the Meadow” counting and baby animal song to one about creatures in a coral reef. Baby creatures explore the ocean using the behavior suggested by their mothers. A beautifully illustrated and engaging book that can be read or sung to young children.
The Tiny Seedby Eric Carle
The life cycle of a flower is told from the perspective of a tiny seed. Not all seeds survive the hot sun, wind, birds, people, and other challenges. A delightful adventure with creative and fun illustrations by Eric Carle.
Young Readers (Ages 6 – 10)
Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and One Hundred Sea Turtlesby Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Meilo So
This beautifully illustrated story with a sea turtle theme is about environmental activism and teamwork. Students Viv and Clementine live in a coastal community in South Carolina, and they are concerned about the sea turtle hatchlings nesting on their beach. When hatchlings emerge from their nest, they instinctively follow the strongest light. The girls fear the hatchlings will be disoriented by the bright beachfront lights and will not follow the moonlight to the safety of the ocean. Together, Viv and Clementine create an action plan to educate the community and help sea turtle hatchlings.
At the end of the book, authors Deborah Hopkinson and Philippe Cousteau, grandson of famous environmentalist Jacques Cousteau, post additional information as well as resources for readers to learn more about loggerheads and other sea turtle species.
How to Raise Monarch Butterflies: A Step-by-Step Guide for Kids by Carol Pasternak
As the title suggests, if you’re looking for an educational guidebook about the importance of butterflies to our ecosystem, how to find them, and how to help them by creating a butterfly garden, then check out this book. Reviewers, including master gardeners, highly recommend the book and rave about the photos.
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
This book helps teach children to speak up to protect what they love. The Lorax warns about mindless development, but he is often ignored. He tells about the beauty of flowers and trees. The story ends on a hopeful note.
National Geographic Readers: Sea Turtles by Laura Marsh
What is more perfect for Lowcountry themes than a book about sea turtles? This fact-filled non-fiction book about sea turtles is a good book for children who are curious about the prehistoric creatures that nest on our beach and want to learn more about them.
Olly the Oyster Cleans the Bay by Elaine Ann Allen
What I love about this story is how Olly the Oyster explores the Chesapeake Bay searching for meaning in his life. As he swims around, he meets different sea animals and learns about their contributions. Eventually, Olly discovers meaning and his value to the ecosystem.
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long
Award-winning artist Sylvia Long’s beautifully detailed realistic illustrations complement this informative book about the world of seeds. The author, Dianna Aston, writes a poetic nonfiction book filled with intriguing seed and plant facts. If you like this type of children’s nature book, consider their other collaborative works, A Butterfly is Patient, An Egg is Quiet, and a Nest is Noisy.
What a Waste by Jess French
An environmental awareness book for young readers, showing how our mindless actions are negatively impacting the world. As it states on Amazon, this book “covers the good, the bad, and the incredibly innovative. From pollution, to litter, to renewable energy and plastic recycling.” If you have a budding ecologist, this book can help them discover ways to become a planet defending hero.
My First Book About Backyard Ecology for Kids by Patricia Wynne
Discover the mysteries of trees, how they communicate, why they keep us healthy, and how we can help them by the author of The Hidden Life of Trees, a book reviewed by Kiawah Conservancy Trustee, Carey Benham, in October 2020. Wohlleben shares his passion for trees in this book created specifically for children.
Older Readers (Ages 8 – 12)
Can You Hear the Trees Talk? Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest by Peter Wohlleben
If you are looking for an engaging book to help children understand the interdependence of the ecosystem, check out this book, the winner of the 2016 Moonbeam Children’s Award. The informative black and white drawings are suitable for coloring.
National Parks of the USA by Kate Siber, illustrated by Chris Turnham
A non-fiction book filled with maps and information about flora and fauna in 21 different national parks.
Naturalist: A Graphic Adaptionby science comic writer Jim Ottaviani, illustrated by C. M. Butzer
Hot off the press. For children who are interested in memoirs and graphic novels (think comic books), consider Naturalist: A Graphic Adaptation, a story about world renowned biologist and environmentalist Edward O. Wilson, which was just released on November 10, 2020. E. O. Wilson’s curiosity about snakes, butterflies, ants, and other wild creatures along with his lifelong quest to explore and protect the earth, are colorfully illustrated in this new book. The Los Angeles Times calls Naturalist, the book this graphic novel is adapted from, “one of the finest memoirs ever written.” Although the stores do not have a suggested age for readers, I decided to include it in the “Older Readers” section, but it may fit in better as a Young Adult book.
The Ultimate Book of Sharks: National Geographic Kids by Brian Skerry
Brian Skerry, a photojournalist specializing in marine environments and underwater wildlife, authors a book filled with outstanding photos and a wealth of information about a variety of sharks. If you know a child who is curious about sharks, try this book.
