Earth Day is coming up on 22nd April, and this year, the theme is Our Power, Our Planet—a call for everyone around the world to stand together and fight for the environment. Many kids are enthusiastic about saving the planet and protecting nature, and there will be plenty of school activities coinciding with Earth Day. Luckily, there are some great books about the environment out there to provide inspiration for young readers who want to take action to do something positive for nature.
Confronting the reality of the climate crisis can be a frightening thing for adults, let alone for children and young people. Climate anxiety is increasingly reported amongst people of all ages, and its prevalence amongst young people has prompted medical research. While the problems that the planet faces can seem overwhelming, these books offer suggestions and solutions for taking a positive, proactive stance with a hopeful rather than pessimistic outlook. With everything from board books aimed at very small eco-warriors, to stories for older readers that provide useful inspiration for actions they may want to take, these hopeful climate books for kids are an uplifting read for everyone.
How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear by Jess French and Angela Keoghan
Younger children who are beginning to learn about the environment will love this beautifully illustrated book that teaches about endangered animals, both far away and local. With information on different kinds of habitats and suggestions on how to care for creatures in your own backyard, How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear is a fantastic introduction to environmentalism for young readers.
Rocket Says Clean Up! by Nathan Bryan and Dapo Adeola
Clean Up! follows sparky youngster Rocket, who travels to visit her grandparents in the Caribbean, only to find that their island is being devastated by plastic pollution. Determined to clean up the environment and save the local sea life, Rocket uses her ingenuity to find a solution.
Unity Street School Saves the Planet by Sheena Davies
Saving the environment can sometimes feel like a huge task, but in Unity Street School Saves the Planet, young readers can read about an eco-friendly activity that could be carried out by many schools. In this sweet story, a group of schoolkids decides to create a wild area at their school, rewilding part of their local community and providing resources for pollinators.
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Turtle Bay by Saviour Pirotta and Nilesh Mistry
This classic picture book has engaged readers since it was first published in 1997, and has been re-released as a new edition. Young Taro and Yuko spend time cleaning up their nearby beach to provide a safe egg-laying environment for sea turtles, and are rewarded later in the season when they witness the new baby turtles hatching and heading to the sea.
Song of the Dolphin Boy by Elizabeth Laird
Finn is a young boy who gets on better with the dolphins in the sea than with the people in his village. When he realises that the dolphins are in danger of being injured by plastic waste in the water, and that more rubbish is on its way, Finn has to get help from other local kids to try to save the dolphins.
Rise Up and Write It by Nandini Ahuja and Anoosha Syed
In this story of local activism, Farah realises that her neighbourhood isn’t a friendly place for butterflies and other pollinators, because of the lack of flowers. Farah decides to take action to create a community garden, and writes letters and petitions—available as pull-out materials in the book—to get her neighbours to support her idea.
A Cloud Called Bhura: Climate Champions to the Rescue by Bijal Vachharajani
Set in Mumbai, A Cloud Called Bhura follows friends Amni, Mithil, Tammy, and Andrew, who wake up one day to find that a toxic cloud has formed over their city. As the cloud’s poison starts affecting the city, the friends realise that they can’t rely on the adults to do anything to stop it, and that they must find a solution themselves.
Ally Baby Can Be an Eco-Activist by Nyasha Williams, illustrated by Jade Orlando
It’s never too early to start learning about ways to protect the earth, as we can see from this ecologically-themed book in the acclaimed Ally Baby Can series. This cute board book, full of engaging, colourful illustrations, is great for adults to read to very young kids who are starting to think about the world around them.
Nathan and the Polar Bear by Claire Llewellyn
Perfect for kids beginning to read on their own, Nathan and the Polar Bear is a thought-provoking story that many children will be able to relate to. Nathan begins dreaming about a polar bear, and thinks it may be something to do with learning about climate change as part of his lessons at school. Nathan feels he has to help the polar bear, but isn’t sure how—so he realises he has to think of ways to help.
Something Happened to Our Planet: Kids Tackle the Climate Crisis by Marianne Celano and Marietta Collins, illustrated by Bhagya Madanasinghe
Written by two psychologists, Something Happened to Our Planet is a great resource for parents and other adults to begin discussions about the climate with the children in their lives, helping them to understand the issues without inducing climate anxiety. With a strong focus on activism, the book suggests ways for children to take eco-friendly action in their communities, through the story of a group of friends who campaign to make sustainable changes at their school.
For more climate-based books for child readers, check out 10 Inspiring Children’s Books About the Environment, or try Climate Change: A Children’s Book Reading List.
English (US) · 