Earth Day is almost here. In fact it’s next week (April 22, 2024).
If you are not familiar with Earth Day, it’s an annual event on April 22 promote and support for environmental protection.
The very first Earth Day was on April 22, 1970. Sadly, growing up my school district didn’t do anything for Earth Day. I only learned about Earth Day when my children were in school. It’s sad because Earth Day is a GLOBAL event. I’m surprised I didn’t learn about it until later in life.
Earth Day related events are held around the globe in 193 countries. That is amazing!
Even young children can learn about ways to protect our planet for Earth Day. There are a variety of activities and events going on in your child’s school, or your city/town. You can also find a plethora of fun activities and crafts online for the various age groups.
You can also help young children to learn more about, appreciate, and protect the Earth with a variety of fabulous books from Candlewick Press. Whether you’re looking for books on bees, trees, the sea, or the breeze, Candlewick has you covered with tons of great titles about our planet and its inhabitants. Here are a few examples.
Everyone Starts Small
Written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Dominique Ramsey.
Sun and Grass, Water and Tree, Fire and Rain—nature’s cycle of creation unfolds in a compelling lyrical text and striking illustrations.
I love that this book shows children how life can come from a tiny seed that germinates and grows into beautiful, living plants.
Many children already know that plants can grow from the ground, but what they might not know is that even after something as devastating as a massive fire can still produce life. To quote “Dr. Ian Malcom” from the Jurassic Park movie (1993), “life finds a way.”
This book features beautiful, colorful illustrations that help bring the book to life.
Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Plant
Written by Nicola Davis and illustrated by Emily Sutton
Take a lively look at the biology of plants on Earth—and their vast importance to our planet—with this wide-ranging exploration from an award-winning team.
There is a lot to read and appreciate in this very educational book. It talks about how plant life came to be back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, to photosynthesis and even little extra tid bits that can be found along the bottom “frame” of some of the pages.
This book not only goes into great detail about plants, how they came to be and why we need them, but it does so in a way that children can understand.
I don’t just see this as an educational book, but also a book that helps children to appreciate the importance of plants.
Love, The Earth
Written by Frances Stickley and illustrated by Tim Hopgood.
With vibrant artwork and an affecting poetic text narrated by the Earth, this magnificent ode to our planet serves as a call to action.
This book lovingly expresses to children how there is only one of them, and only one Earth, and how we should all take care of our planet the way we do ourselves.
This books helps children to appreciate all that this planet has to offer us, and why we ALL need to take part in protecting in – from the deep blue seas to the tallest mountain and everything in between.
I love the illustrations in this book. It’s very unique and colorful.
The Ever-Changing Earth
Written by Grahame Baker- Smith
Journey through time to witness Earth’s evolution and marvel at the interconnectedness of all living things.
This is another wonderful book about our planet, from it’s very beginning. It’s also done in an easy to understand way so children can read and appreciate this book.
This book talks about everything from the glaciers to the first organisms to develop in the ocean, and from the Earth’s core to the every changing continents. It covers just about everything you can think of.
The illustrations are pretty interesting. Some of “intense,” but in a good way.
The Last Zookeeper
Written by Caldecott Honor Recipient Aaron Becker
A master of the wordless form imagines a futuristic Noah’s Ark in a luminous sci-fi parable for our changing world.
I honestly had to look through this book a few times before I appreciated it as much as it deserves.
There is not one single word written on any of the pages. Each page features illustrations of a robot rescuing creatures and bringing them to a safer place (like Noah’s Ark).
Animals are left abandoned at a zoo and with a mighty flood threatening them, the robot (named NOA) must find a safe place to bring them to.
From an Earth Day standpoint I think this book represents how we need to take great care of the creatures that also call this planet home, and how our actions (or lack thereof) threaten the stability of our planet. My husband and I often talk about how one day Earth is going to have enough of humans and the damage we’ve caused it that it’s going to “shake us off” or “wipe us off” so it can start over again. This book sort of goes along with what we talk about.
The Might Pollinators
Written by Helen Frost and Rick Liede
Veteran collaborators return with a feast of fresh, whimsical poems and truly dazzling close-up photographs of mighty pollinators doing what they do best.
When children, and even some adults, think about insects that help pollinate plants, most will only think about bees. Why it is true that bees help to pollinate plants, they are not the only creatures to do so. Butterflies, Fireflies (Lightening Bugs), birds and other creatures and insects also do their part. This book is a great reminder of that.
I absolutely LOVE the photography in this book. It’s stunning. Even if a child is too young to read, they can appreciate and understand what the photographs are of.
These are just some great books from Candlewick Press.
To learn more about these and other books, visit Candlewick Press at Candlewick.com. You can also find them on social media. All of their links can be found on the bottom of their website.
Kimberly
*I received copies of these books in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
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