Longer days, warmer weather, and a few hardy flowers typically signal the start of spring, which in my family means it\u2019s time to start planning our garden. We head outside to see what damage winter did to our raised vegetable beds and which plants survived the frost. Our garden isn\u2019t huge, just a sunny patch in the backyard, but my son and I enjoy tending it and picking strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and the occasional cucumber. We visit the herb garden before we make salad dressing and pick basil, rosemary, and thyme. It\u2019s a little piece of my Central Pennsylvania childhood transported to suburban New Jersey.<\/p>\n
If you have a kid who loves to dig in the mud, plant seeds, or pretend to be a farmer, we\u2019ve got a wonderful collection of books to cultivate their interest in getting their hands dirty. Reading and gardening are both great ways to connect with your kids \u2014 and you don\u2019t need acres to do either. Check out these reads to get in the gardening mindset, set aside a sunny patch of ground or fill a container with dirt on your windowsill, and get started!<\/p>\n
no no 9780593323854 Hope is a Hop<\/i> by Katrina Moore, illustrated by Melissa Iwai <\/p>\n
This beautifully illustrated picture book combines themes of hope, perseverance, and new beginnings. A little girl named Eva works hard in her garden, hoping to create a vibrant, flower-filled haven. But a pesky rabbit eats her flowers, and she almost gives up. However, Eva\u2019s persistence pays off when she makes a surprising discovery about her long-eared nemesis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
9781611805536 Bees, Bugs, and Butterflies<\/i> by Ben Raskin <\/p>\n
When I garden, I pay the most attention to the plants, but hidden in the leaves of the edible and decorative flora are the bugs \u2014 the tiniest residents of my vegetable and flower beds. You won\u2019t regret spending some time with these itty-bitty denizens of the dirt in this family guide to garden heroes and helpers. <\/p>\n
9781682631683 Linh’s Rooftop Garden<\/i> by JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Samara Hardy <\/p>\n
Gardens can grow in many places. In this case, Linh\u2019s garden is on her roof, where she wants to have a picnic with her friends. She hunts through the plants, looking for blueberries to serve her guests. Young readers will love helping Linh search for the blueberries and comparing the fruits and vegetables on each page. Check out the rest of the Where In the Garden? series for more garden-filled fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
9781782694502 Our Wild Garden<\/i> by Daniel Seton, llustrated by Pieter Fannes <\/p>\n
This gorgeous picture book introduces kids to the joys of wild gardening, a growing practice of creating a garden that supports local wildlife. Through the adventures of Ali and Poppy, young readers will be inspired to transform their own backyards into thriving habitats for wildlife, fostering a deep and lasting connection with the natural world. <\/p>\n
9780553521054 Hello, World! Backyard Bugs<\/i> by Jill McDonald <\/p>\n
Bugs come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Do you know what different kinds there are? This colorfully illustrated board book will inspire young readers to explore their backyard gardens and get to know their neighbors that live in the dirt, flowers, and trees! <\/p>\n
9780593531181 What the Garden Tells Me<\/i> by Monica Mikai <\/p>\n
Vibrant blooms of every color pop against the muted blues of the cityscape in this gorgeously illustrated picture book. Follow a young Black girl as she admires the flowers in the garden, each with a lesson to teach her. A great book about the feeling of peace that comes from spending time in nature. <\/p>\n
9781536208443 Seeds<\/i> by Carme Lemniscates <\/p>\n
Be they seeds that take adventures on the wind or the ones we plant in our own backyards, seeds are inarguably magical, tiny powerhouses. The author of Trees<\/i><\/a> turns her attention \u2014 and whimsical illustrations \u2014 to the seeds that start it all, and encourages readers to plant their own metaphorical seeds of kindness around the world. <\/p>\n 9781984812100 In Our Garden<\/i> by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Melissa Crowton <\/p>\n Millie is a girl transplanted from the home she knows and loves. She’s surrounded by concrete and longs for the vibrant colors of her family’s old garden. Then Millie has an idea to create a vegetable garden on the roof of her new school! It takes hard work, help from the community, and a whole lot of patience, but soon enough the garden is blooming with life. 9780763685317 Little Honey Bee<\/i> by Katie Haworth, illustrated by Jane Ormes <\/p>\n Insects are an important part of a garden, especially the bees who help pollinate crops. Help your kids appreciate the role bees play in keeping our lives filled with fruits, vegetables, and flowers with this bright and joyous counting book. 9780744070866 My First Garden<\/i> by Livi Gosling <\/p>\n Aspiring gardeners and kids with green thumbs will love this eco-friendly, informational book about planting and caring for a garden. It\u2019s filled with helpful tips on choosing the best plants for beginners, how to care for them, and when to harvest the food you grow.\u00a0<\/p>\n 9780593115350 Grandma\u2019s Gardens <\/i> by Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, ilustrated by Carme Lemniscates <\/p>\n In Grandma\u2019s Gardens<\/i>, mother-daughter duo Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton pay homage to Hillary\u2019s mother, Grandma Dorothy, who passed on her love for gardening to them. It\u2019s simultaneously a tribute to the wonders of nature \u2014 where we can learn, make discoveries, and practice mindfulness \u2014 as well as a celebration of family traditions that are passed on through generations. <\/p>\n 9780593176481 What’s Inside A Flower?<\/i> by Rachel Ignotofsky <\/p>\n “Flowers grow everywhere.\u201d From lush gardens to high mountaintops, they come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. Flowers grow with stems and leaves, but they start from seeds, soaking up rainwater and minerals from the soil. This scientific exploration of photosynthesis and plant growth is a Master Gardener course for aspiring botanists. It\u2019s an absolute standout nonfiction work that feels both fun and informative.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This article was originally published in 2016 and updated in 2025.<\/small><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Get ready to garden! Discover great children’s books about plants and gardens sure to grow any little reader’s green thumb. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":92123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[95,759],"coauthors":[26],"class_list":["post-8528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-nature","tag-spring","ages_stages-pre-k","ages_stages-growing-reader"],"yoast_head":"\n
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