Preschool and younger elementary books that awake young children to the joys and enchantments of growing up in the garden.
growing up in the garden through good stories
As homesteaders and homeschoolers, we love books that inspire our children to see and love the wonders and mysteries of the natural world around them. Although I want to be a faithful teacher of nature study, its often a struggle to fit it in to our formal education. But I’ve often found that once you wake up the imagination and curiosity within a child, they can take off into a world of learning and exploration that is entirely self-propelled. Here are a few of our absolute favorite stories set in and around the garden that wake up that mystery and wonder. I hope you like them as much as we do!
Book list for preschoolers and young readers
My four year old, Theo, loves this book! A must-have, beautifully written and illustrated picture book that takes you all around the garden in search of hidden mysteries. Each page contains tiny critters and and fun surprises that are revealed when you shine a light through the page. This sweet introduction to life in the garden teaches children about soil, seeds, and other creatures that live in and around the garden.
The Tiny Seed is a classic children’s book illustrating the life cycle of a seed. With Eric Carle’s brilliant style, he takes children on a whimsical adventure over changing seasons and landscapes as they follow the tiniest of seeds. This tiny seed that never gives up and pushes to overcome great obstacles also gives children a beautiful living image of perseverence and determination.
This enchanting story follows the lovely Miss Maple. She searches out lost seeds that have failed to sprout and nurtures them until they can go out and grow on their own. Need I say more?
This classic story by Beatrix Potter deserves a spot on every young child’s bookshelf. The highly relatable and mischievous Peter Rabbit finds himself swept away in a dangerous adventure in Mr. McGregor’s garden. It has beautiful illustrations and a built in cautionary tale about obeying your mother. What’s not to love?
I was only recently introduced to this one I immediately fell in love with the charming microscopic world that the author invites us into. From pea blossoms, to long legged spiders, Aphids, and June bugs, this story is all about the tiny, fascinating, diversity of life found in the garden.
The story of Miss Remphius is one that resonates deeply within all of us – of a desire to do something meaningful and make the world a more beautiful place. Her story teaches us that sometimes the most ordinary and simple deeds turn out to be the most wonderful and make the greatest impact.
These charming tales don’t focus so much on the garden itself, but on the small characters that live there on Thimbleberry Lane. These old-fashioned, wholesome tales invite us in to a delightful world of tiny friendships. This is the perfect read for sensitive readers and children who love to connect with characters.
This fun little fact-and-picture book is perfect for small people to sit and flip through. My children of all ages love to look through the pages and identify the birds that they see right out their own window. This guide focuses on the most common garden birds in North America.
I love this! Thanks for sharing!