Looking for Earth Day books for preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten? Check out our favorites!
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COUNTDOWN TO EARTH DAY
Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd here in the United States. It’s the perfect holiday to show appreciation for everything the Earth has given us while also teaching our littles ones to keep our planet clean. It’s also a great time to make some lasting memories!
Keep reading to check out some of our favorite Earth Day books for preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten that can be used this spring. They include both fiction & nonfiction choices, and they’ll make your Earth Day theme SO much fun!
Looking for Earth Day activities to go along with these books? Check these out!
EARTH DAY BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Thank You, Earth: This book has the most stunning photographs and reminds all of us to thank the Earth for what it’s given to us. It’s perfect for Earth Day but also great for anytime of the year!
Holidays: Earth Day: This book shares a little bit of the history of Earth Day and ways we can help take care of our beautiful planet. I love the real photographs of kids celebrating this important holiday.
The Earth Book: We love Todd Parr books! This one shares great ideas for how we can all take care of Earth…and I especially love that the ideas are things every kid can do, like turn off the faucet while brushing their teeth and writing on both sides of the paper.
Every Day is Earth Day: This book is based on the Ready, Jet, Go! series on PBS, but it’s a great book even if you haven’t watched that show. The friends in this book explain to Jet, an alien from outer space, why Earth is so special. There are also facts about Earth at the back of the book.
Robin Hill School: Earth Day: Emma wants to help the Earth on Earth Day, but all of her ideas seem small. But Emma soon learns that sometimes the small ideas are the ones that make the biggest impact!
It’s Earth Day, Cookie Monster!: This book is from the Sesame Street “Go Green” series. The characters from Sesame Street share all about what makes Earth unique and special. They also talk about the history of Earth Day and how people celebrate.
Why Should I Recycle Garbage?: This book is great for giving more information about what recycling is, why it’s important, and how we can all recycle in our own communities.
The Lorax: This classic story from Dr. Seuss teaches all of us about the importance of taking care of the Earth. There is also a movie version that would be fun to watch after reading, and then you can compare/contrast the two versions to see what was the same and what was different.
Holidays: Earth Day: This book focuses on the history of Earth Day, including ways people celebrate today. It also includes ideas for how to “go green” each day.
Super Simple Earth Day Activities: Looking for more activities to celebrate Earth Day? This book is a must! It has so many ideas for you to do with your little one. We’ll definitely be trying some of these out this year!
Earth Day: This book shares a more detailed history of Earth Day and what was happening in the world that necessitated the founding of this holiday. (Just a note: This one is pretty long, so it might not be the best choice for our littlest learners with short attention spans).
EARTH DAY BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Be Water-Wise, Super Grover! This is another great book from the Sesame Street “Go Green” series and is perfect for teaching your little ones about water. It discusses the importance of water, what we use it for, and how we can make sure there is enough fresh water for everyone on Earth. It also teaches our kiddos how they can save water, which is something they can do to help the Earth even as a 3, 4, or 5 year old!
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, Oscar! The characters of Sesame Street are featured in this book to teach kids about how to take care of our Earth. It gives simple, easy-to-implement tips for recycling, reducing, and reusing. Plus I love the photographs of real kids taking care of the Earth and making it a better place! It also has a section that talks specifically about Earth Day.
Save Energy, Bert and Ernie! This book is a great introduction to the concept of energy, which may seem abstract for our little ones. It teaches them what we use energy for, where we get energy from, and how we can use less energy to keep the planet healthier.
Garbage: Investigate What Happens When You Throw It Out: This book is definitely for older pre-k and kindergarten students, and it’s not designed to be read in one sitting. Instead, it’s filled with information and activity ideas, such as “Milk Jug Mr. Bones” and “Junk Mail Bead Necklace.” Flipping through it will give you some fun ideas to incorporate into your Earth Day lesson plans.
Trash Revolution: Breaking the Waste Cycle: This is another book that’s not designed to be a read aloud. Rather, this book is perfect to use as a reference book, and you can use it to explore certain topics, such as “The Food Life Cycle,” “The Water Cycle,” and “Recycling: Follow the Paper Trail.” It also includes websites to visit for more information about different topics.
My Friend Earth: In this book, “Earth” is personified as a girl, and she goes through each season after waking up from a winter nap. The illustrations are so colorful & unique because they include cut outs on each page (so you can see through to the next page). You can use this book to teach your little ones that it’s up to us humans to take care of our friend “Earth” and all the creatures, big and small, that live here.
Keb’ Mo’: Don’t Throw It Away: This book is so much fun because it’s actually a song, which you can listen to in this YouTube video. The song teaches kids about Leo Baekeland, who invented the first synthetic plastic in 1907. It also explains that Leo didn’t know what he was starting way back then, and that his “big idea” will be around long after we’re all gone. This fun book & song inspire kids to reuse plastic through the refrain, “baby don’t you throw it away.” Your kids will love this one!
Trashy Town: This is definitely my favorite book on the list! My students (and my own kids) LOVE Trashy Town! Mr. Gilly is a trash man, and he goes around town collecting trash. There’s a repeating pattern on each page that’s very rhythmic: “Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy Town!” Then it asks kids to answer if the trash truck is full yet, so kids can say “No” until the last page…which is a “Yes.” They’ll love interacting with the story!
Follow That Tap Water! A Journey Down the Drain: This is such a great book for kids, especially those who have asked, “Where does the water go after it goes down the drain?” (My own preschooler has asked me that many times!) This book explains in kid-friendly language where the water goes after you do dishes, flush the toilet, or drain the bathtub. The illustrations are big and colorful and include some humorous text, too!
I Can Reuse and Recycle: This is the perfect book to introduce our little ones to the idea of recycling. Each page includes text on the left-hand side and a big photograph on the right-hand side. There is not too much text per page, and the photographs show real people helping the Earth. Highly recommend this one!
Baby Loves Green Energy! This board book is a great introduction to green energy. It explains what greenhouse gases are, why they’re becoming a problem, and what people can do to help. It also gives ideas for how the baby in the story can help, which will show kids that anyone, even a little baby, can help the Earth.
EARTH DAY BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Peppa Pig and the Earth Day Adventure: If your little ones love Peppa Pig, this is a great book for them…but it’s also cute even if they don’t watch that show. Peppa and her family are celebrating Earth Day by going to the Botanical Gardens. Along the way, Peppa and her family do many things to help the Earth, including separating their recycling, composting, and driving an electric car. They also discuss windmills as an energy source and the importance of bees to pollinate flowers.
Join the No-Plastic Challenge! A First Book of Reducing Waste: In this story, readers follow along with Nick and his friends as they try to go one day without using plastic. The story also teaches kids facts about plastic (such as some plastics will take 500 years to break down!) and how to reduce the use of plastic in our everyday lives. I also like that it teaches the 4th R: “Refuse”…Say no thank you when you’re offered single-use plastics such as forks, cups, containers, lids, and straws.
What if Everybody Did That? This book is not specifically designed for Earth Day, but I love it because it makes kids think about their choices. One question, “What if everybody dropped their soda can out of the car window?” definitely applies to Earth Day. But some other great pages include: “What if everybody dropped their coats on the floor at school?” “What if everybody interrupted the story during library time?” “What if everybody fed popcorn to the bears at the zoo?” Each of these questions makes kids think beyond themselves and the negative ripple effect those actions could have. In the end, the author gives a positive example…”What if everybody gave their mom a hug after school?” Everybody should definitely do that!
Recycling Day: In this fiction story, there’s an empty lot on a city street that gets taken over by rats, which worries the bugs who are living there. Luckily, the kids in the neighborhood organize a recycling day, which includes cleaning up the lot and planting a garden. In the end, the rats get taken to the dump, and the bugs are happy again! This story also includes many sidebars with facts and information about recycling and “Think Green” ideas.
No More Plastic: In this fiction story, Isley is angry when a beached whale dies due to too much plastic filling its stomach. Because she is so upset, she commits to making a change. She says no thank you to plastic bags and straws, makes signs for the beach that say, “Keep our beach plastic free,” and she even writes a letter to the mayor asking her to ban water bottles. She also creates a whale-sized sculpture of a whale with all the plastic she collects from the beach, which forces her neighbors to stop and notice the problem. The most unique part about this book is that the illustrations are all made using repurposed plastic, sand, and moss.
Reuse This Book: I love this book because it not only inspires our little ones to take care of the Earth, but it’s also interactive and gives them a job to do on each page. For example, they’re asked to blow on the flowers to spread the seeds, tilt the book to water the garden, and shake the compost bin to help the composted food settle. They’ll learn so much about recycling, composting, and using less plastic in order to help our Earth.
Martha Speaks: Marth Go, Go, Goes Green! In this story based on the PBS show, Helen wants to enter a go-cart race, but the rules require her go-cart to run on alternative fuel. Helen decides to use solar power, while her friends use wind power. Throughout the story, Martha (and the readers) learn a lot about these different energy sources and how they work.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Clean-Up Time: In this story based on the PBS show, Daniel and his friends are going on a picnic, but the park is covered in garbage! Daniel and his friends work together to clean up the park, and they learn all about recycling.
Bradford Street Buddies: Springtime Blossoms: This short fiction story has four chapters, so you could break it up and use it as an introduction to chapter books for your little ones. In the story, Mrs. Pritchett helps her class celebrate Earth Day by planting a garden, and she teaches them an important message: “People and plants make perfect partners!”
Yasmin the Recycler: In this story, Yasmin’s school is starting a recycling program, and Yasmin is super into it…but her friends don’t seem to care as much as she does. So Yasmin and her principal come up with a plan to have a “Paratha Party” to inspire her class to take recycling seriously! Not only is this book perfect for Earth Day, but I love that it features a main character whose family is from Pakistan (and written by a Pakistani American writer & illustrated by an Egyptian-born illustrator).
Sydney & Simon Go Green! This beginner chapter book is perfect for your older pre-k or kindergarten students who have longer attention spans and are able to remember what happened in a story over the course of a few days. In this book, twins Sydney and Simon learn that trash can sometimes end up in the ocean, so they set off to remind everyone to keep our planet clean using STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math) thinking. I also love that this book was written & illustrated by twins Paul A. Reynolds and Peter H. Reynolds (who is my favorite illustrator!)
Katie Woo: Katie Saves the Earth: In this fiction story, Katie Woo wants to do something great for Earth Day, so she decides to have a yard sale. That way, items that she doesn’t need anymore can be reused by others. This book also includes discussion questions, writing prompts, and directions for melting broken crayons to turn them into new crayons (which is such a fun activity to do with kids!)
How to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: This nonfiction book is perfect for young preschoolers because it’s short, only has a few words on each page, and includes large, colorful photographs. The book follows a young girl during her day and shows how she’s helping the Earth by turning off the lights, turning off the faucet, making a milk jug bird feeder, etc. It also includes an activity idea at the end plus a “Fun Facts” section.
Looking for more books to read this spring? Check out this post!
EARTH DAY SNACK
Our favorite Earth Day snack is Dirt & Worms. I’m sure you’ve seen this recipe before & have probably made it a time or two, but it’s such a classic! It’s our favorite way to celebrate Earth Day, so I’m including the recipe below.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of cold milk
- 4 oz package of chocolate instant pudding
- 8 oz container of whipped topping (thawed)
- 16 oz package of Oreos (crushed into crumbs–my kids love helping with this part!)
- Gummy worms
Directions:
- Pour the milk into a mixing bowl and add the pudding mix.
- Mix with a whisk until well blended (about 2 minutes).
- Let pudding stand for 5 minutes.
- Stir whipped topping into the pudding very gently until it is all the same color (light brown).
- Place about 1 tbsp of crushed Oreos into the bottom of each cup.
- Then add pudding on top.
- Repeat with another layer of Oreos and pudding.
- Finish with more Oreos, then add your gummy worms on top!
- Put cups in refrigerator for about an hour to chill them, then enjoy!
I promise your little ones will go crazy over this snack! Take it outside to enjoy in the sunshine & talk about all the ways we can take care of the Earth!
Looking for more spring-themed snacks? Check out this post!
EARTH DAY FREEBIE
Want to extend your preschoolers’ learning? Check out this FREE Earth Day Symmetry Activity. Click here to read more about it and grab a copy for your kiddos!
EARTH DAY MATH & LITERACY PRINTABLES
I hope this book list helped you fill-in your Earth Day lesson plans for your preschool classroom or homeschool. If you want an entire pack of printable math & literacy centers for this theme, check out my Earth Day Preschool Activity Pack that can be used this Earth Day!
SHARE YOUR FAVORITES
Do you have any favorite Earth Day books? I’d love to hear them and add them to our list! Comment below or head over to Instagram [@littleslovelearningblog] and let me know!
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Looking for other book lists for preschool and kindergarten? Click HERE to check them out!
Looking for more holiday fun? Click HERE to check out all of our HOLIDAY posts!
Happy Learning!
