The Natural World in Books
for Children and Teenagers
Compiled by Kathleen T. Horning and Ginny Moore Kruse© 2000 Cooperative Children's Book Center
This bibliography was originally compiled in July 2000 to accompany a presentation at the Children's Literature New England Institute in Silver Bay, New York. It is reproduced here for the use of teachers and others with an interest in finding recommended books about the natural world for children and young teenagers.
Click on underlined book titles to see the CCBC review of the book, and/or the cover image.
Section 1: Animals
Arnosky, Jim. All About Turtles. Scholastic, 2000.
Arnosky, Jim. I See Animals Hiding. Scholastic, 1995. Ages 3 - 6
Arnosky, Jim. Watching Desert Wildlife. National Geographic Society, 1998. Ages 7 - 10
Arnosky, Jim. Watching Water Birds. National Geographic Society, 1997. Ages 3 - 8
Bauer, Marion Dane. If You Were Born a Kitten. Illustrated by JoEllen McAllister Stammen. Simon & Schuster, 1997. Ages 1 - 4
Cowley, Joy. Red-Eyed Tree Frog. Photographed by Nic Bishop. Scholastic, 1999. Ages 2 - 6
Davies, Nicola. Big Blue Whale. Illustrated by Nick Maland. U.S. edition: Candlewick Press, 1997. Ages 3 - 7
Fleming, Denise. Time to Sleep. Henry Holt, 1997. Ages 2 - 5
Florian, Douglas. In the Swim. Harcourt, 1997. Ages 8 - 11
Florian, Douglas. Insectlopedia: Poems and Paintings. Harcourt, 1998. Ages 8 - 14
Florian, Douglas. On the Wing. Harcourt, 1996.
Florian, Douglas. Mammalabilia. Harcourt, 2000. Ages 5 - 9
George, Jean Craighead. Frightful's Mountain. Dutton, 1999. Ages 9 - 13
George, Jean Craighead. Look to the North: A Wolf Pup's Diary. Illustrated by Lucia Washburn. HarperCollins, 1997. Ages 3 - 7
Godwin, Laura. Forest. Illustrated by Stacey Schuett. HarperCollins, 1998. Ages 4 - 7
Goldin, Augusta. Ducks Don't Get Wet. Illustrated by Helen K. Davie. Revised edition: HarperCollins, 1999. Ages 3 - 7
Hamanaka, Sheila. I Look Like a Girl. Morrow, 1999. Ages 3 - 7
Lasky, Kathryn. Shadows in the Dawn. Photographed by Christopher G. Knight. Gulliver Green/Harcourt Brace, 1998. Ages 8 - 11
Markle, Sandra. Outside and Inside Snakes. Macmillan, 1995. Ages 6 - 11
Otto, Carolyn B.. Raccoon at Clear Creek Road. Illustrated by Cathy Trachok. Soundprints/Smithsonian, 1995. Ages 3 - 6
Prelutsky, selector, Jack. The Beauty of the Beast: Poems from the Animal Kingdom. Illustrated by Meilo So. Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. Ages 3 - 11
Pringle, Laurence. Dinosaurs! Strange and Wonderful. Illustrated by Carol Heyer. Boyds Mills Press, 1995. Ages 3 - 6
Pringle, Laurence. An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch Butterfly. Illustrated by Bob Marstall. Orchard, 1997. Ages 9 - 12
Reiser, Lynn. Little Clam. Greenwillow, 1998. Ages 3 - 6
Ring, Elizabeth. Loon at Northwood Lake. Illustrated by Taylor Oughton. Soundprints/Smithsonian, 1997. Ages 3 - 8
Ryder, Joanne. Jaguar in the Rain Forest. Illustrated by Michael Rothman. Morrow, 1996. Ages 3 - 7
Tyers, Jenny. When It Is Night, When It Is Day. U.S. edition: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Ages 3 - 6
Wallace, Karen. Imagine You Are a Tiger. Illustrated by Peter Melnyczuk. Henry Holt, 1996. Ages 2 - 5
Walsh, Melanie. Do Pigs Have Stripes?. U.S. edition: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Ages 18 months - 3 yearsSection 2: The Earth
Allen, editor, Judy. Anthology for the Earth. U.S. edition: Candlewick Press, 1998. Ages 9 and older
Baker, Jeannie. The Hidden Forest. U.S. edition: Greenwillow, 2000. Ages 4 - 8
Bang, Molly. Common Ground: The Water, Earth and Air We Share. Blue Sky/Scholastic, 1997. Ages 5 - 8
Bash, Barbara. In the Heart of the Village: the World of the Indian Banyan Tree. Sierra Club, 1996. Ages 8 - 11
Dorros, Arthur. A Tree Is Growing. Illustrated by S. D. Schindler. Scholastic, 1997. Ages 4 - 8
George, Jean Craighead. Everglades. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. HarperCollins, 1995. Ages 7 - 10
George, Jean Craighead. Morning, Noon, and Night. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. HarperCollins, 1999. Ages 4 - 8
Guiberson, Brenda Z.. Into the Sea. Illustrated by Alix Berenzy. Henry Holt, 1996. Ages 3 - 7
Hickman, Pamela. A Seed Grows: My First Look at a Plant's Life Cycle. Illustrated by Heather Collins. Kids Can Press, 1997. Ages 3 - 7
Hoffman, Mary. Earth, Fire, Water, Air. Illustrated by Jane Ray. U.S. edition: Viking, 1995. Ages 8 - 14
Hooper, Meredith. The Drop in My Drink. Illustrated by Chris Coady. U.S. edition: Viking, 1998. Ages 6 - 10
Lauber, Patricia. Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms. Scholastic, 1996. Ages 8 - 14
Lauber, Patricia. You're Aboard Spaceship Earth. Illustrated by Holly Keller. HarperCollins, 1996. Ages 4 - 8
Morrison, Gordon. Oak Tree. Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Ages 5 - 10
Pirotta, Saviour. Turtle Bay. Illustrated by Nilesh Mistry. U.S. edition: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1997. Ages 5 - 8
Pringle, Laurence. Fire in the Forest: A Cycle of Growth and Renewal. Illustrated by Bob Marstall. Atheneum, 1995. Ages 7 - 11
Reiser, Lynn. Beach Feet. Greenwillow, 1996. Ages 3 - 8
Robbins, Ken. Autumn Leaves. Scholastic Press, 1998. Ages 4 - 8
Rylant, Cynthia. In November. Illustrated by Jill Kastner. Harcourt, 2000.
Wright-Frierson, Virginia. An Island Scrapbook: Dawn to Dusk on a Barrier Island. Simon & Schuster, 1998. Ages 7 - 11
Wright-Frierson, Virginia. A North American Rain Forest Scrapbook. Walker, 1999. Ages 8 - 14
Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner. What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases. Illustrated by Paul Meisel. HarperCollins, 1998. Ages 4 - 7Section 3: Naturalists and Scientists, Activists and Advocates
Atkins, Jeannine. Aani and the Tree Huggers. Illustrated by Venantius J. Pinto. Lee & Low, 1995. Ages 4 - 9
Cummings, Pat and Linda, compilers and editors. Talking with Adventurers. National Geographic Society, 1998. Ages 8 - 14
Fleischman, Paul. Seedfolks. Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins, 1997. Ages 9 - 13
Gillette, J. Lynett. Dinosaur Ghosts: The Mystery of Coelophysis. Illustrated by Douglas Henderson. Dial, 1997. Ages 5 - 11
Hopkinson, Deborah. Maria's Comet. Illustrated by Deborah Lanino. An Anne Schwartz Book/Atheneum, 1999. Ages 4 - 7
Jackson, Donna M.. The Wildlife Detectives: How Forensic Scientists Fight Crimes Against Nature. Photographed by Wendy Shattil and Bob Rozinski. Houghton Mifflin, 2000.
Johnson, Sylvia A.. Raptor Rescue! An Eagle Flies Free. Photographed by Ron Winch. Dutton, 1995. Ages 7 - 11
Lasky, Kathryn. The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy. Photographed by Christopher G. Knight. Gulliver Green/Harcourt Brace, 1997. Ages 7 - 11
Lehn, Barbara. What Is a Scientist?. Photographed by Carol Krauss. Millbrook Press, 1998. Ages 4 - 7
Lewis, Barbara A.. The Kid's Guide to Social Action: How to Solve the Social Problems You Choose -- and Turn Creative Thinking into Positive Action. Free Spirit, 1998. Age 8 and older
Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. Snowflake Bentley. Illustrated by Mary Azarian. Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Ages 4 - 9
Matthews, Tom L.. Light Shining Through the Mist: A Photobiography of Dian Fossey. National Geographic Society, 1998. Ages 11 - 14
McDonald, Megan. Insects Are My Life. Illustrated by Paul Brett Johnson. Orchard, 1995. Ages 4 - 7
Montgomery, Sy. The Snake Scientist. Illustrated by Nic Bishop. Houghton Mifflin, 1999. Ages 7 - 11
Murphy, Jim. Into the Deep Forest with Henry David Thoreau. Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. Clarion, 1995. Ages 10 - 16
Powzyk, Joyce A.. In Search of Lemurs: My Days and Nights in a Madagascar Rain Forest. National Geographic Society, 1998. Ages 8 - 12
Pringle, Laurence. Dolphin Man: Exploring the World of Dolphins. Photographed by Randall S. Wells. Atheneum, 1995. Ages 7 - 11
Pringle, Laurence. Elephant Woman: Cynthia Moss Explores the World of Elephants. Photographed by Cynthia Moss. Atheneum, 1997. Ages 7 - 11
Pringle, Laurence. The Environmental Movement: From Its Roots to the Challenges of the New Century. HarperCollins, 2000. Ages 11 - 16
Sis, Peter. Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei. Frances Foster Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1996. Ages 8 - 12
Swinburne, Stephen R.. Once a Wolf: How Wildlife Biologists Fought to Bring Back the Gray Wolf. Photographed by Jim Brandenburg. Houghton Mifflin, 1999. Ages 7 - 14Section 4: A Sense of Wonder
Alarcon, Francisco X. Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems/Jiomates risuenos y otros poemas de invierno. Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Children's Book Press, 1997. Ages 7 - 10
Arnosky, Jim. Nearer Nature. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1996. Ages 9 - 14
Banks, Kate. And If the Moon Could Talk. Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben. U.S. edition: Frances Foster /FSG, 1998. Ages 3 - 6
Banks, Kate. Baboon. Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben. U.S. edition: Frances Foster / FSG, 1997. Ages 2 - 4
Bauer, Marion Dane. When I Go Camping with Grandma. Illustrated by Allen Garns. Bridgewater, 1995. Ages 3 - 6
Bruchac, Joseph. The Circle of Thanks: Native American Poems and Songs of Thanksgiving. Illustrated by Murv Jacob. Bridgewater, 1996. Ages 7 - 11
Crews, Nina. Snowball. Greenwillow, 1997.
Ehlert, Lois. Snowballs. Harcourt, 1995. Ages 3 - 9
Esbensen, Barbara Juster. Echoes for the Eye: Poems to Celebrate Patterns in Nature. Illustrated by Helen K. Davie. HarperCollins, 1996. Ages 7 - 10
Fletcher, Ralph. Ordinary Things: Poems from a Walk in Early Spring. Illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop. Atheneum, 1997. Ages 11 and older
Florian, Douglas. Winter Eyes. Greenwillow, 1999. Ages 4 - 10
George, Lindsay Barrett. In the Woods: Who's Been Here?. Greenwillow, 1995. Ages 3 - 6
George, Lindsay Barett. In the Snow: Who's Been Here?. Greenwillow, 1999. Ages 3 - 6
Giovanni, Nikki. The Sun Is So Quiet. Illustrated by Ashley Bryan. Henry Holt, 1996. Ages 5 - 9
Gollub, Matthew. Cool Melons -- Turn to Frogs! The Life and Poems of Issa. Illustrated by Kazuko G. Stone. Lee & Low, 1998. Ages 8 - 12
Guthrie, Woody. This Land Is Your Land. Illustrated by Kathy Jakobsen. Little, Brown, 1998. Ages 5 and older
Henkes, Kevin. Oh!. Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. Greenwillow, 1999. Ages 2 - 4
Janeczko, selector, Paul B.. Stone Bench in an Empty Park. Photographed by Henri Silberman. Orchard, 2000. Age 9 and older
Lee, Huy Voun. At the Beach. Henry Holt, 1994. Ages 6 - 10
Lee, Huy Voun. In the Park. Henry Holt, 1998. Ages 6 - 9
Lee, Huy Voun. In the Snow. Henry Holt, 1995.
Lindbergh, Reeve. The Circle of Days. Illustrated by Cathie Felstead. Candlewick Press, 1998. Ages 3 - 7
Locker, Thomas. Home: A Journey Through America. Harcourt, 1998.
Lyon, George Ella. Counting on the Woods. Photographed by Ann W. Olson. A Richard Jackson Book/DK Ink, 1998. Ages 4 - 8
Minor, Wendell. Grand Canyon: Exploring a Natural Wonder. Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, 1998. Ages 10 - 15
Nye, Naomi Shihab, editor. The Tree Is Older Than You Are: A Bilingual Gathering of Poems & Stories from Mexico with Paintings from Mexican Artists. Simon & Schuster, 1995. Age 8 and older
Orie, Sandra De Couteau. Did You Hear Wind Sing Your Name? An Oneida Song of Spring. Illustrated by Christopher Canyon. Walker, 1995. Ages 4 - 9
Owens, Mary Beth. Be Blest: A Celebration of Seasons. Simon & Schuster, 1999. Ages 5 - 8
Pilkey, Dav. The Paperboy. Orchard, 1996. Ages 3 - 7
Sandburg, Carl. Grassroots. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. Browndeer Press/Harcourt, 1998. Ages 8 - 12
Shannon, George. Spring: A Haiku Story. Illustrated by Malcah Zeldis. Greenwillow, 1996. Ages 8 - 11
Shea, Pegi Dietz. New Moon. Illustrated by Cathryn Falwell. Boyds Mills, 1996. Ages 4 - 7
Shulevitz, Uri. Snow. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1998. Ages 3 - 7
Swamp, Jake. Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message. Illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr. Lee & Low, 1995.
Updike, John. A Child's Calendar. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. New edition: Holiday House, 1999. Ages 5 - 11
Waboose, Jan Bourdeau. Morning on the Lake. Illustrated by Karen Reczuch. Kids Can Press, 1998. Ages 5 - 8
Younger, Barbara. Purple Mountain Majesties: The Story of Katharine Lee Bates and America the Beautiful. Illustrated by Stacey Schuett. Dutton, 1998. Ages 5 - 9
Zagwyn, Deborah Turney. Turtle Spring. Tricycle Press, 1998. Ages 4 - 8
This list may be reproduced and distributed by educational and/or nonprofit organizations so long as credit is given to the Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
