Let's Go Outside!
Books for Children about the Natural World
Compiled by Merri V. Lindgren© 2007 Cooperative Children's Book Center; revised in 2012
This bibliography was originally developed for the Child Care Information Center Newsletter (Issue 54, 2007) published by the Child Care Information Center operated by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction with funding from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The recent revision adds new titles and expands the list to include books for children through age eight.
Click on underlined book titles to see the CCBC review of the book, and/or the cover image.
Complete list of CCBC bibliographies
From the Earth
Aliki, . Quiet in the Garden. Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2009. 24 pages. Ages 3 - 6
Campbell, Sarah C. . Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator . Photographed by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell. Boyds Mills Press, 2008. 32 pages. Ages 4-7
Christian, Peggy. If You Find a Rock. Photographed by Barbara Hirsch Lember. Harcourt, 2000. 32 pages. Ages 3 - 8
Fleming, Denise. Beetle Bop. Harcourt, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 2-5
French, Vivian. Yucky Worms. Illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg. Candlewick Press, 2010. 28 pages. Ages 4 - 8
Markle, Sandra. Hip-Pocket Papa. Illustrated by Alan Marks. Charlesbridge, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 4-8
Ruddell, Deborah. A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems. Illustrated by Joan Rankin. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 4 - 8
Stewart, Melissa . Under the Snow. Illustrated by Constance R. Bergum. Peachtree, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 4 - 8
Voake, Steve. Insect Detective. Illustrated by Charlotte Voake. U.S. edition: Candlewick Press, 2010. 28 pages. Ages 4 - 9In the Water
Gillum, Sandy. Loon Summer . Field Notes Press, 2008. 38 pages. Ages 6-10
Arnosky, Jim. Slow Down for Manatees. Putnam, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 5 - 8
Berne, Jennifer. Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau. Illustrated by Éric Puybaret. Chronicle, 2008. 32 pages. Ages 5-8
Coombs, Kate. Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems. Illustrated by Meilo So. Chronicle, 2012. 32 pages. Ages 4-9
Cotten, Cynthia. Rain Play. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. Henry Holt, 2008. 24 pages. Ages 3-6
Fleming, Denise. In the Small, Small Pond. Henry Holt, 1993. 32 pages. Ages 18 months - 3 years
Jenkins, Steve. Down Down Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. 40 pages. Ages 7 - 11
Lee, Suzy. Wave. Chronicle, 2008. 32 pages. Ages 3-6
Lyon, George Ella. All the Water in the World. Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson. A Richard Jackson Book / Atheneum, 2011. 32 pages. Ages 4-8
Sheth, Kashmira. Monsoon Afternoon. Illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi. Peachtree, 2008. 32 pages. Ages 4-8Through the Sky
Bardhan-Quallen, Sudipta. Flying Eagle. Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray. Charlesbridge, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 5 - 8
Bishop, Nic. Butterflies and Moths. Nonfiction / Scholastic, 2009. 48 pages. Ages 7 - 12
Chrustowski, Rick. Big Brown Bat. Henry Holt, 2008. 32 pages. Ages 5-8
Henkes, Kevin. Birds. Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 3 - 7
Hopkins, selector, Lee Bennett. Sky Magic. Illustrated by Mariusz Stawarski. Dutton, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 4 - 8
Ray, Mary Lin. Stars. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. Beach Lane, 2011. 32 pages. Ages 2-6
Sayre, April Pulley. Vulture View. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Henry Holt, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 4-8
Shea, Pegi Dietz. New Moon. Illustrated by Cathryn Falwell. Boyds Mills, 1996. 32 pages. Ages 4 - 7
Stewart, Melissa. A Place for Birds. Illustrated by Higgins Bond. Peachtree, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 6 - 9
Winter, Jeanette. The Tale of Pale Male: A True Story. Harcourt, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 5-10All Around
Bang, Molly and Penny Chisholm . Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life. Illustrated by Molly Bang. Blue Sky Press / Scholastic, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 4 - 8
Bauer, Marion Dane. The Longest Night. Illustrated by Ted Lewin. Holiday House, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 3 - 8
Bond, Rebecca. In the Belly of an Ox: The Unexpected Photographic Adventures of Richard and Cherry Hearton. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 7 - 10
Cooper, Elisha. A Good Night Walk. Orchard Books / Scholastic, 2005. 32 pages. Ages 3-6
Ehlert, Lois. In My World. Harcourt, 2002. 32 pages. Ages 3 - 8
Ehlert, Lois. Lots of Spots. Beach Lane Books, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 3 - 7
Hopkinson, Deborah. The Humblebee Hunter: Inspired by the Life & Experiments of Charles Darwin and His Children. Illustrated by Jen Corace. Disney / Hyperion, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 5 - 9
Jenkins, Steve. Living Color. Houghton Mifflin, 2007. 32 pages. Ages 6-10
Shannon, George. White Is for Blueberry. Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2005. 32 pages. Ages 2-7
Sidman, Joyce. Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature. Illustrated by Beth Krommes. Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 32 pages. Ages 3-9
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.
