This is a guest post by Liz Nelson.
When my children were little they had a great love for the outdoors. I made sure to point out the elements of nature around them. We looked at fallen leaves, talked about the different types of trees and flowers, and, of course, discussed animals and the funny sounds they made.
As my children have grown older, they still have an abiding love for nature and are mindful of their impact on the environment. I believe much of that is due to the kind of things we talked about and the books we read when they were young.
Here are a few of my family’s favorites that opened their eyes to the wonders of nature.
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Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
This is my daughter’s very favorite book, even to this day. The beautiful illustrations bring the world of bats to a new light. As my daughter has been a huge fan of bats since she was very small, she was delighted to finally find a book that thought bats were not scary either.The sweet tale is about a baby bat, Stellaluna, who becomes separated from her mother and lands in a bird’s nest. Although the mother bird tries to treat her like the other baby birds, Stellaluna can tell she is different. She likes to sleep upside down, hates the taste of bugs, and can fly in the dark. This is a wonderful book to show the differences between bats and birds, and it also shows children that you don’t have to be like someone else to be loved.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
This classic, colorful book is one I think all children have read. The life cycle of a butterfly is explained beautifully. I also love the various kinds of foods the caterpillar eats as he goes along because that gave me an opportunity to introduce my children to the names and colors of produce.
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Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
This classic story follows a baby bird who hatches from an egg and embarks on a search to find out which animal—or machine—is his mother. Reading this book with my children allowed me to discuss what makes each animal suited for its environment. For example: Why would a dog be an inappropriate mother for a baby bird?
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Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
Another animal on the hunt for his mother, this story details the differences between different types of animals. The best part is that the book rhymes and flows with a very nice beat. It is a pleasure to read aloud, and children are able to use the context clues to figure out what the new animal is before you turn the page. It’s a great book for showing children the characteristics of various animals.
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How Groundhog’s Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry
This is a great book to teach children about plants and gardening. With beautiful illustrations, including the life cycle of many plants, this is sure to be a hit with your child. The story is about a groundhog that is stealing food. He gets caught, but instead of being punished, the animals help him to start his own garden. My children loved the easy-to-understand way this book talked about planting and growing food, and it helped grow their interest in gardening.
These are just a few of the great books you can share with your children to teach them about nature. Remember that the younger they are when you start, the more likely your children will absorb these eco-friendly lessons and take them to heart.
Read some of these stories to your children tonight!
About the Author: Liz Nelson from WhiteFence.com is a Houston-based freelance writer and blogger. She wants to help others to live a greener lifestyle for the sake of our children’s future. Questions and comments can be sent to: liznelson17 @ gmail.com.
This post is featured on Thank Goodness It’s Monday.
