The best children’s books about gardening to inspire kids to get outside into nature and grow their own garden, big or small!
Gardening with kids can be such a rewarding experience for everyone involved! It’s the perfect place to do some serious hands-on learning, exploring seasons, the life cycle, environmental caretaking, and so much more.
Whether your family is one of longtime gardeners or you’re digging in for the very first time, we think you’re going to love this list of fantastic gardening books for kids.
A few how-tos, some wonderful stories, and a sprinkling of nonfiction are just what you need to grow some excitement for the season!
25 Children’s Books About Gardening
1. We Garden Together! by Jane Hirschi and the educators at CitySprouts
A project book perfect for the preschool set, absolutely bursting with fun hands-on experiments, crafts, and activities to get kids engaged in nature.
2. Just a Worm by Marie Boyd
We love the paper-quill illustrations in this quirky book that explores why a worm isn’t just a worm. You’ll even find instructions for making your own paper-quilled butterfly in the back of the book!
3. Every Little Seed by Cynthia Schumerth, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Learn the incredible wonders contained in every little seed with rhyming text and lovely artwork.
4. Hope Is a Hop by Katrina Moore, illustrated by Melissa Iwai
Told in rhyming couplets that are perfect for reading aloud, this story follows a young girl as she hopes for a new garden and encounters some unexpected setbacks along the way.
5. Mia Makes a Meadow by Rachel Lawston, illustrated by Beatriz Castro
A sweet story that teaches us that lawns don’t need to be spic and span to be beautiful.
6. The Fairy Garden by Georgia Buckthorn, illustrated by Isabella Mazzanti
Mimi spends hours making her garden absolutely “perfect” for fairies…but is that what they really want? We love the beautiful illustrations and inspiring message of this lovely book.
7. Upside Down by Katarina Macurov
Your kids will love knowing the “secret” of why Bear’s plant won’t bloom.
8. A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis
A vibrant book that follows a sunflower from seed back to seed; the perfect, simple explanation of a plant’s life cycle.
9. My Nana’s Garden by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
Through gorgeous illustrations and simple text, this story gently explores the beauty and loss in an intergenerational garden.
10. In My Garden by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Philip C. Stead
The perfect ode to a garden and all the joy it brings throughout the year.
11. The Bear’s Garden by Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Alison Oliver
We love that this sweet story was inspired by an actual community in Brooklyn, New York. Your kids may never look at an empty lot the same way again!
12. Goodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray, illustrated by Zachariah OHora
Your kids will surely relate to this charming story where even veggies need to be tucked in at night.
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13. The Balcony by Melissa Castrillon
A few tiny seeds transform a city balcony in this nearly wordless and totally whimsical book.
14. Grow by Cynthia Platt, illustrated by Olivia Holden
Follow a young girl as she changes her neighborhood with one small seed of an idea.
15. A Peaceful Garden by Lucy London, illustrated by Christa Pierce
We just couldn’t resist a book about cats who garden!
16. Green Green: A Community Gardening Story by Marie Lamba and Baldev Lamba, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez
A story that reads like a poem, full of joyful illustrations with lots of details to come back to again and again.
17. And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
A tender story full of hope and the frustrations of waiting for spring, perfectly accompanied by Stead’s soft illustration style.
19. Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery, illustrated by Jessie Hartland
The incredible true story of a man with a vision and the kids who helped him see it through. A portion of the proceeds from this book go directly back to the nonprofit, Harlem Grown, which gives thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables back to their community each year.
20. In Our Garden by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Melissa Crowton
The uplifting story of a garden in an unusual place- the rooftop of a school! Follow Millie as her idea takes root and grows with the help of her classmates, her teacher, and her community.
22. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
You’ll get a sneak peek into the busy hidden world right below your feet with this nonfiction book that’s both informative and entertaining.
23. Secrets of the Garden by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, illustrated by Priscilla Lamont
A simple narrative about Alice’s family garden is accompanied by more in-depth science concepts in the sidebars. This results in a perfectly layered book, accessible to a wide variety of readers.
24. A Year in Our New Garden by Gerda Muller
This charming story with wonderfully detailed illustrations takes us through an entire year in a family’s new garden. We love how it’s sprinkled with plenty of tips, tricks, and recipes that you and your own family may be inspired to try throughout the year.
25. Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root, illustrated by G. Brian Karas
A fun read aloud for aspiring green thumbs, this warmly illustrated book will encourage your kids to start planting wherever they can. You may even catch them rummaging through your recycling bin for their gardening supplies!
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