Tag Archives: Nature

Elem. – A Visit with the Birds: A Hands-On Nature Book

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Levine, Sara. A Visit with the Birds: A Hands-On Nature Book. Illustrated by Ashley Barron. SourceBooks Explore, 2026. 978-1-464-22295-5. $14.99. 24 p. Grades PK-2. 

The character takes a walk to the park and wonders, “where are the birds?” Shortly after, the main character can be seen listening to the Coo’s and Caw’s of the birds in the park. Told through interactive prompts like pointing to birds, pretending to feed the birds, and more.  

THOUGHTS: For the youngest readers this book will be a HIT especially as the season turns from winter to spring. The illustrations are bright and colorful and also incorporate a variety of people including a character in a wheelchair. 

Picture Book

Elem. – The Sun Thief

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Hemming, Alice. The Sun Thief. Slater, Nicola Sourcebooks,  2026. 978-1-464-25818-3. $18.99. 32 p. Grades PK-3.

Squirrel and Bird are back! Squirrel is enjoying every bit of summertime; it is light out later, it is warm, and he gets to stay up later. Squirrel is upset when the next day the sun is no longer out when he is brushing his teeth before bed. Panicking (as Squirrel often does) he runs over to Bird concerned that someone has stolen the sun. Bird calmly explains that at the beginning of summer it stays lighter out longer, but as Summer continues, the days get shorter and the sun starts setting earlier. Of course, Bird has to explain it a few times before Squirrel really understands.

THOUGHTS: If you or your students enjoy any of the other books (The Leaf Thief, The Snow Thief, The Flower Thief), then this should be an automatic ADD TO CART! I personally absolutely adore these characters and always get a chuckle out of Squirrel’s antics! I know my students will LOVE this addition to the set!

Picture Book

Elem. – Wind Watchers

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Archer, Micha. Wind Watchers. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025. 978-1-593-61655-0. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades PreK-2.

Three children experience the various ways in which the wind blows throughout each of the four seasons. For example, the wind flutters through blossoming petals and brings rain clouds in the spring. In the summer, it propels sailboats and helps them fly a kite. After scattering seeds and blowing all of the leaves off the trees in the fall, it blows in frigid gusts throughout the winter. Sometimes the wind is gentle, and other times it likes to be wild. This ever-changing, invisible power known as wind is brought to life with vibrant, stunning illustrations that showcase a variety of techniques, compositions, and perspectives.

THOUGHTS: Just as Archer’s Caldecott Honor winning Wonder Walkers did, this book also inspires readers to find the beauty in our natural world. The gentle, poetic tone will pull readers in, just as the masterful illustrations will captivate them, making this book one that will stick with readers long after they’ve finished. 

Picture Book   

Elem. – Daisy Rewilds

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McNamara, Margaret. Daisy Rewilds. Illustrated by Kerascoët and Sébastien Cosset. Random House Studio, 2025. 978-0-593-12567-0. 40 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

Daisy always has been fascinated with the natural world. She loves collecting leaves, sprouting seeds, and designing plant-based science projects. But her most interesting experiment begins when she skips her bath for five weeks and a patch of moss starts growing behind her ear. When her family notices the mossy patch, Daisy explains she is rewilding: getting back to nature. Daisy settles onto her front lawn and with the help of her garden-loving Auntie Betsy, warm sunshine, and a few good rain showers, she and the front yard embrace rewilding. Clover, tomatoes, pumpkins, and flowers grow around her, and hummingbirds, bees, monarchs, and turkeys flock to the plants. By late summer, neighbors marvel at the changed landscape, and Daisy transplants the flowers, vegetables, and animals all around the neighborhood. The result is a healthy, balanced, thriving ecosystem that is a more natural place for everyone. Loose ink and watercolor illustrations reflect the text’s whimsical and spontaneous spirit. Backmatter describes rewilding as conserving the natural world by letting nature take care of itself and encouraging native plants and animals to find their way to the places where they belong. The author explains that while this might initially mean spaces appear messy, rewilding ultimately makes the world a more natural place. 

THOUGHTS: Share this title with students learning about ecosystems, conservation, and biodiversity. It will also make a perfect read-aloud for Earth Day. 

Picture Book

Elem. – The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle

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Bearzi, Maddalena. The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle. Illustrated by Alex Boersma. Roaring Brook Press, 2025. 978-1-250-90167-5. 48 p. $19.99. Grades 2-5.

“On a starry night within the fine sand of the shores at Ría Lagartos, a nature reserve on the Yucatán Peninsula, a female sea turtle is about to hatch.” So begins this scientifically detailed, often harrowing, and gorgeously illustrated look into the secret life of a sea turtle. The book opens with “our” sea turtle and her hundred siblings hatching, emerging from their nest, and scurrying down the slope of the beach to tumble into the surf. Along the way many fall victim to predators including crabs, raccoons, and pelicans; of one hundred eggs, less than a dozen make it out to sea. Their perilous journey from nest to the open ocean is documented with exciting, full-page spreads that showcase the dangers they face. Very little is known about the sea turtles’ lives over the next few years. Researchers believe that juvenile turtles travel along currents in the Atlantic Ocean, evading dangers from sharks to fishing nets. Eventually, returning to the Ría Lagartos shoreline as a mature green turtle, she will mate, lay eggs, and begin the cycle anew. (One panel depicts mature turtles mating.) Back matter includes information on actions that readers can take to protect sea turtles, different species of sea turtles, and much more. 

THOUGHTS: The turtle’s story is fascinating, and Alex Boersma’s paper and graphite illustrations (digitally colored blue, green, and sandy brown in Adobe Photoshop) truly bring it to life. Readers will have great fun identifying “our” sea turtle on every page of this memorable, STEM-connected title!

597 Turtles

Elem. – The Buzz on Wild Bees: The Little-Known Pollinators That Keep Our Planet Humming

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Vermond, Kira. The Buzz on Wild Bees: The Little-Known Pollinators That Keep Our Planet Humming. Illustrated by June Steube. Owlkids Books, 2025. 978-1-771-47617-1 35. p. $22.95. Grades 3-5.

While honeybees are among the most familiar pollinators, there are approximately 20,000 known species of wild bees worldwide. In fact, wild bees make up more than 90% of the bee species on earth. Evolution is to thank for why our planet has so many different types of bees. Flowering plants have changed over time to attract pollinators; bees also have changed, so they can gather food more easily from the plants that grow near their habitats. Alkali bees are known to nest near one another, whereas other species are solitary; in contrast, the cuckoo bee leads a parasitic lifestyle. The female cuckoo bees lay their eggs in the nest of a different bee while they are away searching for food. All bees, no matter their species, play a vital role in pollinating plants. Unfortunately, climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, and disease pose a serious threat to bee habitats and survival. That’s why it’s important for humans to plant patches of native wildflowers, construct bee hotels, and avoid pesticides. It is especially important to save wild bees because their plant pollination is responsible for about one in three mouthfuls of food we eat. Consequently, protecting the diversity of wild bees through habitat conservation and sustainable practices is vital for maintaining the food supply we depend on.

THOUGHTS: This accessible and engaging nonfiction title introduces readers to the remarkable diversity of wild bees by using rich, reader-friendly descriptions to explain key concepts. Vibrant, detailed illustrations portray bees in their natural environments. Bee-themed jokes and puns add humor alongside abundant fact and practical guidance. Back matter includes a glossary and a selected bibliography for further inquiry. This would be a great purchase for an upper-elementary library.

500s Science/Zoology

Elem. – And, Too, The Fox

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Limon, Ada. And, Too, The Fox. Illustrated by Gaby D’Alessandro. Carolrhoda Books, 2025. 979-8-765-63925-2. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades K-2.

And, Too, The Fox is a poem about a fox and what he does when you are watching and not watching. The poem is short and focuses on the fox and his everyday life. The illustrations are beautiful and add to the story of the fox as the reader goes through the book. The book showcases how nature is simple and how one should take a minute to really appreciate that.

THOUGHTS: Overall, this is a beautiful picture book that would look lovely sitting on a bookshelf and would pair well with other books about foxes or nature in general.

Picture Book 

Elem. – Birdlore: The Iridescent Life of Florence Merriam Bailey

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Keating, Jess. Birdlore: The Iridescent Life of Florence Merriam Bailey. Illustrated by Devon Holzwarth. Alfred A Knopf Books, 2025. 978-0-593-48858-4. $19.99. 34 p. Grades PK-3. 

Florence Merriam Bailey loved nature and birds from a very young age. She would go on nature walks to observe the birds in their natural habitat and take notes. But it bothered her that scientists were studying birds by making observations in a lab by examining their bodies, feathers, and eggs instead of observing the birds outdoors. When Florence learned of people killing birds in order to use them as accessories on their hats, she knew she had to do something. It was that experience that led Florence to begin to share more about birds with friends and ultimately led to her creating one of the very first Field Guides. 

THOUGHTS: I think that many students who are animal lovers will find this book interesting. It would be great for any students doing research on female scientists or change makers as Florence was able to make her mark in history. 

Biography
Picture Book Biography

Elem. – Wonderfully Wild: Rewilding a School and Community

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Stremer, Jessica. Wonderfully Wild: Rewilding a School and Community. Illustrated by Josee Masse. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. 978-1-665-95816-5. $19.99. Unpaged. Grades PK-3.

Gorgeous digital illustrations take center stage in this wonderful picture book about coming together as a community to honor the place of a beloved tree. When lightning strikes, and the schoolyard willow falls, the students’ hearts are broken. One student asks, “Can we grow a new willow?” and with the support of their teacher they set off on a new learning journey. From taking care of clippings and charting/monitoring their progress to learning about plant care, the students experience successes (“Some thrived.”) and disappointment (“Others didn’t make it.”). As the classroom began to look more like a greenhouse, the experiment continued and moved to a plant nursery. There the students learned about giving roots  room to spread. During winter they learned about other ways to make “the schoolyard even more wonderfully wild.” From pollinator gardens, to grass care, to wildlife access without fences, the students created a wonderfully wild space. Inspired by the students, community members had a few surprises to enhance the space and help the students learn even more. When the students saw what they were able to cultivate, “Their hearts brimmed with pride.” 

THOUGHTS: Loosely based on a real-life event, this picture book is a great way to introduce students to the concept of gardening, conservation, or habitat. Use in connection to a science/STEM lesson or around Earth Day to inspire young learners to explore the natural world around them. Highly recommended for elementary collections.  

Picture Book

Elem. – Sam Squirrel

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Selfors, Suzanne. Sam Squirrel. Aladdin. 978-1-665-94902-6. 87 p. $17.99. Grades 1-3. 

Each year, the animals in the Quiet Woods look forward to Mother Nature’s visit signaling the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Mother Nature always knocks on their doors on the first day of spring, but when she’s late, the woodland animals gather and decide to make a list of their concerns about the winter stretching on. Sam, a young squirrel who prefers list-making to other squirrely pursuits like scurrying and gathering, records each animal’s worries and sets off with an elk named Prince Errol to deliver the list to Mother Nature’s cottage. Along the way, the pair meet up with Mother Nature’s granddaughter, Willow, who is also traveling to the cottage. When they arrive, they discover Mother Nature left for a vacation without remembering to first end winter in the Quiet Woods. It’s up to Sam and Willow to figure out how to harness the North Wind, so winter will end and spring will begin. Young readers will enjoy tagging along on Sam’s adventure through the Quiet Woods, and they will root for this unlikely hero to save the day for the forest creatures. This is the first book in the “Willow’s Woods” series, and the final pages hint towards the next adventure in book two, Rosey Stink Badger. 

THOUGHTS: Short chapters featuring digital illustrations are perfect for beginning chapter book readers. Share this title with animal fiction fans and nature lovers. 

Animal Fiction