Have a budding gardener in the house or know of one nearby? Here are ten terrific titles to help keep that passion growing!
Recently we had the pleasure of touring the personal garden of vegan Instagrammer - Just Plant Fabulous!
It was so much fun doing a guest feature on this talented gardener who both grows numerous vegetables, herbs and flowers and creates tantalizing vegan recipes using her fresh-from-the-garden produce!
Her garden, tips and summer bounty were an inspiration to those of us who need a little extra motivation and guidance to up our garden game!
Looking for some more ideas to go along with your gardening this Summer? Take a peek at this super cute and colorful Summer Bucket List! So much fun!!
Being that we're in the business of finding and sharing wonderful books that inspire and connect with learning opportunities for kids, of course we went on a search for books that would go along with our Just Plant Fabulous Guest Feature!
As is the case for most topics, there are plenty of amazing books out there to enjoy and be inspired by!
Kids and fans of children's books will have no problem finding and discovering titles that go along with gardening, nature, the great outdoors and exploring the wonderful world of your own backyard!
Here are some terrific books that will inspire your budding gardener and go along with Just Plant Fabulous's Garden Tour and Tips!
By Joanna Gaines, Illustrated by Juliana Sweeney
Joanna Gaines from HGTV's Fixer Upper and Magnolia fame and her children want to grow a garden!
We Are the Gardeners is a sweet picture book that invites the reader to be part of the Gaines family's gardening adventure!
Readers will follow along with their successes and challenges ending with the final happy result of their family garden!
By Monica Wellington
We simply adore all of Monica Wellington's picture books! They are super fun, cheery and seamlessly intertwine collage as part of her wonderful illustrations.
Zinnia can't wait to plant her seeds in the garden. She digs, plants, waters and cares for the newly planted seeds and delights in the emerging seedlings!
The colorful pages of Zinnia's Flower Garden are sure to excite your young gardener to want to plant his or her own garden of blooms!
3. The Gardener
By Sarah Stewart, Illustrated by David Small
This is a wonderful story filled with hope and gentle determination.
The Gardener is told through letters that Lydia writes and sends back home and is beautifully highlighted with amazing illustrations!
Lydia Grace has come to the city to live with her cranky uncle during the Great Depression.
She has brought with her a suitcase filled with seeds and slowly but surely transforms a rooftop garden and the gray world around her into one with color and beauty while at the same time warming her uncle's heart.
The Gardener is a special book that will be well-loved and should definitely be on your bookshelf!
By Kate Nessner, Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
Up in the Garden and Down the Dirt is such a fun picture book that shows both what we see and what is going on behind the scenes, or in this case, under the dirt!
Kids, parents and teachers adore this book for the story and illustrations as well as the nature and science connections!
Sure to be a hit with your future gardener, Up in the Garden and Down the Dirt is a must-have!
By Lois Ehlert
Eating the Alphabet is available both as a board book and hardcover filled with dynamic and colorful illustrations!
Kids will be tempted to try the many different vegetables and grow a few, perhaps as well after reading this classic title by Lois Ehlert!
By Beatrix Potter
The Tale of Peter Rabbit remains at the top of the popularity list of Beatrix Potter's 23 books!
Peter Rabbit is a mischievous bunny who can't seem to stay out of Farmer McGregor's vegetable garden and has been bringing joy to children since it was first published in 1902!
Considered to be one of the world's most beloved children's authors of all time, Beatrix Potter created 23 books that children will delight in reading!
Originally published in a smaller size like this set, The Tale of Peter Rabbit is perfectly proportioned for smaller hands which adds to the fun of reading the books!
by Sharon Lovejoy
Roots, Shoots, Bucket and Boots is an absolutely fantastic book with such creative ideas that go beyond the typical garden patch!
Themed gardens like a 'Pizza Garden' and a 'Sunflower House' will inspire both kids and adults to have fun with whatever space they have and get them excited about gardening!
by Janet Stevens
Tops & Bottoms is a trickster story adapted from a slave folk tale that has a big fan following!
Rabbit is in a bit of a financial bind after losing that race to the turtle! He needs to feed his family, so a deal is struck with Bear.
Bear has the land and Rabbit has proposed that he will do the planting and split the bounty 50/50.
But, Bear has to choose which half of the vegetables -the tops or the bottoms! Unfortunately, for Bear, he keeps choosing the wrong half!
Tops and Bottoms is a super fun story with delightful illustrations as well as a binding that opens vertically rather than the traditional left-to-right which adds to the fun and makes this a favorite story for all ages!
by Eric Carle
All of Eric Carle's books are absolutely brilliant! Adults and children alike are just mesmerized by his painted paper collages!
Children will enjoy the smaller size of this book. Just like Beatrix Potter's small versions of her stories, this book will be just the right size for tiny hands!
The Tiny Seed tells the life cycle of a seed and the many adventures and potential hazards that it experiences.
The autumn wind brings the seeds on the start of their journey. Falling in the ocean, extreme weather, being eaten by birds, crowded out by weeds or being stepped on are just some of the potential hazards the seed may encounter as it travels on its way!
Readers will love seeing this simple story unfold with the captivating painted collage art illustrations by Eric Carle!
If you ever find yourself near the the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, it is a wonderful place to visit!
10. If You Plant a Seed
by Kadir Nelson
Planting a seed for a vegetable will give you the vegetable. What happens when you plant a seed for kindness?
If You Plant a Seed is a timeless and beautifully illustrated picture book whose minimal but meaningful text presents the simple yet important lessons of kindness and sharing!
11. Paddington in the Garden
by Michael Bond illustrated by R.W. Alley
Our favorite marmalade-loving bear is back!
Mr. and Mrs. Brown have given Paddington his very own garden and Paddington is excited to turn it into something special!
Our beloved bear gets to work and in true Paddington style combines luck and mishap to a wonderful end result!
Fans of this delightful bear will be turning the pages to see what awaits at the end of Paddington in the Garden!
Be sure to Pin this post to make it easy to revisit all of these terrific titles in the future!
Interested in checking out our guest post with Kerri from Just Plant Fabulous? Click here to see her amazing garden and read more about her and her gardening tips!
Have a book that would make a good addition to this list of gardening books? Comment below with your title recommendation!
Happy Reading...and gardening!
April
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Looking for a fun printable to keep the kids busy and enjoying the holiday? This 4th of July Scavenger Hunt Printable will keep the kiddos busy and having a blast at your at-home or vacation holiday!
Looking for another fun idea to do outdoors? Take a look at our Fairy Garden post above! Hands on fun plus wonderful books to enjoy!
