Books

Book Lists by Author

Katharine McEwen (Lift-the-Flap Board Books)
Who’s Hiding in the Woods?
Who’s Hiding at the Beach?
Who’s Hiding in the Jungle?
Who’s Hiding on the Savanna?
Who’s Hiding in the Snow?
Who’s Hiding on the Farm?

Katarzyna Pietka (Board Books)
A Year in the Forest: Beaver
A Year in the Forest: Bear
A Year in the Forest: Badger
A Year in the Forest: Squirrel

Kate Messner
Over and Under the Snow
Over and Under the Pond
Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt
Over and Under the Rainforest

Laura Purdie Salas
Secrets of the Loon
A Rock Can Be
A Leaf Can Be
Water Can Be

Marianne Berkes (Sing-Along Books)
Over in the Forest
Over in a River
Over in the Arctic
Over in the Jungle
Over in the Ocean
Over on a Desert
Over on a Mountain
Over in the Grasslands
Over in Australia

Margaret Wise Brown
North, South, East, West
The Dead Bird
Big Red Barn
I Like Bugs
Sunshine & Snowballs

Phyllis Root
Plant a Pocket of Prairie
Looking For a Moose
Begin with a Bee

Carron Brown
Backyard Bugs
Secrets of the Vegetable Garden
Secrets of the Rainforest
Secrets of the Seashore
Secrets of Winter
Oceans
I Like the Outdoors: What Jobs Are There?

Eric Carle
The Very Quiet Cricket
The Very Busy Spider
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Ten Little Caterpillars
A House For Hermit Crab
“Slowly Slowly, Slowly,” Said the Sloth

Amber Hendricks (Board Books)
Nature’s Architects
Sparow Takes Flight
Autumn Leaves Fall
Forest Friends Sleep
Wildflowers Grow
Butterflies Soar

Deborah Kerbel
Rainy Days
Sunny Days
Windy Days
Snowy Days.

Find plenty more books listed by theme!

How do I find these books?

Most may be available through your local library system, but to ensure you have the books that you want when you want them, you might consider building your own home library using second-hand books.  I’ve ordered many books from Betterworldbooks.com, but I’ve also used Halfpricebooks.com and Amazon to find affordable copies.

What format is best?

They all have their merits.  My library has grown to such a degree that I prefer ordering any new books I can in paperback so I can find a way to fit them on my bookshelf.  Hardcover books hold up a little better to wear and tear and are easier to locate because you can read the titles on the spine.

Board books have a reputation of being cheap, and while many high quality books are available in a board book format, we’ve all seen the cheap 8-page board books that seem to pop up everywhere.  It’s important for young children to have unrestricted access to quality content – that means the freedom to use a book without an adult hovering to spirit it away to safety whenever a page rips.  You decide whether or not you want to give a child your soft-page books, and maybe be conservative with soft page library books, but also be sure to provide board book options when you can.

I don’t live in Minnesota—how do I find books that are relevant to my area?

First, librarians are your friends!  See what they can find for you regarding nature books local to you.

Second, get crafty!  Search your state’s natural resource listings for native wildlife.  Be sure to include mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and insects!  Then search for books about notable species.  You may be amazed to learn how diverse the wildlife in your area is.  I also recommend learning what biomes are specific to your area and investigating books about those!