Get Outside With These Picture Books
Craft a storytime that transports kids and encourages them to explore the world around them with these picture books about the great outdoors.
The Great Lakes By Barb Rosenstock; illustrated by Jamey Christoph
A stunning picture book about the five largest lakes in North America - how they formed, the importance of their abundant freshwater, and how they've become a national treasure - in the latest book from the author of Caldecott Honor book The Noisy Paint Box.
The Great Lakes—Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior—are five blue jewels set a bit off center in a belt across North America’s middle. Bordered by eight states and part of Canada, the Lakes hold 21% of the world's fresh water. How did these incredible lakes get there? And what can we do to preserve such a treasure?
Follow along as a drop of water in this enormous system and uncover its dramatic journey from lake to rive to lake, over Niagara Falls to lake and river again, and finally into the Atlantic Ocean.
If You Spot a Shell By Aimée Sicuro
A stunning companion to If You Find a Leaf, this cheery picture book captures the excitement of summer and encourages children to see their collected seashells in an entirely new way. The artist incorporates real shells into her exquisite illustrations.
A warm summer breeze and the gentle waves of the ocean wash ashore many different types of shells. In this story a girl collects shells and thinks of all the magnificent things they can be turned into with a little creativity. She imagines one shell as a swimming cap for diving into the crashing waves, another as a magical kaleidoscope, one as a rocket ship to take her way up high and another as a submarine for exploring the wonders of the world below. The girl draws inspiration from the unique beauty of each and every shell.
In this joyous celebration of a day at the beach, artist Aimee Sicuro uses real shells she’s hand selected to make her oh-so-charming illustrations. Any young reader who turns the pages of this beautiful book will be inspired to use their own imagination as they comb the beach for shells this summer.
Hot Dog By Doug Salati
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE 2023 CALDECOTT MEDAL • This glowing and playful picture book features an overheated—and overwhelmed—pup who finds his calm with some sea, sand, and fresh air. Destined to become a classic!
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Publishers Weekly • Kirkus Reviews • New York Public Library
“An utter joy from beginning to end!” —Sophie Blackall, two-time Caldecott Medal winner
This hot dog has had enough of summer in the city! Enough of sizzling sidewalks, enough of wailing sirens, enough of people's feet right in his face. When he plops down in the middle of a crosswalk, his owner endeavors to get him the breath of fresh air he needs. She hails a taxi, hops a train, and ferries out to the beach.
Here, a pup can run!
With fluid art and lyrical text that have the soothing effect of waves on sand, award-winning author Doug Salati shows us how to find calm and carry it back with us so we can appreciate the small joys in a day.
Emile and the Field By Kevin Young; illustrated by Chioma Ebinama
In this lyrical picture book from an award-winning poet, a young boy cherishes a neighborhood field throughout the changing seasons. With stunning illustrations and a charming text, this beautiful story celebrates a child's relationship with nature.
There was a boy
named Emile
who fell
in love with a field.
It was wide
and blue--
and if you could have
seen it
so would've you.
Emile loves the field close to his home--in spring, summer, and fall, when it gives him bees and flowers, blossoms and leaves. But not as much in winter, when he has to share his beautiful, changeable field with other children...and their sleds. This relatable and lyrical ode to one boy's love for his neighborhood field celebrates how spending time in nature allows children to dream, to imagine...and even to share.
What's Inside A Bird's Nest? By Written and Illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky
Discover the next nonfiction picture book about eggs, nests, and birds from the creator of the New York Times bestseller Women in Science, Rachel Ignotofsky!
Want to learn more about the bird that chirps outside your window? Ignotofsky crafts a perfect read out loud with a touch of humor and compassion for our friends with wings in the sky!
Find out more from the moment they hatch, to how they create their homes in this perfectly detailed and soon-to-be springtime favorite read!
Rachel Ignotofsky's beautiful, distinctive art style and engaging, informative text clearly answers any questions a child (or adult) could have about birds, eggs, and nests in this nonfiction picture book series.
Wilder Child By Nicolette Sowder; illustrated by Myo Yim
A lyrical read-aloud filled with vibrant illustrations that follows a group of children as they explore their relationship with the natural world—from insects to dandelions to playing in the mud. This picture book based on a popular poem is a joyful celebration of the ability children have to cherish all living things.
Exuberant and imaginative, this picture book celebrates the mess makers, scavengers of the dirt, and kids who march to the beat of their own drum. Follow along with these children as they experience the joy of playing in the mud, dangling from tree limbs, and watching spiderlings hatch within the wonder of their intricate webs.
From debut author Nicolette Sowder comes this poetic picture book for kids who are curious learners who are filled with energy, and prefer to experience the world with all their senses. With dreamy illustrations by Myo Yim, Wilder Child beckons readers to see beauty in the untamed, marvel at the wonders of nature, and advocate for all living beings.
Heatwave By Lauren Redniss
A picture book from an award-winning artist that uses vibrant reds and blues to stunningly evoke the intensity of a heatwave and the refreshing relief that comes with an unexpected downpour of a cooling rain.
Sweltering. Sweating. It’s 100 degrees… even in the shade.
Games are canceled, temperatures reach record highs. The sun is hot.
Finally, a wind picks up. One rain drop. Then another. A downpour. The sun sets and the moon rises, Relief at last.
Heatwave is a book that vividly evokes a universal feeling--when the air is so hot and heavy you can barely move, when the sun is so bright your eyes play tricks on you. Renowned artist, writer and MacArthur genuis grant recipient, Lauren Redniss’s choice to use just two vibrant and contrasting colors in her artwork and spare text makes for a bold and interesting exploration of extreme weather. Even the book itself is saturated in red as if the book itself is burning up.
The Boy and the Elephant By Freya Blackwood
From an award-winning illustrator comes a tender, magical, and gorgeously rendered wordless picture book about a boy who saves the trees in the lot next door from being cut down.
Amongst the hustle and bustle of the city is an overgrown piece of land where trees and wildlife thrive. A boy, who lives in a house on the lot next to it, loves to visit. He has a friend there: an elephant, an animal that he sees within the shapes of the trees. No matter the weather, the boy visits. And as the seasons change so does the elephant; thick green foliage changes to autumnal colors before the bare branches of harsh winter appear. But one day, builders arrive. The land has been sold, and the trees have been marked for removal. The boy can't lose his elephant, and so he comes up with a plan.
Unbearably beautiful and moving, and with a touch of magical realism, here is a wordless picture book about conservation and children's ability to be powerful agents of change.
