Nature Inspired Picture Books for Kids

I love picture books for kids

The stories, the artwork, the cuddling with your kids.

Like many other homeschool mamas out there, books are of my favourite aspects of homeschooling.

I particularly love picture books by the seasons. Thankfully we live in a place that gets to enjoy all four seasons. For those that are on opposite seasonally flow please feel free to make adjustments depending on where you live.

–> Free Bonus

At the end of this blog post I have a FREE printable book tracker so you can check off the picture books that you’ve read together.

Picture books for kids can make them fall in love with books and reading.

These stories for kids are seasonal and nature inspired. There’s nothing more enjoyable than reading cuddled up on the couch.  Furthermore, there are so many benefits to reading to kids, and even older children enjoy picture books. This list is aimed for 3-12 years old, however I personally really enjoy these stories and illustrations even as an adult.

A good book is great no matter what your age.

There’s an especially great podcast from Read A Loud Revival on the benefits of having teens enjoy picture books too.

Because there are endless children’s picture books out there, it was hard to make this list. Undoubtedly there are many great books that I missed so I will try to add books as our family reads more of them.

What I looked for in picture books for kids

• • Nature themed
  • Seasonally inspired
  • Beautiful illustrations
  • Engaging for the parent and kids
  • Have good messages

Where you can find these picture books for kids

Generally when looking for books you can borrow, buy new or used.

If you have a fantastic local library many of these titles will be there for you to borrow. You might be a mama like me and love to build your library at home rather than borrow some of your books. I especially like giving books as gifts for birthdays and holidays.

Check out your local thrift book stores or buy new. The links in this blog post are to Amazon (affiliate links) however feel free to buy second hand or borrow from the library wherever you can.

Homeschooling tip

Kids picture books make excellent copywork sentences for older kids. 

I’m a huge fan of Charlotte Mason homeschooling, and copywork, poetry and nature study is part of our weekly rhythm.

I’ve truly found that my kids never resist doing homeschooling if they are copying sentences from a book we just read.

I’ve also discovered new books since creating this list.

Beautiful books like ‘A Little More Beautiful’ by Sarah Mackenzie, Ernestine’s Milky Way by Kerry Madden-Lunsford, Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall, Snow Horses by Patricia MacLachlan or Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland.

List of Picture Books for Kids

On the whole I tried to match these picture books the best I could with our seasons. Because we live in the northern Hemisphere (Canada) and many of you live without seasons (or even opposite) feel free to make adjustments.

Late Winter – Spring

The first week starts at the beginning of the year. Please add Snow Horses by Patricia MacLachlan to your New Years read aloud!

1. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
2. Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner 
3. A Perfect Day by Carin Berger
4. The Snowy Day  by Ezra Jack Keats
5. A Day so Gray by Marie Lamba
6. Love by Matt de la Peña 
7. Sugar Snow ( Little House Picture Books)
8. Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak

9. If I Had a Little Dream by Nina Laden

   Spring picture books

10. Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
11. Pond by Jim LaMarche
12. Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd
13. Water Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas
14. This is Sadie by by Sara O’Leary
15. The Flowers are Calling by Rita Gray
16. The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall
17. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
18. Sonya’s Chickens by Phoebe Wahl
19. Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story by Suzanne Slade
20. The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
    

    

    Spring to Summer books

21. Up in the Garden Down in the Dirt  by Kate Messner
22. How Does my Garden Grow? by Gerda Muller
23. We are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines
24. Green on Green by Dianne White
25. What’s Cooking at 10 Garden Street?: Recipes for Kids From Around the World by Felicita Sala
26. The Night Gardener by Terry Fan and Eric Fan
27. Song of the River by Joy Cowley
28. Red Sky at Night by Elly Mackay
29. The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
30. The Sequoia Lives On by Joanna Cooke
31. The Hike by Alison Farrell
32. Yellow Kayak by Nina Laden 
33. The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins
34. Seeds and Trees  by Brandon Walden and Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell
35. The Keeper of Wild Words by Brooke Smith
36. Mooncakes  by Loretta Seto

37. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

    Autumn picture books

38. Apple Cake: A Gratitude by Dawn Casey
39. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by by Julia Rawlinson
40. Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyle 
41. Because of an Acorn by Lola and Adam Schaefer 
42. By the Light of the Harvest Moon by Harriet Ziefert
43. The Thank you Book by Mary Lyn Ray
44. Winter is Coming by Tony Johnston
45. Thanksgiving in the Woods by Phyllis Alsdurf
    

    Winter picture books

46. Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht
47. The Little Reindeer by Nicola Killen
48. Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear 
49.  Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Noble
50. Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak
51. Once Upon a Snow Storm by Richard Johnson
52. When the Snow Falls by Linda Booth Sweeney

What is your favourite picture books for kids?

FREE PRINTABLE BOOK CHECK OFF LIST

—> 52 Weeks of Stories for Kids

Related blog posts

• Kids Nature Books for Nature Studies