One of the nice things about being a green thumb is that there are no age limits; you’re never too young or old to enjoy working with soil, nurturing seeds and bulbs, and enjoying the beautiful results of healthy greenery or blooming flowers. We’ve gathered seven picture books for all the little plant lovers in your life to entertain and encourage their horticultural efforts.
Plant, Sow, Make, & Grow: Mud-tastic Activities For Budding Gardeners by Esther Coombs
For little ones who might be interested in learning how to grow and tend to plants, this comprehensive guidebook is a fantastic place to start. Divided into sections by planting season, prospective gardeners are walked through the process of preparing soil, planting seeds, and harvesting the fruits of their labor. There’s also tons of information on how to identify helpful versus harmful insects, create gardening tools out of recyclable materials, and much more. Coombs’s colorful illustrations fill every page, making the book a delight to look at as much as learn from.
Logan’s Greenhouse by JaNay Brown-Wood, Illustrated by Samara Hardy
Part of Brown-Wood and Hardy’s delightful series Where In the Garden? — which explores the origins of grown food from farm to homegrown to community gardens — this title is a particular favorite for its inclusive protagonist and his accessible greenhouse. Readying for a pet playdate, Logan is hunting his greenhouse for the carrots that are just the thing to make the shindig a hit. Readers can interact with the story as they learn to identify plants that grow underground by their greenery, creating a fun game of hide-and-seek with a satisfying and adorable ending.
The Bear’s Garden by Marcie Colleen, Illustrated by Alison Oliver
Inspired in part by the Pacific Street Brooklyn Bear’s Community Garden, this uplifting story begins in a gray-toned city where it seems everyone is rushing off to somewhere they’re not. One child, however, sees the neglected empty spaces between buildings and imagines their potential. In one empty lot, she plants a small seed in a tin can but is dismayed when her seedling tips over — until she realizes that the dandelion has taken root in the cracks of the pavement. Offering a heartwarming lesson about perseverance and community, this sweet tale is sure to inspire kids to create green spaces wherever they can.
When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree by Jamie L.B. Deenihan, Illustrated by Lorraine Rocha
The hilariously skeptical protagonist is a little confused when, rather than the drone, robot dog, or phone that they had asked for, their Grandmother gives them a small lemon tree as a birthday gift. With text written in the style of a tongue-in-cheek instructional manual, the reader is advised not to drop their lemon tree off a bridge or float it away on balloons should they receive one for a gift, but instead to care for it and see what unexpected gifts — and riches! — it can bring. Even better, it ends with another phenomenal message on the importance and value of community green spaces.
Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden by Christy Mandin
Every house and yard in the neighborhood of Garden Glen looked exactly the same… until Millie Fleur moved in. Rather than planting shrubbery and rosebushes that are identical to the ones in every other garden, little Millie opts for a garden filled with Sneezing Stickyweed, Fanged Fairymoss, and other unique and vaguely hostile-looking species. The townspeople call the garden a poison, but Millie loves her little garden of oddities. Can she convince her neighbors that her plants are just as beautiful as their picture-perfect ones? This sharp little tale is an entertaining read on its own, but it also works in valuable themes of biodiversity and the importance of being an individual.
And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, Illustrated by Erin E. Stead
A lovely parable of patience by Fogliano is paired together with charming illustrations by Caldecott-medalist Stead in this timeless title. A boy and his dog look out over their brown landscape and decide to plant a garden at the end of winter. From that point on, there is waiting. A lot of waiting. Fogliano and Stead do a wonderful job of capturing the nervous impatience of gardeners waiting for the evidence of their hard work and care to break through the ground, along with humorous moments that perfectly break up the narrative. It’s a great tale to share with young gardeners while they are waiting for their own seeds to blossom and bloom, if for no reason than to remind them that no matter what, at some point, spring will always arrive.
The World’s Best Class Plant by Audrey Vernick and Liz Garton Scanlon, Illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao
While all the other classrooms at school have class pets — like a cockatiel, a chinchilla, and a bearded dragon — Room 109 has a… plant. A boring old plant that doesn’t even move or do anything. Most of the kids are pretty bummed about their lackluster “pet,” but young Arlo sees something special in their plant. He names it Jerry and starts to give it extra attention and care, drawing the interest of the other kids in class. Suddenly, Jerry begins to grow on all the students of 109, and even the rest of the school. In fact, what started as a boring old plant becomes a schoolwide celebration of the magic of greenery. A fun and endearing story that will have little ones looking at plants in a new light, this is a must-read.
There are lots of reasons to love plants: they freshen the air, provide food and shelter, and are beautiful to look at. We hope that you and the young plant lovers in your life enjoy these botany-based books and that they motivate you to welcome some flora into your lives. Happy reading!
For more of our favorite children’s book picks, check out our article on the Best Picture Books of 2024.
To see all of our recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
