Earth Day Books: Virtual Read Alouds

Earth Day is April 22nd. Are you looking for Earth Day books to read? Check out these virtual read alouds of books that are perfect for Earth Day. Read the storybooks by watching the videos below. I’ve also added some activity ideas that pair well with the books.

Earth Day Books for Kids: Virtual Read Alouds

I love checking out books from the library. This past year we’ve been checking a lot more out digitally. Some books are hard to find or the wait is really long. That’s why I compiled this list of books for Earth Day so everyone could have access to them online. Some of the videos may only be temporary as publishers and authors allow their books to be shared.

Books about Celebrating Earth Day and Going Green

These books talk about why we celebrate Earth Day and ways we can help protect Earth.

The Earth Book by Todd Parr

In the video, Todd Parr reads his book, The Earth Book. This short book does a great job of showing practical ways kids can help take care of the Earth. Suggestions include using both sides of the paper, bringing your own bags to the store, recycling, and more. Kids will love the colorful illustrations, too.

It’s Earth Day! by Mercer Mayer

In It’s Earth Day! by Mercer Mayer, Little Critter learns about Earth Day at school and takes what he learns home. His family turns off the computer at night, turns off the water while they brush their teeth, turns off lights when they leave the room, and recycles. He wants to build a climate control machine to help save Earth.

Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green by Eileen Spinelli

Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green also shares lots of examples of taking care of the Earth. The students in the class share what they’ve learned and help their parents implement green ideas.

Stories with an Environmental Message

These books are wonderful for illustrating the importance of conservation.

We Are Water Protectors

In the video above Carol Lindstrom, the author of We Are Water Protectors reads the book and then shares her inspiration for writing the book. She talks about the back story of what was happening in Standing Rock with the oil pipeline protests.

We Are Water Protectors by Carol Lindstrom is a gorgeous picture book that inspires us all to speak up and stand up for our Earth. The author is writing from an indigenous people’s viewpoint that water is life and should not be tainted by an oil pipeline. The book talks about why water is important and why we should care for it.

The publisher has a free activity kit available for download to go along with the book.

The Lorax

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. sums up conservation and caring for our Earth with one quote: “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, it’s not going to get better. It’s not.” Children understand this message quite well. They are often quick to point out all of the bad things done to the animals in the book. Earth Day is all about caring for the Earth and taking action. If we don’t act, nothing will change for the better.

After reading The Lorax, try this Lorax cause and effect matching game to talk about what happened in the story. Or use our Lorax Writing Prompts as a springboard for facilitating a discussion on the topics in The Lorax.

The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers

In 2020, Oliver Jeffers did live read alouds a few times a week on his Instagram. The videos were made available on his website afterward. The Great Paper Caper is one of his book he read. It’s quite funny and you’ll love it. Jeffers starts reading the book about 4 and a half minutes into the live video. (About 15 minutes into the video, Jeffers does an activity with the audience using a piece of paper.)

The trees in the forest are being cut down and the animals are all trying to figure out why. They do some detective work and determine it all has to do with a bear making paper airplanes. The bear really wants to win the paper airplane contest but he needs more paper to practice. He apologizes to the animals of the forest and promises to plant more trees. I like this book for its unique look at habitat destruction. Use it to talk about real-life habitats being altered and what we can do about it.

After reading The Great Paper Caper, learn how to make your own paper with these instructions from TinkerLab or try this paper airplane experiment to challnge your kids.

Harlem Grown

Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery tells the true story of how the author helped transform a vacant lot into a garden that produces food for the community. He started as a volunteer at the school across the street. He and the students cleared the lot, added soil, and planted seeds. Over time, they were able to take the fruits of their labor home. Tony Hillery has expanded the garden to 12 more sites across Harlem. 

The Curious Garden

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is about a boy who lives in a town without plants. One day he happens upon a patch of dying flowers. He learns how to garden so he can nurse them back to health and soon his garden spreads inspiring others to grow gardens as well. The once gray drab city turns into a beautiful urban garden. This book was actually inspired by an abandoned freight train track in Manhattan that is being transformed into a park and greenspace by the local community.

After reading Harlem Grown and The Curious Garden, try these gardening activities for kids from Mama Smiles.

The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

Lynne Cherry’s The Great Kapok Tree is the story of a man sent to chop down a Kapok tree in the Amazon. When the man falls asleep, the animals plead with him to save their home. The man awakens to see all of the animals around him. He leaves his ax and heads home. Lynne Cherry actually traveled to the Amazon to write and illustrate this book. Her artwork is beautiful and you feel like you are in the rain forest.

Books about Inspiring People Who Made a Difference

These books share the stories of real people who have been involved in conservation efforts to help our Earth.

The Watcher by Jeanette Winter

The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with Chimps by Jeanette Winter takes us on a journey through Jane Goodall’s life. We learn about what Jane was like as a child and how she came to study Chimpanzee’s in Africa. Jane Goodall is an amazing advocate for caring for our the animals in our world.

I Am Jane Goodall by Brad Meltzer

I Am Jane Goodall is part of Brad Meltzer’s Ordinary People Change the World series. It also tells the story of Jane Goodall’s life except is is told from Jane’s perspective. The end of the book does a great job of talking about how our choices affect the world. My favorite quote of Jane Goodall’s is in the book: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World

Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor begins with Rachel Carson as a little girl. It shows her love of nature and how she eventually went on to become a biologist. Her book, Silent Spring brought light to the harmful effects of DDT and other chemicals on the environment. It was responsible for many of the environmental laws we have regarding chemicals today.

Seeds of Change: Wangari’s Gift to the World

Wangari Maathai, a native Kenyan, is the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her work. Maathai returned home from college to a land that had been ruined – the gardens were empty, the trees were gone, and the people were hungry. She helped her people repair the economy and land by teaching them to be environmentally friendly and starting by planting trees. Seeds of Change tells us the story of Wangari’s life and the impact she has had.

What are your favorite books to read for Earth Day?

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This post was first published on April 19, 2020 and has been updated.