Children’s Books About Gardening

Gardens are a treasure trove for the senses and offer a pleasurable learning adventure for children of all ages. Nurture a child’s love of gardening by cozying up with some of our favorite garden-themed children’s books that will foster both a love of reading and an appreciation for the environment and how plants grow. This robust selection of storybooks is sure to cultivate enthusiasm, wonder and a love for gardening in children of all ages.

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

Take an exciting journey through the life cycle of a tiny seed as it transforms into a beautiful flower. This sweet book explores the magic of the germination process while drawing readers in with whimsical and colorful drawings.

The Sunflower House by Eve Bunting

This endearing story embraces the summertime adventure of creating a unique secret garden fort. Enjoy rhyming verse, and cheerful illustrations as the author takes you on a journey that will quell summer boredom. This vibrant story will undoubtedly inspire little ones to want to create a sunflower house of their very own.

If You Hold a Seed by Elly MacKay

Embark on a sweet and inspiring story of a young boy who plants a seed and has to practice patience to see the seed through its life cycle. The illustrations are unique and lovely throughout the book and immerse readers right into the simple and endearing story about a little gardener.

The Giant Carrot by Jan Peck

Enjoy this modern rendition of an ancient Russian folktale that was initially based on a turnip. In this excellent tale, the whimsical Texan family plants a carrot seed that grows so big that it takes every member of the family to yank it out of the ground. Each family member dreams of using the carrot to make something amazing, but the carrot surprises them all and ends up providing enough to meet everyone’s wishes. There is even a sweet carrot recipe at the end of the book that will inspire readers.

My Garden by Kevin Henkes

Join the author on an imaginative journey into the garden in this picture book for young readers.  This book is full of whimsy about a garden that flourishes in cadence with a young girl’s vivid imagination.

We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines

Inspire young children to get their hands dirty in the garden with ‘We are the Gardeners.’ This wholesome children’s book combines real gardening knowledge to a story about family, time, trying new things, facing challenges, and committing to hard work.

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

Explore the beauty of shapes and colors in the garden in this bright and cheerful board book geared for the youngest readers. This book is the perfect introductions into flower identification as well as the identification of basic shapes and colors.

Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden by Edith Pattou

Mrs. Spitzer is a teacher who receives a packet of mixed seeds and uses her tools to prepare and plant a garden.  The story carries on through the way that she tends to the individual needs of each plant and how she nurtures the seeds until they grow and flourish. This endearing tale carries a metaphor that explores the relationship between a gardener and her crop and how it aligns with a teacher and her students.

Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn

In ‘Lola Plants a Garden,’ Little Lola is inspired to grow a garden through the magic of reading. Join Lola on a journey of initiative when Lola seeks to grow a garden of her very own.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Imagine a city with no gardens!  This story takes you on a journey of a young city dweller who loves the outdoors and happens upon a patch of plantings in an unlikely place. Liam found an extraordinary garden along the railway that was ramshackle. Both he and the garden were eager to explore and spread. He tended to it, and he and the garden embarked on a year-round adventure with the garden, which led to a change in the city and a whole bunch of new gardeners.

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

Enjoy this classic story about the perseverance and hope of a young gardener who looked past the doubts of others and cared for the seed that he believed would grow.

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Young readers will love the sweet board book that takes you on a journey of the planting and care of a vegetable garden that will someday become a hearty vegetable soup.

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy

Looking for fun ways to cultivate and nurture a love of gardening in children? This engaging book has lots of imaginative ways of gardening with young people.

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals

Experience the wonderful world of compost in this informative eco-conscious book about making compost. The author uses a fun rhythmic approach to taking young readers on an alphabetical journey to all of the components of rich compost.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

Take an exciting and picturesque adventure to the two different worlds of the garden where up in the garden, the environment is lush and green and full of veggies and fruits and down in the soil is a busy underworld full of worms and other organisms that call the garden home.

Share The Garden Love