Earth science picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Earth Science Picture Books– https://amzn.to/415qQvG .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Still Water: The Wonders of Ponds, Pools, Wetlands, and More (Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers (SSCR))
by Maciej Michno (Author), Danio Miserocchi (Author), Valentina Gottardi (Author), Sylvia Notini (Translator)
Summary: This is a beautifully written and illustrated nonfiction picture book that superbly explains still water such as puddles, ponds, wetlands, peat bogs, and pools.
The book includes information about microorganisms, plant life, insects, and animal life. It is packed with nonfiction text features such as diagrams, detailed labels, English and Latin names for species, and a variety of fonts, font sizes, and colors that add visual interest.
The illustrations, created using ballpoint pen, acrylic paint, and digital media, complement the nonfiction text and enhance the learning experience.
Comments: The backmatter includes a section about the future of these important ecosystems and a glossary.
This is a must-have for any school library, public library, or home library. Very well done.
It should be noted that this book is part of the Eerdmans’ Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers series.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
*I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.
Water: Discovering the Precious Resource All Around Us
by Olga Fadeeva (Author), Lena Traer (Translator)
Summary: This book about water is both interesting and informative. It features a girl and her grandfather who explore everything there is to know about water. The book covers various topics, such as the history of water, its importance to humans and nature, and how it is used. It provides detailed answers to many of the questions about water.
Comments: The book is an absolute must-have for all school or public libraries. The questions are thought-provoking. The book is loaded with nonfiction text features that are instrumental in learning and presenting facts. Furthermore, the pastedown endpapers of the book reveal fascinating water facts. The acrylic paint and water illustrations are simply stunning and magnify the text.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
*I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.
Abigail and the Waterfall: Loving God’s Good Earth
by Sandra L. Richter (Author), Michael Corsini (Illustrator)
Summary: On the first Saturday of every month, a family hikes through the forest, appreciating the beauty of nature around them. They sit by a creek having a picnic while listening to the sound of the water. They make sure to pick up all their trash before they leave.
They continue to their favorite spot: a waterfall. After enjoying its splendor and the plants and animals that live around it, they hike back to the car, grateful for the chance to see all the beautiful plants and animals along the way.
Comments: The text is sprinkled with nature-based Bible quotes and ways that we can take care of the earth.
There is “A Note From the Author” at the back of the book on ways to take care of the earth.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..
*I received a free copy of this book.
Awesome Earth: Concrete Poems Celebrate Caves, Canyons, and Other Fascinating Landforms
by Joan Bransfield Graham (Author), Tania Garcia (Illustrator)
Summary: This is a collection of concrete poems (also known as shape poems) that are shaped in various geological formations.
Comments: Young readers will enjoy following the words as they shape the geological landform. The backdrop illustrations of Tania Garcia complement the poem.
Rating: 4/4 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku
by Curtis Manley (Author), Jennifer K. Mann (Illustrator)
Summary: A family hikes up South Sister, an Oregon volcano, and the young boy shares his observations in haiku, including the terrain, animals, and insects encountered.
Comments: The back sections of the book include “More About Climbing a Mountain,” which provides information on the volcano, necessary equipment, poetry, and living organisms, and “Further Information,” which lists books and websites.
The illustrations are created with a mix of collagraph and monotype printmaking, pencil drawing, digital collage, and paint.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Angela’s Glacier
by Jordan Scott (Author), Diana Sudyka (Illustrator)
Summary: Angela’s father carries his baby daughter on his back while he climbs up ,Snæfellsjökull( translated as snow mountain glacier), a national park in Iceland made up of the glacier and black volcanic lava. They see the plants and wildlife in the area. They listen to the glacier.
As the young girl gets older, she continues to go up the glacier, finally able to hike by herself. When Angela becomes very busy and feels overwhelmed, she finds listening to the glacier calming.
Comments: The afterword tells young readers that the book is inspired by the author’s friend, Angela Rawlings.
I learned that glaciers can have different sounds made by the wind, snow falling on it, water going through a moulin /mo͞oˈlen/(a tunnel inside carved by meltwater), and dripping water.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
The Greatest River
by Namita Moolani Mehra (Author), Khoa Le (Illustrator)
Summary: Ananda, a young girl, listens to her sick mother talk about the legend of the Ganga, a holy river that heals those who bathe in its waters. Ananda accompanies her aunt, Maasi, to bathe in the Ganges River in India and experiences a spiritual connection.
Comments: The author’s note explains that at 13, she traveled from New York with her mother to bathe in the sacred river.
This gives readers a view to Hindu beliefs and explores the significance of the holy bath. It also can be a resource for students facing family health struggles.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
The Tree and the River
by Aaron Becker (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: This wordless picture book begins with a tree growing on the banks of a river. It observes humans throughout the many decades changing with the seasons and years that have gone by.
Comments: Aaron Becker brilliantly captures the Mother Nature vs. humankind aspect through these detailed and thought-provoking illustrations.
This book can be used as a writing exercise of the perspective of the river during a specific time or over a time as it changes.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Great Gusts: Winds of the World and the Science Behind Them
by Melanie Crowder (Author), MEGAN BENEDICT (Author), Khoa Le (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book introduces young readers to various winds around the world. Each of the fourteen winds is accompanied by a poem and a descriptive paragraph. A world map in the back helps to understand the winds’ locality.
Comments: The illustrations were created digitally.
The back sections are What Makes the Wind?, How Are Winds Named?, Local Poetic Traditions, Where the Winds Blow(map of fourteen winds), Glossary, and For Further Reading.
This book could be used in so many ways in the classroom. Students could create wind lines showing the path of each gust, create their own anemometers or weather vanes, or map the world where each different wind is located.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
The Great Lakes: Our Freshwater Treasure
by Barb Rosenstock (Author), Jamey Christoph (Illustrator)
Summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book explains how the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior) were formed, the plants and marine life that inhabit them, and how humans have both utilized and harmed these vital waters.
Comments: The illustrations are created using digitally combined drawings and watercolors. Some back sections include A Message from a Great Lakes Caretaker and Author’s Note.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Hike It: An Introduction to Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking through the U.S.A.
by Iron Tazz (Author), Martin Stanev (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book alternates with a brief description of a park with double-paged illustrations, and then the next double-paged illustrations will be survival tips or advice related to camping or hiking.
Comments: The illustrations were created digitally.
The back section is Further Reading with websites, books, and apps.
This book could be used in the classroom to have students learn about topographical mapping, create their own ten essential practical life skills and safety, or give students a budget and have them calculate the costs of a hiking trip including food, equipment and park entrance fees.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.