Do you have a garden of growing readers in your classroom? Show them the wonders of literature with these ten books about gardens! Step into the world of green adventures and discover vibrant flowers, buzzing bees, and exciting scenes—all bound to help your preschoolers fall in love with reading. Plus, each book is oozing with a powerful voice and whimsical illustrations—so don’t be surprised if they keep asking for more! Get ready to explore nature’s story time by taking a peek at our list of must-read garden books for preschoolers.
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Garden Lesson Plans
The tiny Seed by eric Carle
Garden Books for Preschoolers
We started off our week of garden books for preschoolers by reading The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle, which tells the journey of several seeds, showing how even the tiniest of seeds has to overcome many obstacles to become a flower. Eric Carle is a personal favorite, especially the way he constructs his illustrations with pieces of painted paper.
Just like the tiny seed that grew into an enormous flower in the book, we tried to build the tallest flower. Such a great STEM challenge for the kiddos! We left it pretty open as far as materials that could be used. The only stipulation: the flower had to stand up by itself in order to be measured!
Questions:
- What are some obstacles that stop seeds from growing?
- What kinds of seeds have you seen before?
Plants can't sit still
by Rebecca Hirsch
Bursts of color and beauty await in Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert, the enchanting story of a mother-daughter gardening duo that sows seeds of joy every spring. Every colorful flower is celebrated with vibrant rainbow pages sprinkled throughout – from alluring amaryllis to zesty zinnias! A delightful tale for budding gardeners everywhere, this book will bring smiles for miles.
Just like the beautiful array of flowers found in this garden book, we searched garden magazines for flowers of every color of the rainbow. The kiddos cut them out to form a collage on a simple (free) diagram. These turned out so magnificent! Such a great way to incorporate lots of cutting skills and sorting by color!
Questions:
- What is your favorite color flower?
- Have you ever planted a flower?
The bad seed by jory john
Garden Books for Preschoolers
If you haven’t yet, check out this book! We learned how we could personally change for the better despite all of the hard obstacles we have undergone after reading The Bad Seed by Jory John.
The sunflower seed in this book acted very badly because bad things happened to him, but he decided to change for the better.
Such a powerful message, plus the author has such a great voice! This has become a favorite book around my house!
Sometimes all it takes for behavior improvement is a little reflection. After reading The Bad Seed by Jory John, we talked about things we can do to help others – actions that are good. The kids talked about sharing toys, helping each other learn letters, drawing pictures for each other, holding the door, and taking turns.
Questions:
- What are some things that the seed did that were good?
- What are some things that you can do that are good?
planting a rainbow
by Lois Ehlert
Next, we read Plants Can’t Sit Still by Rebecca Hirsch, which is a beautifully illustrated book that shows all of the different motions that plants go through as they grow and change and move around our planet. Plants climb fences, burst open, and turn toward the sunlight in this beautifully illustrated book that teaches children how incredibly active plants really are!
Ready for a brain break after reading this garden book for preschoolers? These action cards and brain break video are the perfect way to get the wiggles out after reading Plants Can’t Sit Still by Rebecca Hirsch. Our favorite: snapping like a Venus flytrap!
Using motion to exemplify words enhances comprehension and develops a deeper understanding of vocabulary. Acting things out can also lead to improved gestures during conversations, making us better communicators.
Questions:
- What are some actions plants do?
- Sometimes it’s hard to sit still. When you feel wiggly, what do you like to do?
The surprise garden by zoe hall
Garden Books for Preschool
In The Surprise Garden, follow the story of curious children who take a leap into the unknown. What started as unlabeled seeds turns out to be an exciting journey with something special growing at every turn! Join these budding gardeners for fun and surprises along their green-thumbed way!
This garden book for preschoolers is a great starting point for growing your own plants. It’s never too early to start cultivating those green thumbs – and with our garden science activities, you’ll be on track for gardening glory!
Questions:
- If you could plant any vegetable, what would you choose?
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It’s easy to see how a garden full of flowers, surprising plots, and yummy vegetables can make a preschooler smile. Through these amazing books, they can learn valuable lessons about nature and the environment in an interesting way. From rainbows of flowers to growing vegetables – you are sure to find something special for you and your class. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and choose your garden books for preschoolers today! Watch their faces light up with excitement as they explore the wonderful world of nature!
