At Serendipity Gardens, we try to provide an outdoor place that is attractive to kids. We have a pond with frogs and fish, a swing set and play dome, a fire pit for conversation and roasting marshmallows, lots of interesting plants, including instant edibles like cherry tomatoes, and lots of space for running, playing imaginative games, and more.
I read about “nature deficit disorder,” and I think to myself, “My grandchildren will never have that … because their parents make sure they get outside, including in our garden.”
But at this season of the year, when it is cold outside and the dormant garden is not as much fun to play in, what can we do? One thing is to purchase nature-related books and gifts for Christmas.
My youngest five grandchildren are 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8. Here are some books I have found to pique their interest in nature and encourage them to learn more. I like to get them each at least one book and one toy. This post is for books.
For a Toddler and a Pre-Schooler (2 and 3)
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
Eric Carle is the author of one of all my grandchildren’s favorite books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I’ve read that book more times than I can count. So, I figured that this book about a spider and the one that follows, about a ladybug, both by the same author, would be good bets.
I like this book because I see that it is a lift-the-flap book, which kids always enjoy. I also like it because I like spiders in the garden — and I would prefer that my grandchildren not cower in fear when they see one. I want them to appreciate an intricate spider web, sparkling with dew in the early morning. The webs spiders make have a number of interesting characteristics that make them the subject of scientific study, such as the startling fact that they are stronger than steel. Researchers have learned that spider webs have healing properties, too.
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
Ladybugs are another of my favorite garden bugs, though in fact, they are not bugs, but beetles. They are definitely beneficial in the garden. They love aphids and will keep aphid infestations in check if the gardener has enough patience to let natural processes work. A single ladybug can eat as many as 5,000 aphids during its nine-month lifetime.
According to Amazon, the book tells the story of “a bad-tempered bug who won’t say ‘please’ or ‘thank you,’ won’t share, and thinks she is bigger and better than anyone else. As children follow the Grouchy Ladybug on her journey, they will learn the important concepts of time, size, and shape, as well as the benefits of friendship and good manners.”
Not bad lessons for anyone to learn!
For a KIndergartener and a First Grader (5 and 6)
The Secret Pool by Kimberly Ridley and Rebekah Raye
This award-winning book for young readers looks great to me. The cover, with the child’s boots, frogs, and other animals intrigues me. The title makes me think of a childhood favorite, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which is also on my list (see below).
Here’s what Amazon has to say about it:
“… secret pools form every year when low places on the forest floor fill up with rain and melted snow. They soon become home to hatching wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and fairy shrimp. Even in late summer and fall, when many vernal pools have shrunk to mud holes, creatures such as turtles and snakes rely on them for shelter and food.
The Secret Pool introduces young readers to the wonders right underfoot as the voice of a vernal pool shares its secrets through the seasons, and sidebars provide fun facts on its inhabitants and the crucial role these small, often overlooked wetlands play in maintaining a healthy environment …”
I want my grandchildren to be more aware of the wonders of nature than many children are today and sensitive to all forms of life that are part of their world. This book should help with that goal.
Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
I love the cover of this book. The sharp contrast of the black and white catches my attention, and I hope it will pique the interest of my five- and six-year-olds, too.
The idea of the book is exploring the night. Many people, myself included, don’t venture out into the garden at night very much. If we did, what would we see? This book should provide a number of answers to that question and introduce the kids — and perhaps their grandmother — to some nocturnal animals.
Amazon says, “Inside a tent it’s cozy. But what is going on outside? Is it dark? Is it scary? Not if you have your trusty flashlight! Telling the story solely through images and using a spare yet dramatic palette, artist Lizi Boyd has crafted a masterful exploration of night, nature, and art. Both lyrical and humorous, this visual poem—like the flashlight beam itself—reveals that there is magic in the darkness. We just have to look for it.”
I suppose I should consider flashlights as nature-related gifts to go along with this book!
For a Second Grader (8)
For my second-grade granddaughter, I chose a couple of old classics that I loved when I was growing up. She is quite a reader, and I think she will enjoy these books, if not right now, then in a year or two.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I totally loved this book when I was young. I read it more than once, and not too long ago, I read it again.
Here are the words from Amazon: “This timeless classic is a poignant tale of Mary, a lonely orphaned girl sent to a Yorkshire mansion at the edge of a vast, lonely moor. At first, she is frightened by this gloomy place until she meets a local boy, Dickon, who’s earned the trust of the moor’s wild animals, the invalid Colin, an unhappy boy terrified of life, and a mysterious, abandoned garden…
The garden in the book is quite spectacular. Even more important than its looks, however, are its healing properties. Mary, Dickon, and Colin work on it in secret and transform it from a neglected, dilapidated place to the garden it is supposed to be. In the process, more than the garden is transformed.
The idea of having a secret place to go that no one else knows about is one of the joys of childhood. My kids all had hideaways, and I want my grandchildren to have these secret spaces, too. Perhaps this book will inspire them to find one.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
I read this book as a child, and I also read it many times to my daughters when they were young. We all loved it. We all laughed … and we all cried. The book engendered conversations about sensitive topics that I would like to see repeated with my grandchildren.
We learned about Fern Zuckerman, a child living on a farm, and the animals she interacts with. The most engaging stars are Wilbur the pig and Charlotte, the spider. None of us will ever forget Templeton the rat, either.
Amazon offers this description:
“Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte’s web, high up in Zuckerman’s barn. Charlotte’s spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur’s life when he was born the runt of his litter.
E. B. White’s Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.”
You just can’t beat Charlotte’s Web!
For Everyone
26 Things that Bug Me, by Michael Raupp
Finally, I chose one more book for general audiences. I will probably keep this one at my house to share with any one of my grandchildren when they visit. It’s just an A-B-C book, but it’s also a book that teaches readers about 26 interesting bugs. I can hardly wait to read it.
I found this book on the website Trees Are Good, published by the International Society of Arboriculture. You can buy a number of books there related to trees as well as other items like caps and tee shirts.
The “Look Inside” feature of the book on Amazon shows that it contains a lovely detailed picture of each bug, the kind of picture that will help you recognize and identify the bug when you see it outside.
Who knows? Maybe this book will inspire one of my grandchildren to become an entomologist!
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