Our Favourite Kids Books for World Environment Day

National Trust: Sam Plants a Sunflower

Discover the joy of growing things in this non-fiction nature picture book series from Axel Scheffler and the National Trust.

Sam loves big, yellow sunflowers, so when his friends Worm and Ladybird suggest he grows his own, he soon plants some seeds in his garden. Join Sam as he watches them grow, with fun flaps to lift to see what's happening underground and a big sunflower pop-up surprise.

With a gentle story and simple facts to explain how plants grow, children will be inspired to get outside and follow the helpful tips to plant their very own sunflowers.

The Ocean Gardener

Ayla and her marine biologist mum live on a beautiful tropical island, surrounded by a coral reef. One morning, Ayla notices that many of the fish have disappeared, and the once vibrant corals have turned pale. Is it too late to save the reef? 

The Lorax

Celebrate the original eco warrior! After fifty years his message is more important than ever, so enjoy Dr. Seuss’s trademark rhyme in this anniversary edition of the classic environmental fable.

The Lorax is a timeless classic that has been using humour and rhyme to raise awareness of the destruction of the environment for more than fifty years. Join the long-suffering crusader and help save the planet with this very special anniversary edition of Dr. Seuss’s beloved, and still achingly relevant, ode to conservation.

The perfect gift for children passionate about our planet, or just those who love to read.

We Are the Wibbly!

The funny, heartfelt and irresistible story of one small creature's epic journey from tadpole to frog. 

Small Steps, Big Change

A book on sustainable living, inspired by The Sustainable Development Goals (formulated by the United Nations), Small Steps, Big Change is a one-stop-shop for small, everyday goals kids can aim for to engender positive change in our world. Packed with helpful tips in a simple, upbeat language that children will understand, and illustrated in a bold and quirky style by James Jones (One More Try, The Perfect Fit), this is the ideal guide to inspire children to help build a better tomorrow.

From making puppets out of old socks, to spreading kindness and protecting our oceans, kids will love getting involved in all the ways we can make a difference to the world. 

Bud: The story of how a plant grows ... up!

This bright, fun and friendly non-fiction picture book about what happens when one plant grows (up) is a gentle introduction to plant life cycles for readers 3+. Meet Bud, a TINY rosebud on a BIG adventure. Sitting in a cosy greenhouse, in an even cosier red pot is Bud. Every day, Bud is warmed by Sun and told stories about the BIg Outside by Moon. Bud is happy and content until ... POP! Bud is planted beside looming trees and wiggly worms. The Big Outside is SCARY – but new adventures can be, and there's no bigger adventure than growing up. A reassuring growing-up story with facts about plants, this adorable book will inspire green fingers in little ones while preparing them for their own growing-up journey.

Lola and Larch Fix a Fairy Forest

Lola can't believe her luck – the rabbit she's rescued is actually a fairy in disguise. Now she has her very own fairy! There's just one problem. Larch, the rebellious fairy she's rescued, is convinced that Lola is her human...

But while Larch and Lola discuss the merits of snail slime for breakfast and try to decide who should be in charge, there's a bad fairy on the loose. Evil Euphorbia Spurge wants magic, and Larch is full of it. Soon it's a battle of wits, wands and fairy wings as the new friends take on the wildest fairy in the woods...

Beautifully illustrated throughout, Lola and Larch is a heart-warming, funny celebration of friendship. It's the perfect series for 7+ readers who like fairies, magic, and very naughty rabbits!

The Last Bear

The Last Bear is perfect for readers of 8+, beautifully illustrated throughout by Levi Pinfold

There are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At least, that’s what April’s father tells her when his scientific research takes them to this remote Arctic outpost for six months. But one endless summer night, April meets one. He is starving, lonely and a long way from home. Determined to save him, April begins the most important journey of her life.

This moving story will win the hearts of children the world over and show them that no one is too young or insignificant to make a difference. The Last Bear is a celebration of the love between a child and an animal, a battle cry for our world and an irresistible adventure with a heart as big as a bear’s.

Explodapedia: Rewild

Rewild is a celebration of nature and the incredible ways it keeps us alive, and an exploration of how we can welcome the wild on a personal and epic scale. River-nurturing wolves, tree-toppling beavers, climate warrior whales and even genetically-engineered woolly mammoths could all help us protect, revive and restore our planet to its full glory. Join Ben Martynoga and Moose Allain for an inspiring look at how we can rewild life so that nature – and humankind – flourishes for a long time to come.

Reek

Climate catastrophe leaves the people of Earth fighting for oxygen in this gripping dystopian thriller from bestselling sci-fi author Alastair Chisholm.

Sparrow lives in the world after the Reek. The atmosphere is toxically polluted, and Axel Brodie, the tech billionaire behind Zephyr Industries, is cashing in as the only supplier of clean air. Sparrow is struggling to help her family survive until her brilliant inventor friend, Miriam Fenn, comes up with a new form of technology that could break Zephyr’s stranglehold on the air supply. But men like Brodie are hard to defeat, and he will do everything in his power to stop Miriam and Sparrow. Who will triumph in this battle to breathe?

Drowning in My Bedroom

The terrifying impact of global warming on vulnerable lives is laid bare in this gripping tale of survival from internationally bestselling author Steve Cole.

Gayla is trapped when floodwater pours into her bedroom in a residential centre for kids with disabilities and she’s all alone with no way out. Junjun’s makeshift shack has been washed away in the flood and he needs to find medicine for his sister, who’s sick after drinking contaminated water.

At first these two young people seem to have little in common and pity each other, but as the waters continue to rise, can they find a way to work together to survive…?