Many of us have nostalgic memories of our favorite children’s book characters: snacking with The Hungry Caterpillar, learning to share with Rainbow Fish, or rhyming with the Cat in the Hat.

It’s no surprise that reading to three to five year olds is linked to powerful academic benefits. At this age, young learners are discovering that the pictures and words in books represent real world things. They delight in discovering the patterns of rhyme and song and are exposed to rich vocabulary through story. A University of Oxford study found that children’s book contain far more lexically dense, diverse and rare words than child (or teacher)-directed speech.

Not only does reading with children help create lifelong learners; expressive, responsive read-alouds support the formation of deep bonds between caregiver and child. Asking open-ended questions like “What do you think is going to happen next?” can help children to develop important cognitive skills and connect the world they know and understand with new ideas. Karen Stoiber, a psychologist working with Head Start, implores that this is especially important for students experiencing poverty or other adverse childhood experiences.

The research is clear, reading picture books with children is incredibly important, but what to read? There are a lot of different ways to answer that question!

Laura Justice, an educational researcher, asserts “print-rich” details are important including “features that draw children's eyes to words and letters, such as dialogue bubbles, words written in crayon or large font, or words that whoosh up and down the page”.

Rudine Sims Bishop, renowned as the ‘mother’ of multicultural literature, famously expressed that books should serve as both windows and mirrors for children. Windows help children imagine different ways of life and empathize with others. They can develop respect and appreciation for other cultures, families, and ways of life. Books as mirrors help children to see themselves reflected back from the story, establishing their sense of self. Stories about nature and the environment can give children a pathway to empathizing with animals, plants, and the natural world, and caring for it too.

The following 12 children’s books could represent either windows to the natural world or mirrors for you and the children in your life. They all celebrate joy, exploration, and personal development in nature and center diverse families and protagonists. This is only a small selection of potential titles.

In Eco Girl, Eve lives near a forest and nurtures a seedling, discovering the joy of giving back. In the nonfiction tale Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner witness the life of the first Black entomologist as he discovers a fascination with insects.

Eco Girl: Author: Ken Wilson-Max Illustrator: Ronca

Buzzing with Questions: Author: Janice N. Harrington , Illustrator: Theodore Taylor

Get interactive with A Fantastic Day for Finnegan the Frog: “Let out your loudest croak and leapfrog across lily pads!” Explore the nasty noises of animal food chains with Creep, Leap Crunch: A Food Chain Story.

Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story: Author: Jody Jensen Shaffer Illustrator: Christopher Silas Neal

A Fantastic Day for Finnegan the Frog: Author & Illustrator: Clair Rossiter

In the award winning Bird Count, you’ll use your senses to learn about community science and in Bioblitz get ready to count critters hiding on the pages.

Bird Count: Author: Susan Edwards Richmond Illustrator: Stephanie Fizer Coleman

Bioblitz: Counting Critters: Author: Susan Edwards Richmond Illustrator: Stephanie Fizer Coleman

Follow deer tracks and become immersed in nature with the three young explorers in The Hike or search for an extraordinary nature treasure in Alice Feagan’s The Collectors.

The Hike: Author & Illustrator: Alison Farrell

The Collectors: Author: Jacqueline West Illustrator: Krysten Brooker

Discover the importance of family, both animals and human, in English and Spanish in Nosotros Means Us. In Call Me Tree/ Llamame Arbol journey with a young child on their path of self-discovery in nature.

Nosotros Means Us: Un Cuento Bilingüe / A Bilingual Story: Author & Illustrador: Paloma Valdivia

Call Me Tree / Llámame Árbol: Author & Illustrador: Maya Gonzalez

In Fatima’s Great Outdoors, journey along while a family embarks on their first ever camping trip. In Where We Come From explore human identity, scientifically and metaphorically.

Fatima’s Great Outdoors: Author: Ambreen Tariq Illustrator: Stevie Lewis

Where We Come From is a unique collaborative picture book authored by four writers: Diane Wilson, Sun Yung Shin, Shannon Gibney, and John Coy.

Rachel Dorencz was the Community Programs Manager focusing on early childhood education at Walking Mountains, in her free time you can find her reading stories to her pet rabbit, Bunbun.