Hello, readers! Welcome to another blog post!
As April showers are clearing, and the May flowers are getting ready to bloom, I felt it appropriate to put together a list of books that are great to be read outside. Some of the books on this list have a nature theme, others have fun outdoor activities that can be done along with them, and ALL of them can be enjoyed in the great outdoors.
Paletero Man / ¡Qué paletero tan cool!
Written by Lucky Diaz, Illustrated by Micah Player, Translated by Dr. Carmen Tafolla
Paletas, anyone?
I could put this book on all of my recommendation lists. It’s one of my favorites!
Written by Latin Grammy Award winner, Lucky Diaz, Paletero Man celebrates community and all the different flavors of summer! Diaz wrote a song for this book too! It has the same name, and will 100% be stuck in your head all summer.
You can read this book and listen to the song, really, anywhere. Backyard parties, picnics in the park, and it could even be good for counselors to read to their campers! Wherever you read it, though, make sure you get plenty of nice, cold paletas.
Firefly Home
Written by Jane Clarke, Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup
Florence the firefly is lost! Oh no! Take an adventure with Florence as she finds her way back home, seeing different lights that may or may not be her firefly family.
Firefly Home would be such a fun book to read at night, or early evening, when the fireflies are flying outside. Fireflies are cute and friendly! You can even catch some in your hands or a glass jar. Just make sure to release them once you’re done looking at them! They’ll want to fly home, just like Florence!
The Not-So Great Outdoors
Written and Illustrated by Madeline Kloepper
In The Not-So Great Outdoors, we follow the main character on a camping adventure with her family. Although she is not very excited about being outdoors so much at first, she warms up to it and ends up having a life-changing experience.
If you know any kids who aren’t so keen on the outdoors, this would be a nice book to read to them. Kloepper does a beautiful job, through the story and imagery, in encouraging kids to look up from their screens, get out of their own heads, and admire the natural world that we live in.
Mine!
Written by Candace Fleming, Illustrated by Eric Rohmann
Different forest animals all claim a soon-to-fall apple as their own. Who will get to the apple first?
Mine! Is filled with plenty of rhyming words, alliteration, and sound words that are sure to be entertaining to little ones!
I love the illustrations that Rohmann did for this book. The block-style images are bold and attention-grabbing. They also make me want to enjoy my own delicious red apple. You could have apples on hand in case the same happens to you and the kiddos while reading!
The Case of the Missing Chalk Drawings
Written and Illustrated by Richard Byrnes
The chalk drawings keep disappearing! Will the chalks be able to catch the culprit?
This is a perfect book to read outside and then play with some chalk! You can do some drawings with the kiddos or even create a chalk activity like hopscotch or another type of obstacle course.
Please Take Me For a Walk
Written and Illustrated by Susan Gal
What kinds of things do dogs like to do when they go for walks?
This book is fun because it shows why dogs love walks through a dog’s perspective. It would be a great read for kids who have a dog, or who have been asking to get a dog of their own. Please Take Me for a Walk gives parents/guardians a great opportunity to teach kids about the responsibilities of having a dog.
As a dog lover and owner, I loved reading this picture book. It got me a bit teary eyed at the end because dogs are just so good!
My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo
Written and Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
A wonderful picture book with bright, sunny illustrations. The story follows a young girl who notices the many colors that are everywhere she looks. The text is in both Spanish and English, so you can read it in whichever language you feel most comfortable, OR use it as a fun resource to teach/learn words in another language.
One activity that can be paired with this book is to look around outside and find things that are each color highlighted in the book. Or you can look around and see what colors are around you, since we all might have different colors that we see!
Jump In!
Written and Illustrated by Shadra Strickland
Read a story about how double dutch can bring a community together!
Jump in! is perfect for kids who like to jump rope, or want to learn how to jump double dutch. If you have a group of 2 or more kids (and yourself), and 2 jump ropes, you can easily set up a session of double dutch! If you don’t know how, what a great opportunity to come together and learn! Alternatively, if you only have 1 child with you, you can still provide them with a jump rope to have fun with! Explain to them that you need more people to jump double dutch, but that they can try another time with their friends/cousins/whoever.
What Can You Do with a Rock?
Written by Pat Zietlow Miller, Illustrated by Katie Kath
Have you ever picked up a rock and thought about all of the things you can do with it? Some people don’t, but some people can look at rocks and see all the wonders that they hold.
Pat Zietlow Miller shows that the possibilities to do activities with rocks are endless. She also gives insights on where you can find rocks that you can take home with you, and which rocks are just for admiring from afar and leaving them alone.
Get outside and find some cool rocks! There are pages in the back of the book that give more information on rocks like classifying and sorting them. Whatever you want to do with rocks, though, it is sure to be fun to look around to find your favorite one! You could read the book to your kiddo, then go outside to sort rocks by color, shape, size, etc.!
Jayden’s Impossible Garden
Written by Mélina Mangal, Illustrated by Ken Daley
Bringing the outdoors to you!
Perfect for kids (and grownups!) who are growing up in more urban environment. Shows how you can enjoy the outdoors and create nature, even if you can’t see much nature around you.
There are many crafts you can do to bring nature to you. You could create bird houses out of an every day item. Empty milk cartons, water bottles, paper plates, and more! If you don’t have an outside area of your home, you could be able to hang the bird house/feeder outside of a window and watch the birds! You can also grow a sprout from a dried bean in a clear container. This way, you can see the roots growing! They only take a few days to start growing, and they’re fun for kids to track, too!
Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post!
Write in the comments if you’ve read any of these books! I want to hear your thoughts!
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