The Stick Book: Loads of things you can make or do with a stick

by Fiona Danks, Jo Schofield

Year Published: 2012

Packed with 70 ideas and projects, The Stick Book will give you loads of inspiration for using the wonderful, free, and all-natural toy: the stick. As The National Museum of Play (New York) pointed out when they put the stick in their National Toy Hall of Fame, 'It can be a Wild West horse, a medieval knight's sword, a boat on a stream, or a slingshot with a rubber band …' A stick can be anything you want it to be. This book will give you loads of inventive ideas for spending quality time outdoors with your children – from the adventurous to the magical, getting creative to playing games, making music to building bug hotels. With 70 ideas and projects, there will be something for every little adventurer, dreamer or budding ecologist in The Stick Book. All you need to get started is … a stick!

Recommended for ages 8-11

The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit

by Beatrix Potter

Year Published: 2007

Newly reissued with the classic cover design, Beatrix Potter’s four stories featuring Peter Rabbit are brought together in one volume, so that Peter’s escapades can be read as a continuous saga. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and The Tale of Mr. Tod are all included with complete text and original art. From Peter’s mischievous childhood in Mr. McGregor’s garden to the time he rescues a family from Tommy Brock’s clutches, Peter Rabbit’s story is one children will want to hear again and again.

Recommended for ages 3-7

Stone Soup

by Jess Stockhamm

Year Published: 2007

Step into the magical world of Child's Play fairy tales… Traditional tales are a well-established part of all cultures. Retold from the originals, these lively stories will captivate readers with their delightful illustrations and fun lift-up flaps which really add to the action. The 'flip-up' flaps encourage prediction and discussion, and well-known stories will give young readers confidence.

Recommended for ages 3-7

Bear's New Friend

by Karma Wilson

Year Published: 2009

Eager to play in the fall leaves, Bear heads out to find his friend, Mouse, but is startled by clatter in a tree. Determined to find out who is making all the noise, Bear goes on a short journey, picking up all his friends on the way, until he discovers a quite bashful owl whom he declares their NEW FRIEND!

Recommended for ages 3-7

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Eric Carle

Year Published: 1981

Perfect for teaching the days of the week, offers readers an interactive experience.

Recommended for ages 2-5

Diary of a Worm

by Doreen Cronin

Year Published: 2003

This hilarious picture book from the bestselling, acclaimed author-illustrator team of Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss tells the adventures of a worm through his daily diary entries. This worm lives with his parents, plays with his friends, and even goes to school. But unlike you or me, he never has to take a bath, he gets to eat his homework, and because he doesn't have legs, he just can't do the hokey pokey—no matter how hard he tries.

Recommended for ages 4-8

Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek

by Marianne Berkes

Year Published: 2012

Follow the tracks of ten woodland animals but . . . uh-oh . . . watch out for the skunk! Children learn the ways of forest animals to the rhythm of "Over in the Meadow" as they leap like a squirrel, dunk like a raccoon, and pounce like a fox. They will also count the babies and search for ten hidden forest animals. Cut paper illustrations add to the fun in this delightful introduction to a woodland habitat. Once again, Marianne Berkes makes learning fun. Kids will hide, graze, and pounce as they imitate and count the animals. Like Over in Australia, the cut-paper illustrations will inspire many an art project. Plus, Marianne provides tons of ideas for activities and curriculum extensions about forest animals, literature, and writing.

Recommended for ages 3-6

The Shortest Day

by Susan Cooper

Year Published: 2019

As the sun set on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles. They played music, bringing their own light to the darkness, while wondering if the sun would ever rise again. Written for a theatrical production that has become a ritual in itself, Susan Cooper’s poem "The Shortest Day" captures the magic behind the returning of the light, the yearning for traditions that connect us with generations that have gone before — and the hope for peace that we carry into the future. Richly illustrated by Carson Ellis with a universality that spans the centuries, this beautiful book evokes the joy and community found in the ongoing mystery of life when we celebrate light, thankfulness, and festivity at a time of rebirth. Welcome Yule!

Recommended for ages 4-8

A Seed is Sleepy

by Dianna Hutts Aston

Year Published: 2014

This gorgeous book from award-winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston offers children a beautiful and informative look at the intricate, complex, and often surprising world of seeds. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts, making it perfect reading material at home or in the classroom.

Recommended for ages 5-8

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

by Kate Messner

Year Published: 2015

Up in the garden, the world is full of green - leaves and sprouts, growing vegetable, reopening fruit. But down in the dirt there is a busy world of earthworms digging, snakes hunting, skunks burrowing, and all the other animals that make a garden their home. in this exuberant and lyrical book, discover the wonders that lie hidden between stalks, under the shade of leaves . . . and down in the dirt.

Recommended for ages 5-8

Finding Wild

by Megan Wagner Lloyd

Year Published: 2016

There are so many places that wild can exist, if only you know where to look! Can you find it? Two kids set off on an adventure away from their urban home and discover all the beauty of the natural world. From the bark on the trees to the sudden storm that moves across the sky to fire and flowers, and snowflakes and fresh fruit. As the children make their way through the woods and bark to the paved and noisy streets, they discover that wild exists not just off in some distant place, but right in their own backyard.

Recommended for ages 3-7

I Took a Walk

by Henry Cole

Year Published: 1998

Have you ever sat quietly near a stream, or in a meadow or a wood, and just looked and listened? Well, now is your chance-come walk with Henry Cole in this delightful follow-up to Jack's Garden. Vibrant, die-cut flaps fold out, inviting young viewers to observe the many forms of wildlife and plants found on land and in the water. Turn the pages for an interactive and fun exploration into nature. You'll be surprised by how much you see!

Recommended for ages 4-8

Owl Moon

by Jane Yolan

Year Published: 1987

Distinguished author Jane Yolen has created a gentle, poetic story that lovingly depicts the special companionship of a young child and her father as well as humankind's close relationship to the natural world. Wonderfully complemented by John Schoenherr's soft, exquisite watercolor illustrations, this is a verbal and visual treasure, perfect for reading aloud and sharing at bedtime.

Recommended for ages 4-8

The Busy Tree

by Jennifer Ward

Year Published: 2009

Gentle rhyming couplets describe the different parts of an oak tree and the roles they play in feeding and sheltering the animals of the forest. From the roots and bark to the leaves and acorns, Ward pays tribute to each in simple-seeming phrases that sneakily introduce good vocabulary, such as boughs, hatchlings, scurry and prowl.

Recommended for ages 5-8

Whose Tracks Are These?: A Clue Book of Familiar Forest Animals

by James D. Nail

Year Published: 1996

A series of clues and illustrations detail how to identify a variety of pawprints found in the woodlands.

Recommended for ages 6-10