Like many of you Rosies have stated, one of the reasons we are motivated to grow a backyard vegetable garden is to teach our children & grandchildren about healthy food choices, the joys of getting their hands dirty, and watching something grow.
From my years of experience working as an elementary school teacher, I have found several books that have been helpful to inspire children to think more positively about vegetables and growing their own gardens.
Please share some of your favorite children’s gardening books, as well! In the meantime, I hope the following titles will provide some reading fun and good conversation for you and your family!
The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson. A Father tells his son a story about how he damaged a neighbor’s tomato garden when he was ten, and how the neighbor taught him to garden to make amends. Has a great moral about the value of community and cooking from your garden. Ages 8+
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. When Miss Rumphius was a child she told her grandfather she wanted to be like him and travel the world, he told her that she also needed to find something to make the world a more beautiful place. After her travels, Miss Rumphius walks all over her town planting wild flowers, to bring beauty into her world. Every year the flowers come out and it makes everyone smile. An inspiring story for young girls. Ages 8+
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert. The alphabet book features a wide variety of unusual fruits and vegetables, to help expose children to new foods. Beautiful pictures keep children highly engaged. Ages 3+
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert. This popular book describes the steps involved in growing vegetables and making vegetable soup. This book fills a niche; it is a good book for getting very young kids excited about growing vegetables. It even has a recipe for making your own soup at the back! Ages 2+
Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow: A Compost Story by Linda Glaser and Shelley Rotner. A non-fiction book that introduces children to composting. Fun pictures of real children engaged in composting, encourages children to try it out at home. Ages 4+
How Groundhog’s Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry. Squirrel teaches Groundhog how to grow his own garden after he was caught nibbling on the neighbors crops. It includes a ridiculous amount of information about how to garden into this story. If you are looking for one book to read to your kids before planting your own vegetable garden, this is an excellent choice. Ages 5+
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting and Kathryn Hewitt. A rhyme about a young girl who surprises her mother by planting flowers in a flower box. A great book for young children and urban gardeners. Ages 2+
Weslandia by Paul Fleishman. An imaginative young boy plants some magical seeds that transform his yard one summer and he uses the plant to create his own civilization. Stunning colorful pictures draw children in to this wild tale. Ages 8+
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Kraus. Classic little picture book with illustrations by Crockett Johnson, well-known for Harold and the Purple Crayon. A little boy plants a carrot seed. Despite being told by his entire family that the seed won’t grow, the boy perseveres. Every day, he carefully weeds and waters the area where he planted the seed. A plant grows, and one day, the boy is rewarded with a big orange carrot. Children love this story. Ages 2+
City Green by Dyanne DiSalvo-Ryan. What happens when a diverse group of city neighbors works together to rid their street of a litter-filled vacant lot? How young Mary, Miss Rosa, and their neighbors transform the vacant lot into a community garden of flowers and vegetables makes an interesting and realistic story. Ages 6+
