The Best Children’s Books about Gardening

Instill the value of growing gardens, taking care of nature, and nourishing the soil! Here are the best children’s books about gardening.

The Best Children's Books about GardeningOver the last few years, my family and I have been experimenting with gardening in our backyard. We’re “serious” enough to get raised beds and tick off all the right requirements to actually grow food (sun, soil, season, and spacing).

Before that, we’ve had many dismal fails, from growing one measly tomato out of four plants to seeing all our kale seedlings get munched to the ground. But we’ve also had our wonderful surprises, like eating peas fresh from the vine to plucking radishes from the ground.

Even living in an apartment didn’t stop us from learning about gardening and the plant cycle. We planted in containers and grew vegetables in pots along our patio.

Sure, we ended up buying a 12″ pot, two bags of soil, and plant food just to grow one Swiss chard. But that’s what’s awesome about gardening. There’s no “purpose” other than the delight of watching a seed grow into vegetables. The kids get to see the growth process, from seed to harvesting from the soil. They anticipate the day we get to finally reap our produce and start anew.

Every year, I learn something new from our own garden (this year’s lesson: don’t plant summer crops until overnight temperatures are at least 50 degrees!). We’re growing strawberries, blueberries, lemons, and figs. And our vegetable garden will soon be filled with tomatoes, corn, peppers, to include in our recipes.

Plus, here’s the best part: my kids look forward to eating meals cooked with our vegetables. Nothing gets them more excited about eating vegetables than growing and planting them.

Vegetable Garden for Kids

Children’s books about gardening

As usual, I like to reinforce what we’re learning with books about the growth of a plant from seed germination to harvest. We learn about the seasons of the year and how they impact our food and gardens. Some gardening books even give tips on just what you need to grow the vegetables you place on your table.

If you’re looking for children’s books about gardening for toddlers and little kids, you’ve come to the right place. Check out my top selections below for young readers.

Children's Books about Seasons

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In a Garden by Tim McCanna and Aimée Sicuro

In a Garden by Tim McCanna

Plants Can't Sit Still by Rebecca E. Hirsch

Plants Can’t Sit Still by Rebecca E. Hirsch

Plants Feed Me by Lizzy Rockwell

Plants Feed Me by Lizzy Rockwell

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson

How Groundhog’s Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry

How Groundhog’s Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry

A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Aston

A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Aston

What's in the Garden? by Marianne Berkes

What’s in the Garden? by Marianne Berkes

In Our Garden by Pat Zietlow Miller and Melissa Crowton

In Our Garden by Pat Zietlow Miller

Tokyo Digs a Garden by Jon-Erik Lappano and Kellen Hatanaka

Tokyo Digs a Garden by Jon-Erik Lappano

Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery

Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood  by Tony Hillery

The Extraordinary Gardener by Sam Boughton

Grandma's Gardens by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Carme Lemniscates

Grandma’s Gardens by Hillary Clinton

The Forever Garden by Laurel Snyder and Samantha Cotterill

The Forever Garden by Laurel Snyder

We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines

We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines

Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn

Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn

Mrs. Spitzer's Garden by Edith Pattou

Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden by Edith Pattou

How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival

How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival

Goodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray

Goodnight, Veggies by Diana Murray

The Little Gardener by Jan Gerardi

The Little Gardener Board Book by Jan Gerardi

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

My Garden by Kevin Henkes

My Garden by Kevin Henkes

How Does Your Garden Grow? by Holly Hobbie

How Does Your Garden Grow? by Holly Hobbie

Diana's White House Garden by Elisa Carbone and Jen Hill

Diana’s White House Garden by Elisa Carbone

The Gardener of Alcatraz by Emma Bland Smith and Jenn Ely

The Gardener of Alcatraz by Emma Bland Smith

The Bear's Garden by Marcie Colleen

The Bear’s Garden by Marcie Colleen

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

Planting a Rainbow By Lois Ehlert

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

The Tiny Seed By Eric Carle

Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

Flower Garden by Eve Bunting

Flower Garden by Eve Bunting

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin

The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals

Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals

The Night Gardener by Terry Fan

The Night Gardener by the Fan Brothers

Baby Botanist by Dr. Laura Gehl

Baby Botanist by Dr. Laura Gehl

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

Gardening Lab for Kids by Renata Brown

Gardening Lab for Kids by Renata Brown

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Trees, Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds by DK

Trees, Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds by DK

Butterflies in the Garden by Carol Lerner

Butterflies in the Garden by Carol Lerner

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson

Nana’s Garden by Larissa Juliano

Nana’s Garden: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Larissa Juliano

Berries, Nuts, and Seeds by Diane Burns

Berries, Nuts, and Seeds by Diane Burns

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