diverse nature books for kids

BOOKS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Women’s History Month: Adventurers, Activists, and Nature-Lovers
- March 3, 2024
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re excited to share a selection of children’s books that celebrate the contributions of female adventurers, activists, and nature-lovers. Emily Liebel of @inclusivelibrary has chosen some amazing biographies that spotlight trailblazing women who have explored the great outdoors and fought tirelessly to break down barriers and make the outdoors a more inclusive place. Through their inspiring stories, we hope to encourage young readers and their families to embark on their own outdoor adventures, appreciate the efforts of these remarkable women, and find motivation to protect and cherish our planet. Get out your library card and let’s dive into these powerful tales of courage, determination, and passion, and let the legacy of these extraordinary women ignite a sense of wonder and adventure in your own lives.

Stories of female adventurers, activists, and nature-lovers

Discovering the stories of extraordinary people isn’t just a glimpse into history; it’s a compass guiding us towards a richer understanding of the world we live in now. We can use this understanding to enrich our outdoor experiences as well. If we learn about adventurers, activists, and nature-lovers, we can better appreciate the hard work done to preserve the outdoors and our planet.

So, this Women’s History Month, we’d love to introduce you to some brave female adventurers and activists so you can gain perspective from nature-lovers and outdoorsy women like us. Learning about their adventures and activism provides a unique perspective that can inspire a deeper connection with nature.

These stories serve as windows into understanding, giving us views of the trails (sometimes literally!) these women blazed and empowering both ourselves as parents and our kids to embrace the outdoors with knowledge, courage, and appreciation for the environment and the ways in which we get to enjoy it as a result of these women’s efforts.

Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month was first observed for one week in the United States in March of 1981. By 1987, the observation had expanded to the full month. It is important to take time to reflect on and remember the contributions from often-overlooked people. Women may have long been excluded from some arenas, but that never stopped so many women from persevering. Women in many eras have been daring and smart change-makers regardless of who was willing to recognize their efforts.

Many women have contributed to the progress we enjoy in many fields. For our purposes, it is inspiring to learn about women who have worked so hard to explore and protect our natural world.

We enjoy being outside with our kids, and in many ways, we have these trailblazers to thank. By making an effort to learn about more women adventurers, activists, and nature-lovers this month, we gain a more accurate and inclusive understanding of our collective past.

How and why I choose these books

Choosing where to begin with a topic as big as ‘women’s history’ can feel daunting. While I paired it down to outdoor explorers, activists and nature lovers, there are still many options to search through to find the best women and information for our kids and our interests. For example, do you want to know more about rock climbers, gardeners, or water conservationists and protectors? Or do you want to know about a specific theme for exploring, like disability/accessibility adventuring, making outdoorsy culture equitable for all, or animal rights and protection? They’re all important.

I put together this collection of books filled with short-form biographies of adventurers, explorers, activists, and nature lovers in women’s history. The books contain illustrations and quotes or quick facts along with the paragraphs, making them adaptable for multiple ages. I have read biographies like the ones in these books with kids under 5 and 10-12 years old.

I will highlight a few people from these books and what I love about them as a whole. You can use this information to choose which books you would like to read yourself and how you would like to use them for your kids!

Benefits of reading biographies to your kids

Reading about real people and real situations to our kids can help them gain curiosity and connection in life-altering ways. I have seen kids become excited and inspired once we read a particularly excellent biography. These are five of the main benefits I have realized as a teacher, a parent, and a storyteller/storytime leader.
1. Introducing previous generations to our kids can inspire them to recognize their own potential for creating a positive impact.
2. By showcasing influential individuals, we can introduce and instill the morals and values we want our children to learn.
3. Kids engage in organic questions and meaningful discussions, driven by their own impressions of the stories.
4. By understanding the experiences and accomplishments of people who came before them, our kids gain a deeper appreciation for the present.
5. We are providing our children with insights that foster empathy toward diverse cultures, worldviews, motivations, and lived experiences that they might not encounter firsthand.
Women’s History Month: Books about adventurers, activists, and nature-lovers

Books about women adventurers
1. Women Who Dared by Linda Skeers
  - I love reading about the quirky, determined, and unique women in this book. Barbara Hillary was the first African American woman to take an expedition to the North Pole—at 76 years old! The stories here encourage kids to be themselves while continuing to love nature.
2. Women in Sports by Rachel Ignotofsky
  - Athletes may not be the first group of people you consider for outdoor adventurers, but some of the women you can learn about here had to understand and respect the environments in which they competed deeply. For example, Susan Butcher was a dog musher who was the first person to win the Iditarod three years in a row and the first woman to win it four times. Her approaches for taking care of her dogs became a standard for other dog mushers and have drawn attention to care and respect for these animals.
3. Her Epic Adventure by Julia De Laurentiis
  - This book is filled with compelling stories of women who believed in the power of adventuring to change themselves and the world. There are stories of powerful resilience, like that of Arunima Sinha, who was the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Denali, and more. Reading this book can help us encourage our children to always seek adventure and personal growth while spending time in the natural world.
4. We Are Explorers by Kari Herbert
  - The women in this book defied conventions to explore the unknown and to further our understanding of new frontiers. There are biographies for women like Sacagawea. Sacagawea was a remarkable adventurer in her own right, and aided in the discovery of the Western Frontier in more ways than as simply a guide. You can learn about her immense knowledge and courage in this book. I love that the book mixes illustrated pictures along with real images of some women.
Books about female activists
1. Great Women Who Saved the Planet by Kate Pankhurst
  - I enjoy the colorful features in this book, which feature both individual women and whole movements or groups. There is dialogue and short, easily digestible information for all the profiles. One such profile is about the Chipko Movement, where people protest logging in India. One important group was a village of women who finally got enough attention to ban logging in their forests.
2. Climate Warriors by Rebel Girls
  - There are 25 women, present and past, showcased in this book. Their passions and contributions to environmental activism are centered in the page-long profiles. Women like Rachel Carson, an environmentalist and writer who has inspired others to protect animals and their habitats.
3. Girl Warriors by Rachel Sarah
  - We can read about many modern and current female activists in this collection of stories. The profiles are interviews with young women, under the age of 25, who are making a difference. They site what event and which people inspired their activism. This will help us as readers really connect history to our own lives and attainable examples for our kids.
Books about women nature-lovers (as scientists)
1. Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky
  - This book is filled with great infographics, timelines, and illustrations that contain interesting facts. These are alongside the page-long biographies of each woman. While reading this book, my kids and I learned that Mary Anning, the paleontologist, had a dog who joined her on all her digs until he died in a landslide!
2. Women in Biology by Mary Wissinger
  - This book is part of a series called Science Wide Open. These books ask readers to think of situations and questions they have in real life. Then, the book connects readers to short profiles of women who also had these questions. One such profile is Hildegard of Bingen, who lived in the Middle Ages. She discovered that water needed to be cleaned before people drank it. She is also considered by many to be the founder of scientific natural history studies in Germany.
3. She Can STEM by Liz Heinecke
  - Ynes Mexia collected 150,000 specimens of flora and plants for observation. She even discovered a flower genus that is now named after her. She discovered over 500 new plant species and 2 new genera. Each biography also gives you an activity idea to help emulate the focus person. These activities can help us get outside with a goal in mind and connect our reading to our everyday lives in rich ways.
Our own Women’s History Month adventures, activism, and nature-loving

I hope that the women featured in this post (and the many other adventurers, activists, and nature-lovers in these books) will inspire you to explore with your own kids in refreshing and inspiring ways. We can honor these women’s efforts and achievements by continuing to champion gender equality and making the outdoors an inviting place for all.

Books are a brilliant way to extend our kids’ imagination and their innate curiosity. Specifically, with biographies, we can harness their love of learning and growing by showing them real people to emulate and learn from. We can head outdoors with the confidence of knowing that other women have enjoyed and fought for the natural world we now enjoy.

How can knowing about these women help you adventure better?

About the author

Emily and her family have moved across the US multiple times, and the best things about each state have been the outdoor adventures and the public libraries! Now living in Utah, Emily has continued her love for both. She explores both mountain and city outdoor spaces weekly with her three kids and friends, attends library story times, and leads local story times. Emily has a passion for children’s literature. She uses books to educate, promote inclusion, understanding, and justice, and inspire adventure and creativity. Emily loves how reading and being outdoors overlap in so many exciting ways!

You can find Emily online in the following locations:
Instagram: @inclusivelibrary
RWMC Posts: Emily Liebel
BOOKS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Favorite Fall and Winter Books for Outdoor Adventures
- October 26, 2023
As the vibrant hues of autumn fade into the crisp, wintry landscapes, there’s a unique kind of magic that happens in the great outdoors. The fall and winter seasons offer a treasure trove of unique opportunities for kids to explore their world in a whole new way. With the right books in hand, children can embark on thrilling adventures that extend beyond the boundaries of their imaginations. Today, Emily Liebel, Utah mom of three and founder of @inclusivelibrary, will take you on a journey through the best nature-inspired fall and winter books for kids. So, let’s dive into a world where the changing seasons are an invitation to get outside and adventure together!

Fall and winter outside

Fall and winter stand in stark contrast to each other when it comes to outdoor adventuring. Fall-time is full of more adventures and activities than most of us have time for. There are farms to visit, hikes to enjoy, harvests to be fulfilled, and explosions of color everywhere. In winter, life slows down significantly. Our kids may want to stomp and play in the snow or cuddle up with warmth and rest during the darker months.

In both seasons, we want to help our kids have fun! For some of us, this could be easy, and for others, there is a struggle to find the right activities. This is where books can come into play (literally!). Books can help encourage our kids to get creative and explore new perspectives and aspects of outdoor adventuring.

Where to find these books

If you would like to buy these fall and winter books through the affiliate links provided, RWMC receives a tiny commission. Our small business appreciates your support! If you would like to support small and independent bookstores in your area, try bookshop. I will also always recommend frequenting your local libraries and checking the books out as well.

How to use these books

In my spring and summer books post, I detailed the ways to use these books before, during, and after your adventures. The same ideas apply to the fall and winter books I have curated here. Make sure to refresh yourself on the benefits and how-to of pairing books with adventures from that post!

All of our kids are unique and will connect to different aspects of outdoor adventuring. While reading books, we can parse out what our kids will be most excited to experience. We can prepare them for new adventures or refresh their knowledge of family favorite adventures. And we can help them awaken imaginative play in new ways.

Diversity in books and reading level

Children of all ages will be able to read and understand different things that will support their uniqueness and their personal interests. And for that purpose, I have made sure to include diverse books that will help all kids feel included and excited about outdoor adventuring.

Kids may not pick an activity or adventure for themselves if they do not first see themselves represented in that arena. There is also a range of reading levels represented in the books I chose for this post. And while some books are more advanced than others, the vast majority of them will work for all ages. Personally, I would have no issue reading picture books with my middle-schooler (or even high-school-aged kids). They can still get so much enjoyment from being read to and flipping through picture books. But, no matter what age your kids are, you will have multiple options here that best fit your family and kids’ interests.

Seasonal weather and using these fall and winter books

I have not met many people who do not enjoy some aspects of autumn. It can be a nice reprieve from hotter days, and there really are so many activities available to us that automatically get our families outdoors. More often, I meet people who do not slow down enough to find deep appreciation and enjoyment of fall because they are busy preparing for winter. I hope that the books I have chosen to include here will help you find ways to connect to the earth and all the awe this season has to offer.

Once wintertime is in full swing, I have met a lot more people who pull back on their outdoor adventuring in favor of hunkering down and staying inside. The books that I have included are meant to inspire us to fight that urge. Winter, while cold and dark in many areas of the world, can be a time to refocus our habits on what really matters to our families. There is plenty of family adventuring and play to be had outdoors in the winter. If we have resources like these books to show us the possibilities, we will be able to pass encouragement on to our children.

Favorite fall books for kids

Books about fall leaves and hikes
1. Forest Baby by Laura Elmquist
2. Hiking Day by Anne Rockwell
3. An Autumn Treasury by Angela Ferraro-Fanning
4. Fresh Fall Leaves by Betsy Franco
5. It’s Fall! by Renee Kruilla
6. Taking a Walk: Fall in the Country by Sue Tarsky
7. Thank Fall by Ciara L. Hill
8. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
9. The Wilderness by Steve McCarthy
These books capture the wonder and awe of autumn colors. While the natural world is beginning to wind down, we get to enjoy the changes in real time! This can be fascinating to children if we are willing to slow down and examine it with them.

You may think ‘autumn leaves’ and immediately connect it to a walk or hike or jumping in leaf piles. These are brilliant options, but what about leaf crafts or forts as shown in An Autumn Treasury or Fresh Fall Leaves? What about connecting it to daily gratitude with Thank Fall? The Wilderness is simply gorgeous and centers on bravery, friendship, and exploration.

Each of these books will give you and your family new ideas about how to engage with leaves and colors all season.

Books about farm visits, harvest, and fall festivals
1. Harvest Days by Kate DePalma
2. Marya Khan and the Spectacular Fall Festival by Saadia Faruqi
3. Farm Boots by Lisa H. Detlefsen
4. Amara’s Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood
I am a top-tier fan of agro-tourism. I shamelessly seek out the local farms with pumpkins, apple cider donuts, games, tractor rides, animals, and corn pits and mazes. Behind these fun seasonal attractions is a lot of effort from the farmers and even the animals! These books will give your kids a window into that work. Amara’s Farm introduces foods that are harvested this time of year and helps kids find characterizations as they wander the farm. Marya Khan is a new release chapter book following a third-grade girl while preparing a fall festival.

Each of these fall books will excite kids to visit farms with you and instill an appreciation for harvest and gathering.

Best winter books for kids

Winter sports
1. Goodnight, Chairlift by Libby Ludlow
2. The Little Book of Skiing by Orange Hippo!
3. Goodnight, Snowboard by Kristen McCurry
A great way to get kids outside in the winter is by taking up a winter sport. You may already be a skiing family, or you may want to try it out for the first time. Either way, there is a lot of gear and mountain-side etiquette and safety involved. Even sledding, there are things for which to prepare your kids. The Little Book of Skiing is not strictly a picture or chapter book, but I have included it because there are pages with only one sentence, some with paragraphs and others with infographics. All of which add to a deeper understanding and appreciation of a very involved but exciting winter sport.

All of these books introduce the information to kids while also capturing the true spirit of adventure that is going fast down the snow!

Books about playing in the snow
1. Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Kathy Camper
2. Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak
3. A Day So Gray by Marie Lamba
4. Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
5. First Snow by Nancy Viau
6. Walking in a Winter Wonderland by Peggy Lee and Tim Hopgood
If you and your family are not as enthusiastic about snow sports, you may be looking for ideas closer to home or slower-paced. Playing in the snow in your own backyard or local parks and fields can be exciting as well. I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering how to get our kids to play outside a little longer in the winter. Besides quality gear to keep them warm, we can encourage them by showing them the true beauty of winter, as in A Day So Gray. With books like Ten Ways to Hear Snow and Over and Under the Snow, building a snowman or throwing snowballs can be just the beginning of our kids’ snowy play.

These books are sure to help your kids find ways to extend their time in the snow and build imaginative winter worlds right outside their doors.

Books for enjoying fall and winter holidays outside
1. Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht
2. Halloween in the Orchard by Phyllis Alsdurf
3. We’re Going on a Pumpkin Hunt by Goldie Hawk
4. Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht
5. Thanksgiving in the Woods by Phyllis Alsdurf
6. Little Red Ruthie: A Hanukkah Tale by Gloria Koster
This time of year is often called the holiday season because there are at least a dozen cultural and religious holidays that take place. We may automatically think of Halloween as a largely “outdoors” holiday. But we may not think the same for Hanukkah or Chinese New Year. These books bring those holidays outside in both small and large ways.

Holidays are not the main focus of this post, but I do think it is important to consider them. We can use our cultural and religious celebrations as opportunities to get outside and create new and lasting adventures or experiences. We do have a nature-holiday post with more books if you are looking for other suggestions!

Nature books enhance our adventures

Books can bring wonder and learning to our lives. When we take time to read nature books to our kids, we are helping them gain more appreciation of what this earth has to offer, which can lead to life-long understanding and habits of adventure. We know the benefits of early literacy, and we know the benefits of nature play. We can overlap these two aspects of physical and mental growth/health in beautiful and meaningful ways that benefit the whole family.

How will you use these books to adventure in the fall and winter months?

About the author

Emily and her family have moved across the US multiple times, and the best things about each state have been the outdoor adventures and the public libraries! Now living in Utah, Emily has continued her love for both. She explores both mountain and city outdoor spaces weekly with her three kids and friends and attends library story times, as well as leads a local story time. Emily has a passion for children’s literature. She uses books to educate, promote inclusion, understanding, and justice, and inspire adventure and creativity. Emily loves how reading and being outdoors overlap in so many exciting ways!

You can find Emily online in the following locations:
Instagram: @inclusivelibrary
RWMC Posts: Emily Liebel
BOOKS, NATURE SCHOOL
10 Diverse Nature Books for Kids
- August 7, 2020
Nature is full of color and diversity…children’s books about nature should be, too! Diverse books are incredibly important, not only for children who are looking to see their own lives reflected in literature, but to introduce new thoughts and ideas to all children so they know there is so much more to our beautiful world. Diversity can be brought out in the character’s background, race, skin color, religion, socio-economic status, or family life as well. Or diverse books can also deal with characters that have disabilities. Today, we have Kathleen White, photographer and Arizona mom of 3 here sharing her family’s 10 favorite diverse nature books for kids. We hope you’ll add a few of these to your bookshelves or library wishlist!

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The importance of diverse books

As a homeschool mama of three, books are a staple in our house. I love watching my kids turn the pages, learn, and get excited as the stories come alive. And as the matriarch of a mixed family, it is extremely important for me to provide my kids with books that show diversity so they see kids that look like them and they can relate to in the stories as well. When kids open a book and see a character that looks, thinks, feels, and loves the way that they do, they feel less alone. Kids need to feel confident in who they are from the earliest stages of development, and normalizing diversity is key to that goal.

Diverse books are also a great way to allow children to walk in another’s shoes and learn about another’s world and experiences. In a book, they get the chance to see things from a new perspective, in a place they may never go, and live in a culture they may never experience. Diverse books can help cultivate compassion, awareness, and understanding.

Research on prejudice shows that coming in contact with people who are different from us helps to reduce stereotypes by giving us the opportunity to learn about them and their stories. And while it would be ideal for children to actually meet people from different backgrounds in person, if that isn’t possible, books can serve as a wonderful next best thing and introduce kids to diverse people, experiences, and cultures.

10 diverse nature books for kids

Today I’m excited to share a few of our favorite diverse nature books for kids to hopefully inspire and encourage conversations about diversity with your kiddos. When compiling this list, I tried to narrow it down to include books about different topics, as well as books that all ages can enjoy. I have a 9 (almost 10) year-old, 4-year-old, and a 2-year-old and they all couldn’t put these down! This list of topics in these book range from an inspiring story of the first African American entomologist, to weather, to taking care of our Earth, planting gardens, and going on hikes! There is bound to be something here for all of your little readers. Not only are these books vivid and fun to read, but they are excellent conversation starters! As we all begin a new school year, I hope that this helps add to your home library!

1. All About Weather by Huda Harajli MA

All About Weather is the perfect book for your preschooler. It will keep your kids entertained, while giving them a first look at all the different types of weather. I love the interactive questions at the end too!

2. Green Green: A Community Gardening Story by Marie Lamba

Green Green: A Community Gardening Story is a short and sweet story about the importance of community, as well as creating a garden that everyone can share. It also helps children identify their colors, which is a perfect activity and lesson for preschool-age children, as well!

3. Only a Tree Knows How to Be a Tree by Mary Murphy

Only a Tree Knows How to Be a Tree is a great reminder to kiddos that we are all created in our own unique ways and that we are the only ones who know how to be us. It’s simple, joyful, and colorful. All of my kids love it!

4. One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom

One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree is so much fun to read aloud! It keeps my kids entertained the whole time as they try to find out if the boy can escape the snake! Also, it’s beautifully illustrated and really colorful. A hungry snake. A beautiful brown boy. What more can a young reader ask for?

5. Are Your Stars Like My Stars? by Leslie Helakoski

Are Your Stars Like My Stars is a precious book. It “teaches children that no matter where they live, all children gaze at the blue sky, bask in the warmth of the golden sun, dig in the rich dirt, and watch clouds grow soft and rosy at end of day. Through the eyes of one inquisitive and thoughtful young narrator, young readers explore the idea of perspective, and come to realize that all of us, everywhere, share the colors of the world.”

6. Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn

Lola Plants a Garden starts out with Lola’s mom reading her a classic garden poem which inspires her to create a garden of her own. They go to the library and learn all about gardening, buy their seeds, and get to planting. But, of course, Lola wants the flowers to grow right away! She creates a flower book and spends time with friends in her new garden. This book is part of the Lola Reads series, which I highly recommend!

7. My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan

My Friend Earth is a super interactive and stunning book! It contains die-cut pages and flaps that engage your kids while reading. My daughter especially loved it! Little readers might try to damage the pages (like my 2-year-old, for example!) but it is still one I will keep around as it teaches important lessons about taking care of the Earth.

8. Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner by Janice N. Harrington

Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner tells the story of the first African American entomologist. It showcases his ideas and discoveries about ants, bees, and other insects and how far his inquisitive mind got him. I love that it shows real photos of him in the back of the book too! It is perfect for older readers, but of course, you can always read it to your littler kids.

9. The Hike by Alison Farrell

The Hike is a wonderful book about three friends who set out on an adventure together! It features a glossary, a sketchbook by one of the characters that highlights aspects of the hike, and labels throughout that encourages scientific learning. This book is perfect for kids who love exploring!

10. National Parks of the USA by Kate Siber

Finally, it wouldn’t be a nature book list without including one all about the National Parks of the USA, right?! Not only will you want to put this book on display, but it also includes maps and information about 21 different parks. We are National Park lovers and this book is amazing.

Divided by region (East, Central, Rocky Mountains, West, Tropics, and Alaska), a pictographic map at the start of each section shows the locations of the parks to be covered. Each park is introduced by a stunning, poster-worthy illustration of one of its scenes and a summary of its makeup, followed by individual illustrations of the animals and plants that make their homes there.

There is also a “Can you spot this…?” page at the back that challenges kids to find a pictured critter or plant for every letter of the alphabet. My kids love this page.

The parks include: Acadia, Badlands, Big Bend, Biscayne, Bryce Canyon, Channel Islands, Death Valley, Denali, Everglades, Glacier, Glacier Bay, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Hawaii volcanoes, Isle Royale, Mesa Verde, Olympic, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Virgin Islands, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.

What are your favorite diverse nature books for kids?

For more book recommendations, check out the following posts:
About the author

Kathleen is married to her high school sweetheart and is the mama to 3 energetic littles. She is passionate about natural and intentional living, photography, and documenting her family’s travels in their RV. They just wrapped up traveling full-time around the United States in their RV for nearly a year! When she’s not planning her family’s next adventure, she is running a health and wellness business and homeschooling her three kiddos.

You can find more from Kathleen in the following locations:
Website: www.faithboundtravel.com
YouTube: Faith Bound Travel
Instagram at @faithboundtravel
Other RWMC posts: Kathleen