20 Canadian books for kids to read for Earth Day 2022

Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22. Here's a reading list of 20 books for children with themes of the environment, animals, climate change and more.

Martin and the Riverby Jon-Erik Lappano, illustrated by Jose Bisaillon

In this poetic story about the relationship between children and the natural world, young Martin is faced with moving away from his beloved river in the countryside. When he visits the city with his parents to explore their new home, none of its charms can compare with the river. But when he encounters a stream running through the park, Martin discovers that his connection with nature can be just as wondrous in the city.

Martin and the Riveris for ages 3to6.

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Jon-Erik Lappano is a children's book author from Ontario. His picture book,Tokyo Digs a Garden,won the 2016 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature illustration.

Jose Bisaillonis a children's book writer andillustrator based outside Montreal. Her other books includeLeap!written by JonArno Lawson, andThe Snow Knowswritten by Jennifer McGrath.

Sing in the Spring!by Sheree Fitch, art by Deb Plestid

Sing in the Spring!is apoetic celebration of the season when flowers bloom. The book looks at all the weather changes that spring brings, including melting snow, blowing winds, dripping rain. The book is aboutbudding flowers, muddy puddles and the joy the season brings.

Sing in the Spring!is for ages 4to 8.

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Sheree Fitchis the author ofmore than 25 books,includingKiss the Joy As It Flies.Her children's booksincludeMabelMurpleand young adult novels, likeThe Gravesavers. She received the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People in 2000.

Deb Plestidplays with fabric, thread, and paint. Her eye is drawn mostly to nature, mathematics, lightand shadow; exploring colours, textures and life. Her work is in collections in North America, Europeand the Middle East. Her singular pleasure is eliciting a smile with her work.

Ben the Sea Lionby Roy Henry Vickers

Ben the Sea Lionwas inspired by an adventure from Tsimshian storyteller and artist Roy Henry Vickers' own childhood in the Indigenous village of Kitkatlaon B.C.'s north coast. When Uncle Johnny accidentally catches an orphaned sea lion pup in his fishing net, young Roy and his cousin Bussy nurse it back to health. They name the pup Ben, short for Teeben the Tsimshian word for sea lion. But eventually Ben must return to the wild, leaving his human friends to remember him fondly.

Ben the Sea Lionis for ages 3to 5.

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Roy Henry Vickersis a B.C.-based carver, painter and printmaker. He is the co-author of the popular children's Northwest Coast Legends series:Raven Brings the Lightin 2014,Cloudwalkerin 2015,Orca Chiefin 2016 andPeace Dancerin 2017.

Sun Wishesby Patricia Storms, illustrated by Milan Pavlovi

The duo behind 2019's bedtime storyMoon Wishesnow turns to a daytime tale. This colourful picture book is a celebration of the sun as it shines around the world, lighting up the gloomiest skies, celebrating the harvest and delighting in the diversity of life all over the globe.

Sun Wishesis for ages 3to6.

Patricia Stormshas worked as a short-order cook, a library technician, and a graphic designer, but her favourite thing to do by far is to make books for kids! She wrote and illustratedThe Pirate and the Penguinand the much-lovedNever Let You Go. She is the author ofThe Dog's Gardener, illustrated by Nathalie Dion, and collaborated with her husband, Guy Storms, to writeMoon Wishes, illustrated by Milan Pavlovi.

Milan Pavlovi is a Toronto-based illustrator, graphic artist and educator. He is the illustrator of several children's books in Canada, includingThe Boy Who Invented the PopsiclebyAnne Renaud.

Nature is an Artistby Jennifer Lavallee, illustrated by Natalia Colombo Brown

This picture book is for kids who love to draw and create, featuring craft ideas that also foster an appreciation for nature. In the book, a group of children get out into nature.As they witness beautiful landscapes and unusual creatures, they're inspired to create their own work of art.Nature is an Artistencourages kids to appreciate the art in their own outdoor environment.

Nature is an Artistis for ages 3to8.

Jennifer Lavalleeis an authorfrom the Canadian prairies where she lives with her busy family of five. An avid reader and crafter, Jennifer grew up experiencing all the wonder and beauty of nature, including the soaring Rocky Mountains, curious Alberta Badlandsand lush boreal forests of the north.Nature is an Artistis her first book.

Natalia Colombois a Brazilian illustrator and graphic designer whose picture books have been published in multiple languages around the world. Her book,Cerca,was awarded the first International Compostela Prize for Picture Books.

Fresh Air, Clean Waterby Megan Clendenan, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin

The nonfiction middle-grade bookFresh Air, Clean Watertakes a look at how the health of people and the world around us are connected. The book features real-life accounts of people who are working to ensure that we all live in a healthy, clean and protected environment.

Fresh Air, Clean Wateris for ages 9to 11.

Megan Clendenanis a B.C.-based author who has worked for women's rights, mental health and youth empowerment nonprofits as well as for an environmental law group. She is the co-author ofDesign Like Natureand the author ofOffbeat, a novel for young readers.

Julie McLaughlin is the B.C.-based artist and illustrator of several books, includingLittle CloudandThe Art of the Possible. Her books have been nominated for several awards, and she won the 2015 Norma Fleck Award forWhy We Live Where We Live.

Be a Camouflage Detectiveby Peggy Kochanoff

How do insects hide themselves in the woods? Why do hares change the colour of their fur depending on the season?Be a Camouflage Detective, Peggy Kochanoff's latest illustrated guide for readers, isatour of the most common animal disguises and camouflages in Atlantic Canada and beyond from the anatomy of a sea anemone to the dappled feathers of snowy owls.

Be a Camouflage Detectiveis for ages 7 to 12.

Kochanoff is a Nova Scotia-based author and illustrator of several books for children including the Be a Nature Detective series. She graduated from Cornell University with a degree in vertebrate zoology and spent a summer working at the Central Zoo in New York City.

The Wolf Motherby Hetxw'ms Gyetxw Brett D. Huson, illustrated by Natasha Donovan

InThe Wolf Mother, Hetxw'ms Gyetxw introduces young readers to a pack of grey wolves. New pups have just begun to open their eyes, one of which is a striking black female. As she learns to hunt, play and run with her pack, instinct pulls her to explore beyond her home territory. Will the young wolf's bold spirit help her find a new pack of her very own?

The Wolf Motheris for ages 9 to 12.

Hetxw'ms Gyetxw, also known as Brett D. Huson, is a writer from the Gitxsan Nation of the northwest interior of British Columbia.

Natasha Donovan is a Mtis illustrator originally from Vancouver. She has illustrated several graphic novels, including theSurviving the Cityseries by Tasha Spilletand Huson's animal series, which includesThe Sockeye Mother,The Grizzly MotherandThe Eagle Mother. She also illustrated the cover forThe Ghost Collectorby Allison Mills and her work appears in the anthologyThis Place: 150 Years Retold.

Chasing Bats and Tracking Ratsby Cylita Guy, illustrated by Cornelia Li

Ecologist Cylita Guy shows how observing urban wildlife from city bees to coyotes canmake cities a healthier environmentfor everyone inChasing Bats and Tracking Rats. Guy highlights the fieldwork of 11 scientists, including herself, and demonstrates how social injustices, like racism, can impact how scientists study wildlife and whereurban critters are more likely to thrive.

Chasing Bats and Tracking Ratsis for ages 9 to 12.

Guy is a Toronto-based ecologist, data scientistand science communicator who studies bats.

Cornelia Li is a Chinese-born illustrator based in Toronto.

I Hear You, Forestby Kallie George, illustrated by Carmen Mok

The picture bookI Hear You, Forestsurrounds young readers with the sights and sounds of the forest on a bright day. A child in the forest listens closely to the sounds that nature and the animals make. The soothing surroundings help the child learn more about the world around her.

I Hear You, Forestis for ages 3 to 7.

Kallie George is a Vancouver-based writer for children whose books include the Heartwood Hotel series andAnne Arrives.

Carmen Mok has illustrated numerous books, includingWaiting for Sophieby Sarah Ellis,Look at Me Nowby Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones andRide the Big Machines in Winter.

Jigging for Halibut with Tsiniiby Sara Florence Davidson & Robert Davidson, illustrated by Janine Gibbons

This picturebook reflectsthe Haida Sk'ad'a Principles as it looks at Haida artist Robert Davidson's own experiences with Tsinii, orgrandfather.Jigging for Halibut with Tsiniiis a culturallook at a young boy, his grandfather and a day spent fishing using traditional methods.

Jigging for Halibut with Tsiniiis for ages 6 to 8.

Sara Florence Davidson is a Haida/Settler author and assistant professor in Indigenous education at Simon Fraser University.

Robert Davidson is one of the most respected and important contemporary artists in Canada. A Northwest Coast native of Haida descent, he is a master carver of totem poles and masks and works in a variety of other media as a printmaker, painterand jeweller.

Janine Gibbons, a Haida Raven of the Double-Fin Killer Whale Clan, Brown Bear House, is a multi-disciplinary artist andillustrator. She has illustrated three books in the Sealaska Heritage's Baby Raven Reads series, includingRaven Makes the Aleutians.

Little Narwhal, Not Aloneby Tiffany Stone, illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee

Little Narwhal, Not Aloneis a picture book based on a true story involving a little lost narwhal and what he encounters along his journey.The story is about a little narwhal who finds himself far from home, too far to return on his own. The other animals he meets don't look like him at all,but he still tries to fit into his new surroundings as best he can.Little Narwhal, Not Alonefeatures themes of belonging, community and acceptance.

Little Narwhal, Not Aloneis for ages 4 to 8.

Tiffany Stone is a children's poet and picture book author based in British Columbia. She was inspired to writeLittle Narwhal, Not Aloneby her lifelong affinity with the North and by her volunteer work with new immigrants.

Ashlyn Anstee is a Los Angeles illustrator who spent her summers on the Canadian west coast.

Thunder and the Noise Stormsby Jeffrey Ansloos &Shezza Ansloos, illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

In the picture bookThunder and the Noise Storms, children learn about the restorative powers of the natural world. Thunder often finds that the world around him can be too loud. When his grandfather asks him what he hears while on a nature walk one day, Thunder learns how the many different sounds of the natural world can have calming and empoweringeffects.

Thunder and the Noise Stormsis for ages 4 to 7.

Jeffery Ansloos is a Cree educator and psychologist. He is also the author ofThe Medicine of Peace.

Shezza Ansloos is a Cree writer, educator, artistand speaker. She is the author of two children's books,I Loved HerandThe Fire Walker. Ansloos is also asinger-songwriter and visual artist.

Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley is an Anishinaabe artist and illustrator from Wasauksing First Nation. He is a self-taught artist who works in the Woodland art style of the Anishinaabe people.

The Case of the Shrinking Friendby Eric Hogan &Tara Hungerford

The Case of the Shrinking Friendis the latest book in the adventures ofScout and Daisyfrom the TV show Scout and the Gumboot Kids.The Case of the Shrinking Friendis a nature mystery that features a winter hike, a shrinking snowman and mindful exploration of their natural world.

The Case of the Shrinking Friendis for ages 4 to 7.

When you can read it:Oct. 21, 2021

Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford are a Vancouver husband-and-wife team who run Imagine Create Media and are the creators of children's television seriesThe Gumboot Kids.

The Dancing Treesby Masiana Kelly, illustrated by Michelle Simpson

The picture bookThe Dancing Treesis a tale of Thomas, wholoves to tell big stories. Taking the challenge to spend a night alone in the forest, Thomas heads into the wilderness and has a magicalencounter withdancing foresttrees that he will never forget.

The Dancing Treesis for ages 6 to 8.

Masiana Kelly is an Inuk/Dene writer based in Kugluktuk,the westernmost community in Nunavut.

Michelle Simpson is an Ontario illustrator and designer based out of Niagara Falls, Ont.

I Sang You Down from the Starsby Tasha Spillett-Sumner, illustrated by Michaela Goade

I Sang You Down from the Starsis a story of birth and creation for younger readers. With poetic language andwatercolours, the picture book uses Indigenous creation stories and traditional teachings to celebrate nature and the bond behind mother and child.

I Sang You Down from the Starsis for ages 2 to 5.

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Tasha Spillett-Sumner is an educator, poet and scholar of Nehiyaw and Trinidadian descent. She is also the author of graphic novelSurviving the City,whichwon the$2,000 Indigenous Voices Award for works in an alternative format in 2019.

Michaela Goade is an American-born illustrator from the Tlingit and Haida tribes. Goadewon the 2021 Caldecott Medal for her illustrations in the bookWe Are Water Protectorsby Carole Lindstrom.

We All Playby Julie Flett

We All Playis the latest picture book by Cree author and artist Julie Flett. Through colourful illustrations,We All Playexplores an Indigenous perspective as it celebrates nature and how we are all connected.We All Playincludes a glossary of Cree words for wild animals and children repeating a Cree phrase throughout the book.

We All Playis for children up to the age of 7.

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Flett has illustrated several acclaimed picture books includingLittle You,My Heart Fills with HappinessandWe Sang You Home.She has twice won the Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature illustration: forOn the TraplineandWhen We Were Alone.Flettis also the author and illustrator ofBirdsong.

Stand Like a Cedarby Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Carrielynn Victor

Stand Like a Cedaris a picture bookabout nature, animals and the wonder of the wilderness. Itis an educational look at what it means to "stand like a cedar" and features the names of animals in the Nle7kepmxcn or Halq'emeylem languages.

Stand Like a Cedaris for ages 3 to 5.

Nicola I. Campbell is Nekepmx, Syilx and Mtis from the Nicola Valley in B.C. She is also the author ofShi-shi-etko,Shin-chi's Canoe,Grandpa's GirlsandA Day With Yayah.

Carrielynn Victor is an artist and illustrator of St:l, Coast Salish & settler heritage from the XwCh:ym (Cheam) community in B.C.

14:36Nicola Campbell on Spilexm and Stand Like a Cedar

Nicola Campbell talks to Shelagh Rogers about Spilexm, a memoir in prose and poetry, and her children's book Stand Like a Cedar.

The Wind and the Treesby Todd Stewart

The Wind and the Treesis a picture book about the wonders of nature. It's about a small pine seedling who gains wisdom and knowledge thanks to a nearby tree. As the tiny pine tree grows, the older tree speaks about the heavy wind that blowsthrough the forest. The young tree learns about nature, wisdom and loss.

The Wind and the Treesis for ages 4 to 8.

Todd Stewart is a Montreal illustrator, children's book author and screen printer.The Wind and the Treesis his first picture book.

Treaty Wordsby Aime Craft, illustrated by Luke Swinson

Treaty Wordsis a book for ages 10 and up about the importance of understanding an Indigenous perspective on treaties. The book looks at the first treaty, the one between the earth and the sky. Sitting on the riverbank, a man teaches his granddaughter about the power of silence in nature so that she might learn her standing in the world.

Treaty Wordsis for ages 10 and up.

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Aime Craft is an Anishinaabe-Mtis lawyer and author from Treaty 1 territory in Manitoba.She is an associate professor at University of Ottawa and a leading researcher on Indigenous laws, treatiesand water.

Luke Swinson is a visual artist and illustrator with Anishinaabe roots from Kitchener, Ont. He is amember of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

The Next Chapter11:21Aime Craft on Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow

Aime Craft talks to Shelagh Rogers about her book, Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow.

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