Children's Books about Gardens

Now that it’s spring and temperatures are warming up, many people are starting to dig into their gardens. Whether you’re excited about planting flowers or food, books are a great way to extend that excitement once you get back inside. Here are several children’s books about gardens that I think your kids will love!

You can click on any of the titles below to learn more about each book or find all of these children’s books about gardens on my Amazon page.

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Children’s Books about Gardens

Here are several books about gardens that your kids might enjoy.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening 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.

Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever!

After sketching and plotting and planting, Maxine and Leo know they’ve made The Greatest Garden Ever! But they’re not the only ones who think so. Soon, all sorts of animals make their way in, munching on carrots and knocking over pots. When Leo and Maxine can’t agree on a way to deter these unwelcome critters, it looks like there’s more on the line than saving their garden–they just might need to save their friendship too.

Tops & Bottoms

Once a upon a time, there was a lazy Bear and a clever Hare. Bear had lots of money and lots of land but all he wanted to do was sleep. Hare had nothing but hungry children, so he came up with a plan to convince Bear to split his land down the middle—tops and bottoms. Hare can work all day and Bear can sleep. It’s the perfect solution! Or is it?

You can find some activities to pair with this book here.

The Curious Garden

While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!

Tippy, tippy, tippy, Pat!
That’s the sound three hungry bunnies make when the sun goes down and the moon comes up and Mr. McGreely’s garden smells yum, yum, yummy. While he’s dreaming of his mouth-watering carrots, the bunnies are diving over fences and swimming trenches to get the veggies first!
Hammer, hammer, hammer, Saw!
That’s the sound Mr. McGreely makes when the sun comes up and the moon goes down and he sees what those twitch-whiskers have done….Nibbled leaves! Empty stalks! Mr. McGreely will build something bigger and better, sure to keep even pesky puff-tails away.

You can find activities to pair with this book here.

Harlem Grown

Harlem Grown tells the inspiring true story of how one man made a big difference in a neighborhood. After seeing how restless they were and their lack of healthy food options, Tony Hillery invited students from an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful and functional farm. By getting their hands dirty, these kids turned an abandoned space into something beautiful and useful while learning about healthy, sustainable eating and collaboration.

The Gardener

Lydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, bit by bit brightening the shop and bringing smiles to customers’ faces with the flowers she grows. But it is in a secret place that Lydia Grace works on her masterpiece — an ambitious rooftop garden — which she hopes will make even Uncle Jim smile.

We Are the Gardeners

Joanna Gaines and the kids chronicle the adventures of starting their own family garden. From their failed endeavors, obstacles to overcome (bunnies that eat everything), and all of the knowledge they gain along the way, the Gaines family shares how they learned to grow a happy, successful garden.

The Hidden Rainbow

All the colors of the rainbow are hidden in the garden, but can the little bee find them—with help from the reader?

Jack’s Garden

Building on a rhyme that will be familiar to many children, author-illustrator Cole creates an enticing guide to creating a garden. ‘This is the garden that Jack planted…’

Lola Plants a Garden

How does your garden grow? Book-loving Lola is inspired by a collection of garden poems that she reads with her mommy. She wants to plant her own garden of beautiful flowers, so she and Mommy go to the library to check out books about gardening. They choose their flowers and buy their seeds. They dig and plant. And then they wait. Lola finds it hard to wait for her flowers to grow, but she spends the time creating her own flower book. Soon she has a garden full of sunflowers and invites all of her friends for cakes and punch and a story amongst the flowers.

Flower Garden

After the pansies, tulips, daffodils, geraniums, and daisies are purchased and dad and daughter take them home on the bus, they’re lovingly planted in the window box. Candles on the cake are lighted—just as Mom walks in the door to find her daughter, her husband, and her birthday surprise.

In a Garden

How does a garden grow? Follow along from seed to sprout to bud to flower as a garden blooms. Worms, ladybugs, millipedes, and more help a garden grow each season.

The Night Gardener

One day, William discovers that the tree outside his window has been sculpted into a wise owl. In the following days, more topiaries appear, and each one is more beautiful than the last. Soon, William’s gray little town is full of color and life. And though the mysterious night gardener disappears as suddenly as he appeared, William—and his town—are changed forever.

My Garden

How does your garden grow? The girl in this book grows chocolate rabbits, tomatoes as big as beach balls, flowers that change color, and seashells in her garden.

Ojiichan’s Gift

When Mayumi was born, her grandfather created a garden for her. It was unlike any other garden she knew. It had no flowers or vegetables. Instead, Ojiichan made it out of stones: “big ones, little ones and ones in-between.” Every summer, Mayumi visits her grandfather in Japan, and they tend the garden together. Raking the gravel is her favorite part. Afterward, the two of them sit on a bench and enjoy the results of their efforts in happy silence. But then one summer, everything changes. Ojiichan has grown too old to care for his home and the garden. He has to move. Will Mayumi find a way to keep the memory of the garden alive for both of them?

Over in the Garden

A one to ten counting book set in a lively garden. This playful counting book introduces readers to a garden and the animals that live there. Sing and clap to the tune of Over in the Meadow, while searching for the hidden numbers on each page!

Yasmin the Gardener

It’s spring! Yasmin and her baba are excited to plant their garden, and Yasmin chooses a flower seedling. She gives it plenty of sun, water, and good soil . . . so why is it wilting? Watching Nani sit in the sun gives Yasmin a bright idea and she knows just what her little plant needs.

The Plant Rescuer

Manny comes from a long line of gardeners, and to him, the greatest gardener of all is his dad. Dad always knows what plants need. Even with no yard to garden in, he tends their small apartment into a lush jungle.

One day, the time comes for Manny to get his very own first plant! Dad trusts Manny to care for his new amigo, and Manny is determined to rise to the challenge. But watching Dad’s masterful work isn’t the same as knowing everything he knows, and Manny’s amigo keeps wilting, no matter what he tries! Dad would know what to do, but this is Manny’s plant, and he wants to be the one to save it.

Luckily, before his new amigo, Manny had another friend: the library! A day of research and a stack of books gets him back on track in no time. Manny’s plant grows bigger and bigger, until his room overflows with beautiful, healthy leaves, plentiful enough for Dad to share cuttings with the whole neighborhood. Now Manny can proudly say that he is the youngest in a long line of gardeners.

Secret Gardeners: Growing a Community and Healing the Earth

With the mentorship of Amy, a neighbor who is well-versed in no-dig gardening, Luna, Bianca, and Billy set to work mixing manure, spreading mulch, and sowing seeds. After a few weeks of hard work, the yard is transformed into a sustainable community garden, and more and more people are showing up to grow herbs, mushrooms, vegetables, and fruit. Just when everyone is beginning to harvest their hard-earned local food, they learn that the property is going to be cleared for a parking lot. Will this be the end of their secret garden? Or can the children rally their community to save the day?

Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden

Mrs. Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens and she knows about children. Mrs. Spitzer knows how similar they are, and how both will flourish if tended lovingly.

Do you have a favorite book about gardens that didn’t make the list? Let me know so I can check it out!