Trees for Kids

Selected List of Children's Books About Trees

One of the Shade Tree Commission members has put together a list of books about trees for children, inspired by one area school that has chosen trees as their learning theme for this coming year. The hope is to assist teachers, students, and parents looking for good primary grade readings in nature studies, autumn/seasonal holidays, Arbor Day events, etc.

All twelve books on the list are available in the Princeton Public Library. They were chosen for read-aloud interest, tree-awareness values, discussion starters, science facts, poetry, and marvels that go beyond the usual "Aren't trees pretty? They make shade; they change colors; and birds can build nests in them."

• ARBOR DAY SQUARE, by Kathryn O. Galbraith, illustrated by Cyd Moore, Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta, 2010
• CRINKLEROOT'S GUIDE TO KNOWING THE TREES by Jim Arnosky, Bradbury Press, 1992
• A GRAND OLD TREE, by Mary Newell DePalma, Scholastic Press, 2005
• HAVE YOU SEEN TREES?, by JoAnne Oppenheim, Illustrated by Jean and Mou-Sien Tseng, Scholastic, 1995
• I WONDER WHY PINE TREES HAVE NEEDLES AND OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT FORESTS, by Jackie Gaff, Kingfisher Publications, 2005
• I WONDER WHY TREES HAVE LEAVES, by Andrew Charman, Kingfisher Publications, 2003
• POETREES, by Douglas Florian, Beach Lane Books, 2003
• RED LEAF, YELLOW LEAF, by Lois Ehlert, Harcourt Inc., 1991
• SOMEDAY A TREE, by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by Ronald Himler, Clarion Books, 1993
• TELL ME, TREE, All About Trees for Kids, by Gail Gibbons, Little, Brown & Co., 2002
• MY MOTHER TALKS TO TREES, by Doris Gove, illustrated by Marilyn H. Mallory
• CELEBRITREES, HISTORIC AND FAMOUS TREES OF THE WORLD by Margi Preus, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon, Henry Holt, 2011