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GARDEN BOOK LIST
Watching things grow is one of my favorite things about spring!
Here are a few favorite books about gardening.
For my full spring list, click here.
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Click the button below to download the PDF version of this list.
MY TOP FIVE
by Laura Alary
A girl and her neighbor grow a community from their garden. Grace thinks Larry's garden is one of the wonders of the world. In his tiny backyard next door to hers, Larry grows the most extraordinary vegetables. Grace loves helping him.
by Janet Stevens
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.
by Christie Matheson
Follow a seed through its entire life cycle, as it grows into a zinnia in a garden full of buzzing bees, curious hummingbirds, and colorful butterflies. Children engage with the book as they wiggle their fingers to water the seeds, clap to make the sun shine after rain, and shoo away a hungry snail.
by Joanna Gaines
We Are the Gardeners is a whimsical picture book perfect for young children and families interested in gardening and plants. In We Are the Gardeners, Joanna Gaines and the kids chronicle the adventures of starting garden.
by Kate Messner
Explore the secret realm beneath the dirt that brings the world of nature to life: Follow a young girl and her grandmother on a journey through the year planning, planting, and harvesting their garden—and learn about what's happening in the dirt to help make it all grow.
by Ann Renaud
Gwendolyn longs for a pet. What kind? Any kind! How many legs? Two, four, ten--she's not picky! But her parents have other ideas, and instead they give her . . . a box of dirt. "It smells of swamp," Gwendolyn says--but her parents say it smells of possibilities.
by Charlotte Zolotow
A young girl and her older companion watch birds, fly a kite, plant flowers, and play in the snow, watching flowers bloom and leaves fall as the year passes.
by Kadir Nelson
If you plant a carrot seed...a carrot will grow. If you plant a cabbage seed...a cabbage will grow. But what happens if you plant a seed of kindness...or selfishness?
by Laurel Snyder
Every day, Honey tends her garden, thinning the lettuces, pulling up beets, and even singing to the kale. Laurel, the little girl who lives next door, likes to help, weeding the rows, washing vegetables under the pump, and gathering speckled eggs from the chicken coop.
by Mary Ann Hoberman
All those involved with the garden, including the gardener, the woodchuck, the bee, and the squash bug, think that the garden belongs to them and set forth to explain how such a beautiful place couldn't exist without their unique talents and gifts.
by Phyllis Root
You might think a farm means fields, tractors, and a barnyard full of animals. But you can plant a farm anywhere you like! A box or a bucket, a boot or a pan — almost anything can be turned into a home for green, growing things. Windows, balconies, and front steps all make wonderful spots to start.
by Edith Pattou
Mrs. Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens. She knows about children. She knows how similar they are, and how both will flourish if tended lovingly.
by Terry Fan
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.
by Karma Wilson
Upon overhearing the story of how springtime rain and sunshine nurture little seeds to grow into great big green plants, Mortimer is skeptical but decides to plant one of his seeds, just to see if such a miracle really can happen. Mortimer finds a perfect sport to plant the seed, and then...he waits.
by Zoe Tucker
A young girl and an elderly woman plant seeds in a community garden alongside friends and neighbors. At harvest, the young girl’s elderly friend is bed-ridden, but jubilant as they share baskets with red tomatoes and snap peas amid the sweet smell of lavender.
by Stella Fry
​This beautifully told story follows Billy from early spring to late summer as he helps his grandpa on his vegetable patch. They dig the hard ground, sow rows of seeds, and keep them watered and safe from slugs. When harvest time arrives they can pick all the vegetables and fruit they have grown.
by Sarah Stewart
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.
by Pat Zietlow Miller
​On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot.
by Katy Hudson
Rabbit loves carrots a little too much. In fact, his carrots are crowding him out of his cozy burrow. When his friends offer to help, they're just asking for trouble, a lot of trouble!
by Gene Barretta
When George Washington Carver was just a young child, he had a secret: a garden of his own. And it was in this very place that George’s love of nature sprouted into something so much more—his future.
by Laura Knowles
As the tree grows, it is joined by well-loved woodland creatures—squirrels and rabbits, butterflies and owls—who make it their home. A rhyming poem builds page on page, echoing the rings of a growing tree.
by Anna McQuinn
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. hey dig and plant. And then they wait.
by Anna Walker
When Mae's family moves to a new home, she wishes she could bring her garden with her. She'll miss the apple trees, daffodils, and chasing butterflies through the wavy grass.
But there's no room for a garden in the city. Or is there?
by Dianna Aston
A Seed is Sleepy introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts. Turn each page to explore the amazing world of these garden wonders through watercolor illustrations that bring to life nature landscapes filled with seeds, flowers, plants, leaves, and trees.
by Marsha Diane Arnold
It's springtime and Badger is ready to plant the perfect garden. He has spent months gathering and sorting seeds. It's been a lot of work but it's worth it. His friends Red Squirrel, Dormouse, and Weasel come to help.