Whether you have a small child who loves traveling to new places, or a homebody who loves reading books with lots of maps and facts in them - I've rounded up a bunch of amazing pukapuka (books) about the planet for kids to enjoy!
The Planet - From a Distance!
I love how many beautiful Atlas' and Encyclopedias there are for kids. It takes me back to the days where I would get lost in my Grandma's collections of Encyclopedia Britannica. These are books for the kids curious about the planet, about traveling across the ocean to visit other places and people, or who maybe have traveled here from somewhere far away. If you're going on a trip overseas, make sure to check out the list of Travel Books for Tamariki!
Lonely Planet Kids Amazing World Atlas
You just can't go past have a good atlas in the home - it becomes a book that kids flip through, one that you can check whenever you hear about news overseas or about to go on a big family holiday somewhere, a resource for learning more about countries around the world and becoming a global citizen.
I love the Lonely Planet kids resources - they have so many amazing atlas' for kids of all ages, as well as heaps of resources for kids who are going travel (check out a list here!)
This Atlas in particular is a favourite because it's full of amazing maps, photos, and information about countries worldwise. It's appropriate for curious kids, mostly 8+ but would definitely still be fine for younger ones to browse with adult support.
For the younger globe-trotters, I love the Lift-the-Flat Atlas - it's still very thorough but just pitched that little bit younger. There are so many different books about the planet and it's many countries and cultures - one of my other hidden gems is the 'Collins World Tour' which touches on various facts about the world in a very engaging and entertaining way!
The Planet - Up Close!
These are the books for those kids, like my own, who take half an hour to walk down the street because they are so busy examining every tiny insect or touching every leaf. Books are such a beautiful way to bring that curiosity indoors, to build on their natural sense of wonder and excitement about the natural world, and raise a child who loves and appreciates the planet they are lucky enough to live on.
The Observologist
I've lost track as to how many times I have recommended this book to people in the bookshop, and it's a firm favourite in my own house. An absolute taonga (treasure) of a book, The Observologist is about being curious and asking questions about the world around us - whether it's what those strange little things on leaves are (insect eggs maybe!) or paying attention to the different sounds made by bugs outside, or how to create nature collections.
This is a book for curious kids of every age (even 35 year old booksellers like myself) who like to go outside to investigate the questions about what they've noticed in nature, and one of my favourite children's books of all time.
What I love about working in a bookshop is learning about how there is really a book for everything, especially when it comes to our tamariki. Whether it's rocks, flowers, bugs, fungi, or any other little part of our natural world - bets are we'll be able to find a book to support their natural curiosity and extend their learning about the planet.
The Planet - Taking Care of It
Once you have kids connected and curious about Planet Earth, it is a lot easier to get them to take action to take care of it! I used to teach a bunch of wonderful kids in South Auckland and trying to get them to care about sustainable actions was nearly impossible until after a trip to the zoo they suddenly saw themselves in the various animals and plants that grabbed their attention. Suddenly the planet felt real and alive to them, full of creatures and beings that needed their care and attention. Here are some amazing books for the next step - helping tamariki know that the things they do matters and empowering them to grow up as steward and kaitiaki of Planet Earth.
New Zealand Nature Heroes
This book is such a great one for young conservationists - full of a huge range of activities and inspiration connected to New Zealand conservation work and environmental issues. Perfect for kids who 10+ (and perfect for classrooms!), this book is packed with beautiful photos, interesting stories about Aotearoa, and most importantly heaps of hands on things that kids can do.
There are also lots of examples of amazing young advocates who are doing the mahi out there and showing how easy and important it is for children to get involved in field work and conservation.
One of my favourite bits is about a Wētā expert, George Gibbs. We learn a bit about his mahi with wētā, find out about where to find wētā and the different types in our native forest, and then get tips and tricks for doing things like building a wētā motel.
Picture books and stories, like 'The Lorax' or 'Footprint', can be a wonderful way to introduce children to the idea of caring for the planet and what happens when people disconnect and lose touch. There are also a range of gorgeous non-fiction books, even for the youngest readers, like 'The Story of Conservation' or '100 Things to Know About Saving the Planet' which would make beautiful additions to a home or classroom library. Through the stories of other conservationists, both young and old, children get a sense of how they too can make a difference for the things they care about - whether it's the smallest creatures we share space with or the big blue oceans that keep us in balance.
It is a thing of hope to see tamariki grow up wanting to know more about the planet, wanting to understand the places and people and animals and plants who live on it. Let us know what books you would add to this list!
Lizzy makes sure the Book Hero bookstore is an integral part of our local Hobsonville community, welcoming readers of all ages with a genuine kindness and love of books. The Fantastic Mr Fox ignited her passion for books as a child, and now she’s read thousands of books and loves matching the right book to the right reader - both in our bookstore and online. When she’s not recommending her next favourite read, she’s enjoying life’s small joys with her husband, Edd, and their chaotic but lovely child.
