15 books about conservation and environmental awareness

This book was awarded the Gold Mom’s Choice Award and features Ge the bear and his desire to improve the environment. Ge teaches the reader about recycling, coastline cleanup, water conservation and responsible shopping. These are steps we can all take to minimize our impact on the environment and I think it’s great to see books like this out there! These cute characters resonate well with children, my students loved it.

Also there are free printables for teachers to use in class and downloadable eBooks at www.greenrank.me.

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Part of the “Save the Earth” series I picked up. My students and I have begun learning about eco systems, conservation and human impact on the planet... so this of course was a natural fit. About a polar bear who is hungry because there is less food now. Things are getting warmer. Fortunately he makes friends with a beluga and an Inuit girl along the way. It’s a great intro to global warming and perfect as a read aloud, they discuss ways to help slowdown global warming and how we can help in our daily lives. I read it with my first grade class and it was part of a unit we’ve been working on so the kids were already familiar with the concept. You might find that some words or larger concepts are too advanced for your little one or at least require further explanation. Definitely a well illustrated, super cute book worth reading and a great introduction to the topic. It is of course an issue we cannot ignore and so I believe it’s important to have more books like this.

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Part of the “Save the Earth” series and Bees are such an important part of the ecosystem that need our love. This book is wonderfully illustrated and clearly shows how pollination works and how bees interact with our world. A very relatable storyline shows how just a few kids living in the city can help the bees Also featuring great activities and crafts, this book is a wonderful choice.

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I absolutely adore these books! Gorgeous illustrations and a cute story about a mermaid and her turtle friend resonated really well with my students. This book has a clear message about protecting our oceans, recycling and making mindful decisions in our everyday life. Also featuring educational activities and facts, really a must have.

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The 4th book in the series and absolutely a work of art. The illustrations are so wonderful and vibrant. This one is based in Africa and focuses on the importance of planting trees and how they take care of the environment in so many ways. When we have more trees we have healthier land and healthier people. Although it’s based in Africa it is definitely a lesson that is relevant in every corner of the world. Highly recommend this series!

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While on a family vacation, a young girl named Ivy comes across a new friend. An Orangutan she names Orange! Join in on the adventure as Orange teaches Ivy all about the rainforest and what is happening to his home. Orange shows Ivy first hand the destructive effects of Palm Oil, an oil used in most snack foods and cosmetics in the United States. This story is an interactive journey learning about the destructive effects of Palm Oil on Rainforests and what you can do to help. Included with the book are coloring pages, interesting rainforest facts page, and an interactive family activity designed to help you do your part to save the rainforests!

The author has implemented the 1 Book = 1 Tree campaign and the purchase of every copy will plant 1 tree in Sumatra or Borneo!

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This is actually a great book for the classroom. It follows the life of a cute little battery. It is purchased by mom and powers a toy piano that her daughter loves. She plays it so much the battery eventually runs out of power. At that point mom points out that the garbage isn’t the best place for a battery and they go to the recycling plant together and drop it off there. In the end the battery gets recharged and repackaged and is ready to power more toys learning about recycling early is important and how we can do our part to minimize our impact on the environment. After I read this with my students I asked them to go find all the toys with batteries, I brought in a battery tester and showed them how much life was left in each one. They were surprisingly fascinated by the whole thing lovely book and great illustrations!

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Lovely little book about our wonderful planet and the importance of treating it with respect. Lovely water colors splash the pages and help kids learn about going green through simple rhyming text.

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Wonderful earth themed Alphabet book. Perfect for teachers and new parents alike, this book is a great conversation starter and educational resource. I think it's important to support authors that are promoting a love for our planet and spreading knowledge about the environmental issues we all are facing. Giving kids at an early age the right attitude towards recycling, reusing, litter and our own individual environmental impact is essential if we ever expect our ecosystem to survive. After all, the children now are the leaders of tomorrow.

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A wonderful book all about how the forest works, showing the food chain and how one thing leads to another. Gorgeous illustrations and logical transitions from page to page make this a perfect book for the classroom or a bedtime read.

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Amazing book about an amazing woman. Starting from childhood this book chronicles the life of Jane Goodall and her mission to protect chimpanzees and their habitat. Love that this book is promoting conservationism and women in science. This book definitely has a place on my Children’s Bookshelf!

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Such a great concept and enormously relevant in this day and age. The title says it all and really helps kids understand that attitude goes a long way. As individuals we are constantly given the choice to act green or not care. We need to raise a generation of kids that choose to act green and this book is part of that puzzle. The world needs more books like this!

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This is beautiful book. Wonderful illustrations and a very well written story give this book a timeless feel. It contains a wonderful moral about the symbiosis of nature, generosity and empathy. I really feel like this is an important book to read to your children.

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The real life story of Ken Nedimyer and his passion for preserving the coral reefs of our oceans. These stunning illustrations vividly accompany this inspiring story leading to the creation of the Coral Restoration Foundation.

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A young girl is at the beach and discovers a mermaid who’s very upset about the current state of the ocean. There’s plastic everywhere, after showing the young girl what’s happening in the ocean she also becomes upset. And then together they make a discovery that might just save the oceans! I love that I’m seeing more and more books about this subject, it’s so important that little ones are exposed to the reality of the situation and also given hope that we can fix this problem.

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