One of the hardest things we’ve lost in this time of social distancing is access to nature. While we cannot gather in parks and enjoy the outdoors in the full way we would like to, we can enjoy nature and the beauty of the plants and flowers springing up as the weather warms through reading, tending to houseplants, and making flowery treats.
Here are e-books available from the NYPL which can help kids feel a connection with nature, despite being stuck inside:
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long
- Full of beautiful detail–both written and drawn–this book is sure to fill a child with wonder at the power of seeds and the diversity of plants they produce.
Spring Blossoms by Carole Gerber, illustrated by Leslie Evans
- The vibrant pink blossoms filling each page are the perfect embodiment of the first line: “Spring is bursting out all over!”
- Follow three energetic friends as they explore and enjoy the simple pleasures of hike through nature.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
- While on the surface, the garden looks dead, a grandmother teaches her granddaughter that far below the surface, life is preparing to spring up.
From Seed to Daisy: Following the Life Cycle by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Jeff Yesh
- A direct and very informative nonfiction look at a recognizable flower friend: the daisy!
How to Grow a Friend by Sara Gillingham
- Gardening is rich with metaphors for life. In this book, explore the ways in which tending a friendship is much like tending a fragile seed in a garden.
Old Manhattan has Some Farms : (E-I-E-I-Grow!) by Susan Lendroth, illustrated by Kate Endle
- A cute celebration of urban farming. “On a high rise here, in a backyard there,” you can find life growing all around the city!
Rosario’s Fig Tree by Charis Wahl, illustrated by Luc Melanson
- A little girl is surprised to discover that a seemingly dead fig tree, buried in the ground, comes back to life each new spring.
The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families by Susan L. Roth & Cindy Trumbore, illustrated by Susan L. Roth
- Plants have the power to transform community’s. This true story of a village in Eritrea empowered by planting mangrove trees is proof.
The Secret Lives of Plants! by Janet Slingerland, illustrated by Oksana Kemarskaya
- This graphic novel looks at the ways plants are resilient, stubborn and sometimes even sneaky! But above all, plants are survivors.
Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Sydney Smith
- This somber, but beautiful wordless picture book encourages us to notice beauty in unexpected places and to share it with others.
If you have gardening skills, by all means, share the joy of planting with your child by nurturing a houseplant to thriving together. For those (like me) who do not have a green thumb, here is a great way to make flower-shaped cookies without a cookie cutter! This tip from Better Homes and Gardens just requires a pair of scissors. During this time of isolation at home, it is great to find clever tricks like this that allow you to do more with less:
