A few years ago my daughters, then 6 and 13, told me the way I spoke about the climate crisis terrified them. My ears perked up even as my heart sank. I went into fix-it mode. I can’t fix global warming, so I did what is in my control. I am a writer. I wrote them a book to give them hope and inspire them to take action. It’s called Earth Squad, and it was published in 2021.
Since then, I’m constantly on the lookout for additional books to share with them—and other children. As we shift from summer reading (mostly for fun) to back-to-school reading (hopefully for learning), I’ve been poring over books Moms Clean Air Force has reviewed in recent years. I’m also reading about more recently published children’s climate books: fiction, nonfiction, narrative, and poems in Spanish as well as English.
Climate anxiety is on my mind as I sift through new titles. Last school year, my now 10-year-old had a well-intentioned teacher who scared her and her classmates during a lesson that included melting permafrost. I’m grateful she attends a school that considers climate education essential; I know other kids do not. But still. I yearn for age-appropriate science to be shared in a way that’s factually accurate without being overly horrifying. Books can help. I want narratives that will energize her and her friends to take action and invite them to feel hope, even if they understandably are also sad or scared.
As a family, we have of course read and reread Every Breath We Take by Moms’ Director Dominique Browning. It, uniquely, teaches young children about air and is designed to be read aloud to the littles or used as the basis for lesson plans for older children. It’s charming and features kids from around the world.
To help find new books, I reached out to my Moms’ colleagues, and they didn’t disappoint. Elizabeth Bechard, our Senior Policy Analyst who also leads our work on climate change and mental health, suggested these five new or recently published options:
Coco the squirrel and her dad are on a quest to stop climate change, and as they act, Coco’s worries shift to inspiration. The authors are part of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry Climate Committee, and 65% of proceeds from the books’ sales will be donated to support research about climate change and mental health.
Published in March 2023, this was written to help parents begin conversations about the climate crisis. The story follows a narrator advocating for reusable plates at her school. It will encourage young readers to push for similar changes in their own communities.
Bechard notes that this book offers a good explanation of climate justice. It also is full of facts that explain the state of our planet and how we got where we are now, all as it offers children hope to fight for their future.
The title of this new book, published in June 2023, says it all. It lets children know they’re not alone with their feelings and helps them notice and manage eco-emotions, become self-care champions, and shift anxiety to action.
Another thoughtful book about climate anxiety and stress rooted in science. This one has self-guided activities, and journaling prompts, as well as tales of other kids around the world who have made a difference. The idea is to empower children to practice similar eco-justice.
Isabel González Whitaker, Moms’ Associate Vice President for Public Engagement and Director of EcoMadres, suggested three more climate books, all published in 2023:
This wonderful tale of a grandson and grandfather cleaning up a beach covered in plastic pollution is based on a true story. In 2017, 30,000 flip-flops and other plastic waste items collected from the Kenyan coast were melted, shaped, and carved into a dhow boat named Flipflopi.
A fictional retelling of the devastating 1969 oil spill in California that sparked a new wave of environmental activism—and the beginning of Earth Day. The protagonist feels powerless, gains awareness, and then a movement is born.
We could all use a perspective shift when it comes to the climate crisis—at any age—and this collection of short stories from writers of many different backgrounds delivers. Inspired by cutting-edge literary movements, the stories imagine intersectional worlds in which no one is left behind—where humanity prioritizes equitable climate solutions and continued service to one’s community. The dream!
I found even more possibilities in Time’s recent list of climate change books for elementary schoolers curated by a range of experts, including members of the North American Association of Environmental Education. The whole list is worth a peek, but I find myself especially drawn to stories over science tomes; they just have a simple way of drawing young readers into a complicated subject. Here are a few:
This is the story of an immigrant family’s first camping trip at a Midwest state park. The author, Ambreen Tariq, runs the Instagram account @BrownPeopleCamping. The magic of the outdoors for all looms large.
This narrative poem won the 2021 Caldecott Medal and is a #1 New York Times Bestseller—for good reason. It’s inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements to safeguard the Earth’s water all across North America. It’s also available in Spanish.
Biography is such a useful way for kids to engage with the climate crisis. MaVynee is an opera singer turned environmentalist who couldn’t go to just any beach growing up; they were for whites only. So her grandfather bought a beach for families like theirs and named it American Beach. History is woven with love of nature and conservation in this lovely tale.
Do you have any new climate books for kids you’re loving? Send them our way.
TELL CONGRESS: SUPPORT YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND ACCESS TO CLIMATE EDUCATION