Children's Nature Books: Sharing Our Favorite Literature

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Storey Publishing: 2021

Text by Kathleen Yale

Illustrations by Oana Befort

Non-Fiction

Cost: $5.99-$14.99

Availability: Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble

For Christmas this year, I wanted to buy my grandchildren a gift that would be fun, educational, and could be used during our family-time at camp. I researched many toys but was reluctant to buy another toy that would break, not be used, or would be lost, and my daughter had pleaded for no more toys because they had just too many. I pondered what I could possibly buy them that would excite them, if not a toy? Children expect toys at Christmas, especially from Grammy and Grampa! Purely by accident, I stumbled upon the Backpack Explorer books on Amazon. As an educator, they intrigued me. As a grandmother, they motivated me to create an exciting Christmas gift for my grandkids!  

I found eleven books in the series, with each book centered around a specific element found in nature. Many of the titles correlated with learning themes I taught throughout the school year. I was fascinated that the series included a book about nature in the city, City Walk, demonstrating that nature can be found everywhere. The illustrations were bright and appealing and were accompanied by real photos, and I knew the illustrations and photos would captivate my students. I also loved that each book included a magnifying glass to encourage exploration and discovery.

The books encouraged outdoor play, exploring nature, and getting dirty. There were so many titles in the series that we could incorporate into our camp adventures and many titles that we could utilize right in our backyard! How could I go wrong?

As I mentioned before, there were eleven books in the series. I must admit, it was hard narrowing it down to only two or three books, but then I found that the series offered a five-book bundle, at a very reasonable price ($36.69). I purchased it! The bundle included: On the Nature Trail, Rock Hunt, Bird Watch, Discovering Trees, and Bug Hunt. 

The book bundle arrived in a sturdy box, and I was thrilled to discover that it could be converted into a nature collection box with dividers and ID stickers. The books were eye-catching with beautiful illustrations, vivid photos, interesting information, and easy-to-read text. Each book was filled with hands-on, interactive activities that I could utilize with my family and with my students. The books were sturdy, with a thick front and back cover for easier use outdoors. As I explored the books, I was shocked at all the additional extras that were provided to the readers; magnifying glasses, backpack supply lists, exploration tips, scavenger hunts, life-cycle illustrations, gross-motor activities, learning activities, craft ideas, game ideas, logging pages, stickers, and explorer sticker-patches to detail all the wonderful things discovered on a nature adventure. I was very impressed by both the quality of the books and what each book had to offer.

Accompanied by the bundle of five books, I purchased each grandchild a set of binoculars, a flashlight, a journal, crayons, pencils, and a backpack. It proved to be a favorite Christmas gift!

On the Nature Trail

Bug Hunt

Rock Hunt

Discovering Trees

Discovering Plants and Flowers

Spotting Snakes and Frogs

Bird Watch

Night Walk

Beach Walk

Winter Walk

City Walk

I look forward to purchasing all the titles in the series and incorporating them into my curriculum and am excited to dive into nature with my grandkids!

What do you think? 

Have you utilized any of these books in your nature-based curriculum? 

Do you have a favorite book or a favorite activity from the books that your children have truly enjoyed?

Do you have other books like the Backpack Explorer Series that you highly recommend?