The Ultimate List of Gardening Books for Kids
If your kids are curious about how things grow or just looking for a good excuse to get their hands muddy, these garden-themed books are the perfect way to dig into some fun together! Whether you’ve got a curious toddler or a budding botanist on your hands, these stories will spark their interest…and maybe even inspire your next backyard adventure.
How Do Plants Grow? Fun Books That Teach Kids About Gardening
Before your kiddos dive into planting their own garden, these books will help them understand how seeds turn into colorful flowers and crunchy carrots. They break down how things grow in a way kids can actually understand, no green thumb required!
Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole
Told in a cumulative style (think "This is the House that Jack Built"), this story walks readers step by step through the process of growing a garden. It’s catchy, fun, and packed with cool garden facts.
2. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
Ever wonder what’s happening underground while your plants are growing up top? This book lets you see both worlds with beautiful illustrations that bring the underground world to life. Spoiler alert: There are a lot of busy bugs making things happen under there!
3. Hello World: Garden Time by Jill McDonald
This cheerful board book introduces toddlers to the wonders of gardens and how plants grow. With simple facts and bright illustrations, it's a perfect way to spark curiosity about nature. Plus, each page has little prompts to make learning with your child even more fun. Bonus points because it’s a board book!
4. My First Book About How Things Grow an Usborne Sticker Book
Sticker books typically wouldn't be included in my book lists, but this one is so interactive and fun I couldn't resist. Your kids will be so busy sticking flowers, bees, and veggies on each page that they won't even realize they're becoming plant experts in the process.
5. Oh Say Can You Seed? by Bonnie Worth
The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library strikes again! This playful book is packed full of facts about seeds and plants, but delivered with your typical Cat in the Hat rhyming scheme, making it easy for little gardeners to digest.
Books That Show Gardening-In-Action
These fun stories follow kids who roll up their sleeves, get a little messy, and learn what it really takes to grow something. Perfect for inspiring your own little gardeners!
6. How Does My Garden Grow? by Gerda Muller
Follow a curious little girl as her grandparents teach her all about gardening. Packed with charming details and practical tips, it’s the perfect book for kids who want to know why their tomato plant isn’t turning into spaghetti sauce.
7. Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root
This sweet rhyming book shows that gardening isn’t just for big backyards. With a little creativity (and maybe a patient grown-up), your little gardener can start planting anywhere from balcony planters to city sidewalks!
8. We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines
Follow the Gaines family as they dive headfirst into the world of gardening. From their very first plant (RIP Fern) to building raised beds, battling plant-munching bugs, and outsmarting a goat who thinks the garden is his personal buffet. This book is full of real-life lessons and lots of laughs.
9. Zora’s Zucchini by Katherine Pryor
Zora’s garden goes a little wild when she plants way too many zucchini. Luckily, she learns that sharing is the best solution. A fun way to show kids that sharing is caring, especially when you suddenly have enough zucchinis to feed the whole neighborhood.
10. The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
This sweet story shows how one boy’s love of plants transforms his grey, urban neighborhood into a lush, green oasis. It’s a perfect pick for inspiring kids to brighten up their own corner of the world (or at least convince them to water the houseplants).
Hands-On Gardening Books to Get Kids Growing
Ready to swap storytime for real-life digging? These books are packed with fun, hands-on gardening projects that will have your kids planting in no time!
11. Gardening for Kids by Dion Rosser
A practical guide full of simple gardening projects designed for children. No fancy tools required, just some dirt, seeds, and a willingness to get a little messy.
12. Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy
This book has 12 super fun gardening ideas that parents and kids can enjoy together! From growing a Pizza Patch to creating a Moon Garden, each project comes with simple planting tips, fun activities, and cool crafts to do with your plants. With bright watercolors and easy-to-follow steps, it's a perfect way to get kids excited about gardening.
13. The Best-Ever Step-by-Step Kid's First Gardening by Jenny Hendy
This book is jam-packed with over 120 exciting gardening projects for kids, like growing flower-filled rain boots or creating a mini wildlife pond. With easy step-by-step instructions and more than 1,100 vibrant photos, young gardeners will have a blast while learning about everything from edible treats to wildlife gardening.
14. Let’s Get Gardening by DK
A fun and colorful book with 30 easy projects to help kids grow their own fruits and veggies and create homes for butterflies, bees, and more. With simple steps and lots of pictures, kids will learn how to plant things like tomatoes and pumpkins, plus ways to recycle and help the environment.
15. The Garden Classroom by Cathy James
Gardens aren’t just for growing plants, they’re for growing curious little minds too! This book has lots of fun ideas to turn any outdoor space into a place for hands-on learning. From counting seeds to writing nature stories, kids will love discovering new ways to explore math, science, art, and more, all while playing in the dirt (because let’s be honest, that’s the best part).
BONUS!
Worms, Dirt, and Composting: Fun Books for Messy Gardeners
If your kids think worms are cool (or you're trying to convince them they are), these books are a must-read.
16. Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer by Carol Brendler
Winnie may not take home the blue ribbon at her town’s science fair, but that doesn’t stop her from digging into her passion…worms! Along the way, she helps local farmers, makes some new friends, and shows that even the smallest creatures can make a big difference. It’s a sweet, funny read that’ll have your kids seeing worms in a whole new (and much cooler) light.
17. Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals
Composting might not sound exciting at first, but this book turns it into a fun, rhyming adventure. Kids learn how banana peels, eggshells, and other kitchen scraps transform into rich soil that helps plants grow big and strong. It’s the perfect way to show young gardeners that nothing in nature ever really goes to waste!
Whether your kiddo is fascinated by flowers, obsessed with worms, or just looking for a good excuse to play in the dirt, these books will get them digging into something fun.
