Long-term thinking for littles
The Sense of Wonder; What is a River; Water; Beetles for Breakfast; Girls Who Green
There’s no such thing as being late for Earth Day, right? I mean, except that we’re all awfully late and the world keeps burning, and… <deep breath> OK, but we still gotta try, and teach the kids to try. SO, with that in mind, I present to you five nonfic-ish books for kidly people that promote wonder and respect for nature, that foster long-term thinking, and that question our habituated comforts.
“The Sense of Wonder” (1956) is Rachel Carson’s invitation to explore the outdoors with kids ***without worrying what you can teach them*** She just says: go with open senses. Nurturing wonder and affinity is both enough AND imperative. [This one is more of a solo read, to inform your outdoor time with littles.]
The Sense of Wonder. 1956, Rachel Carson. Audience: General, adult [[libraries, book stores]
“What Is A River” (2021) and “Water” (2017) are picture books about the ways people and animals rely upon water. Both use nested storytelling to position the authors’ voices, drawing on their personal experiences as well as folk stories and history to share broader messages about the politics of water management and the repercussions of misuse.
What is a River. 2021, Monika Vaicenavičienė. Target age: Gr3-5 [similar titles for younger and older kids] [read aloud, libraries, book stores]
Water. 2017, Subhash Vyam with Gita Wolf. Target age: PreK-Gr5 [libraries, book stores]
I couldn’t find a read-aloud for this wonderful book, so I recorded one — it’s on the KidNonFic Instagram. You can also read a detailed review by the always brilliant Maria Popova [here].
“Beetles For Breakfast” (2021) and “Girls Who Green The World” (2022) are both future-oriented books about innovation and actions that can lead to more sustainable consumer habits and policies. “Beetles” invites readers to imagine that living sustainably (or, let’s say, surviving) might [must] look very different from what we’re used to now. In simple chapters focused on common settings (inside our homes, around town, etc), it challenges readers to consider the potential in plentiful but undervalued or outright taboo resources, while also explaining why current practices are not sustainable. I like this book because it helps to prepare kids for a future that could look very different. “Girls Who Green” profiles inventors and change-makers who are passionately committed to sustainability. Each profile starts with a familiar “what are your super/normcore powers” type questionnaire, followed by a short narrative about their work. This one is nice because it illustrates a wide variety of approaches to mindful action and behaviors. Maybe we don’t have to give up glitter afterall?
Beetles for Breakfast. 2021, Madeleine Finlay, Jisu Choi. Target age: Gr2-6 [vid preview (min3-5), libraries, book stores]
Girls Who Green the World. 2022, Diana Kapp, Ana Jarén. Target age: 12+ [webinar with the author, libraries, book stores]
