In this age of digital everything, it can feel almost impossible to make nature seem accessible to our little ones. How can trees and birds seem exciting compared to smartphones, digital television, and the internet? These two beautiful board books may help. I Know Nature and Into the Forest both offer young readers a magical glimpse of the outdoors. As companion pieces or as individual reads, these two volumes provide a great introduction to nature for young readers.
Into the Forest
Written by Laura Baker
Illustrated by Nadia Taylor
What to Expect: Nature, Animals, Lost-and-Found Narrative
Into the Forest is a simple but endearing story about a young squirrel looking for her mama. Each sturdy cut-away page reveals more and more of the forest and its creatures as the story progresses: readers will see foxes, a bear mama and bear cub, blue jays, rabbits, frogs, and deer, as squirrel moves deeper and deeper into the forest. The simple block-style illustrations are deceptively accurate, emphasizing the blue jay’s white eye patch or the differently shaped leaves on the variety of forest trees. Simple and easy to follow, Into the Forest is a tiny taste of the great outdoors.
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Ages 2-5 | Publisher: Abrams Appleseed | 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1-4197-3354-3
I Know Nature
Written by Anastasia Korovkina
Illustrated by
What to Expect: Nature, Animals, Non-fiction, Interactivity
For a more in-depth exploration of nature, young readers can turn to I know Nature, a lift-the-flap exploration of different seasons and environments. Young readers can lift the sturdy cardboard flaps to reveal extra information about everything from the chameleon’s camouflage techniques to the feeding habits of humpback whales. Although there is wealth of information, the authors have succeeded in keeping the content simple and easy for a young reader to understand and follow.
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Ages 2-6 | Publisher: Clever Publishing | 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1-948418-35-5
The book list Introduce Young Kids to Nature With Two Beautiful Board Books was curated by Dr. Jen Harrison. Discover more books like these titles by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Animals and Nature. Visit our Board Books for Kids page for more of our favorite books for kids and growing readers.
