Are you working on a Plant Unit with your K-2nd grade learner? You might want to take a peek at this seeds and plants book list for kids. In this book list are fiction and nonfiction that lend themselves well to learning about seeds and plants. Read more about each one below!
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Seeds & Plants Book List
I’m sorting these books into three different categories: 1- seeds, 2- trees, and 3- plants in general (life cycle, needs, parts, etc.) to help find what you’re looking for a little easier.
Books About Seeds
A Tiny Seed by Eric Carle is about the journey of a seed. Readers follow one particular seed through the hardships of the seasons and watch it finally grow into a plant. If you’re an Eric Carle fan, this is one book you will want to add to your library!
The Empty Pot by Demi is probably on my top 10 favorite books of all time {as is another book on this list}. I love how it features a different culture, but I really love how it features the character trait of honesty! The story of Ping has such a twist at the end that kids will love it, too. I also like to use the science lesson in this book about seeds to do a science experiment. You can find the science experiment in my Seeds & Plants Unit Study pack on pg. 10.
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Aston is one book out of several in this series. These books are all beautifully poetic in nature {love that!}. Included in the book is very simple text with detailed pictures, perfect for younger kids who just want to explore seeds. But there’s also longer text, packed with information about seeds, included on each page that you can read and explore further with older kids.
How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan is a Let’s Read and Find Out Science book {a great series!}. It’s a level 1 book, which means it’s simple and engaging for younger kids. This particular books explores the growth of an acorn, with a science experiment included at the end.
One Bean by Anne Rockwell is the perfect read to accompany growing lima beans in a cup or baggie on the window. {You can find that experiment with journal pages in my Seeds & Plants Unit.}
The Dandelion Seed by Joseph P. Anthony follows the journey of a dandelion seed that just doesn’t want to let go. While the true theme of the book may not be apparent to children, they will enjoy watching the dandelion seed explore the world.
Just to look at the diorama-style photographs/illustrations in If You Hold A Seed by Elly MacKay is enough reason to get your hands on this book! Seriously amazing. The story follows a boy who plants a seed with a dream and watches through the years as it grows into a tree.
 
Follow the movement of how seeds travel in Flip, Float, Fly! by JoAnn E. Macken. This is a very unique book, with poetic text and amazing artwork. Not only does it talk about how seeds move, but also explores the life cycle of plants, too.
Books about Trees
A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry is such a simple book about the purposes of trees. It doesn’t go into anything too deep, but is a great introduction to trees. The illustrations are fantastic. My kids like to discover the pattern of color, the black/white pages in the book.
A Tree is a Plant by Clyde R. Bulla is another simple book about trees, perfect for introducing younger kids in a unit on trees.
I love, love, love this series by National Geographic! Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard is one that we pull out and read every fall, but it is fantastic year-round. The photographs and stunning and the text is simple enough for younger children to enjoy. Follow a maple tree in all its seasons and beauty!
Tell Me, Tree by Gail Gibbons is a great book for helping kids identify kinds of trees they may see in their own backyard. If you’re familiar with Gail Gibbon’s work, this book will not disappoint. It’s filled with information about trees {and plants} with tons of illustrations, cutaways, and even a challenge for kids to make their own tree identification books.
Be a Friend to Trees by Patricia Lauber is a fantastic book to help learners understand the many uses of trees and how we couldn’t live without them.
If you’ve taught for very long, I’m sure you’re quite familiar with The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I typically read this during an apple unit, but it would fit in nicely with a tree unit as it talks about the parts and uses of a tree.
Books about Plants (Life Cycle, Needs, Parts, etc.)
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens is another top 10 book on my list! I adore this book for so many reasons. I even love the way she has oriented the book so that you have to read it top and bottom! Stevens brilliantly weaves a story about parts of plants without kids even realizing it! I’ve included a garden mat with vegetables that line up from this book in my Seeds & Plants Unit Study for K-2.
My Garden by Kevin Henkes is an adorable book about a girl who dreams what her garden would look like if she could plant one any way she’d like. I can see learners creating and writing about their own gardens after reading this book.
Wiggly Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer may not seem like it’s about plants at all, but this Let’s Read and Find Out Science book shows the relationship that worms have with plants and why plants need them. {While there are certainly parts of this book that are great for K and 1, there is a page about worms mating, so be aware!}
If you could only get one book to teach about seeds and plants, From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons would be my top pick. This book covers the inside of seeds, how seeds are carried, the cycle of a plant, plant’s needs, parts of a flower and much more! It’s not as in-depth as many of her other books, but covers the topic of plants broadly.
Plants Feed Me by Lizzy Rockwell is a book that talks about the different parts of the plant and the different parts that we eat. I really like the pictures and how it shows the parts of the plant that we eat.
If you’re familiar with The Magic School Bus video series, you know that kids love them! While I think the books are a little more cumbersome {and more comic-book like}, they do offer lots of great information about different subjects, including seeds and plants with The Magic School Bus Plants a Seed.
As is all of Heller’s books, The Reason for a Flower has vibrant illustrations and language to show the reason the plant has a flower.
How a Plant Grows by Bobbie Kalman introduces information about carnivorous plants {which kids love!} and how plants are important to the food chain. Older readers can even read this one on their own.
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~Becky
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