A child’s appreciation for living things and the role people play in taking care of the world develops over time. It begins with learning about the many plants and animals that live on the earth. Some animals are common, and it’s not too hard to provide opportunities for them to see, touch and feel them. However, some animals present more of a challenge because they live in remote places. One reliable way to help children satisfy their curiosity and build their understanding is through a good children’s book. Trips to the zoo are fun and exciting, but these expeditions can be more meaningful if, as an introduction, you have read a book about the animals you will be seeing.

Infants and toddlers are in the process of learning to name everything and they love books about animals. The Bright Baby book, Baby Animals, is a favorite of many little ones. It’s a board book and just the right size to carry around. The illustrations are real pictures of animals and the animal’s name is clearly written on each page. We don’t expect children this young to recognize words, but just seeing the words on the page is a very, very early and important literacy lesson.

For older children, Rain, Rain, Rain Forest by Brenda Z. Guiberson is an eye-opening book filled with colorful illustrations and vivid descriptions to help readers feel as if they’ve actually been to a rain forest. Sloths, howler monkeys, mosquitoes, toucans, anteaters, poison dart frogs, orchids and bromeliads jump from the pages! The author also points out that the rainforest needs 20 feet of rain fall each year to keep the plants and animals that live there alive. Rain, Rain, Rain Forest gives readers young and old a deeper understanding of an environment that is very different from their own.