Teaching kids about recycling and other environmental issues is an important step in making sure they become thoughtful adults. To help reinforce what you’re telling your kids, here are 10 books about recycling your kids will love.
- Why Should I Recycle? by Jen Green is an adorably, entertaining book that takes the reader on a field trip with Mr. Jones and his students. They are visiting a recycling center and the illustrations by Mike Gordon are perfect. The book teaches the value of recycling and also informs about ways to recycle and reuse materials.
- The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling by Alison Inches tells the story of recycling from the point of view of a funny plastic bottle. Kids learn about the journey of the plastic bottle from the refinery plant, to the manufacturing line and beyond by reading diary entries from the bottle’s personal journal.
- The Berenstain Bears Go Green by Jan Berenstain and Mike Berenstain bring us on a fishing trip at the creek where the Bear family discovers to their horror that the town dump is overflowing. The garbage is spilling into the creek. The story goes on to find a solution while educating the reader.
- Charlie and Lola: We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers by Bridget Hurst and Lauren Child is a cute story about how Charlie convinces Lola to recycle her old toys and the events that follow.
- The Lorax by Dr. Seuss is a classic book about how humans can impact the environment. Told in only the way that Dr. Seuss can tell a story, this book contains one of my favorite quotes of all time:
“UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better
It’s not.”
- One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul and Elizabeth Zunon is an inspirational true story about how one woman’s action made a huge difference to a community. Isatou Ceesay was that change in Njau, Gambia.
- Recycling Is Fun by Charles Ghigna and Ag Jatkowska shows the reader how sorting recycling and reusing materials is good for the environment and fun for them.
- Stuff! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle by Steven Kroll is a story about a pack rat named Pinch who has a serious hoarding problem. The reader learns along with Pinch how much better it is to recycle.
- EcoArt! Earth-friendly Art & Craft Experiences for 3- to 9-year-olds by Laurie M. Carlson is a handy book to have on hand for those days when you need some ideas for some fun art and craft projects. The bonus with these ideas is that they benefit the environment.
- My Big Green Teacher: Recycling by Michelle Y. Glennon is an excellent way to introduce recycling to your kids in a simple and entertaining way. The book highlights ways they can help recycle around the school and home.
