8 Books To Get Kids Digging in the Dirt

My Garden, by Kevin Henkes
While this imaginative title, in which a young girl dreams of a garden in which anything that’s planted can grow, might not offer much factual information, it gets a high score for sowing seeds of enthusiasm. Case in point: after my then-toddler first heard this story, he excitedly planted a jellybean in hopes of growing a “jellybean tree.” He’s still checking for a sprout over a year later. If nothing else, he’s learned that gardening often involves waiting. Its cheerful hopefulness earns this book a perennial place on our shelves.

Anywhere Farm, by Phyllis Root, illustrated by G. Brian Karasz
No yard? No problem. This rhyming text advocates planting a seed wherever you can, even if it’s in an old shoe. This book is excellent for driving home the basic requirements of a plant for very young readers. (“Anywhere that you have some soil, some seed, some sunshine and water. That’s all you need.”) The illustrations show children deliciously transforming an empty lot into a neighborhood garden plot and farmer’s market, urging gardeners everywhere to start with “one little seed.”

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth, by Mary McKenna Siddals, illustrated by Ashley Wolff
What’s more fun than digging in the dirt? Making dirt! This alphabet book presents a simple and engaging rhyming “recipe” for home composting. Children can quickly grasp which items can be composted and which can’t and can participate in every step of the process, from collecting materials, to turning the pile, to spreading the finished product in the garden. Enjoy this title together and then grab a pitchfork and start your own “compost stew.”

The Gardener, by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small
Through letters and compelling illustrations, readers come along for the journey as Lydia Grace leaves her rural home to help her Uncle Jim with his failing city bakery during the Depression. She arrives with a suitcase of seeds and the resolve to lift Uncle Jim’s spirits. A true gardener, she displays utmost patience, and ultimately, proves the power of a blooming garden to evoke happiness in even the most unlikely places. [Contended sigh.] This classic Caldecott-honor book will never lose its magic for kids or the adults who read it to them.

On Meadowview Street, by Henry Cole
When her family moves into their new house on Meadowview Street, Caroline looks for the meadow. Finding none, she quickly sets about creating her own in their yard. Soon the lawn mower is for sale, pollinators move in, and she convinces her parents to help her build birdhouses, dig ponds and plant trees. I’ve always loved this book for its messages about environmental stewardship. As someone who is admittedly slightly Type A about our garden beds, though, I was also reminded of the advantages of giving children space to experiment with gardening when my son marveled, “Wow, her dad is letting her do whatever she wants in the yard! That’s so cool!” Okay, you can have your own plot this year, buddy.

Kate, Who Tamed the Wind, by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Lee White
Usually flowers and vegetables come to mind when one thinks of gardening. There’s something particularly wondrous about planting trees though, and contributing to a change in landscape that could last decades or more. The heroine of this story, sweet young Kate, knows she has the solution to her neighbor’s relentless battle with the wind at his “creaky house on the tip-top of a steep hill.” With her wagon full of saplings, she bravely climbs the hill and plants a circle of trees. This story can broaden children’s perspectives about the benefits of trees and get them excited about finding a spot to plant one of their own.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
When this book begins in late winter, the garden is still dormant, but “down in the dirt,” earthworms and insects busily prepare the soil for spring. As the seasons change, a grandmother shares her wisdom with her granddaughter about how creatures and plants coexist and benefit each other. This title reads like a story, but is bursting with information for young gardeners. The back matter has an author’s note and resources about organic gardening, as well as more details about the animals in the book, adding to its teaching potential.

Plant, Cook, Eat!: A Children’s Cookbook, by Joe Archer and Caroline Craig
This is the perfect manual to help adults and children learn together about planting a vegetable garden and cooking with its bounty. To-the-point sections cover everything from gathering supplies and setting up a garden plot, to starting seeds, to growing common vegetables and using each one in a delicious-looking recipe. The book is chock full of photos of diverse kids looking like they’re having a great time, making it easy for your own kids to get excited about following suit.