20 Books About National Parks for Kids

Caldecott medalist Mordicai Gerstein captures the majestic redwoods of Yosemite in this little-known but important story from our nation's history. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a trip to Yosemite. Camping by themselves in the uncharted woods, the two men saw sights and held discussions that would ultimately lead to the establishment of our National Parks.

Rivers wind through earth, cutting down and eroding the soil for millions of years, creating a cavity in the ground 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and more than a mile deep known as the Grand Canyon.Home to an astonishing variety of plants and animals that have lived and evolved within its walls for millennia, the Grand Canyon is much more than just a hole in the ground. Follow a father and daughter as they make their way through the cavernous wonder, discovering life both present and past.Weave in and out of time as perfectly placed die cuts show you that a fossil today was a creature much long ago, perhaps in a completely different environment. Complete with a spectacular double gatefold, an intricate map and extensive back matter.

A ordinary subway trip is transformed when a young boy happens upon a book about redwood forests. As he reads the information unfolds, and with each new bit of knowledge, he travels―all the way to California to climb into the Redwood canopy. Crammed with interesting and accurate information about these great natural wonders, Jason Chin's first book is innovative nonfiction set within a strong and beautiful picture storybook. Chin's approach makes Redwoods a must-have common core tool for teachers and librarians introducing scientific principals to young students.

From tiny seed to world's largest tree, the giant sequoia is a living wonder of nature. This ancient and tremendous species grows naturally only on the western slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada. Each sequoia begins life as a seed no larger than an oatmeal flake—yet can grow as tall as three blue whales stacked chin to tale. The oldest sequoias have lived as long as forty human lifetimes. The largest are so enormous, twenty children holding hands can’t wrap their arms around the trunks! In evocative text and vibrant paintings, The Sequoia Lives On reveals all of this fascinating information and more. An extensive author’s note completes the portrait for young readers, inviting them to become the next generation of protectors for this amazing tree.

Discover all the wonders of nature with this beautifully illustrated book all about a little boy on a hike with his dad, mom, and Archie, the corgi. Great for children ages 2 to 8, this delightful book is full of a child's fun curiosities, adventure, and poetry! 

The outdoors is but a wonderful opportunity to explore and see Mother Nature and the environment as it is --- beautiful! Through a rhyming story and charming illustrations of an Asian-American family on a hike, this book is a great and simple way to introduce and encourage young children into the world of hiking, trail walking, and sightseeing.

The Hike is a plucky and sweet adventure story about three intrepid young female explorers who set out to conquer the outdoors in their local forest.This spirited picture book is filled with lyrical language that captures the majesty of the natural world, coupled with a fun narrative.

Jump-start curiosity with this take-along field guide for children ages 4 to 8. From worms, birds, and spiders to trees, flowers, and clouds, young explorers learn what to look and listen for wherever they are — whether in a nature preserve, an urban park, or a suburban backyard. Seek-and-find lists, on-the-trail art projects, and discovery games get kids engaged in hands-on learning about nature, and a real pull-out magnifying glass helps them get a close-up glimpse of leaf veins, seed pods, and tiny insects. Filled with activities, checklists, and stickers, this interactive nature guide belongs in every kid’s backpack.

Frala is the daughter of the great Village Guide. Someday she too will lead her people. After struggling in her role, she encounters a revered Tree Guardian who shares the marvelous wonders of the Giant Forest.

This story weaves fascinating facts about the Sequoia Forest into a beautiful tale of nature, leadership, and community. 

Included with every book is a page of amazing Sequoia Forest fun facts.

The Tree Guardian is the first book in the Road Trip Tales series. Each book teaches interesting facts about an amazing landmark through a story that captures your heart and imagination.

Katherine Olivia Sessions never thought she’d live in a place without trees. After all, Kate grew up among the towering pines and redwoods of Northern California. But after becoming the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science, she took a job as a teacher far south in the dry desert town of San Diego. Where there were almost no trees.Kate decided that San Diego needed trees more than anything else. So this trailblazing young woman singlehandedly started a massive movement that transformed the town into the green, garden-filled oasis it is today. Now, more than 100 years after Kate first arrived in San Diego, her gorgeous gardens and parks can be found all over the city.Part fascinating biography, part inspirational story, this moving picture book about following your dreams, using your talents, and staying strong in the face of adversity is sure to resonate with readers young and old.

Calling all adventurers! Are you ready to explore America's 60 amazing national parks?

From Acadia's seaside cliffs and coves to Zion's enchanting red valleys, take a journey through the United States' most spectacular and exciting landscapes with America's National Parks from Lonely Planet Kids.

With awesome facts, photos and illustrations on every page, you'll discover erupting geysers, exploding volcanoes, howling wolves, soaring eagles, mountains, glaciers, rainforests and more throughout the continental USA, Hawaii, American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands.

America's national parks are bursting with gasp-worthy wonders: the world's largest tree with branches stretching 400 feet into the sky; the planet's grandest canyon 6,000 feet deep; a crystal-clear lake deeper than the Empire State Building.

Meet the animals roaming each park, including gators, bison, gray wolves, spotted salamanders, great horned owls, bald eagles and grizzly bears, and find out the best activities, like snorkeling, white-water rafting, hiking, winter sports, exploring ghost towns and geyser watching.

From the white sand beaches of Dry Tortugas to the snowy peaks of Denali, this captivating book combines authoritative park maps with hundreds of graphics and photographs to tell the stories of America's sixty one beloved national parks. Former ranger and author Jonathan Waterman introduces readers to the country's scenic reserves and highlights the extraordinary features that distinguish each: magnificent landmarks, thriving ecosystems, representative wildlife, fascinating histories, and more. With striking imagery and state-of-the-art graphics reflecting details of wildlife, climate, culture, archaeology, recreation, and more, this lush reference provides an up-close look at what makes these lands so special--and so uniquely American. A heartfelt foreword from National Geographic CEO Gary Knell reminds us how important these lands are to our lives and our national pride.

Yes, the magnificent Grand Canyon sprawls across northwestern Arizona. Many of us have been there and many of us will visit it soon, but how much do we know about the rest of this southwestern state? Author Barbara Gowan and illustrator Katherine Larson help elementary-aged students and older readers alike discover the wonders of the Grand Canyon State through rich images, informative expository text, and simple rhymes. G is for Grand Canyon's multi-tiered approach to educating and entertaining assures that this fall thousands of readers will travel through pages from A to Z, in and around and beyond the Grand Canyon.

From Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty, from Gettysburg National Battlefield to Mount Rushmore, National Parks is the only kid-friendly, family-oriented book that covers all of the 60 U.S. national parks, plus other famous monuments and landmarks. With a lively text and hundreds of color illustrations and photographs throughout, this updated edition offers fascinating, memorable information on every aspect of the parks, such as the history, geography, natural wonders, native wildlife and birds, and unique features that make each park special.Organized alphabetically by state, National Parks takes readers on a whirlwind trip to 75 locations, including Denali National Park, Hot Springs National Park, Everglades National Park, Fort McHenry, White Mountain National Forest, Ellis Island, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Zion National Park, Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, Mt. Hood National Forest, and many more.

Packed with maps and fascinating facts about the flora and fauna unique to each of the 21 parks portrayed, this lushly illustrated coast-to-coast journey documents in large format the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places—and shows why they should be preserved for future generations to enjoy.Explore Florida's river-laced Everglades, travel down the white water rapids of the Grand Canyon, trek across the deserts of Death Valley, and scale the soaring summits of the Rocky Mountains with this book that brings you up close to nature's greatest adventures.Divided by region (East, Central, Rocky Mountains, West, Tropics, and Alaska), a pictographic map at the start of each section shows the locations of the parks to be covered. Each park is introduced by a stunning, poster-worthy illustration of one of its scenes and a summary of its makeup, followed by individual illustrations of the animals and plants that make their homes there.

As a child, Ansel Adams just couldn't sit still. He felt trapped indoors and never walked anywhere--he ran. Even when he sat, his feet danced. But in nature, Ansel felt right at home. He fell in love with the gusting gales of the Golden Gate, the quiet whisper of Lobos Creek, the icy white of Yosemite Valley, and countless other remarkable natural sights.From his early days in San Francisco to the height of his glory nationwide, Antsy Ansel chronicles a restless boy's path to becoming an iconic nature photographer.

This new board book series written by the husband and wife team of Haily and Kevin Meyers and illustrated by Haily, celebrates the unique qualities of each city while employing a fun primer element to tell the story. These books will have you and baby seeing the world by train and will turn story time into a globetrotting event. Perfect as a souvenir or as part of a geography collection for brilliant babies, the All Aboard! series will be pulling into your station next!

From the giant redwoods of Sequoia to the geysers of Yellowstone, this educational book is a fun, child-friendly travel guide that covers all 62 National Parks in the USA.Go on an adventure through America's iconic parks! Bright eye-catching photographs and illustrations and easy-to-read text are the perfect introductions for young nature enthusiasts. Little rangers will learn all kinds of fun facts - like Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska is bigger than Switzerland - and more.

John Muir led an adventurous life, starting with his wild and playful boyhood in Scotland and culminating in his legendary exploits in America, where he became an inventor, an explorer, a bold champion of wilderness—and even made friends with a president! His heart was always in the outdoors and he aimed to experience all he could. Most importantly, though, John Muir told the world about the wonders of nature. His words made a difference and inspired people in many countries to start protecting planet Earth— and they still do.