Column: 9 kids books about nature to read right now
Lauren Daley
I wrote last week on observing the beauty around us.
This week, I want to bring that lens to kids’ books.
I was lucky enough, growing up in SouthCoast in the ‘80s and ‘90s, to have plenty of woods and fields to play in, and stacks of real books to read at home. Maybe you were this lucky, too.
But it’s easy for a generation born with a tablet and endless scrolling at tiny fingertips to forget (or never learn) the thrill of playing outside. And to never appreciate leafing through a real paper book if a grownup aunt, older cousin, grandparent doesn’t sit to read one with them.
Apr 29, 2021
Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a story about a streaking toddler, a picture book that explains privilege, an illustrated ode to change, a book about dog and cat neighbors at odds, and more.
Fred Gets Dressed by Peter Brown. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-20064-6. First establishing his protagonist’s delight in zooming around the house “naked and wild and free,” Brown (
The Wild Robot) shows Fred striking one joyful pose after another. But when Fred ends up in a magical place his parents’ closet getting dressed becomes irresistible.
Race Cars: A Children’s Book About White Privilege by Jenny Devenny. Frances Lincoln, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-7112-6290-4. Edited by diversity and inclusion expert Charnaie Gordon, this narrative, an extended metaphor about two race cars, introduces white privilege and systemic prejudice to young readers. Social worker Devenny offers an easily digestible resource that could benefit those