40+ Nature Books That Inspire Wonder of God's Creation
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
If your kids are anything like mine, a day spent outside in nature—exploring the woods, looking for bugs, and creating collections of treasures—is seemingly everything they could want. There really is just something magical about slowing down outside and enjoying God's creation.
So whether you're bringing these books along for your outdoor adventures, or reading them inside as you wait for the rain to clear up or the weather to get warmer, these books are a delight to learn, marvel, and savor.
Some of these books explicitly connect nature to its Creator, while others simply invite children to look closely at the beauty and wonder around them. We love both. A book about a bird, a tree, a mountain, or a tiny insect can become the beginning of a conversation about the God who made it all.
Picture Books & Stories
These are lovely books that center on nature and invite children to slow down, notice, and wonder. They aren't explicitly Christian books, but we have enjoyed so many of these for their beautiful focus on the natural world—and that wonderful living book quality of drawing children in through story, beautiful language, and curiosity.
The Sequoia Lives On — Joanna Cooke
Antsy Ansel: Ansel Adams, a Life in Nature — Cindy Jenson-Elliott
If I Were a Park Ranger — Catherine Stier
Explorers of the Wild — Cale Atkinson
The Storm Book — Charlotte Zolotow
Summer Walk — Virginia Brimhall Snow
A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee — Chris Van Dusen (maybe a nontraditional rec, but a funny camping adventure that celebrates the fun—and occasional mishaps—of getting outside and exploring nature.)
Made to Fly Free — Alison Schmidgall
The Golden Glow — Benjamin Flouw
Slow Down in the Park: Calming Nature Stories For Little Ones — Rachel Williams
We Are the Gardeners — Joanna Gaines
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt — Kate Messner
The World Needs the Wonder You See — Joanna Gaines
Grow Wild, My Child — Ainsley Arment
Beatrix Potter, Scientist - Lindsay Metcalf
Worms Are Our Friends - Tony D’Alia
Books for Exploring, Discovering & Learning
This is the pull-it-off-the-shelf-when-you-see-something-outside category. These aren't necessarily books you'll sit down and read cover to cover. They're the big, information-rich books and guides you return to again and again. When you find an unfamiliar bird, wonder about an animal, or want to identify something you've collected, theser the the books you grab. And these are the ones my boys often pour over at bedtime with flashlights.
The Usborne Illustrated Encyclopedia: The Natural World - Lisa Watts
The Usborne Outdoor Book - Alice James & Emily
The Woodland Book - Alice James
Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature — Rachel Williams
Let’s Explore Amazing Animals - Harvest House Publishers (could also fit below catgory of books that point directly to the Creator)
⭐ A Family Favorite: Reader's Digest North American Wildlife
This one deserves a special callout.
This is one of those older books that my boys just go back to over and over. It's basically an encyclopedia of North American wildlife, packed with information, photographs, illustrations, and fascinating details. My kids can sit with it for ages, flipping through the pages and stopping whenever something catches their attention.
It's no longer in print, so if you see a copy at a thrift store, used bookstore, or library sale, pick it up! You can also find copies on Amazon, although availability and prices vary.
This is especially good to have around for a nature study because it doesn't require a lesson plan. It's simply there, ready for a curious child to pick up and explore.
Books That Point Directly to the Creator
These books make the connection between creation and Creator much more explicit. They're nature books with a faith-forward perspective, drawing children's attention not only to fascinating animals, science, and the natural world, but to the God who created them.
I especially love having these alongside the other nature books because they allow us to move naturally from "Look at this amazing thing!" to "Isn't God amazing?"
You're More Than a Sprout — Jill Roman Lord
The Maker of the Mountain — Sandra McCracken
God's Very Colorful Creation — Tim Thornborough
All About Bible Animals — Simona Piscioneri (could also go in below category)
Why Did God Make Worms? — Olivia Calaway
Pippa and the Singing Tree — Kristyn Getty
God’s Wide Wonderful World — Jennifer Jahn
Birds of the Air — S.E.M. Ishida
I Can't Believe My Eyes! — Joshua Cooley
How Great Is Our God — Louie Giglio
Indescribable for Little Ones — Louie Giglio
The Wonder of Creation — Louie Giglio
Indescribable Atlas Adventures — Louie Giglio
Indescribable: 100 Devotions About God and Science — Louie Giglio
Wild Faith: Devotional for Kids: 52 Amazing Animals That Point to One Great God - Valerie Ellis
Nature Activity Books
For the kids who love nature and love to draw, color, solve puzzles, complete mazes, or otherwise get their hands involved, these are fun additions to a nature-study basket. They're a different kind of resource than the storybooks and reference books above, but they can be a great way to extend a child's interest in the natural world.
God Made Activity Book — Lizzie Henderson
Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids — Kim Andrews
We’re Going On A Bear Hunt: Let’s Discover Bugs - Left Blank
How To Draw Bugs - Alli Koch
Indescribable Activity Book — Louie Giglio
The Usborne Outdoor Activity Book - Emily Bone
One More Nature Book I Couldn't Leave Out...
All Creation Waits - Gayle Boss
This one is a little different, so I wasn't quite sure where to put it!
It's advertised as an Advent book, and it is—in the sense that it's designed to be read once-a-day for the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Personally, though, I wouldn't use this as our only Advent book. In the past, we've used a more traditional Advent book alongside this one as a supplement.
The reason is that this book is really lovely, but it's almost entirely nature-focused until the final day. And while I clearly love using nature to cultivate wonder, when I'm choosing our primary Advent resource, I want considerably more of Jesus throughout the journey to Christmas.
So don't let this be your only Advent book—but don't overlook it, either. As a nature book, it's beautiful, and it can be a really lovely supplemental addition to your family's Advent reading. Or just skip it entirely for Advent and use it anytime throughout the year!