We’re celebrating the end of 2021 by reflecting on some of the best things that we read this year, from newly released children’s books to a few of our favorite resource books for adults. We gathered recommendations from friends near and far and made them available all in one place. So grab a cup of coffee and dig into this enormous list of excellent books from 2021. You might want to go ahead and grab your wallet at the same time, because we suspect you’ll want to snag some of these books for your library!
Thank you to everyone who attended our Second Annual Holiday Book Fair (view a recording here), with extra special thanks to Ranita Anderson, Peter Dargatz, Dr. Carla Gull, Dr. Michelle Martin, and Ambreen Tariq, who all contributed and made this list possible.
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy something using the links in this story, Natural Start may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Peter’s Recs:
Teaching Off Trail by Peter Dargatz (Author) 
We Want Snow: A Wintry Chant by Jamie Swenson (Author), Emile Boon (Illustrator)
What Can You Do With A Rock? by Pat Zietlow Miller (Author), Katie Kath (Illustrator)
Grow by Joann Early Macken (Author), Stephanie Fizer Coleman (Illustrator)
If Bees Disappeared by Lily Williams (Author & Illustrator)
Ranita’s Recs:
This Little Environmentalist by Joan Holub (Author), Daniel Roode (Illustrator)
Climate Change for Babies by Chris Ferrie (Author), Katherina Petrou (Author)
Amara and the Bats by Emma Reynolds (Author)
Amara’s Farm by Janay Brown-Wood (Author), Samara Hardy (Illustrator)
Jayden’s Impossible Garden by Mélina Mangal (Author), Ken Daley (Illustrator)
Little Dandelion Seeds the World by Julia Richardson (Author), Kristen Howdeshell (Illustrator), Kevin Howdeshell (Illustrator)
The Way of the Hive: A Honeybee’s Story by Jay Hosler (Author)
A Glasshouse of Stars by Shirley Marr (Author)
What’s Inside a Flower and Other Questions About Science and Nature by Rachel Ignotofsky (Author)
The Nature Adventure Book by DK Publishing (Author)
Lessons from Plants by Beronda L. Montgomery (Author)
Carla’s Recs:
Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms by Suzanne Levenson Goldstein (Author), Tricia Rosengarten (Author), Carla Gull (Author)
Be a Tree by Maria Gianferrari (Author), Felicita Sala (Illustrator)
What’s in your Pocket? by Heather L. Montgomery (Author), Maribel Lechuga (Illustrator)
The Girl with Big, Big Questions by Britney Winn Lee (Author), Jacob Souva (Illustrator)
Outside You Notice by Erin Alladin (Author), Andrea Blinick (Illustrator)
Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer (Author)
Camp Read-a-Rama Recs:
(This list was curated by Sydney Powell of the University of Washington; Camp Read-A-Rama is Dr. Michelle Martin’s nonprofit organization)
Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste (Author), Amber Ren (Illustrator)
My Day with the Panye by Tami Charles (Author), Sara Palacios (Illustrator)
Have You Ever Seen a Flower? by Shawn Harris (Illustrator)
Planting Peace: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Gwendolyn Hooks (Author), Margaux Carpentier (Illustrator)
The Perfect Party by Laurel P. Jackson (Author), Hélène Baum-Owoyele (Illustrator)
Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist MaVynee Betsch by Heidi Tyline King (Author), Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
A Sled for Gabo // Un Trineo Para Gabo by Emma Otheguy (Author), Ana Ramírez González (Illustrator)
Lala’s Words: A Story of Planting Kindness by Gracey Zhang (Author, Illustrator)
Download the complete Diverse Outdoors Booklist (over 50 titles!)
Additional Recs:
Fatima's Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq (Author), Stevie Lewis (Illustrator)
Watercress by Andrea Wang (Author), Jason Chin (Illustrator)
Zonia's Rain Forest // La Selva de Zonia by Juana Martinez-Neal (Author, Illustrator)
Hello, Rain! by Kyo Maclear (Author), Chris Turnham (Illustrator)
We All Play by Julie Flett (Author, Illustrator)
Outside In by Deborah Underwood (Author), Cindy Derby (Illustrator)
The Old Boat by Jarrett Pumphrey (Author), Jerome Pumphrey (Author)
Change Sings: A Children's Anthem by Amanda Gorman (Author), Loren Long (Illustrator)
Coco's Fire: Changing Climate Anxiety into Climate Action by Jeremy D. Wortzel & Lena K. Champlin (Author), The Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry Climate Committee (Author), Lena K Champlin (Illustrator)
And don’t miss Our Big List of Beloved Books, which we put together following last year’s Holiday Book Fair. Browse diverse and inclusive children's books, wintery selections, and books recommended for adults to help you renew and reset.
Happy Holidays and see you in 2022!
