Gardening Picture Books for Kids

Graphic reading “Spring Garden Picture Books for Kids” with a small green sprout growing from soil on a soft purple and beige background.


Spring is when we start thinking about gardens again. For those of us in Canada, it often means waiting a little longer for the ground to thaw, watching for those first signs that the soil is ready, and planning what might grow in the months ahead.

For little ones, that waiting can turn into curiosity. What’s under the dirt? Where does food come from? What happens to all those scraps and seeds?

Here are a few books that lean into that curiosity, with stories about soil, seeds, and the small worlds that help everything grow.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

Cover of a children’s gardening picture book titled “Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt” by Kate Messner, showing flowers, a bird, insects, and a cross-section of soil with roots and a worm underground.
By Kate Messner
Illustrator Christopher Silas Neal 
🌱Buy Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt on Amazon

A beautifully layered look at what’s happening above and below the soil as a garden grows through the seasons. This one works especially well with early spring, when not much is visible yet but everything is starting to shift underground.

The Tiny Seed

Cover of the children’s picture book “The Tiny Seed” by Eric Carle, featuring a large red and orange painted flower with green leaves against a speckled background.


By Eric Carle

🌱Buy The Tiny Seed on Amazon

A simple, familiar story that follows a seed through wind, weather, and changing seasons. It’s a gentle way to talk about growth, patience, and what it takes for something small to become something lasting. Some versions come with seeds to plant, be sure to check the description.

Marl and the Worm Bin

Cover of the children’s picture book “Marl and the Worm Bin” by Jacqueline Cooper, featuring a smiling clay worm with a leaf on its head beside a layered compost bin.

By Jacqueline Cooper

A curious, story-driven look inside a compost bin, following a worm’s journey through each layer as he discovers new friends, tries new foods and finally learns where all their food comes from. 

Planting a Rainbow

Cover of the children’s picture book “Planting a Rainbow” by Lois Ehlert, featuring bright, colorful flowers and green leaves in a bold, collage-style illustration.
By Lois Ehlert
🌱Buy Planting A Rainbow on Amazon

This beautifully boldly illustrated story follows the progress of a mother and daughter in their backyard as they plant bulbs, seeds, and seedlings and nurture their growth into flowers.

The Curious Garden

Cover of the children’s picture book “The Curious Garden” by Peter Brown, showing a child sitting in a tree reading a book with small plants, birds, and a whimsical garden scene.

By Peter Brown

🌱Buy The Curious Garden on Amazon

A  charming story about how one small act of caring for plants can slowly transform a space. Fun to find Liam's red hair on every page as a bit of a seek-and-find.

Spring gardening doesn’t always start with planting. Sometimes it starts with noticing, asking questions, and getting curious about what’s already happening just below the surface, and what happens to the scraps that the worms eat that help gardens grow.

These are the kinds of stories that make that part feel just as meaningful. 🌱.

You can explore all of our current titles on our Books Page.

If you'd like to help share our works, visit our Libraries Page for circulation details and ISBNs.

Our books are available through major retailers including Chapters, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and Waterstones.

Location: Canada

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