Eco Reading for the Little Ones in Garden City

Picture Books Without Borders

by Joy Lang

I recently joined an inspiring eco-tour led by Professor Johannes Widodo of the National University of Singapore’s Architecture Department.  The tour showcased how green infrastructure and biodiversity gardens can create  living areas that breathe with natural airflow, overflow with edible plants, and achieve low-carbon— even net-positive— energy outcomes, as certified by the International Living Future Institute and the International WELL Building Institute. Impressive and laudable achievements for our Little Red Dot— so, what picture books could we start our little eco-warriors on?

The Lorax (ISBN: 978-0394823379, ages 4—8) has been gold since 1971. Dr. Seuss’s classic fable of one who “speaks for the trees”, and the child who cares and plants the last seed to regrow  the “Truffula” forest, is more relevant today than ever. 

Japanese author Machiko Fuji offers a similarly dramatic set-up of commercial greed versus Mother Nature in Motto-Shachou to Moribaba no Mori, with a warmly collaborative ending and charming illustrations by Yoko Koba. For families whose children are learning Chinese, it is also accessible in an excellent translation 《多多老板和森林婆婆》 (Duōduō Lǎobǎn hé Sēnlín Pópo, ISBN：978-753914455901, ages 4-8). 

Edible gardens come alive in The Gardener (ISBN: 978-0374325176, ages 5—8) by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by her husband David Small. This Caldecott Honor book tells an uplifting story of  a rooftop garden bringing color and joy through dark days. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt (ISBN: 978-1452161365) by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal delightfully explores the bugs and birds that make up the bustling garden ecosystem each season.

What about the fun of eating what you grow? 《妈妈买绿豆！》(Māma mǎi lǜdòu!,

by Tseng Yang Ching and Wan Hua Kuo, ISBN 978-7533264062), is a beloved Chinese classic for Nursery and Pre-K readers. Through punchy lines and vivid illustrations, we follow Boy and Mom as they grow mung beans together— and cook and slurp them as ice lollies! It’s a ready-made activity book!

My family’s hands-down favourite picture book on climate change is Winston of Churchill (ISBN: 978-1443104722) by award-winning Jean Davies Okimoto, featuring a cigar-puffing (wait for the twist!) polar bear with the oratory of his namesake. Packed with humour, it is a delight for the adult reading aloud and the child listening, with Jeremiah Trammell’s illustrations making the bears irresistibly lovable.

Empowering the youngest eco-warriors?《怕浪费婆婆》by 真珠真理子 (Pà làngfèi Pópо, ISBN: 978-7539149530) features a savvy grandma who upcycles everything in inventive ways— with charming cultural touches like giant papier-mâché puppets and orange peel baths!  For everyday green habits, the Chinese edition of British author Melanie Walsh’s book,《绿色的一天》(Lǜsè de yītiān, ISBN： 978-7559646057), beautifully illustrates simple sustainable actions.

For readers aged 8 and above, Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm offer engaging science in their Sunlight series, including Buried Sunlight explaining fossil fuels (ISBN: 978-0545577854). 

Other titles worth exploring: Whales in the City by Nancy Castaldo (saving the whales of New York Harbour), The Water Princess by Susan Verde, Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary Siddals. All Chinese books highlighted in this issue are available at Singapore’s public libraries.

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Joy Lang holds an M.Ed. in Chinese Children’s Literature, and has worked with libraries, early literacy non-profits and international picture book competitions. She writes Picture Books Without Borders for AWA magazine and welcomes questions about bilingual and Chinese picture book recommendations at ttbks1@gmail.com.