Please welcome my guest author today, Jyoti Rajan Gopal, with her book list of 11 picture books on the natural world.
Her newest picture book is Over in the Mangroves. We are giving away 5 signed copies of Over in the Mangroves. To enter, please fill out the WooBox at the bottom.
11 Picture Books on the Natural World
Over in the Mangroves by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illustrated by Dikshaa Pawaskar
Over in the Mangroves is set in the Sundarbans Mangroves, one of the largest mangroves in the world. The story structure I used is inspired by a 19th-century nursery rhyme and features ten of the many, many animals that call the Sundarbans home.
Mangroves exist in the between-space of sea and land, which is one of the many reasons I find them so fascinating. Like me, they straddle two worlds. The animals – and humans – of the Sundarbans have also adapted to living in an area that is constantly in flux.
Spread across India and Bangladesh, the Sundarbans Mangroves have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its incredible biodiversity and for its ecological importance to the region and the planet. It is a unique place, a complex ecosystem that needs care and nurturing lest it disappear, leaving us with an irreversible loss. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
I love stories that fill me with wonder and spark my curiosity, that remind me of the depth, complexity, and beauty of this magnificent planet we call home. As I tried to do with Over in the Mangroves, each of the picture books on this list sheds light on some aspect of the natural world.
Each reminds us of our interconnectedness with nature and the responsibility we have to protect and preserve our planet and its resources. Each also approaches this from a place of hope. I also picked these books (most of them nonfiction, but not all) for their innovative storytelling structures.
Though these books are marketed to 4–to 9-year-olds, they are suitable for a much wider range than that. I truly believe picture books are for all ages. I recommend them for high schoolers and college kids as well as grown-ups all the time, so regardless of what age you are, I hope you will find something to take away from each of these stories!
Pando by Kate Allen Fox, illustrated by Turine Tran
This picture book tells the story of one of the largest living organisms, a grove of quaking aspens in Utah called Pando. Almost identical to each other and connected by one large root system, these trees are a natural wonder, centuries in the making. Light-filled illustrations in shades of yellows, browns, and greens bring Pando to glowing life, and I love the pairing of lyrical text with brief informative side bars. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Redwoods by Jason Chin
Redwoods takes us on a journey to the magnificent redwoods in California as seen through the eyes of a young city boy. I was swept up in the illustrations of the sequoias and the boy’s adventures which are accompanied by fascinating, detailed information about these ancient trees. Redwoods share the incredible biodiversity of the trees’ ecosystem that supports life on the forest floor, on their branches, and in the hidden world of their canopies. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Listen to the Language of Trees by Tera Kelley, illustrated by Marie Hermansson
There’s a lot we have yet to learn about the underground network of roots, bacteria, and fungi that facilitate communication between trees and plants. Listen to the Language of Trees by Tera Kelley and Marie Hermansson is a picture book that begins us on this journey. It takes the immensely complicated Wood Wide Web network of tree communication and simplifies it to themes of sharing, nurturing, protecting, and healing. This book is a lovely introduction to a mysterious underground world, reminding us that there’s more to the natural world than what can be perceived by our limited senses. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Zonia’s Rainforest by Juana Martinez Neal
Zonia’s Rainforest takes readers deep into the Peruvian Amazon, where a young Asháninka girl’s bond with her rainforest home is revealed through her joyful play with her environment. Part fantasy (she rides a jaguar!), part environmental tale about deforestation, this story, told from the perspective of an indigenous people, adds an important layer to the consequences of rainforest loss. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
The Forest Keeper: The True Story of Jadav Payeng by Rina Singh, illustrated by Ishita Jain
I chose The Forest Keeper: The True Story of Jadav Payeng by Rina Singh and Ishita Jain because it is an incredibly hopeful story, a testament to the power of one. Horrified by the devastation caused by a flood in his village in Assam, young Jadav, all of 16 years old, decided he was going to do something about the barren land left in its wake. Over the next few decades, he single-handedly planted seeds, nurtured saplings, and grew a forest, creating a rich and welcoming home for flora and fauna and offering a shining example for environmental responsiveness and care. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Pau: The Last Song of the Kaua’i’o’o by Tony Piedra, illustrated by Mackenzie Joy
Pau tells the poignant tale of the extinction of the ‘o’o bird from the island of Kaua‘i. The illustrations emphasize the
tropical beauty of the island while the poetic text gently takes us through a timeline leading to the tragic loss of the last songbird. It’s a cautionary tale, but I didn’t find it heavy-handed or preachy. It’s sure to encourage conversations around the care and protection of our planet’s biodiversity. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs by Kate Messner and Matthew Forsythe
This is another story about the power of one and the audacity of hope. The ocean is a vast and mysterious world, with many, many hidden wonders. In this picture book, we follow Ken Nedimyer, marine scientist and sea conservation pioneer, as he seeks to find a way to save his beloved coral reefs. One coral gamete, one scientist, one idea. Beautifully written, Kate Messner packs a lot into this picture book while making the information accessible for young readers. Matthew Forsythe illuminates the ocean in saturated pastel colors that are a visual feast. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall by Lynn Brunelle and Jason Chin
This is an engrossing and powerful look at what happens to a blue whale after it dies, and how its death births an ecosystem that feeds, nourishes, and shelters other denizens of the deep for a very long time. I appreciated the unflinching look at death combined with the heartening presentation of the circle of life. It’s so honest and real and packed to the gills with facts. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
The Great Lakes: A Freshwater Treasure by Barb Rosenstock and Jamey Christoph
From the first spread, where the Great Lakes are described as “five blue jewels set a bit off center in a belt across North America’s middle,” I was hooked. There’s so much history, ecology, conservation, and activism packed into this book that it’s a wonder it flows so beautifully. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Abigail Halpin
I end my book list with Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Abigail Halpin, which is not about a specific place at all. Instead, it’s an ode to the many encounters we have with the natural world and its ability to be in the most unexpected places, in the most unexpected ways. It’s a reminder to me that we humans need to stop distancing ourselves from the natural world, recognize its presence and importance in our daily lives, and treat it with the wonder and respect it deserves. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
5 Signed Copies of Over in the Mangroves GIVEAWAY!
We are giving away 5 signed copies of Over in the Mangroves. To enter, please leave a comment. We can only mail to U.S. and A.P.O. addresses.
Congrats to Karen, Michelle, Jessica, Jodi, and Destiny! You won a signed copy of Over in the Mangroves.
Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a writer, mom, and Kindergarten teacher. She is the author of American Desi, illustrated by Supriya Kelkar; My Paati’s Saris, illustrated by Art Twink; One Sweet Song, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez; and many more books for young children. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, and China. She now lives in New York, in a quirky old Victorian in Yonkers, with her husband, where they raised their two daughters. To learn more, follow her on Instagram @jotirgopal, Blueksy @jyotigopal.bsky.socia, and Facebook @JyotiGopal.
p.s. Related posts:
8 Children’s Books about Water, Rivers, and Conservation
15 Picture Books to Inspire Foraging
10 Favorite Nature Picture Books
19 Hiking and Camping Books for Kids
When It Rains It Spores — Fun Fungi Books
To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
The Traveling Taco:
- Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- 2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
This looks perfect for my water-loving granddaughter. I’ve snorkeled in mangroves in the Caribbean. Such a fascinating, and important, ecosystem.
The students at my Title 1 school would love this book! Thanks for your generosity!
What a beautiful list of books! Definitely adding some to my reading pile. OVER IN THE MANGROVES looks wonderful. Thanks for the opportunity!
Thanks for adding to my TBR list for my 1st grade classroom! Over in the Mangroves looks awesome!
Amazing list! I would love to share these books at the Olympic Sculpture Park where I volunteer!
We would love these books!
This collection would be so awesome for our middle school/1st grade partnership about nature. We’re pairing together for an ecology unit.
Love this collection of natural world books and children will, too.
These all look so good! Would love them for our school library.
Great selection of picture books about the natural world. Thanks for sharing them with us.
This is an excellent list to draw from when discussing the natural world with readers. Thank you for sharing about these books.
Juana Martinez-Neal is one of my favorite illustrators! Her work is so gentle.
I think we would like to read the books for this giveaway. I thought the Traveling Taco was good and added comments to that effect on Goodreads. 🙂