Flowers are on our minds here, we are (im)patiently waiting to see our first spring flowers. Well, technically, I guess we’ve seen them, but crocuses will bloom in the snow, so they don’t count. I’m waiting for the daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths.

One of my favorite spring time traditions is to take photo of my Mom’s daffodils and the rest of the flowers growing in our little corner of the world. Flowers make me happy. And I had a blast getting these books from the library. I am still waiting on a couple of these to get here, apparently lots of people are excited about flowers right now.

31 Books About Flowers

Art Books

• Drawing Made Easy: Flowers & Botanicals by Diane Cardaci (j743.73 C266 2011) – Even though this book was in the juvenile section, I wouldn’t classify it as a kid’s book solely. I’d say an upper elementary or middle school student would best appreciate this one.
• How to Draw Flowers by Barbara Soloff Levy – I actually bought this one from Amazon because I wanted something easy for the kids. This fits that bill.
• How to Draw Exotic Flowers by Janet Whittle (743.73 qW627 2011) – Still waiting for this one.
• Quilled Flowers: A Garden of 35 Paper Projects by Alli Bartkowski (745.592 qB288 2012) – I’m waiting on this one, too.

Poetry Book

• Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More! Poems for Two Voices by Carole Gerber (j811.54 qG362s 2013) – My almost 8-year-old liked reading these with me and her big sister. It is a good way for newer readers to practice the rhythm of poetry.

History Books

• The Flower Hunter: William Bartram, America’s First Naturalist by Deborah Kogan Ray (j580.92 qB294Zr 2003) – This biography is told with his journal, starting on his 8th birthday.
• Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America by Kathi Appelt (j973.923092 J671Za 2005) – This is a charming book, I loved the photos.
• Plants on the Trail with Lewis and Clark by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, photographs by William Munoz (j581.978 L677Zp 2003) – This is a neat book.

Geography Books

• Crystal Palaces: Garden Conservatories of the United States by Anne S. Cunningham (728.924097 qC973 2000) – The photographs in this book are quite lovely.
• State Flowers: Including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico by Elaine Landau (j582.130973 qL253 1992) – Includes a photo of each flower.

Science Books

• What’s That Flower? A Beginner’s Guide to Wildflowers by Dudley Edmondson (582.130974 E24 2013) – This is a handy little guidebook.
• National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers Eastern Region (j582.130974 N675 1995) – We love these guidebooks. We own the reptile and weather one. They are very thorough.
• A Kid’s Guide to How Flowers Grow by Patricia Ayers (j635.9 qA977 2000) – A good basic introduction to growing flowers for kids.
• Kingdom Classification: Sunflowers, Magnolia Trees & Other Flowering Plants by Steve Parker (j582.13 qP243 2009) – Lots of really neat photos and info in this one.
• Wildflowers, Blooms, and Blossoms by Diane L. Burns (j582.13 qB963 1998) – This one includes some projects and activities you can do.
• A Child’s Book of Wildflowers by M.A. Kelly (j582.13 qK29 1992) – There is a little advice on sketching wildflowers in the intro, great for beginning nature journalists.
• Pick, Pull, Snap! Where Once a Flower Bloomed by Lola M. Schaefer (j571.82 S294 2003) – This is a neat lift-the-flap book that shows that flowers have a purpose.
• The Reason For a Flower by Ruth Heller (Easy Heller) – I liked this book, the colorful illustrations take you through the steps from seed to plant and includes all the various ways that happens.
• Can You Find These Flowers? by Carmen Bredeson and Lindsey Cousins (j582.13 B831 2012) – This short little book can help make nature study fun for preschoolers. You won’t have to travel too far to find most of these.
• Wildflowers Around the World by Elaine Landau (j582.13 L253 1991) – Some of the photos in this one aren’t the best, but the information is interesting.
• Wildflowers Around the Year photographs and text by Hope Ryden (j582.130974 qR992 2001) – Lots of photos and the addition of the bloom time makes this a fun book.
• Flowers: A Guide to American Wildflowers by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin (582.130973 Z71, 1950) – I’m still waiting on this one.

Flower Picture Books

• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (Easy Henkes) – A sweet story about a mouse named Chrysanthemum.
• Plantzilla by Jerdine Nolen (j Fiction Nolen) – A young boy takes home his class’s pet plant for the summer and then writes letters to his teacher about their escapades.
• The Boy Who Grew Flowers by Jen Wojtowicz (j Fiction Wojtowicz) – The Bowagons are a strange bunch, but this is a sweet story.
• The Falling Flowers by Jennifer B. Reed (Easy Reed) – A sweet story about a girl and her grandmother set in Japan.
• Xochitl and the Flowers by Jorge Argueta (jS A Fiction Argueta) – I’m not sure what this classification means, but the book is bi-lingual. The story is told in both English and Spanish.
• The Empty Pot by Demi (Easy Demi) – Sweet Ping has a gift that one day seems to fail him, but he learns that honesty is the best policy.
• The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle (Easy Carle) – Follow a tiny seed on a journey through the year.
• Miss Rumphius story and pictures by Barbara Cooney (Easy Cooney) – A story that shows that one person can make a difference, courtesy of the Lupine Lady.
• Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert (Easy Ehlert) – A classic and I can see why. My girls loved this book.

bch