5 Children’s Books About National Parks
Books are a great way to engage kids with any vacation you take to a national park. With the right children’s books about national parks, the kids will be ready to hit the trails.
They’ll want to discover all they read about in these engaging, colorful, and informative books!
Let’s dive in.
Get Kids Excited about National Parks with Books
Most children like to travel, but sometimes the trip can be long and tedious. The right travel entertainment can make a world of difference!
Of course, there are apps and games that will keep your kids entertained for hours on their devices, but why not go old-school? Introduce a few hardcover books that will help them embrace the beauty of their travels.
Books are a fantastic way to explain what they might see in the parks. It won’t be roller coasters and princesses, but there might be wild animals, huge trees, park rangers, and mountains.
When your children understand what they’re looking at, they’re more likely to be excited for the journey!
5 Children’s Books About National Parks
These children’s books will tell stories or supply facts about certain parks.They’re engaging and can be discussion starters for families vacationing and visiting our national parks.
There are many, many books out there, but here are five that we think you’ll love!
1. All Aboard! National Parks: A Wildlife Primer
Written by Haily Meyers and Kevin Meyers of Lucydarling.com, All Aboard! National Parks: A Wildlife Primer is perfect for children ages two to five years old.
It engages children with the love of trains and animals. It’s “so age appropriate,” said one reviewer, since it only has a few words on each page. It’s also a board book, making it sturdier for little readers.
Take a look inside All Aboard! National Parks: A Wildlife Primer here.
2. If I Were a Park Ranger
If I Were A Park Ranger is written by Catherine Stier and illustrated by Patrick Corrigan. It comes in a hardcover book, or you can download it to your Kindle.
It’s appropriate for children ages five to seven years and would be a great read aloud book or a first-reader for some children.
If I Were a Park Ranger engages children’s imaginations by making them consider what it would be like to be a park ranger and work in national parks. It gives basic history and small details about many of the parks too.
Look inside If I Were a Park Ranger here.
3. National Parks of the USA
Kate Siber wrote National Parks of the USA and Chris Turnham illustrated this hardcover children’s book. It has delightful illustrations and colorful, educational, and engaging information about 21 national parks. It says it’s for children ages six to nine years, but we think adults will enjoy the information provided as well!
A “Can you spot this…?” page at the end of the book encourages children to find an animal that starts with each letter of the alphabet. It’s a game you could play over and over at different parks.
Amazon says, this book “serves to inspire the adventuring naturalist in all of us.” Over 1000 people agree National Parks of the USA is worth your time, as they gave it five stars on the site!
Look inside National Parks of the USA here.
4. Our Great Big Backyard
Our Great Big Backyard, written by former first lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna Bush Hager, is available in Kindle, audiobook, hardcover, and paperback formats. It’s best for children ages four to eight, but others will find it fun and engaging as well.
It’s a fictional story in which Jane and her friends have plans for the summer, including social media, video games, and movies. But Jane’s parents have other ideas: road trip!
What happens when a kid is forced to go to some of the most amazing places in the U.S., where Wi-Fi is almost non existent? This book will answer that question for you, and show your kids that there’s more to this world than electronics!
Look inside Our Great Big Backyard here.
5. National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide U.S.A
National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide U.S.A is a non-fiction book geared towards kids ages seven to nine. It features fun pictures, colors, and information presented in an engaging way.
It’s more than a story about national parks–it’s an activity book filled with fun facts, maps, and things to do while at the parks. It’s like a child-friendly mini encyclopedia of national parks.
The authors divided the book into regions: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West, filling 160 pages including a glossary and index. You can use this book year after year and park after park!
Look inside National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide U.S.A here.
Start Reading About National Parks!
Parents are always looking for ways to get their children to read. When you can combine reading with exploration, the knowledge base swells.
There are hundreds of books about nature, camping, and national parks, so don’t just stop at these five. See what else will spark your child’s imagination!
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