Celebrity Gardeners and Books for Young Eco Warriors
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Isn’t it lovely when you meet a ‘celebrity’ in real life and they are exactly as you imagined them? ChickPea and I were fortunate enough to meet Costa Georgiadis, host of ABC’s ‘Gardening Australia’ and the garden gnome on ‘Get Grubby TV’, when he came to my mum’s school recently.
Costa Georgiadis is a landscape architect and television presenter who has an all-consuming passion for plants and people.
Costa won the hearts of us librarians when he talked to WCC students about the barrage of information they experience everyday, and filtering through that information to make informed decisions. He talked with incredible passion about knowledge and that once you know something, no one can take that away from you. In this case he was talking about the basics of composting and all things sustainability – and he had the students enthralled.
Whatever you may think of Costa’s beard , the man is a larger than life personality, with an incredible knowledge and a passion for growing gardens, communities, food, knowledge and understanding.
I don’t have half Costa’s passion or knowledge, but I do love getting grubby in the garden and am a firm believer in school gardening clubs (mine is called ‘Earth Angels’) and growing some of your own food at home. Our most successful gardening projects both at home have been our worm towers, our carrot pots and our fairy garden, which could just as easily be a dinosaur garden if that’s your child’s preference.
My favourite ‘Sustainability for Children’ books are below – in no particular order. Some are Australian (my preference), but some are overseas titles which are still fabulous for projects, tips and ideas. Love them all – they are on high rotation in my library and I’d love to see them in every school library.
Click on ‘Buy from Booktopia’ when shopping online in Australia to #supportaustralian. Apple and Amazon options are available for overseas & eBook purchases. Purchase in store from your local independent bookstore where possible #supportlocal.
‘Yucky Worms’
by Vivian French
My favourite ‘worm’ book for littlies is ‘Yucky Worms’ and my full review (and worm tower instructions) can be seen here.
‘The Gardener’
by Sarah Stewart. Illustrated by David Small
‘The Gardener’ is a ‘new to me’ title. It made me get all weepy in front of preppies the other day it is just so gorgeous. A story of the incredible power of gardens to give people meaning in life and to connect generations and communities. So a must have!
‘Sylvia’
by Christine Sharp
Dear Simon Green, I love you. I love your luscious lettuce, choice cucumbers and buttery beans. I desire your dandelion, cabbage and kale. Oh, Simon Green, how I pine for your parsley leaves and fresh young peas. Your spinach and your strawberries are so scrumptious.
Sylvia the snail is in love with Simon Green and his perfect produce. But Sylvia is just a small snail in a gigantic garden, so how can she get him to notice her?
‘Backyard Self-sufficiency
by Jackie French
Not so much a children’s book, but easy to read…Jackie’s ‘Backyard Self- sufficiency’ has taught me (and my Earth Angels at school) so much. Take the time to read about my love of Jackie here.
‘Gardening Projects for Kids’
by Jenny Hendy
Buy from Apple Books
‘Gardening Projects for Kids’ by Jenny Hendy is English but has some fabulous projects for any child gardener accompanied by photographs and simple instructions. We’ve made a sweet pea tower, succulent pots, windowsill salad pots, upcycled CD ‘hangy things’, bulbs in glasses and mini glasshouses.
‘It’s Our Garden’
by George Ancona
‘It’s Our Garden: From Seeds to Harvest in a School Garden’ by George Ancona.Okay so this book is set in Mexico, BUT this is one of the most inspiring books I have read about school kitchen gardens. My own girls loved it, as do my girls at school who help me in the garden. I got some fabulous ideas from this book like having an easel in the garden for children to make observations or do sketches, and building an outdoor pizza oven (PLEASE Dan?). It takes the reader through a whole year in a school garden where volunteers, parents, teachers and students all work together to produce the best outcomes. Perfect. Loved it.
‘Organic Vegetable Gardening’
by Annette McFarlane
For Australian gardeners you can’t go past Annette McFarlane in my opinion! We use ‘Organic Vegetable Gardening’ to plan our crops each year at school.
‘Organic Fruit Growing’
by Annette McFarlane
And similarly, we use ‘Organic Fruit Growing’ to care for our (few at this stage) fruit trees at school and home.
‘Amelia Ellicott’s Garden’
by Liliana Stafford
*currently out of print. Check your local or school library
‘Isabella’s Garden’
by Glenda Millard & Rebecca Cook
‘The Potato People’
by Pamela Allen
‘The Tiny Seed’
by Eric Carle
‘Mrs Millie’s Painting’
by Matt Ottley
‘Scribbly Gum Secrets’
by Dannika Patterson & Megan Forward
‘Florette’
by Anna Walker
‘We Are The Gardeners’
by Joanna Gaines and Julianna Swaney
Print & eBook available
Buy from Apple Books
‘The Gift’
by Michael Speechley
‘Uno’s Garden’
by Graeme Base
‘All Through the Year’
by Jane Godwin & Anna Walker
‘Mamie’
by Tania McCartney
‘The Incredible Edible Garden’
by Victoria Breheny
‘Up In The Garden And Down In The Dirt’
by Kate Messner & Christopher Silas Neal
Print & eBook available
Buy from Apple Books
‘A Patch From Scratch’
by Megan Forward
‘In The Garden’
by Emma Giuliani
‘Emily Green’s Garden’
by Penny Harrison & Megan Forward
‘I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree – a poem for every day of the year’
selected by Fiona Waters. Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
‘Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten’
by Bob Graham
‘Jasper’s Beanstalk’
by Nick Butterworth & Mick Inkpen
‘Linnea In Monet’s Garden’
by Christina Bjork, Lena Anderson & Joan Sandin (translator)
‘Grandpa’s Garden’
by Stella Fry & Sheila Moxley
‘Home’
by Jeannie Baker
‘The Curious Garden’
by Peter Brown
‘Beauty’
by Sandra Kendell
‘The Bug Girl (A True Story)’
by Sophia Spencer & Margaret McNamara. Illustrated by Kerascoet
Print & eBook available
Buy from Apple Books
This post was originally published in March, 2015 and has recently been updated.
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What a sensational post–all kids should experience these books. And thanks for including Eco Warriors! x
How could I NOT include it! I was just using Eco Warriors again the other day with some prep children.
That’s a lovely picture of your mum managing question time. Gardening is so much fun! Will look in to some of these books.
I like this pic too! She of course does not (do we EVER like pics of ourselves?!). I adore gardening.