31 Days, 31 Lists: 2024 Blueberry Award Contenders (Celebrating A Love of Nature and the Environment)

Is today’s list a shameless plug for an award produced by Evanston Public Library each year? Tis! Is it also a necessary list of books in this day in age. Simply put, the Blueberry Awards are given to, “honor children’s literature that strengthens kids’ connections with nature and fosters action for the planet.” Essentially these are nature and climate books with an eye to instilling a love of the natural world, as well as a celebration of those books that give kids an eye to a path forward WITHOUT instilling climate anxiety. Whew!

The award winners are announced at the sprint equinox, so naturally the books on today’s list aren’t the winners for this year. They are simply the books that I personally feel embody this award perfectly.

You can find a PDF of today’s list here.

This is the first time that I have tried out this particular list on this 31 Days, 31 Lists roster. As such, there are no previous years to compare it to, but if you’d like to see the previous Blueberry winners then you may wish to check out these:

• 2023
• 2022
• 2021

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2024 Blueberry Award Contenders

Board Books

A Family of Trees: My First Book of Forests by Peggy Thomas, ill. Cookie Moon

A beautiful accordion book tells us the many ways that trees are family to one another, as well as the many amazing types you can find all around the world. Beautiful and original! On the one hand, I’m mildly peeved that this book resembles a board book so closely (though, technically, it’s more of an accordion book) yet has such an advanced text. On the other hand, who says older kids can’t have accordion books, eh? I could see this being displayed in a library or a classroom, letting the kids read all the different sections. And part of what’s so cool about this is that there are a couple trees in here that I hadn’t heard of before. One side of the book covers why trees are families. The other side is just cool trees in general. No mention is made of the fungus that trees use to communicate, but one can’t have everything in this world.

Hello Hello Colors by Brendan Wenzel

Hello Hello Shapes by Brendan Wenzel

Join a plethora of animals from all over the world as they display their glorious colors and poise themselves into a wide array of fun shapes. Concept books are rarely this gorgeous. I mean, let’s just admit that if Brendan Wenzel wrote a board book called Hello Hello Phallocentric Patriarchy I’d probably still be a big time fan. Unbiased observer, I am not. The man has such a distinctive style, and he already created a board book a couple years ago that was just called Hello Hello. It makes sense that he’d continue the theme with his favorite subject matter: animals from the natural world. These books are perfect for the youngest of young readers, since they’re covering very simple concepts with very simple shapes and colors and texts. But the reason I’m particularly entranced is the backmatter. Not only does the man identify each animal, he also notes if they are near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. He’s not making a big show out of that information or anything, but it’s useful to see it mentioned just the same. A marvelous way of hooking ankle biters into caring for our natural world through other concepts. Previously seen on the Board Books List.

Hide and Seek in Nature: Guess What It Is by Helena Haraštová, ill. Serafima Kosikava 

Look through these pictures. What do you see? Don’t let the cut-outs fool you. Nature is a lot trickier than you might expect! This is one of any number of titles in this series, but I’m rather fond of this particular one since I love that it doesn’t entirely play fair. The cutouts deliberately lead you astray, and there’s something in that set up of expectations and then complete disarray after that amuses me deeply. Definitely meant for some of the preschoolers out there rather than the toddlers, though honestly I think a toddler might even get a kick out of some of this. Besides, who can resist a good lift-the-flap book when it has such nice cutouts as well? Previously seen on the Board Books List.

Let’s Go Home, Baby Tiger by Caroline Búzio

Ace predators guide their babies through pernicious landscapes. Can you get baby tiger or baby shark home? You can, while learning about different landscapes, terrains, plants, and animals along the way. We’ve seen this particular style of board book before in the past. They’re the kinds where you’ve a little round cardboard circle that you guide through grooves on the page. The fact of the matter is that these kinds of board books really stand up to repeated use better than lift-the-flap titles or anything else with easily rippable parts. You want to get the baby tiger out of this book? Good luck with ALL that! Best of all, these books are particularly perfect at inspiring a love of nature since clever Ms. Búzio made sure to put labeled plants and animals on the left-hand side for kids to learn about and find on the right-hand side. So basically you have a seek-and-find, tactile, interactive, nature-loving board book that’s pretty to look at to boot. A winner all around!

Songs of the Birds: A Guide to North American Bird Calls and Songs by Isabel Otter, ill. Clover Robin

Love birdsong but can’t identify the birds? Let this clever little board book name each birdie and play its song for you. Informative and deeply fun!  Though normally I don’t like nonfiction board books to have too much text, this one’s distinctly appealing. I like the simple text that begins each section, the additional info for each kind of bird, and (of course) the fact that you can actually hear the birdcalls for each. It’s particularly nice to note how the book goes through a wide variety of landscapes and areas of the country, meaning that no matter where you live you should be able to encounter at least one bird from your area. The art is lovely and sheer variety astounds. Plus I learned more than one new fact (only female mallards quack? Really?). 

Welcome to the Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson, ill. Megan Lloyd

What’s the most hopping spot in all the desert? Welcome to the cactus hotel! Watch as birds, beasts, and insects all rely on a single cactus and everything it provides. You folks don’t know how many board books I reject on a regular basis for this list. But this one sort of proves to me that deserts are the hot new landscape (gah, I’m corny) of 2024. Now my #1 problem with nonfiction board books is often that there are too many words per page. Guiberson clearly knows what she is doing, however, because she keeps everything really nice and simple. It wouldn’t hand this to a baby, but a preschooler could really get something out of it. Plus, I just love how efficiently it shows a wide range of animals and insects living off of a single plant species. The economical use of words here is to be commended! All other nonfiction board books should take note of this one and follow suit.

When Water Flows by Aida Salazar, ill. Caribay M. Benavides

An abuela passes down her love of nature to her granddaughter in this Xicana board book. Bonus: A clever use of Spanish words used throughout. We had a bit of a debate as to whether or not this book was considered Indigenous and in the end the sheer complexity of the author’s Xicana heritage (50% of Mexicans either have an indigenous background or mixed indigenous background (mestizo) and changing the “ch” in Chicana to Xicana is a way to pay tribute to that mestizo heritage) gave us the impression that this tribute works on its own level. Plus you can’t help but enjoy that art.

Picture Books

Angela’s Glacier by Jordan Scott, ill. Diana Sudyka

Since childhood Angela has loved the Snæfellsjökull glacier. As she grows up, she grows distant from the magnificent ancient ice, and feels the need to connect again. Lush and lovely images about one woman’s true blue love. If you’re looking for books that instill a love of nature in children, I can hardly think of one better than a story of a girl who literally considers a glacier to be her friend. It makes for a marvelous mix of readaloud potential and good old-fashioned science and nature. I love how Angela’s father, and then Angela herself, chant the glacier’s name as they hike. “SNA (left foot) FELLS (right foot) JÖ (left food) KULL (right foot)”. Can’t you just see someone having a whole room of kids chant along with that? Sudyka, as per usual, uses her watercolors to maximum effect, really leaning into the beauty of the glaciers themselves. And look at that fabulous note at the end about the challenges the glaciers are facing these days! We see plenty of books about why glaciers are important. It’s kind of nice just seeing a book about someone who absolutely just loves one with all her heart. As for why I’m placing this in the Informational Fiction section, this story is actually based on the experiences of author Jordan Scott’s friend Angela Rawlings. So while it isn’t strictly a biography, it’s definitely treading along those lines. Previously seen on the Informational Fiction List.

Aqua Boy by Ken Wilson-Max

Aaron just wants to be like his big sister Angel and be able to put his head under the water. When his family rescues an octopus while cleaning the beach, will he finally have the courage? Oh yes! Yes indeed, this is a great book. Sublime! Delightful! And who doesn’t adore the art of Ken Wilson-Max? There’s plenty of story outside of the ecological message, but look how neatly Wilson-Max works a love of nature into this book. Best of all? It’s for younger kids! Ken Wilson-Max is one of our top simple picture book creators. The man is clearly good at what he does. I’m just pleased that he’s started to create books with more environmental themes (Eco Girl, being his last one). Previously seen on the Simple List.

Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park by Lori Alexander, ill. Jenn Ely

After falling head over heels in love with the Mojave Desert, Minerva Hoyt was determined to help make the Mojave a National Park. Could she do it? An inspiring, amazing story of a female powerhouse. Confession time. I read this book and then sort of discounted it for any lists. But even then, I held onto the book for some reason. And as I continued throughout my week, I just kept on thinking and thinking and thinking about Minerva’s story. This isn’t one of those big, flashy picture book bios out there, but there’s something so incredibly appealing about it. Maybe it’s the fact that this is a woman who fought tooth and nail to preserve a kind of landscape that didn’t slot neatly into our previous understandings of what “nature” entailed. By the way, has anyone else noticed that deserts are having an amazing year in children’s books? Between this, Desert Song and Welcome to the Cactus Hotel we have a very vital and interesting desert-based selection in 2024. Previously seen on the Biography List.

Can You Hear the Plants Speak? by Nicholas Hummingbird with Julia Wasson, ill. Madelyn Goodnight

Nicholas Hummingbird (Cahuilla and Apache) talks about the natural world, how it has changed in his lifetime, and what we can do to bring a little nature into our everyday existence. I always prefer it when a picture book surprises me. I began this book thinking it would be another rote I-dig-nature picture book, which is fine and all but we see so many of those. The book took a sharp right turn, though, when the main character’s ancestors’ tree got bulldozed. It’s not accusatory, but it shows the truth of what has happened historically to spaces important to Indigenous people. Then it ends with this really nice look at urban spaces and how you can introduce nature there. The tips in the back are great as well.

Change Is in the Air: Carbon, Climate, Earth, and Us by Debbie Levy, ill. Alex Boersma

What do kelp, mangroves, and dirt have in common? They’re helping humans solve the problem of too much carbon in the air! Take a deep dive into what carbon is and how we and nature can work together to solve our problems. So I walked into this, a bit worried, since it seems predicated on a problem. I know we’re always concerned when we encounter books for kids that discuss environmental problems through a doom and gloom lens. Here, the amount of carbon in the air is the concern. But as I read through the book I thought that it was doing a great job of showing not just how the carbon problem is being solved by plants but also people. It says, “Yes, there’s too much carbon in the air. But the Earth, and we people of the Earth, have the power to make this better, together.” So I think it has a helpful, hopeful take on the matter. As an adult I was enraptured by the boring part at the beginning that talks about what carbon even is (and presumably most folks would skip that part with kids). But what I really liked was how the book focused on the kelp, the mangroves, and the everyday trees. The art is gorgeous ( the illustrator lives in Chicago!) making these sometimes complicated and complex ideas understandable. Altogether, a class act of a book. 

Desert Song / Canción del desierto by Laekan Zea Kemp, ill. Beatriz Gutiérrez Hernández

Join a desert dwelling family as they dust off their instruments and sing along with the insects and animals found in this arid landscape. This one is definitely about the appreciation of desert life, but within the context of a family making their own music. It doesn’t take much digging to get a feel for the book’s interconnectedness between not just the characters but the landscape they live in. Would have loved backmatter (since I’m a backmatter loving fool) but I can live without it since this isn’t selling itself as nonfiction. I’m very fond of the art by Hernández and the gentle, lyrical writing by Kemp keeps everything flowing nicely. “The sun rules in the desert, telling us when to rise and when to sleep. The sun sits atop the mountain while cracklings snap and hiss on the stove. The sky blushes and it’s time for tea. For porch swings and belly rubs.” As nice a bedtime book as you could wish to have. Bonus: Bilingual!! Previously seen on the Bilingual List.

Farmer Eva’s Green Garden Life by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, ill. Christy Hale

Eva’s farm is close to trees and sea. A lovely true story of a farmer connected to the microbes under the soil and the people she provides with good food. I always like the Readers to Eaters books, which very specifically focus on the relationship between gardening, the Earth, and the food we eat in a sustainable way. I wouldn’t say that this particular title is what I’d call plot-forward, but there’s something oddly compelling about this woman’s journey farming her own patch of land. You’ll need to determine if the backmatter is more interesting than the frontmatter since I found it to be particularly good backmatter. I’ll leave that decision to other readers.

A Flicker of Hope: A Story of Migration by Cynthia Harmony, ill. Devon Holzwarth

As Lucía watches the butterflies migrate away to the north towards America, so too does her papa. He tells her he’ll be back when the monarchs are, but can she wait that long? A rather lovely conflation of the monarchs’ migration alongside the migration of many people from Mexico (specifically Michoacán and Estado de México) to the United States. The book doesn’t shy away from the science of the book and ties it directly into the human factor. There’s an interesting section at the end about ecotourism, which I’ve never seen mentioned before. Something to consider, anyway.

The Great Lakes: Our Freshwater Treasure by Barb Rosenstock, ill. Jamey Christoph

A deep dive (literally!) into the Great Lakes, their history, present, and future. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about their six quadrillion gallons of freshwater and how vital they are to the world. There are fish that can grow seven feet long and live more than one hundred years in our Great Lakes and I’m only hearing about them now?!? Feels like this should be a bigger story. Yeah, this is great, and not just because I live next to Lake Michigan and all. Rosenstock is the perfect person to write this, seeing as how she’s local to the Chicago area and knows how to pen a great nonfiction book. I adored this breakdown of the lakes, particularly the “Great Lakes in Profile” section where you get to see how far down they all go (woo-hoo to Lake Michigan being the second deepest!). Plus that two page spread of all the water in the world shown as bottles and only one of them being freshwater? That really stuck with me. VERY happy to see a message from Kathleen Smith of the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (enrolled member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community) at the end. This is top notch work.

Jelly-Boy by Nicole Godwin, ill. Christopher Nielsen

When a jellyfish falls in love with a strange looking jelly boy, she has no idea how dangerous he really is. A clever fable of trash in the sea. Girl, don’t date that guy! So I like weird books. I like books for kids where you vaguely wonder how a certain storyline got published. This book hits that sweet spot right on the nose. I just kind of love the idea that sometimes you really need to listen to your family when they tell you that boy is no good. There’s also kind of a horror element to this tale as well. That shot of all the plastic bags in the sea… I’d say it’ll make QUITE the impression on young readers.

Loop de Loop: Circular Solutions for a Waste-Free World by Andrea Curtis, ill. Roozeboos

Our planet needs loopier thinking! If nature works on a cycle, why not people? Learn more about repurposing, repairing, and designing waste out of the system. The question we shall have to ask ourselves with this particular book is whether or not the tone gives the right balance of urgency and comfort in equal measure. This has a rather interesting take on the nature of sustainability, bringing up issues I’ve never really seen mentioned in a book for kids before (like businesses taking responsibility for replacing parts in the products that they make). I like the art quite a lot (this is visually busy without being distracting) and I thought the writing was just the right level of information without overwhelming the young reader.

Nature Spy Guide by Shelley Rotner

What does it take to be a nature spy? Well, you’ve got to get outside and listen and taste and look and feel. There’s a whole world out there ready to explore, and this book with its vibrant photographs will help get you excited to do so! So I was quickly scanning the publication page here to try and see if Shelley Rotner utilized any Getty images or Shutterstock photos for her book. And insofar as I can tell, the answer is NOPE! Not a jot! This is pure Rotner goodness, all the way. I like very much the hook of turning kids into “nature spies”. Gives observations outdoors a sort of extra oomph, don’t you think? This book reads young, encompasses a wide range of seasons, and really makes you want to get outside and observing. If we’re looking for books that inculcate a love of nature in young readers, I can hardly think of a better selection. Previously seen on the Photography List.

The Next Scientists: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of the World’s Great Scientists by Kate Messner, ill. Julia Kuo

As a kid I just had only the vaguest sense of how realistic any given occupation I looked at was. I mean, think about the term “astronaut”. Nobody actually becomes one, right? So now that I’m an adult, I like any book that lets kids know that not only is it possible to get one job or another, but that also goes a step further and tells them that the people in those jobs were once normal kids with a variety of interests. It’s that “variety of interests” part that Messner is leaning into particularly with this title. Now she already sort of did this with her previous title The Next President but I’m going to confess to you that I like her work on this one even more. You see this wide range of scientists as kids grouped together by the interests you might expect (building stuff, looking at the sky, etc.) as well as some you wouldn’t (sports n’ such). Julia Kuo is an interesting person to pair with this title, since last time it was Adam Rex making the art. Her big comma-eyed people style works very well, and gives the book a calm throughline that I appreciated. There’s also a kind of fascinating end section of “scientists’ favorites” in terms of what they read as kids. It’s probably the only place you’re going to find the Doctor Dolittle series mentioned (Jane Goodall, naturally) sans context. I was pleased to see that Donna Shirley liked The Martian Chronicles, that Vijay Kumar was a fan of Hercule Poirot, and I was amused to see what Isaac Newton thought was fun (for the record, it’s The Mysteryes of Nature and Art by John Bate.” 

The Noisy Puddle: A Vernal Pool Through the Seasons by Linda Booth Sweeney, ill. Miki Sato

“LOOK! LOOK! Look over there… / a noisy puddle, cold and clear.” Gentle rhyming text talks about a vernal pool and all the critters that rely upon it. Very cool. A great example of how the best books of a given year have wonderful writing paired with stellar art. Sweeney takes the idea of a vernal pool (which we’ve seen done in picture books before) and really expands it and makes it knowable. She answers all the questions a kid might have about it, and has a keen writing style that would work particularly well in a readaloud. I also just adored how artist Miki Sato used clear plastic wrap to look like water. It gives the cut paper art this 3-D quality that you wouldn’t be able to get any other way (how come more books don’t do this?). So cool. Previously seen on the Rhyming Picture Book List.

The Ocean Gardener by Clara Anganuzzi

When the coral reef Ayla and her marine biologist mom live by starts to die, how can they help? Learn all about coral gardening and reef restoration in this fun and informative tale. A kid-friendly tale of reef restoration, and an excellent example of a title that I walked into with assumptions that were promptly shut down. In this story, Ayla and her mother notice the dying coral reefs and determine to do something about it by starting their own ocean garden (hence the title). I sort of watched the story and enjoyed the proactive nature of the characters, but was left wondering how practical it was. If warming oceans is the problem, won’t the reefs just die again? But then I got to the two pages on “The inspiration behind the story” which follow an actual marine biologist and her own coral nurseries. My bad! And the photographs of the coral nursery are absolutely fascinating. Happily, this story and art are good enough that we don’t have to worry about the backmatter of this book being better than the front matter. If we’re looking for stories that inspire a sense of hope and a love for the natural world, this is a perfect example of people seeing a problem and doing something to help, even if it’s on a small scale. Very cool. 

Of Words & Water: The Story of Wilma Dykeman, Writer, Historian, Environmentalist by Shannon Hitchcock, ill. Sophie Page

Told with incredible modelwork and mixed media art, the life of an early environmentalist shines in this moving biography. A book to inspire clean water lovers everywhere. Now Sophie Page is such an eclectic and dazzling illustrator that I had to step back a moment and figure out if I liked this book because of the art alone, or if the text stood on its own. Honestly, I think the latter. Dykeman’s life is placed in the context of the larger environmental movement, and even if you’ve never heard of Silent Spring or why it’s significant that Dykeman’s work came before Carson’s, you’ll understand why her life was important. This is a far simpler picture book biography of a life than we’ve tended to see before, but it’s no less gripping for its brevity. Definitely deserves additional eyeballs. Previously seen on the Biography List.

A Place for Rain by Michelle Schaub, ill. Blanca Gómez

What can you do with a raindrop? Well, you can let it get away, or you can collect it and use it for all sorts of things. A sweet little dive into all kinds of water collection. Interestingly, I almost missed this one this year. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to come up with any other water barrel or water collection titles out there, but I’m not really thinking of anything. This is an interesting take for a number of reasons, including the fact that it covers rain collection not simply in barrels but in terms of rain gardens as well. There’s some nice backmatter with resources, though I would have liked to have seen a listing of plants you can put into rain gardens. But that’s a fairly nitpicky critique. If the artist looks familiar, some of you may remember the book Very Good Hats from last year. Same illustrator.

Prunella by Beth Ferry, ill. Claire Keane

We’ve all heard of people born with a green thumb. So what does it mean that Prunella was born with a purple one? Meet a wide world of peculiar, prickly plants, sure to fascinate budding botanists. I include this with tongue pressed firmly into cheek. Is it about an appreciation of nature? It is! Is that nature full of venomous and carnivorous plants? It is! But by gum, sometimes venus flytraps need love too. Plus the endpapers are just rife with interesting information about odd little plants. It’s not my normal Blueberry contender, but I submit to you that it will entrance those kids who think that plants are all sweet little daisies and clover. A wonky, slightly goth, inclusion.

A Terrible Place for a Nest by Sara Levine, ill. Erika Meza

Having lost their home, Juno and his mom find a new place to live alongside a mourning dove nest. But when the birds lose their eggs in an accident, Juno has to determine if this really is a “terrible” place to live. I was about halfway through this book before I found myself thinking, “Why do I like these characters so much? Who is this illustrator?” Lo and behold it was none other than Erika Meza, she of last year’s incredible To the Other Side, which I loved so very much. Meza just has a way with eyes and emotions, but it’s Levine’s text here that just hits home so very hard. I don’t know how much kids are picking up on what’s going on below the surface of our young hero’s initial decision that this new place is a terrible place to “nest”, but this book nails its ending with keen skill. You gotta see this.

A Tree Is a Community by David L. Harrison, ill. Kate Cosgrove

A poet-biologist takes a deep dive into the many critters, insects, animals, and more than live in a simply hackberry tree. Boy, you just can never tell with a book sometimes, right? I looked at this title and cover and figured it was just one of the millions and millions of A Tree Is Nice types of books we’d already seen. Should I already know who David L. Harrison is? According to his bio in the back, he has an elementary school named after him, so that’s not nothing. And fair play to Cosgrove, the art really is lovely in this story, but this is 100% down to Harrison’s wordplay. I don’t usually do this, but listen to this: “That busy tree has MORE tree business. That tree she CATCHES dust in the air and SAVES water with her deep, strong roots. She HOLDS the soil from WASHING away and makes us feel COOLER when the sun, it LICKS all over with its HOT tongue.” I dunno. This is just a hugely engaging bit of writing on a familiar topic, rendering it new.

Walking Trees by Marie-Louise Gay

Lily only wants one thing for her birthday: A tree! Once she starts taking it for walks around the city, other people get trees of their own and join in. A delightful tale of bringing tree cover to urban areas. Absolutely love this. I mean, I liked Marie-Louise Gay already anyway, but I thought this was such a clever way of tackling the question of urban spaces in need of tree cover. I give extra points to any book with a sense of humor too. Beautifully told and charming to boot!

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Older Readers

Animal Climate Heroes! by Alison Pearce Stevens, ill. Jason Ford

A fun and sassy take on explaining climate change and the importance of intact ecosystems to kids. Climate Change is a supervillain and arrayed against him are the incredible ecosystem services of kelp forests, land forests, desert plants, and the awesome whale pump! Additionally, Ms. Stevens does a great job providing actions kids can do and how they support the animals she spotlights or others like them. A delightful science-filled pep talk.

Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson by Ann E. Burg, ill. Sophie Blackall

As Rachel Carson grows up, she comes to adore writing and science, particularly the natural world. A fictionalized verse novel focusing on the extraordinary (and very ordinary) life of the author of Silent Spring. I have great admiration for folks who can figure out how to write middle grade fictionalized narratives like this. Burg’s been in the business a long time, so her writing is smooth and clear. She makes Carson’s life feel both completely ordinary and also a keen example of being in the right place at the right time to make a serious change. I really didn’t know much about her, so this was a treat. Definitely on the upper end of great middle grade environmental fiction.

The Long Way Around by Anne Nesbet

Cousins Owen, Vivian, and Amy may be young but their parents are allowing them to do a little camping on their own. But when an earthquake cuts them off from help and other people, they decide to search for help on their own, no matter what happens. I was utterly enthralled by Nesbet’s Cloud & Wallfish back in the day, so you’d think I’d remember to read this book earlier rather than later in the year. I’ve been saying that the first chapter in Not Quite a Ghost is my favorite of 2024, but Nesbet might give Ursu a run for her money. This book is trim, slick, and fun. It really does pair well with Mountain of Fire by Rebecca Barone, though it’s far less dire. I thought it did a really super job of drilling into these three characters’ fears and development. Yeah. This is great.

The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson

You don’t have to be an adult scientist to explore the world. Become an observologist and use this highly hilarious and factually accurate book to explore nature in your own backyard. It seemed fitting for me to read this after reading the aforementioned How It All Ends by Emma Hunsiger since the two books have a very similar sense of humor. You’d expect that in a comic, but not necessarily in a nonfiction book of this sort. I’m so delighted this got a Kirkus star, since it would have been an easy one to miss. In spite of the fact that this is a New Zealand import, they’ve managed to make this book applicable in a lot of ways to American kids. Granted, they may wonder why “pillbug” isn’t one of the many names given to rollie pollies, and they might notice the sheer number of weirdo New Zealand bugs held up as examples, but there are enough familiar faces here. Let’s just all ignore the fact that being an observologist in New Zealand definitely gives kids of that country an advantage over our own children. This one is a huge hoot. Previously seen on the Older Funny Books List.

Save Our Forest! by Nora Dasnes, translated from Norwegian by Lise Laerdal Bryn

What do you do when you’re just a kid and the adults around you aren’t serious about ecological sustainability? When her school’s backwoods is slated for demolition to build a parking lot, Bao and her friends band together to make good trouble. Boy, this book doesn’t pull its punches, does it? There’s a heady realism to this storytelling that I really enjoyed. It feels like a book that truly respects its child audience. Bao’s drive is both admirable and infuriating, which is a wonderful kind of protagonist to follow. Moreover, I loved how the adults tend to pay lip-service to change and the participation of children, but when money is involved they aren’t going to entertain sustainability any further. I thought the solution (getting Bao’s mom to read the legal documents and find the flaw is SO much more realistic than having a kid do it) was great and I loved the casual Norwegianess of it all. All told, this is supremely well done. Previously seen on the Graphic Novels List.

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So with all that in mind, here are the other lists for 2024:

December 1 – Great Board Books

December 2 – Picture Book Readalouds

December 3 – Simple Picture Book Texts

December 4 – Transcendent Holiday Picture Books

December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books

December 6 – Funny Picture Books

December 7 – CaldeNotts

December 8 – Picture Book Reprints

December 9 – Bilingual Books for Kids

December 10 – Math Books for Kids

December 11 – Books with a Message / Social Emotional Learning

December 12 – Fabulous Photography

December 13 – Translated Picture Books

December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales

December 15 – Wordless Picture Books

December 16 – Poetry Books

December 17 – Unconventional Children’s Books

December 18 – Easy Books & Early Chapter Books

December 19 – Comics & Graphic Novels

December 20 – Older Funny Books

December 21 – Science Fiction Books

December 22 – Fantasy Books

December 23 – Informational Fiction

December 24 – Gross Books

December 25 – Science & Nature Books

December 26 – Unique Biographies

December 27 – Blueberry Award Contenders (Celebrating the Environment)

December 28 – Nonfiction Picture Books

December 29 – Nonfiction Books for Older Readers

December 30 – Middle Grade Novels

December 31 – Picture Books

Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists, Best Books, Best Books of 2024