Finding Our Nature in Picture Books
I have a passion for picture books that began when my sons were little. They are now teenagers and sadly don’t want me to read to them anymore (“cringe, mom”). It hasn’t stopped me from continuing to enjoy them (the books, and sometimes my sons…to all those living with teenagers, I see you). In fact, my understanding of picture books has evolved and deepened so much that my home is bursting with this extraordinary art form. When a question came up in our recent NEA Big Read webinar about books for young people, I thought I’d take a look at my shelves.
The NEA Big Read has an exciting new theme for the 2025-26 grant cycle that has the potential to resonate with communities throughout the country, whether they are rural or urban, inland or on the coast. “Our Nature: How Our Physical Environment Can Lead Us to Seek Hope, Courage, and Connection” prompts libraries, museums, cultural centers, and other local organizations to choose one of the books in the NEA Big Read library and plan activities and events that bring people together to read, write, talk, laugh, learn, and reflect.
The NEA Big Read is an initiative intended for adults, but its impact can be broadened through programming geared toward younger and/or inter-generational audiences. Local librarians are often great resources for suggesting companion titles that could fit with the theme, are intended for younger audiences, and can speak to their particular communities. What follows, then, are a dozen titles to whet your appetite. I chose them for their heart, humor, perspective, and creative and often beautiful illustrations that complement the words (rather than reiterate them). As they all reflect the theme in some way, they can fit with any of the NEA Big Read titles, but I offered suggestions when a particularly strong connection came to mind. Enjoy!
We Go to the Park by Sara Stridsberg and Beatrice Alemagna, translated from the Swedish by B.J. Woodstein: a lovely rendering of a child’s love of a local park and the longing to belong. (Might pair nicely with You Are Here.)
Stickler Loves the World by Lane Smith: a very funny story about a sweet creature who opens all eight of his eyes to the wonders of his surroundings.
A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, Jerry Pinkney, and Brian Pinkney: a beautiful and moving collaboration about grief and connecting with loved ones through art and nature. (The joy expressed in Stickler Loves the World and the sorrow and love found here make both titles good choices to pair with Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude).
The Forest by Riccardo Bozzi, Violeta Lopiz, and Valerio Vidali, translated from the Italian by Debbie Bibo: a gorgeously designed delight that invites the reader to become the explorer of this mysterious and ancient landscape. (Pairs especially well with The New Wilderness.)
Future and Natura by Maria Jose Ferrada and Mariana Alcantara. Future is a wonderfully strange journey of imagining, available in both English and Spanish. (Pairs especially well with the NEA Big Read titles set in the future.) Natura, just released this Fall, is a stunning, bilingual vision of nature that reveals hidden treasures when the reader holds a light up behind each page.
Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers: a dreamy tale about a boy and his grandfather and the wonders of a shared imagination. (Might pair nicely with the grieving boy in Bewilderment and the emphasis on sailing in I Cheerfully Refuse.)
Leaf by Sandra Dieckmann: a lush story of overcoming fear to create community and support for those most affected by climate change. (Pairs especially well with the climate change themes in The Quickening, the loneliness and longing of the cold north in Nobody Gets Out Alive, and the desire to get along with an unfamiliar animal in Fuzz and Blackfish City.)
A House that Once Was by Julie Fogliano and Lane Smith: an ode to curious little ones and the imagined stories of an abandoned home. (Pairs especially well with North Woods. Incidentally, the book Here by Richard McGuire would also be perfect to pair with North Woods.)
What Color is the Wind? by Anne Herbauts: a visual and tactile wonder of a book about a blind child engaging with the world around him. (Might pair nicely with In the Field Between Us given that the boy in this book strives to connect with his environment in his own way.)
Every Tree has a Story by Cecile Benoist and Charlotte Gastaut, translated from the French by Sylvia Rucker: a visually spectacular, large format ode to the beauty and history of trees. (Pairs especially well with Lab Girl.)
Every Color of Light by Hiroshi Osada and Ryoji Arai, translated from the Japanese by David Boyd: a magical, meditative exploration of nature, each page a work of art. (Might pair nicely with When the Emperor Was Divine given the beautiful work of these Japanese artists.)
Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead: a sweet, quiet story of a boy who conquers his fear of his new wooded home and finds friendship. (The child’s loneliness here made me think particularly of The Bear and Bewilderment.)
Amy Stolls is the Director of Literary Arts at the National Endowment for the Arts.
The 2025-26 NEA Big Read application is open! Visit our News Room for more information on this community reading program, including its new theme, the 22 books available for selection, and tips for applying.
