We've got three copies of Philippa's Joly's A Kid's Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest up for giveaway right now! Enter for your chance to win.

And in this list, she recommends other great books helping make connections between readers and the natural world.

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Luschiim’s Plants: Traditional Indigenous Foods, Materials and Medicines, by Dr Luschiim Arvid Charlie and Nancy J. Turner

If you are looking for a local plant book to remind you that Indigenous relationships with plants are still alive, this is the book. Written in collaboration between esteemed ethnobotanist Nancy Turner and Quw’utsun elder Dr. Luschiim Arvid Charlie, this book gives space for Luschiim’s wisdom to resonate. As a young boy, Luschiim was mentored in the use and relationship to plants through his great grandparents who held ancestral knowledge of plant use. In a generous sharing of some of this knowledge, Luschiim and Nancy Turner have created a beautiful gift for the rest of us. Did you know that Lodgepole Pine is called Dancing Tree in Hul’q’umi’num, because of the way its needles dance when placed on a flat surface? Through beautiful, bright photographs, an easy-to-navigate format, and Luschiim’s stories, this book is accessible to plant geeks of all ages!

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The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book, by Gord Hill

This graphic novel is one of the best ways to introduce youth (and adults) to an important and inspiring history. Through full colour panels, Gord Hill from the Kwakwaka’wakw Nation uses graphics and plain language to share how North American Indigenous people have resisted colonization over the past 500 years. From the story of the initial meeting of Columbus and the Taino, to the Red River Rebellion, and many stories in between, this history reminds us of the powerful resilience the Indigenous peoples of the Americas carry to keep their cultures alive. I like this collection because it reminds us that this fight against colonization is far from over but we can take inspiration from these stories, as hard and tragic as some are, and that there are people everywhere standing up to protect their lands and cultures.

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A Year on the Wild Side: A West Coast Naturalist's Almanac, by Briony Penn

Briony Penn has long been an inspiration to me. Growing up I would wait expectantly each week for her column in Monday Magazine. With wit and humour, she would introduce her readers to the fascinating world of nature all around us. In A Year on the Wild Side, Briony takes us through the seasons with personal stories of close encounters with nature while weaving in interesting facts and anecdotes. We learn about rare endangered lilies in the spring, berries to eat in the summer, the importance of fallen maples in the autumn and the antics of songbirds in winter. In these 52 short essays, Briony is honest with her struggles as an environmental activist and as a parent, making her writing both engaging and real. This book is brought to life with Briony’s bright and lively watercolour illustrations.

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Birdsong, by Julie Flett

Every book by Cree/Metis author Julie Flett leaves me feeling like there has just been a soft spring rain and now the sun has come out. Written for children, Julie Flett’s books appeal to the adults who read them aloud as well. I love Birdsong, especially for the way Julie makes space for the sweetness of friendship between generations to bloom. A young girl and an old woman find kinship through art and nature. We watch as their friendship grows with the changing seasons in nature but also through the changing season of life. With the wisdom of an older person and of nature to guide her, our young main character is able to find peace in the impending loss of her new friend. As the birds lift into the sky, so do our spirits lift reading this lyrical and finally illustrated book.

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Can You Hear the Trees Talking?,  by Peter Wohllben, translated by Shelly Tanaka

You know that feeling you get when someone puts something you have always felt to be true into words? That “Yes” feeling of affirmation? I thank Peter Wohllben for articulating what I have felt sure to be true, that trees do talk! As earth-based people have told us for generations, plants are alive and we need to listen. Wohllben has brought us a wonderfully illustrated and easy-to-read children’s edition of his best-selling book The Hidden Life of Trees. With quizzes, fun facts and activities, the book illustrates Peter’s dedication to helping us understand not only why trees are important, but also, the wonderful fact that trees have fascinating lives and relationships. Share this book with the young people in your life and you both will never look at a tree the same way.

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Learn more about A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest:

A middle-grade-friendly introduction to Pacific Northwest flora, with outdoor activities, games and quizzes that make learning about nature fun! Great for families and educators.

Get dirty digging up roots. Crouch down to look closely at a carnivorous sundew dissolving a dragonfly. Munch some lemony-tasting miner’s lettuce. Go on a scavenger hunt for some of nature’s more surprising creations, like the arbutus tree, a sculpture of living copper. Make a soothing plantain salve to treat an itch. Learn which berries you can eat and which to avoid.

Time spent outdoors encourages children’s self-confidence and independence, increases attention span and physical well-being, and fosters care for the environment. With the increasing intrusion of technology into daily life, and the challenges of climate chaos, it has never been more essential for parents and educators to encourage kids to engage with the natural environment. Plants are everywhere, even in urban areas where parks, empty lots and backyards offer the opportunity to learn from and connect to nature.

Drawing on her years of experience as a herbalist and outdoor educator, author Philippa Joly features more than fifty richly illustrated plant profiles, including information on identification and ecology, uses in Coastal Indigenous cultures, and fun activities—all in a way that is accessible and interesting to readers of all ages.