Books about mud, bugs and growing plants for 0-5

This delightful celebration of splashing in puddles is a joyous book, full of community, friendship and the pleasure of being outdoors, whatever the weather. Parents and carers of little ones will know how fun ​“puddling” is and it’s nice to see this popular game reflected in a picture book.

This fun book offers lots of interaction, from the trails (which are great for fine motor skills and getting used to tracing, a precursor to learning to write) to the information about the natural world. 

In this ingenious large fold-out board book, illustrators Loulou and Tummie bring young readers some of their first experiences of size comparisons with big spreads featuring colourful and graphic insects. Children can start to learn how to assess measurements of various kinds, including width, noise, length, height and brightness, by comparing the illustrations.

Rosa and her friends are growing sunflowers. The industrious team of children fill pots with soil, tenderly plant seeds and then carefully label and position their plants. This is one of a series of books following Rosa and her friends as they undertake a range of simple but inspiring projects guaranteed to stimulate children’s interest in STEM subjects.

This book conjures up everything that is fun about rain: splashing in puddles, dancing with umbrellas, as well as staying cosy and watching it fall. A wonderful picture book for reading aloud, which combines lyrical text with handy science facts about the weather.

This joyful poem within a picture book pays tribute to all the treats that nature has to offer. Packed with animals and minibeasts galore, this fun, imaginative book is perfect for reading aloud. 

Two green-fingered children are busy with garden activities in this delightful, interactive board book for toddlers. There’s so much to see, spot and grow!

These simple, cheerful and humorous rhymes about all the familiar insects you might encounter in your garden are great fun to read together

One morning in a farmyard a spider begins to spin a web. All the animals try to persuade her to stop but she doesn’t answer any of them; she is too busy spinning her web.

Join Little Snail as he meets all the bugs, insects and other tiny creatures in the garden. A stylish, yet child-friendly guide to the tiny creatures that are so vital to our planet. 

A fascinating guide to worms, their habitats and helpful habits in nature, with lift-the-flap features and adorable illustrations.

A bouncy book of poems about bugs and minibeasts, with fantastic illustrations, in picture book format. 

Four friends including a ladybird, a bee, a beetle and a dragonfly search for a new home and finally find the perfect place in a little boy’s garden. 

Discover why soil is so important to our world in this informative, colourful picture book. Perfectly pitched at young readers.