The Best Books About Nature to Decipher Its Messages

There’s an unmistakable scent in the air when rain is approaching and a mystery that swirls with the wind to make trees dance. Nature is a constant movement, a constant celebration of life. Even if you live out in a rural area, nature scenes often take a back seat to responsibilities, stressors, and even hobbies. Keeping your mind, heart, and spirit connected to the natural world takes intentional effort. It takes slowing down. It takes learning more. Books about nature remind you of all the wonders that exist around you every day. The authors aim to inspire you to acknowledge daily miracles and keep them at the forefront of your mind — this connection keeps you balanced.

You can easily get overwhelmed searching for the best books about nature. To ease you in, we highlight some of the best nature books below. Each one has a focus on nature and the authors have different approaches. We include a collection of three books that teach you how to read nature and water, so you know how to navigate the earth without modern technology. We also incorporate a book you can share with your kids and one you can gift to them to get them started early. If you’re ready to frolic and forage, we share the best guide. The last book we highlight is for the artists of the world.

A-Z Animals Top Picks for Books About Nature

#1 Best Overall: The Tristan Gooley Collection: How to Read Nature, How to Read Water, and The Natural Navigator by Tristan Gooley

The best books about nature come in The Tristan Gooley Collection: How to Read Nature, How to Read Water, and The Natural Navigator by Tristan Gooley.

This is a deluxe set that contains three hardcover books. You’re probably used to GPS getting you places as well as Google helping you understand whatever you want to learn more about. You likely know how to use a compass and have a clock that helps you to tell time, but these tools can only get you so far. With this special collection, you can explore the almost-forgotten art of examining the language of nature. There are signs and patterns to uncover and decipher.

Tristan Gooley is a lifelong wanderer and a New York Times best-selling author. He starts by teaching you his method for sensing signs in the wild. Most people overlook them. Then, he goes on to help you find your way using the stars, clouds, rivers, and more. Finally, he goes right into the water, touching on everything from puddles to the ocean. His aim is to teach navigators at any experience level to learn how to listen to the waters’ messages. This is a perfect collection to help kickstart your next nature adventure.

However, reviewers say that these books are a great set for informative purposes, but they read like books and not like manuals. This is not something you would use as a reference, for example.

Pros and Cons of The Tristan Gooley Collection: How to Read Nature, How to Read Water, and The Natural Navigator by Tristan Gooley

Best Overall

The Tristan Gooley Collection: How to Read Nature, How to Read Water, and The Natural Navigator

• Explore the almost-forgotten art of examining the language of nature
• Written by a New York Times best-selling author
• Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars

Check Amazon

2. Best to Share with Kids: Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Rachel Williams (Author) and Freya Hartas (Illustrator)

If you’re looking for a nature book that you can share with your kids then we suggest Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Rachel Williams (Author) and Freya Hartas (Illustrator).

It’s kind of hard not to be mindful when you’re out in nature. It has a way of helping you slow down, breathe more deeply, and look around intentionally. This book comes in Kindle and hardcover versions and contains 50 nature stories to help you and your child foster mindfulness and invite more calm to your lives. Depending on the environment you live in, your kids may or may not notice that nature is always working wonders around them. It’s a day-by-day and hour-by-hour transformation that many miss. It’s best to get your kiddos plugged in while they’re young. This way, they can experience the amazing serenity you feel when you’re out in nature and fully present. Incorporate this beautifully illustrated collection into your regular reading routine with your little ones.

The aim of this book is for you and your child to experience 50 individual moments in nature that are meant to help you pause and enjoy. You can then go outside, whether that means a balcony in a busy city or your large yard out in the country, to explore a bit and see what you and your child uncover. If you feel like it’s time to incorporate more mindfulness into your lives, this is a great book to help you unwind and get back to the basics. One of the moments you uncover in this book is when a squirrel buries an acorn in autumn to digs it up again in winter. The book explains how the squirrel has to pick just the right type of acorn and their process for digging up later for dinner.

As you read this with your child, you also get the opportunity to experience the moment with them. It allows you to enjoy a calming reading session with some of your favorite little people in the world. For many customers, this is a great homeschooling book. They find it both educational and perfect for taking a mindful break with their kiddos. However, some reviewers report that this book is better suited to slightly older children who can truly enjoy and appreciate the calming moments.

Pros and Cons of Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Rachel Williams (Author) and Freya Hartas (Illustrator)

Best to Share with Kids

Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature

• Contains 50 nature stories to help you and your child foster mindfulness and invite more calm to your lives
• Great book to help you unwind and get back to the basics
• Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars

Check Amazon

3. Best for Kids: Nature’s Treasures: Tales Of More Than 100 Extraordinary Objects From Nature by Ben Hoare

If you’re looking for a nature book that is aimed at children then we suggest Nature’s Treasures: Tales Of More Than 100 Extraordinary Objects From Nature by Ben Hoare which is perfect for children between the ages of seven and nine.

This book is written by best-selling author Ben Hoare. Wildlife has so many wonders that young readers cannot yet even fathom. There is so much for them to discover and within this book, the child in your life can begin to explore all the curious objects made by animals, plants, and the earth itself. This book serves as a nature encyclopedia for kids. It includes several reference pages along with tons of fascinating information.

If your child has shown an interest in anything nature-related, they are going to dive head first into this book. It’s captivating. It displays over 100 intriguing items from the natural world and there’s also a story that explains each one. For example, your child can study how a leaf skeleton tells us how it transports food. Your child can also learn about all the tiny scales that make butterflies shine in the sunlight. This book is brimming with all sorts of different animal facts.

All of the photos contained within the book are large and attractive. Plus, the captions and text are easy to read, making it a wonderful gift for children who love nature.

Pros and Cons of Nature’s Treasures: Tales Of More Than 100 Extraordinary Objects From Nature by Ben Hoare

Best for Kids

Nature's Treasures: Tales of More Than 100 Extraordinary Objects from Nature

• 192 pages.
• Customers recommend this book for children ages 5 through 9.
• Perfect for children between the ages of seven and nine interested in nature
• Brimming with all sorts of different animal facts
• Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars

Check Amazon

4. Best for Foraging: Urban Foraging: Find, Gather, and Cook 50 Wild Plants by Lisa M. Rose

If you’re planning on foraging then we recommend Urban Foraging: Find, Gather, and Cook 50 Wild Plants by Lisa M. Rose.

There are countless ways to explore nature. Sometimes you want to have a mindful moment, other times you want to help your kids discover nature in their own creative ways. This book is all about foraging. It helps you find, gather, and cook with 50 wild plants. Even if you’re in the city, it’s full of wild food. This book shows you where to find it. Say you’re craving a wild apple tart. Do you know how to gather the ingredients by going out for a stroll? Well, you’re about to find out in this book.

This book teaches you how to turn a lilac bush into a delicately flavored jelly you can smear on your morning pastry. This guide is designed to be stylish as it delivers scrumptious information. It helps you learn to locate, identify, harvest, and prepare food with 50 of the most common wild plants. Some of those plants include honeysuckle, echinacea, chickweed, red clover, dandelion, and pine. This book delivers all the basics you need for a successful harvest.

You get some clear photos that help you with identifying the wild plants and you also get some details on the different culinary uses. If you’re not sure how to start, don’t worry. You get a couple of simple recipes in this book as well. However, some reviewers commented that they were disappointed that there were not more recipes in it.

Pros and Cons of Urban Foraging: Find, Gather, and Cook 50 Wild Plants by Lisa M. Rose

Best for Foraging

Urban Foraging: Find, Gather, and Cook 50 Wild Plants

• Learn how to find, gather, and cook with 50 wild plants
• Clear photos of various plants and details regarding their culinary uses
• Customers rate this book four out of five stars

Check Amazon

5. Best for Artists: Watercolor in Nature: Paint Woodland Wildlife and Botanicals with 20 Beginner-Friendly Projects by Rosalie Haizlett

If you’re an artist, particularly a lover of watercolor, then Watercolor in Nature: Paint Woodland Wildlife and Botanicals with 20 Beginner-Friendly Projects by Rosalie Haizlett is the book for you.

This book contains 20 beginner-friendly projects. This book offers a step-by-step guide to painting insects, birds, mammals, and even fungi. Rosalie Haizlett is the author who put this together. She has visited many forests with her sketchbook and watercolors. Haizlett has devoted her life to documenting different animals, plants, and landscapes. She has used her experience to then teach tens of thousands of students to appreciate nature’s beauty and replicate it via watercolor paintings.

Pros and Cons of Watercolor in Nature: Paint Woodland Wildlife and Botanicals with 20 Beginner-Friendly Projects by Rosalie Haizlett

Best for Artists

Watercolor in Nature: Paint Woodland Wildlife and Botanicals with 20 Beginner-Friendly Projects

• Great for aspiring artists
• Contains 20 beginner-friendly projects
• Customers rate this book 4.8 out of five stars

Check Amazon

Criteria: What to Look For in Books About Nature

Consider the author’s background! Sometimes, a book is so appealing you forget to look into the person who wrote it. Someone with hands-on experience who has travelled through different continents to explore different nature scenes can bring a lot of depth and experience to a book. Someone who writes specifically for children knows how to captivate young readers’ minds. A fellow artist is the best type of author to guide other artists. A person who focuses on meditation and mindfulness as a regular part of their lives is a great source for a mindfulness book about nature.

You can also decide on the book format. Do you prefer reading on your phone or iPad or tablet? You may have a preference for holding a book in your hand, and smelling the scent of lavender tea as you explore each page. Are you more interested in learning useful information to help you on your adventures into the wilderness or do you prefer to walk barefoot in your backyard, enjoying the shade your trees provide instead? Do you want to connect with your spiritual nature or focus more on scientific knowledge? When you have an understanding of your preferences and what you long to learn more about, you are better able to pick just the right book about nature!