The Best Children’s Books About Mountains: Reviewed and Ranked

They make a fantastic backdrop in photos and artwork; car rides on your way up them are swirly like cursive writing, and they envelop and welcome you into a completely different way of life. Exploring mountains with kids isn’t always possible, particularly if you’re nestled into a busy city with skyscrapers blocking mountain views. However, even if you don’t get a chance to regularly experience mountain life, you can bring some mountainside wonders to your home through fun, engaging children’s books about mountains.

We itemize the best children’s books about mountains in the list below. The first is a wonderful book that teaches children a fun rhyming song. It’s bouncy and memorable and perfect for little ones. We also highlight a coloring book that has questions asked by real kids with answers from real park rangers. It’s entertaining for your kids (and you’re sure to get a laugh too!). We include a board book for babies and toddlers, an alphabet story, and the perfect bedtime story.

A-Z Animals Top Picks for Children’s Books About Mountains

#1 Best Overall: I Love the Mountains by Hailey Meyers and Kevin Meyers

The best overall children’s book about mountains is I Love the Mountains by Hailey Meyers and Kevin Meyers.

This books is available in hardcover and Kindle formats and invites children to take a walk in the mountains and sing along with a fun rhyming song. This is the perfect book if your kids love rhyming stories and you’ve already inculcated a love for the wilderness and campfire traditions. It’s suitable for children between ages three and eight and it’s 30 pages long. Kids love following along with the bouncing melody and all of the adorable illustrations. As an adult, you’re likely to fall in love with the nostalgia of those times when things were a bit simpler and when you read along or sang along with books and rhyming songs like these.

Pros and Cons of I Love the Mountains by Hailey Meyers and Kevin Meyers

Best Overall

I Love the Mountains

• Suitable for children between ages three and eight
• Filled with rhyming stories and adorable illustrations
• Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars

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2. Best Rocky Mountain Book: “Hey Ranger!” Kids Ask Questions About Rocky Mountain National Park by Kim Williams Justesen (Author) and Judy Newhouse (Illustrator)

Next, we have “Hey Ranger!” Kids Ask Questions About Rocky Mountain National Park by Kim Williams Justesen (Author) and Judy Newhouse (Illustrator) which centers around Rocky Mountain National Park.

This book comes in paperback format and teaches children a variety of different facts about this particular national park. For example, children learn how old deer are before they turn into elk. They also learn how big the mountains in this national park are. It is based on real questions that kids ask rangers at Rocky Mountain National Park and it answers the way the rangers do. The facts are delivered by the rangers who both live and work in this national park. It also features illustrations your child can color and makes a perfect road trip book to keep your kids entertained on the way to their next mountain adventure. It’s suitable for children between six and 10 years of age and is 48 pages in length.

However, customers warn that this book is not fully a textbook. It does incorporate some fun and interesting questions and answers, but it is mostly a coloring book.

Pros and Cons of “Hey Ranger!” Kids Ask Questions About Rocky Mountain National Park by Kim Williams Justesen (Author) and Judy Newhouse (Illustrator)

Best Rocky Mountain Book

"Hey Ranger!" Kids Ask Questions About Rocky Mountain National Park

• Centers around Rocky Mountain National Park
• Makes a perfect road trip book to keep your kids entertained
• Customers rate this book 4.3 out of five stars

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3. Best Board Book: Discovering Nature on the Mountainside by Lenka Chytilova

In our opinion, the best board book about mountains is Discovering Nature on the Mountainside by Lenka Chytilova.

This picture book is a great resource to teach children about mountains while also teaching them fun facts and new vocabulary words. It comes in a board book format, but you can also pick it up in a Kindle format. Throughout the book, your child goes on an adventure from a serene spring environment to a snow-covered winterland. The author teaches kids all about the wildlife that lives on the mountainside. Children learn what different wildlife do out on the mountains, how they live, and much more. The book also has some cut-out accents along with charming illustrations. Since this is a board book, you can expect extra thick pages and the cutouts make it very interestingly shaped.

It’s appropriate for children between ages two and five. They can follow along with the board book, the fun facts, and interesting captions. This book introduces new vocabulary words all while helping children explore a majestic mountainside. There are also some hidden chambers in this book that reveal tons of fun. The illustrations captivate kids, and they don’t even realize they’re expanding their vocabulary because they’re so caught up in the fun story. Although it is available in a Kindle format, we definitely suggest you go with the board book. It’s a completely different experience and it’s a durable option that can withstand curious, tiny hands and sticky fingers.

Pros and Cons of Discovering Nature on the Mountainside by Lenka Chytilova

Best Board Book

Discovering Nature on the Mountainside

• Board book with thick pages and cut-outs; great for kids between two and five
• Teaches kids about wildlife and vocabulary related to that
• Customers rate this book 4.9 out of five stars

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4. Best Alphabet Story: Henry Goes Hiking by Dee Marie and Marilynn Methven

If you’re looking for a book to help your child learn the alphabet then we suggest Henry Goes Hiking by Dee Marie and Marilynn Methven.

This 36-page story follows the character Henry as he goes on a hike. It’s an alphabet story that helps children learn the different letters of the alphabet all while following along with a story that incorporates mountains and trails. As he travels along, Henry sees different animals and insects. Each of these different animals and insects starts with each letter of the alphabet. The book incorporates colorful illustrations and introduces children to owls, deer, birds, skunks, beavers, raccoons, and many more. It’s ideal for children who are in preschool and kindergarten ages three to eight.

With each page, your kiddo follows along with Henry as he spots new animals. For example, when he hides in the bushes, he spots a skunk. The book has the capital ‘S’ and the lowercase letter ‘s’ just above the illustration of the skunk.

Pros and Cons of Henry Goes Hiking by Dee Marie and Marilynn Methven

Best Alphabet Story

Henry Goes Hiking

• Helps children learn the different letters of the alphabet
• Colorful illustrations owls, deer, birds, skunks, beavers, raccoons, and more
• Customers rate this book 4.3 out of five stars

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5. Best About National Parks: I Love You More Than Mountains by Kristen Emily Behl

If you’re looking for a book that talks about the US national parks then we recommend I Love You More Than Mountains by Kristen Emily Behl.

This book is available in hardcover, paper bag, and Kindle formats. The book immerses children in all of the wonder and majestic beauty of different US national parks. It helps them understand just how big and wide and tall mountains are. Explore this book with your kids to help them identify which national parks are included. Read this together, enjoy the gorgeous illustrations of different mountainscapes, and create memories together that neither of you can ever forget.

Pros and Cons of I Love You More Than Mountains by Kristen Emily Behl

Best About National Parks

I Love You More Than Mountains

• Immerses children in all of the wonder and majestic beauty of different US national parks
• Gorgeous illustrations of different mountainscapes
• Customers rate this book 4.8 out of five stars

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6. Best Bedtime Story: Good Night Mountains by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper

The perfect bedtime story about mountains in our opinion is Good Night Mountains by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper.

You’ve likely already started a bedtime story collection, and this is another one you can add to your child’s library. This book features the Rocky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Ozark mountains, and even volcanic Mount Saint Helen. It teaches children about waterfalls and glaciers and alpine lakes while also touching on hiking, camping, and rock climbing. It’s a board book brimming with mountains that invite children to explore all the gorgeous scenes of nature and the fun activities associated with mountain life. Your kiddo gains a new appreciation for mother nature with this book. It’s suitable for babies and toddlers.

Unfortunately, a few reviewers reported that they received a damaged book.

Pros and Cons of Good Night Mountains by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper

Best Bedtime Story

Good Night Mountains

• Brimming with mountains that invite children to explore all the gorgeous scenes of nature  
• Suitable for babies and toddlers
• Customers rate this book 4.8 out of five stars

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Criteria: What to Look For in Children’s Books About Mountains

Mountains are a broad concept so you can imagine that there are tons of different children’s books about mountains to explore. Below, we invite you to look into the different criteria to consider before making your final choice on the appropriate book for the kiddo in your life.

Book Format

Books are available in several different formats most of the time. Kindle has made things so easy because you can download it on the spot and your kiddo can be enjoying it within seconds. However, this may not be the most appropriate choice for your kid. It may not even be the most appropriate choice for the type of book you’re interested in. For example, we cover a book in the list above that has really fun cutouts. Those cutouts add to the magic of the book. Without being able to experience these cutouts in person, the book loses a little bit of its charm. Certainly, Kindle books are a favorite for kids who love reading along on an iPad but it’s always a good idea to incorporate a few regular books to add to their physical library as well.

Reading Level

Reading level is another important factor when choosing the right book for your kids. For babies and toddlers, board books and simple text with rhyming verses are great choices. Children with a more advanced reading level can explore books about different national parks and can learn a little bit more about wildlife and the wilderness. If a book is much too simple, an older child may not find value in it. Conversely, a young child who is given a book much to complex may feel discouraged about reading. The idea is to find the sweet spot that keeps children engaged and challenged as they keep learning new vocabulary words and deepening their understanding of nature concepts.

Intended Lesson

With some children’s books about mountains, what you get is an exploration of life on the mountains. This can include different wildlife, animals, and even insects. However, other books about the mountains offer a different type of lesson. Perhaps you want to invite your children to understand just how immense your love for them is. These concepts can be so abstract that bringing a book into the mix helps to create understanding. If the concept is abstract, you can incorporate a book about mountains to keep your child’s attention while also getting them to understand something much, much bigger.