30 May Picture Books

May’s booklist is filled with, May flowers, gardens, bees, and butterflies. It will help fuel your desire for green growth and new life that fill May days and propel us into the summer ahead.

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1. We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines The Gaines family learns patience, failure, and perseverance as they grow a thriving garden together.
2. Mossy by Jan Brett a turtle named Mossy finds her home disrupted when her mossy shell becomes a museum attraction.
3. Ivy in Bloom: The Poetry of Spring from Great Poets and Writers of the Past by Vanita Oelschlager  A beautiful collection of classic poetry celebrating the beauty and renewal of spring.
4. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter Classic tale of a mischievous rabbit who disobeys his mother and faces danger in Mr. McGregor’s garden.
5. Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre A vibrant, photographic exploration of how flowers grow and burst into bloom.
6. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner This book reveals the hidden world of garden life both above and below the soil.
7. The Gardener: (Caldecott Honor Book) by Sarah Stewart A young girl brings hope and beauty to a gray city through her love of gardening during the Great Depression.
8. Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe The story of the monk whose pea plant experiments uncovered the basics of genetics.
9. The Big Book of Blooms by Yuval Zommer An engaging introduction to the fascinating world of flowers and how they grow.
10. Florette by Anna Walker A young girl learns to create her own garden in a new city apartment.
11. Katie and the Sunflowers by James Mayhew Katie steps into a Van Gogh painting and helps bring his sunflower masterpiece to life.
12. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf A gentle bull prefers smelling flowers over fighting in the bullring.
13. The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta This biography highlights how Carver’s love of plants led to scientific discovery and innovation.
14. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney A woman fulfills her life goal of making the world more beautiful by planting lupines.
15. Fletchers Springtime Blossom by Julia Rawlinson  Fletcher the fox worries spring hasn’t come until he discovers blossoms in an unexpected way.
16. Seed to Plant by Kristin Baird Rattini National Geographic Kids A simple nonfiction guide explaining how plants grow from seeds.
17. And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano A boy patiently waits for brown winter earth to turn green again.
18. The Man in the Tree and the Brand New Start (Tales That Tell the Truth) by Carl Laferton The story of Zacchaeus shows how meeting Jesus brings true transformation.
19. The Honeybee (Honeybee and Friends) by Kirsten Hall A poetic look at a honeybee’s busy and purposeful day.
20. Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons Classic Gibbons informative overview of the life cycle and migration of monarch butterflies.
21. Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh National Geographic Kids A kid-friendly explanation of how caterpillars transform into butterflies.
22. Twirl: God Loves You and Created You with Your Own Special Twirl by Emily Lex A gentle reminder that each child is uniquely created and deeply loved by God.
23. The Mystery of the Monarchs by Barb Rosenstock The true story of how scientists and citizen observers uncovered the monarch migration.
24. Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming A detailed and lyrical look at the life and work of a single honeybee.
25. All Things Bright and Beautiful by Cecil Frances Alexander A classic hymn celebrating the beauty and variety of God’s creation.
26.  A Place for Butterflies by Melissa Stewart This book explains how people can help protect butterfly habitats.
27. When I Hold You by Ashley Huffstutler  A tender reflection on the deep love between parent and child.
28. Jesus Loves You More by Hunter Beless A comforting reminder of the boundless love Jesus has for children.
29. The Sower by Scott James A retelling of Jesus’ parable that teaches how hearts receive God’s Word.
30. The Kingdom of Heaven: A Gardening Primer by Danielle Hitchen Biblical parables are explored through the imagery and rhythms of gardening.