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Best Books About Growing for Toddlers and Preschoolers

What are the best books for learning about growing?

For young children, “growing” can mean a seed becoming a flower, a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, or a child discovering what they can do now that they couldn’t do before. We recommend choosing a few books that show those changes in different ways. Familiar stories make a big idea easier for you to explore together.

Start with seeds and gardens

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle follows a seed through the seasons, giving you a simple way to talk about what plants need and why not every seed grows. For a closer look at the natural world, A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston pairs lyrical descriptions with detailed illustrations of different seeds. You can take your time with one page or follow the whole book in a sitting.

Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn brings growing into a child’s everyday life. Lola plans, plants, and waits—steps your child can recognize if you’re growing herbs on a windowsill or visiting a community garden. If your reader enjoys finding hidden activity in pictures, try Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner to see what happens above and below the soil.

Make room for other kinds of change

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle offers an easy-to-follow transformation and plenty of chances to count, name foods, and predict what comes next. The Growing Story by Ruth Krauss focuses on a child noticing growth in the world—and eventually in himself. It’s a gentle choice when your child is curious about getting bigger.

Choose the book that fits your reader

For toddlers, start with clear pictures, a repeatable sequence, and just a few ideas to discuss. Preschoolers may enjoy books that invite them to compare stages, ask questions, or connect the story to something they’ve seen outside. You don’t need to explain every detail at once: ask what changed, what stayed the same, and what might happen next.

Our team’s favorite approach is to pair a story with a small real-world observation, such as watching a sprout or noticing new leaves on a walk. For more ways to build conversation into reading, see our guide to educational storybooks and storytime tips.

FAQ

How can you make a storytime about plant growth more interactive?

Let your child point out changes in the pictures, then ask them to predict what the plant will look like next. You can also plant a seed together and revisit the book as it grows.