100 books like Telling the Seasons

This book has over forty traditional folktales from thirty-one countries that speak of our relationship to the Earth.

This was my first Eco-Storytelling book, which I often return to because the stories are brilliantly retold. MacDonald is an American folklorist and storyteller who structures tales skilfully for oral telling - she also includes great tips for telling to live audiences.

Researchers, folklorists, and storytellers will appreciate the amazing detail and professionalism of the Bibliography and 'Tale Notes'.

I discovered my all-time favourite environmental folk story in this book, Mikku, and the Trees, a tale from Estonia that tells why trees no longer speak to humans unless you learn to listen very carefully. MacDonald is one of our most generous and highly respected folklorists.

A comprehensive natural world storytelling collection comprising ten chapters, organised by themes such as Earth, Fire, Water, Plants, Animals, and Stewardship.

A page of 'Lessons'  at the end of every chapter helps you explore the environmental meaning within the stories. Plus an 'Activities' section at the end of the book. The stories are from over forty countries, retold sensitively by Caduto, an ecologist and master storyteller.

Amongst my favourite stories are: Earth Words from France, about a secret language hidden in fern roots and what is lost when we become separated from nature; The First Bats from Guatemala and Mexico, a funny tale which can be adapted to any place on Earth that has bats, and The Seven Sisters an Aboriginal story which introduces the origin of the Pleiades constellation.

Taffy Thomas MBE was the UK's first storytelling laureate and is a mesmerising storyteller.

He has clearly spent his entire life appreciating birds. His chosen stories are delightfully blended with folklore, history, rhyme, riddles, bird facts, and fiction. Reading this book is like a nature ramble with a wise, witty friend. The charming pictures, black and white and colour add to the joy of this magical book.

I usually dip in and out of folktale books, looking for stories to tell, but this book captivated me from the first page, and I read it from cover to cover. Birds are one of the most enigmatic and accessible connections for humans to the natural world.

Taffy weaves that connected world with respect, lyrical storytelling, art, and loving intelligence.

This is more than a collection of garden folktales.

Donald Smith takes us on a storytelling odyssey through each month of the year. Reflecting on his garden in Edinburgh, Scotland, during the global pandemic 2020, he presents stories that speak of seasonal rhythms and nature connection.

Smith peppers his unfurling garden journey with snippets of history and musings on nature and storytellers past and present. He includes his unique retelling of classic folktales like Jack and The Magic Beans and fascinating and humorous autobiographical stories.

This book's confident narrative and beautiful artwork connect us to the botanical paradise and wildlife havens that are our glorious gardens.

I first read this book as a 21-year-old woman who had just lost her father. Other than losing pets, this was my first experience with loss. The book Freddie the Leaf seemed like a children’s book, but its themes and messages were so relatable, even though I was a senior in college. I remember the simple way that the concepts of passing seasons and life and death were portrayed in such a comforting manner, and I was so grateful that someone gifted me with this book during the most difficult time in my life. 

This is a very unique and beautiful book, all the way through. The poems are uniquely written. They present a unique perspective on their subjects. And the entire book is structured to read almost as diary entries – quite unique! Julie’s concept and execution are brilliant, with unusual wordplay and imagery (in springtime, “rushing daffodils / wished they had waited” and birds poke “a tiny hole / through the edge of winter”) and the varying tone of her poems – from joyful to contemplative to eager – keeps the collection fresh and keeps the pages turning. 

Margaret’s Unicorn is full of atmosphere and a feeling of place. From the golden, beautifully rendered light, to Margaret’s woollen sweater, the book is like a warm hug. The animal friend in this story is a young unicorn. Margaret, a girl who is adjusting to a recent move to the countryside, witnesses a ghostly, mysterious herd of migrating unicorns on her first walk exploring her new landscape. Moments later, she finds a baby unicorn who was mistakenly left behind. Over the year of waiting for the herd to return, Margaret looks after her little friend and experiences the seasons in her beautiful new environment. By the time she has to say goodbye, Margaret has settled into her new home and the unicorn is ready to return to his family.

I enjoy this book particularly for the lovely, convincing depiction of the countryside mixed with the touch of magic. Readers will… show more.

A gloriously illustrated mixture of nature facts, poetry, and things to do, this book is like my childhood squished between covers, taking in pond-dipping, caterpillar-hatching, rock-pooling, worm-watching and so much more as it guides you through the seasons. I would have loved this book as a child, and still love it now. 

This beautiful picturebook won the Caldecott Medal in 1947, but it’s as timeless as they come. It’s a shame you don’t see it around that much these days. It tells the story of an island throughout the four seasons, including crabs, seals and a visiting cat who can’t handle the island’s deepest secret. It seems like a simple book, but there’s a whole lot going on beneath the surface. The way the world appears is all to do with who’s looking at it.

Abracadabra, It's Spring! shows seasonal magic at its height. The charming rhymes and lyrical nature of the text transports the readers on a magical journey of seasonal changes. Each page opens out to double the size by the addition of beautifully illustrated pull-out flaps. This is a great picture book for young children as it visually shows how the winter snow magically melts away to reveal the thrill and wonder of spring’s arrival.

I particularly like how it provides opportunities to discuss bird migration and the life cycle of birds and butterflies. You can also have fun brainstorming all the different activities they can do during the spring when the weather gets warmer. A great addition to a spring-themed bookshelf.