Where Once There Was a Wood

I use this book every year around Earth Day. My kindergarteners love it! The story is a bit sad and is a great discussion starter. My class asked me what was wrong when I was finished reading it with tears in my eyes. Get this wonderful picture book for your class! If you incorporate environmental science into your curriculum, you won't regret it.

This is the final book we used in our preschool autumn unit on Camping. The urban children gained an appreciation of forests and the animals that live there as we read many books and engaged in many hands-on activities. We cooked on a campstove, kept our food in a little cooler, took naps in an indoor tent, and learned something about many forest animals. I heard several exclamations of, "AWWWW, OH NO!" as they realized the wood was gone - replaced by buildings. A great book to open a child's awareness to ecology and conservation both in text and pictures. Highly recommend.

This beautifully illustrated book is an excellent introduction to conservation and ecology for 5-7 year olds. The illustrations are inviting, and the text helps draw in young readers.

Story gently reminds us that our homes displaced wild areas and helps us think about how to remedy the damage. Great illustrations and a wonderful specific guide at the end showing simple yet significant ways children and adults can help, starting in their own yard.