Nature Books for Winter Reading

What could be better than a mug of hot chocolate, a blazing fire in the fireplace, a cozy chair and a good book to read? Here are some wonderful brand-new books about the natural world to give as gifts for the holidays, sure to delight youngsters and adults alike.

MY TINY LIFE BY RUBY T. HUMMINGBIRD

by Paul Meisel. (Ages 4-8) Holiday House. Hardcover. $17.00.

Children will love following the enchanting diary entries of a feisty, little hummingbird who chronicles his exciting experiences, from the time he hatches from the egg, to learning to fly for the first time, to his migration to Costa Rica. Delightful and colorful illustrations.

by Lisa Doseff/Illustrated by Duncan Robertson. (Ages 5-10) Pollination

Press, LLC. Hardcover. $17.95

This children’s book, full of charming illustrations of flowers, tells the rhyming story of Grandma Lisa and her grandchildren and how they plant and grow a native flower garden to benefit butterflies and their larvae, only to excitedly discover their garden is benefitting all wildlife. The book details in a fun way the critical role insects play in pollination, in rebuilding the soil microbiome, and in providing vital protein for birds.

by Dara McAnulty. Milkweed Editions. Softcover. $16.95

This moving memoir from adolescent climate activist Dara McAnulty chronicles the passing of days in nature outside his Northern Ireland home near the Mourne Mountains. Each diary entry makes note of the trees, birds, insects and mammals he witnesses and how his deep connection to the wild fuels the energy he pours into his global campaign to save the natural world. A Buzzfeed Best Book and winner of the UK’s prestigious Wainwright Award for nature writing.

(Adapted for young adults) by Hope Jahren. Little, Brown (Fleet imprint). Softcover. $14.99

Award-winning scientist and teacher, Hope Jahren, gives an eye-opening yet hopeful look at our future as a planet and a species.

As E.O. Wilson has said, Earth may be the only life-bearing planet within ten light years, and by acting now to curb climate change, we can save ourselves and our beautiful home. As Jahren herself says: “It’s not a choice between decimation or preservation. The reality lies in the uncomfortable middle.” Winter 2022

by Douglas Tallamy. Timber Press. Hardcover. $27.95

From New York Times best-selling author Doug Tallamy comes a fascinating look at the stately oak tree. The oak is a keystone genus that provides sustenance for more species of wildlife than any other tree. Tallamy, a highly entertaining writer, explains what an important role the oak plays in carbon sequestration, soil stabilization and watershed management.

by Felder Rushing. University Press of Mississippi. Softcover. $23.95

This book pays long overdue homage to the power of gardening to broker peace and harmony between neighbors. Chances are good that if you are friends with your neighbors, it all started with a talk about your flower beds or vegetable gardens. The book also details the healing power of gardening for those who have been bullied and ostracized by society. The heartbreaking story of Dr. Dirt explains why some people would rather keep to themselves in their gardens.

by Heather Holm. Pollination Press. Hardcover. $59.95.

This 400-page multiple award-winning book is the first comprehensive examination of wasps, including their biology, diversity and role as beneficial insects. Long considered the “forgotten” flying insect of the native garden, the wasp is also a pollinator and a very effective carnivore, carrying away gardening pests that threaten agriculture. Noted author Heather Holm dedicates her book to the women scientists from generations ago whose research into the helpful wasp went largely ignored. This book is the ideal gift for the diehard native gardener, since it lists specific native flowers that attract wasps to the yard.

by Suzanne Simard. Knopf. Hardcover. $21.95.

Simard, an award-winning forest ecologist, has a true gift for describing the complex relationships trees have built between themselves for generations. In captivating language, she explains how trees recognize and perceive one another and adapt their behaviors to benefit the trees around them, working together as a cohesive community. And, most importantly, she describes the Mother Trees, the powerful and beneficent female trees at the center of groves that feed and protect all of the others. Catherine Greenleaf is the director of St. Francis Wild Bird Center in Lyme, N.H. If you find an injured bird or turtle, please call (603) 795-4850.