Audubon Vermont staff recently completed a book audit of our children's books as a first step in creating a more inclusive, anti-racist bookshelf. We want to make sure our students are reflected in our books as well as introduced to stories and cultures from outside their worldview. 

If you're able, we would love these books to come from local or BIPOC owned bookstores. You can find a list of BIPOC owned bookstores here.

Local bookstores:

• Crow Bookshop (Burlington)
• Phoenix Books (Burlington, Rutland and Essex)
• Bear Pond Books (Montpelier)
• Bear Pond Bookstore (Stowe)
• Flying Pig Bookstore (Shelburne)
• Bridgeside Books (Waterbury)

Find a more extensive list of Vermont independent bookstores here.

Please ship or drop off books (please call ahead) to our office: 255 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington VT 05462. Our phone number is 802-434-3068.

They, She, He easy as ABC by Maya Christina Gonzalez & Matthew SG

This book shows that including everyone is all part of the dance. It’s easy. It’s fundamental. As the dance begins the kids proclaim, “No one left out and everyone free,” in a sing-song rhyme about inclusion. This sets the stage for readers to meet 26 kids showing us their dance moves.

Carole Lindstrom, an Anishinabe/Metis suthor who is tribally enrolled with the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, and illustrated by Michaela Goade, an enrolled member of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. The book tells the story of an Ojibwe girl who fights against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Raven and the Tide Lady by Michaela Goade

Raven and the Tide Lady  is a children's book based on ancient Northwest Coast Raven stories published in 2018 through Sealaska Heritage's Baby Raven Reads program. In the tale, illustrated by Tlingit artist Michaela Goade, Raven fights with Tide Lady to bring low tide and allow humans to gather food. The story was adapted for children by Pauline Duncan from the works of the late Nora and Dick Dauenhauer, who transcribed it from Tlingit Elder Susie James' oral . You can buy directly from Sealaska Heritage here.

At the penguin house at the Central Park Zoo, two penguins named Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the others. But their desire for a family was the same. And with the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo got the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own.

The Hike written by Allison Farrell is a plucky and sweet adventure story about three intrepid young female explorers who set out to conquer the outdoors in their local forest. This spirited picture book is filled with lyrical language that captures the majesty of the natural world, coupled with a fun narrative.

Ernestine has never been camping before, but she’s sure it will be lots of fun . . .won’t it? An endearing story about a girl’s first experience with the great outdoors.

C is for Consent by Eleanor Morrison

This book teaches that it is okay for kids protect their personal space, and that what happens to a their body is up to them. This helps children grow up confident in their bodies, comfortable with expressing physical boundaries, and respectful of the boundaries of others.

Fry Bread A Native American Family Story  by Kevin Noble Maillard

Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, a member of the Seminole Nation. Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.
 

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner (local Vermont author)

Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt there is a busy world of earthworms digging, snakes hunting, skunks burrowing, and all the other animals that make a garden their home. In this exuberant and lyrical book, discover the wonders that lie hidden between stalks, under the shade of leaves...and down in the dirt.

How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion by Ashima Shiraishi

Ashima Shiraishi draws on her experience as the youngest world-class climber in this story that challenges readers to tackle the problems in their own lives and rise to greater heights than they would have ever thought possible.

Warble is a small yellow warbler who lives on the beautiful island of Icyland, where he pursues his hobby of human watching. But on a warm day, a deep fog rolls in and obscures his view. The rest of the birds don't seem to notice the fog or the other changes Warble observes on the island. The more the fog is ignored, the more it spreads. When a Red-hooded Spectacled Female (Juvenile) appears, Warble discovers that he's not the only one who notices the fog. Will they be able to find others who can see it too? And is the fog here to stay? This book is a clever and whimsical environmental fable about a bird who is a human-watcher from a dynamic author-illustrator duo.

The Water Princess by  Susan Verde and Georgie Badiel

Inspired by the childhood of African–born model Georgie Badiel, acclaimed author Susan Verde and award-winning author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds have come together to tell this moving story. As a child in Burkina Faso, Georgie and the other girls in her village had to walk for miles each day to collect water. This vibrant, engaging picture book sheds light on this struggle that continues all over the world today, instilling hope for a future when all children will have access to clean drinking water.

Animal Homes by Mary Holland (local author)

Mary Holland is one of our absolute favorite local naturalists and authors. Just like humans, animals use their homes for shelter and to raise their young. Animal homes might be easy to see, or they may be hidden (camouflaged) for protection. Some animals are great builders and other animals borrow homes that other animals have made. Different animals might just use natural places like caves or holes in trees to make a home. And some animals might even carry their home on their back! Sticks, mud, leaves, cotton, and grass are all things that animals might use to build a home. Whether by digging, spinning, building or borrowing, animal homes are as varied as the animals themselves. You can buy a copy directly from the publisher here.

The Beavers' Busy Year by Mary Holland (local author)

Another one from Mary Holland. We have a Beaver Pond at the Green Mountain Audubon Society and are always looking for engaging books to read to our students that help them understand nature's engineers. Mary Holland's vibrant photographs document the beavers' activities through the course of a year. Do these beavers ever take a break? Follow along as they pop through the winter ice to begin the busy year of eating bark, building dams and gathering food just in time for winter to come again.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

This award-winning modern classic—a must-have for every child’s home library—is an inclusive ode to kindness, empathy, gratitude, and finding joy in unexpected places, and celebrates the special bond between a curious young boy and his loving grandmother. 

What is Light? by Markette Sheppard

Through this thoughtful and celebratory book, young readers will discover the special glow in everything from nature to the smiles of loved ones. Each page reveals a different sparkle found in a child’s simple but extraordinary world. The light revealed on the final page makes a fitting finale for this sweet, bright tale.

10 things I can do to help my world written and illustrated by Melanie Walsh

Do you remember to turn off the tap while you brush your teeth? How about using both sides of the paper when writing and drawing? Bold, child-friendly illustrations and die-cut pages will draw even the youngest listeners to this gentle reminder of the easy, everyday ways we can be kinder to the earth.