Wildfire! Forests and dry spots and the heat of summer mean that wildfires are popping up daily. Although we love to focus on the fun, affirming, and hopeful aspects of our world with kids, wildfires effect more and more of us and kids have questions and feelings.
This list of books is for kids who both have been impacted by wildfires and for kids who have questions about these occurrences. I have divided the list into rough age groups to help you find the right book for the right kid. If you have other books you’d recommend, please add them in the comments!
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Wildfire Storytime Picks
If you’re attempting a story time with wildfires as the focus or you’re a classroom teacher doing a lesson, these are the books I’d read aloud first.
Wildfire!
by Ashley Wolff
The parallel story of humans and animals being effected by a wildfire are played out in WILDFIRE! Animals alert one another and move to safer spaces. Humans sound the alert and race to control the fire. The writing is fast paced and the illustrations are vibrant. This one works as a read aloud. Backmatter includes firefighting terms and tools.
Wombat Underground: A Wildfire Survival Story
by Sarah L. Thomson
This picture book was inspired by the Australian wildfire of 2020. It answers the question: where do the animals go when there is a wildfire? The writing is lovely and lyrical. The illustrations are beautiful. This is a great story for animal lovers and for sharing aloud. The backmatter includes more on Australian wildfires and resources for learning more about Australian animals.
They Hold the Line: Wildfires, Wildlands, and the Firefighters Who Brave them
by Dan Paley
I teared up reading this book. The story follows the firefighters that bravely fight wildfires. The pages also include additional text that gets more into technical terms and the processes involved. It is well written, full of emotion and yet still incredibly informative. Don’t miss the excellent, thorough backmatter. I think this is a great one to share with elementary schoolers.
Picture Books to Have On Your Shelf
Once Upon a Forest by Pam Fong
In the aftermath of a forest fire a determined marmot and her bird friend try to regrow trees. It is a wordless story and the artwork is beautiful. The color palate to simple and the art is delicate. What I loved most is the are and determination of this little animal. A timely and inspiring story.
Little Pine Cone: Wildfires and the Natural World
by Johanna Wagstaffe
A pinecone in the forest is the star of this picture book. It shares a story from the pinecone’s perspective with additional information shared on each page and in the backmatter. A great one for general facts about a wildfire.
The Littlest Drop
by Sascha Alper
illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney
A wildfire begins near the home of animals. Everyone does their part, even the tiniest hummingbird. Stunningly illustrated, well told and sharing a powerful message about the power of even the smallest among us, this is a beautiful picture book.
Middle Grade Books
The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn
by Sally J. Pla
I loved the many layers of Maudie McGinn and her story. Her family life is complicated by divorce and remarriage and forest fires. Her daily life is complicated by learning to navigate life with autism. Her summer is complicated by a relocation and a secret she’s hiding. But really, amidst all the complications, this is a story like any other. It is a story of a girl trying to figure out where she fits in the world and that is something to which we all relate. Maudie and the cast of characters around her feel real and (mostly) immensely likable. You will find yourself rooting for Maudie in this devour-able summer read.
When Giants Burn
by Beth Vrabel
Well plotted and often suspenseful, this is a wonderfully layered story with interesting characters and the backdrop of life on the edge of civilization. The novel, which alternates viewpoints between two friends, Gerty and Hayes, is about friendship, family, mistakes, forest fires, survival skills and more. Gerty and Hayes find themselves stuck together in middle school by the school therapist. Both friendless and dealing with unique and hard family situations they are initially reluctant friends but as their friendship deepens, so to does their courage. As with most middle grade stories, the main characters ultimately spend a lot of time figuring out who they are and what they want from life.
