Supportive Kids Books About Natural Disasters: Part 1
With natural disasters striking more often and becoming more extreme due to climate change, I wanted to put this list together to help any kids struggling. When putting this list together, I had in mind those kiddos who have experienced natural disasters or had a loved one experience one. I have a broad mix of books here to help with different difficulties kids might face.
This list might also be helpful for kids fixated on disaster news or even those that have a fear of regular storms. The books I compiled here are meant to serve as conversation starters for a high-level overview of natural disasters, as well as some potentially helpful book list resources for more specific issues. I recommend reading and having some ongoing discussions if your child is in need of these reads. Please share this list with any counselors you know as well to help boost book support for kids and families in need. Books can help find words and guide conversations when there is a challenging experience.
Because I had so many books I wanted to include in this round-up, I decided it would be easiest to divide up the lists. This first list is for learning more generalized information about natural disasters and book ideas for if you know a child concerned about natural disasters or a child who has lived through a natural disaster. The subsequent lists in this list collection will include books specific to wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, and blizzards.
If you are reading this and you have been affected by a natural disaster lately, I am sending love to you. I hope you find the courage to move on, face the challenges that lie ahead, and find some beauty in your life that is here now.
As always my lists go from simple to more complex under each topic header to help you determine the best book(s) for your readers.
Natural Disasters:
An Overview
In order to be brave, you must first be afraid. Three characters face their fears in three different scenarios: storms, the start of school, and a doctor's checkup. If any of those resonate with your reader, make sure to check this one out to help them be brave in the face of fear! In Under Covers: A Thunderstorm, a boy becomes frightened by the loud noises and lightning flashes and heads to his parent's room. Before getting there, he hears crying from his baby sister; together, they are able to calm down and sleep. All chapters are told using rhyming two to four simple worded sentences. The flow of the text and the broken-up chapters make this one a lovely reference read for the littlest readers!.
"Nature is strong and powerful. But, you are strong and powerful, too."
Four different intense storms are highlighted in today's book: a tornado, a blizzard, a wildfire, and a hurricane. For each storm, the text briefly describes what the storm is doing, where the kids experiencing the storm are, and what they do when the storm stops. I love the vocabulary here, worded clearly and simply, with repeat messaging that the storm will stop, as storms always do. This book validates that it's OK to feel scared of storms and also gives the reminder that you are strong and powerful, too. For each storm, there is a child shown staying safe during the storm and facing the aftermath of the storm. The aftermath of each storm shows some minimal damage but nothing too extreme. The back of the book features paragraph descriptions telling more about each of the four types of storms in this book. Lovely resilience read to check out!
I love the Sesame Street books for their ability to break down topics for kids in a way that both acknowledges feelings about the topic and empowers readers through learning a bit more, and in the case of this book even making an emergency plan together with your family. I also love the highlight that many people are working as helpers in your community.
Not about natural disasters exactly, but about getting prepared when a storm is about to hit. How do people prepare? How do animals prepare? Simple and great for encouraging conversations.
I love this series that helps simply describe topics kids are curious about. In this particular book, kids are given ideas of what they can do to prepare for different scenarios, including earthquakes, tornadoes, and more, so that they can feel more ready to handle emergencies and disasters they encounter.
This nonfiction is a simple and straightforward look at all the different tragedies humanity faces, including those that are environmental disasters. It defines what a tragedy is, different types of tragedies, real-life examples, why they might happen, and how we might feel about tragedies. There is an emphasis on helpers, the ways people come together, and what we can do when a tragedy happens. The back gives more resources for kids to check out. This one makes a great share to encourage an open discussion about what's going on, anxiety about current situations, and any other feelings or ideas kids might have about what they've observed.
With displacement on the rise due to the effects of extreme climate and natural disasters, this makes an excellent book for a conversation starter about the topic, including question and activity prompts in the back of the book. When an extreme flood hits, Kavya and her family are forced to flee and live in a camp until it's safe. They return home to find it destroyed. Together, they decide whether to stay and rebuild or leave.
Twelve young activists and three activist groups from around the world are highlighted in this inspiring book about real kids stepping up to fight climate change. A poem and paragraph explanation is shown on each activist or group page spread, as well as a thought or idea for you to make a change. The back features a section highlighting ideas for what can be done on individual and group levels, as well as more information on different poetry forms and more information on the poets.
Curious kids will like this nonfiction full of descriptions, facts, figures, and comparisons about natural disasters. It's full of infographics and illustrations, helping readers process the information. There's even information about climate change and issues with space.
Additional Supportive Reads to Check Out
The following books are not directly connected to natural disasters, but could prove to be very helpful when having conversations with the kids in your life. At the bottom of this list, you will find links to more supportive book lists that may be helpful to check out. Best of luck in connecting and conversing with your reader.
Hooray for Helpers!: First Responders and More Heroes in Action
by Mike Austin
This book takes a closer look at all the different first responders who are around to help out when needed in an emergency. It shows responders in cities, small towns, during blizzards and storms, at the beach, underground, and more. A variety of helpers and situations are shown simply making this book available for a wide variety of readers. The back features an interview with a real firefighter and ideas on how to build a family emergency kit.
Looking for more helper reads? Find a helper book list at the bottom of this page.
"Telling someone helps make things better."
This book shares different times we might communicate with others and why we would share with them. If you fall and get a cut, they help make it better when you tell someone. You tell someone if you're feeling proud and get a high five. If you are worried about a missing pet, nervous about that first day of school, missing Grandma, or have a secret that doesn't feel right, telling someone can help make you feel better. Simple text and matching illustrations help bring focus to the main point here. Usually, I'm not a fan when messages are this straightforward, but in this case, I cannot stress the importance of kids knowing that if they tell someone when they are struggling, it can help! This may be the book that helps a child secretly suffering. From large to minor problems, they are not alone; there is help.
Usually, for books about topics like death, I prefer to share books that feature people characters, making a complex subject easier to relate to for kids. Todd Parr always does a fantastic job relating to kids in his stories, and this one definitely will intrigue kids and might be the one that they connect the most with personally. This book does not mention death and focuses more on just goodbye, but it could be interpreted as a permanent goodbye. A fish in a bowl is the main character throughout, and it describes all the different feelings that come about from having to say goodbye to someone/some fish you love. Easy, clear pages that you could stop at and talk about further if needed.
"You don't need to see the Invisible String. People who love each other are always connected by a very special String made of love." Simple premise is woven throughout a story explaining that even though you might not be physically with a loved one, you will always be connected by a special invisible string made of love. The string connects parents at work and children at school, people on the other side of the world, in space, and even can reach up to Heaven. It is a lovely way to approach topics of separation anxiety and even death with young children.
Additional Supportive Book Lists to Check Out
Because natural disaster impacts are so far reaching, please click on the following topics for more book support on different topics that might be challenging right now:
Refugees (This refugee list is mainly up books that primarily feature refugees due to war circumstances, but could help aid in some discussions of refugees due to climate crisis.)
Need a laugh or something to break up the awfulness? Check out these laugh out loud books.
