9 Fun Kids Books About Joshua Tree National Park!
Joshua Tree is one of the most kid friendly National Parks we’ve ever visited and we loved every minute of our time there. If you’re looking to teach your kids about Joshua Tree before your trip to build excitement, after your trip to relive all your amazing memories, or just to learn about a unique landscape – this list has something for everyone. Here are all of our favorite kids books about Joshua Tree National Park!
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1. Life in the Slow Lane
Written by Conrad J Storad, Illustrated by Nathaniel P Jensen
Get your copy here!
If you’re traveling to Joshua Tree National Park in the warmer months, you just might see the desert tortoise! Conrad J. Storad’s “Life in the Slow Lane: A Desert Tortoise Tale” is a great kids book to read with your little ones before you go.
Throughout the book, you’ll learn about the lifestyle of a desert tortoise with fun rhymes and a catchy tune. It emphasizes how life is much better when we slow down and enjoy it, like a tortoise! After reading about the lifestyles of a tortoise through rhymes, tunes, and beautiful illustrations by Nathaniel P. Jensen, you can read fun facts about tortoises at the end of the book.
We try to buy a book everywhere we travel and this was the kids books about Joshua Tree that we bought on this trip!
2. Desert Night, Desert Day
Written by Anthony Fredericks, Illustrated by Kenneth Spengler
Grab your copy here!
Desert Night Desert Day is a rhyming kids book about 12 creatures of the Sonoran Desert that we’ve read countless times with our littles. It has fun, simple rhymes and very cute illustrations by Kenneth J.Spengler that make the book so enjoyable to look through.
If you look closely, you can also find the hidden foreshadowing about the next creature for the family to search for. And see who can find the Quail on each page first! At the end, you can even read some fun short facts about the Sonoran Desert, as well as the six night and six day creatures.
3. The Lorax
Written by Dr. Seuss
Get your copy here!
This Dr. Seuss classic, the Lorax, has “Truffula” trees that do resemble Joshua Trees! And they are also in danger of extinction. The Lorax, while not necessarily based on Joshua Trees, will give you an opportunity to talk to your kids about the fragile ecosystem and how greed can impact the environment. Plus, it’s just a great book anyways!
4. Cactus Queen
Written by Lori Alexander, Illustrated by Jenn Ely
Get your copy here!
Cactus Queen is the fascinating story about how Minerva Hoyt’s love for the Mojave Desert drove her to save its unique flora and wildlife. Jenn Ely does a fantastic job bringing Lori Alexander’s vision to life with cute, yet bold illustrations.
It’s an interesting book that shows the difference a single individual can make, even if they face what seems like an impossible task, as long as they stick to what they believe in and never give up. Joshua Tree National Park is a beautiful place, and we are personally so thankful for the heart and determination of someone like Minerva to make sure others are able to appreciate its beauty!
5. Tumble
Written by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom
Get your copy here!
Tumble is a simple story that uses cute illustrations to show the life cycle of a tumbleweed. Throughout the story are the interesting creatures and plants native to deserts of southwestern America. You’ll find the names of the plant and animals, as well as fun facts about tumbleweeds at the end of the book. This is a quick and fun book to pick up right before the kids’ bedtimes!
6. Desert Days Desert Nights
Written by Roxie Munro
Get your copy here!
Roxie Munro’s Desert Days Desert nights is a fun search-and-find book for the whole family! Not only is it entertaining to find the critters that inhabit the deserts of North America, it’s also educational in a subtle way. Throughout the book you can see what critters live where and whether they’re active during the day or night.
It also has a few fun facts in the front and back, as well as the answers to each page at the end of the book. This would be a good book to help you know what animals to look for during both day and night before visiting one of these beautiful deserts!
7. Desert Ecosystems
Written by Mirella S. Miller
Grab your copy here!
Desert Ecosystems would be a great book to add to your homeschool science curriculum. It outlines the differences between deserts around the world, their wildlife, and how the ecosystems are all tied together. This book has real pictures of deserts, plants, and animals which is great if your kids haven’t yet experienced the desert themselves!
8. Nature’s Yucky 2: The Desert Southwest
Written by Lee Ann Landstrom and Karen I. Schragg, Illustrated by Rachel Rogge
Get your copy here!
Nature’s Yucky had our whole family giggling as we read it over and over! The book tells of the interesting and pretty gross facts about several creatures that live in the Southwestern Deserts. The authors do a great job on each creature, giving a simple version about the yucky habit that you can just read to little ones and move on.
If you or your older ones are interested, a more detailed explanation of the habit is provided on the same page that Landstrom and Schragg also manage to make an interesting and fun read. And if you’re craving more information, the end of the book is full of even more details and information about each creature.
9. National Parks: Joshua Tree
Written by Jodie Shepherd
This book, from the Scholastic A True Book series, has so many interesting facts about Joshua Tree National Park. Shepherd does a wonderful job sharing the history, wildlife, flora, and other incredible features of the park. She also has beautiful photos on each and every page! This book is for school age children so we had to read it in small doses, but we love Joshua Tree so this was still a fun read that we would definitely recommend before your next visit to the park.
Get your copy here!
I hope you enjoy these Joshua Tree books for kids! Reading books about our National Parks is so much fun with your kids to learn about different types of wildlife, other ecosystems, and dream about your next National Parks vacation.
Happy reading! And if you’re looking for any resources for planning a trip to Joshua Tree, I’ve got you covered:
