Green Earth Book Award 2025 short list (GEBA)

This award cycle represents NatGen's 21st year of awarding GEBA! We are proud to have created the nation's first environmental stewardship award for books that inspire children and young adults to grow a deeper understanding, respect, and responsibility for the natural environment.

NatGen is proud to unveil the 2025 GEBA Short List: a celebration of powerful storytelling that inspires the next generation of eco-heroes. These books remind us that every page turned can lead to a greener future for kids! Final Winners, Honor, and Recommended Reading will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2025

Nearly all of these are unfamiliar to me but this list might give you some titles to add to your school library (assuming they are not too expensive here in Australia). You might also like to look at the 2024 winners list. 

This is the 2024 Picture Book winner

Read more here

Take a look at the website for the 2025 award. I am not sure I would call this a short list there are so many fabulous titles listed here - sorry I had to split the image. 

You can access these lists here. Note there are also Young Adult titles for High School libraries. 

PICTURE BOOK – PRIMARY READERS  

Books for young readers in which the visual and verbal narratives together tell the story 

• Art & Oakie Ask: Do You Speak Bee?, by Josh Oaktree, illustrated by Josiane Vlitos (Oak Tree Comics) 
• Beauty and the Beaker, by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis (Albert Whitman & Company) 
• Dino-Earth Day, by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Barry Gott (Lerner Publishing Group) 
• Gifts from the Garbage Truck, by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Oriol Vidal (Sourcebooks) 
• Inside the Compost Bin, by Melody Sumaoang Plan, illus by Vinh Nguyen & Rong Pham (Tilbury) 
• Loop de Loopby Andrea Curtis, illus by Roozeboos  (Groundwood)
• Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm, by Lindsay H. Metcalf, illustrated by Xin Li (Astra Young Readers)
• Ranger Hamza's Eco Quest, by Ranger Hamza, illustrated by Kate Kronreif (The Quarto Group) 
• The Wild, by Yuval Zommer (Random House Children's Books) 
• Walking Trees, by Marie-Louise Gay, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay (Groundwood Books)
• Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas, by Zachariah Ohora, illustrated by Zachariah Ohora (Tundra Book Group)

PICTURE BOOK – INTEMEDIATE READERS 

Books for young readers in which the visual and verbal narratives together tell the story 

• Cactus Queen Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park, by Lori Alexander, illustrated by Jenn Ely (Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers) 
• Change is in the Air, by Debbie Levy, illustrated by Alex Boersma (Bloomsbury Publishing) 
• Frogs on the Mountain: The Mountain Yellow-Legged Frogs in Yosemite, by Adalgisa Nico and David Nico, illustrated by Andy Atkins (Mummert House Enterprises)
• Milkweed for Monarchs, by Christine Van Zandt, illustrated by Alejandra Barajas (Beaming)
• Sea Without a Shore: Life in the Sargasso, by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Katherine Roy (Norton Young Readers) 
• Secret Gardeners: Growing a Community and Healing the Earth, by Lina Laurent, illustrated by Maija Hurme (Pajama Press) 
• The Girl Who Planted Trees, by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Anastasia Suvorova (Nosy Crow) 
• The Last Zookeeper, by Aaron Becker, illustrated by Aaron Becker (Candlewick) 
• The Miracle Forest, by Ellen Dee Davidson, illustrated by Carolan Raleigh-Halsing (Willows)
• The Ocean Gardener, by Clara Anganuzzi, illustrated by Clara Anganuzzi (Tiger Tales) 
• Viewfinder, by Christine D.U. Chung & Salwa Majoka, illust by Christine D.U. Chung and Salwa Majoka (Tundra Book Group) 
• Water: Discovering the Precious Resource All Around Us, by Olga Fadeev, illustrated by Olga Fadeeva (Eerdmans) 
• Wild at Heart: The Story of Olaus and Mardy Murie, Defenders of Nature, by Evan Griffith, illustrated by Anna Bron (Sleeping Bear Press) 

CHILDREN'S FICTION 

Novels for young readers up to age 12 

• Emily Posts, by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Tundra Book Group) 
• Gracie Under the Waves, by Linda Sue Park (Allida) 
• Legend Keepers: The Promise, by Bruce Smith, illustrated by Diana Smith (Hidden Shelf)
• No Time To Waste, by Carolyn Armstrong (Carolyn Armstrong Books) 
• Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood, by Robert Beatty, illustrated by Jennifer Beatty (Disney Hyperion) 
• The Owl Prowl Mystery, by Diana Renn (Fitzroy Books/Regal House) 
• The Secret Language of Birds, by Lynne Kelly (Random House Children's Books)
• The Strange Wonders of Roots, by Evan Griffith, illustrated by Pascal Campion (Quill Tree)

CHILDREN'S NONFICTION  

Nonfiction books for young readers up to age 12                                              

• All Consuming: Shop Smarter for the Planet, by Erin Silver, illustrated by Suharu Ogawa (Orca)
• Galápagos Islands: The World's Living Laboratory, by Karen Romano Young, illustrated by Amy Grimes (What on Earth!) 
• In It to Win It: Sports and the Climate Crisis, by Erin Silver, illustrated by Pui Yan Fong (Orca)
• Kids Fight Extinction, by Martin Dorey, illustrated by Tim Wesson (Candlewick) 
• Let's Get Creative: Art for a Healthy Planet, by Jessica Rose, illustrated by Jarett Sitter (Orca)
• Rewild the World at Bedtime, by Emily Hawkins, illustrated by Ella Beech (The Quarto Group) 
• Taking Care of Where We Live: Restoring Ecosystems, by Merrie-Ellen Wilcox, illustrated by Amanda Key (Orca Book Publishers) 
• Whales and Us: Our Shared Journey, by India Desjardins, by Nathalie Dion (Orca)
• What Do We Eat?: How Humans Find, Grow and Share Food, by Megan Clendenan, illustrated by Meegan Lim (Orca Book Publishers) 
• What Poo Can Do: How Animals Are Fighting the Climate Crisis, by Yolanda Ridge 

Huge thanks to my IBBY Friend who was a judge for these awards (2021). I had not seen this award previously even though it has been running for 21 years. Here is the 2021 Picture Book winner:

Butterflies belong here

The Forgotten Song: Saving the Regent Honeyeater by Coral Vass illustrated by Jess Racklyeft

"Regent's father had learnt the song from his father, who learnt it from his father too. But with Regent's species now facing extinction, there is no one around to teach him. Regent tries to mimic the sounds of different birds but without success. Will Regent learn his mating call before it is too late? Or will his ancient song be forgotten forever?"

This is a sad book. This is an uplifting book. The ending is hopeful but also open-ended.  The pages are filled with rich and highly appealing illustrations. The plot is simple - you have read it before - but using our Australian birds to tell the story provides the perfect balance of science, Australian fauna and flora and animal conservation all told in a form that is reassuringly familiar to younger readers.

Looking at the story form - a young Regent Honeyeater is old enough to find a mate. To do this he needs to sing his special song. This song has been handed down through the generations from father to son but our young hero has no father and so no role model. He goes in search of a song but none are right and in fact he cannot even make the sounds of the other birds. He hears a friar-bird, a currawong, and an eastern rosella. Note the pattern of three. Then he sees a park ranger attaching a curious box to a tree and from this box he hears a sweet song.

"It whistled and warbled. The melody soon filled the forest. It bounced off the trees, skimmed across the billabongs and echoed through the woodlands. The song sounded familiar and it made Regent's heart feel warm inside."

Looking at the science - the total population of regent honeyeaters was estimated to be only 1500 individuals in 2000 while today it is around 350-400. The male attracts a female with a unique song. Land clearing, farming and urban development have damaged the honeyeaters woodland habitat. Scientists have begun a captive breeding program in conjunction with the Traditional Owners of Wonnarua country. 

Image source: Local Land services Central West

Read more:
Australian Geographic: The road to saving Australia’s regent honeyeaters

Environment NSW

Birdlife Australia - hear their song

ABC news 1st July, 2023

The art is based on photos and other materials. The colours used by Jess Racklyeft are joyous.

Image source: Instagram

There is extensive back matter provided in this book. A timeline of the regent honeyeater from 60,000 years ago up to 2022. The regent honeyeater is listed as critically endangered but researchers are now using recordings of their song in the hope they will teach this to other birds in the wild. There is also a glossary and a page of artist credits which I found especially fascinating. 

The Forgotten Song is exquisitely beautiful, with both words and illustrations seeming to ooze hope, ingenuity and wonder. ... The mixed media illustrations have been created with a cheerful and energising colour palette; some with the subtle inclusion of historic habitat photos. ... organic speech bubbles that contain the perfect markings and colours for different birds to sing and dance across the page. These gorgeous representations will make you hear bird calls inside your head! Kids' Book Review

So this lyrical, beautifully illustrated story is another brilliant wake-up call for young readers not only about the impact of urban sprawl on this species in particular, but on our birdlife generally. The Bottom Shelf  Click this review to see a short video about the Regent Honeyeater. 

I am going to make a bold call and say I think I have found a book for the 2024 CBCA Eve Pownall notables, short list (and maybe this will even be the winner). Huge congratulations to CSIRO publishing on another splendid book for our Australian children. On their page you can see inside this book, read reviews and there is a link to the teachers notes. 

Companion books:

I excited to see this new book illustrated by Jess Racklyeft:

AND in 2021 we were sent The Book for Happy Hearts illustrated by Jess Racklyeft for our CBCA judging. The Picture Book team sent it on to Younger Readers but sadly it did not make their notable list.  I highly recommend this book as one you should add to your school library. Jess won the CBCA Picture Book of the Year award in 2022 for her book Iceberg. 

Coral Vass also has some splendid books including Jorn's Magnificent Imagination; Grandma's treasured shoes; and Sorry Day.

The girl who talked to trees by Natasha Farrant illustrated by Lydia Corry

Olive lives in a large house with extensive gardens and grounds. She is from a privileged family and we know this because her father is called Sir Sydney and her mother is Lady Josephine. Olive is a loner. She is really only truly happy when she is left alone to wander around their huge estate. Olive especially loves all the trees in their garden and her very special friend is the old oak tree. 

One morning at breakfast her father declares he has a new idea. He will build a summerhouse for parties and picnics. That could be a good idea but his plan is to build this in the meadow and that will mean he will cut down Olive's precious oak tree - a tree that is her one true friend. Olive is so upset but her father says he will save the tree if she can think of "something more impressive that my summerhouse."

Olive has only seven hours to achieve this. She heads outside to her oak tree and while she lies among the roots she falls asleep and when she wakes from her deep sleep, the most amazing adventure begins. Olive meets seven different trees - one for each hour. She listens to their stories and these stories, in turn, give her wondrous tales to tell her father at the end of the day.

"The afternoon light mellowed, the shadows of the great elm and tulip tree stretched across the lawn. The air grew colder. The butler bought snacks and drinks. The under-butler bought blankets. The maid bought candles. Eventually they ran out of things to bring but stayed to listen anyway, because the Girl Who Talked to Trees was telling the most incredible, most wild, most wonderful stories."

The trees in this book may not be readily familiar to Australian children but they are the trees we all encounter in stories - oak, linden, alder (a type of birch), London plane tree, apple tree, tulip tree, and box. The tree I had not heard of is the tulip tree. It is a type of poplar. Between each chapter (or tree tale) there is a helpful double page with a brief set of facts about each type of tree. My favourite story is the one told by the London Plane tree. 

Image source: Dedham Vale tree surgery

I picked this book up in a city book store based almost solely on the cover and internal colour illustrations. I love the way the title is presented in embossed gold.  Last night I read the whole book in one sitting - yes it is that good! There are seven chapters and seven stories in this book - one for each night of the week perhaps. This book could be a beautiful gift to a child aged 7+. 

Here is a video where the illustrator talks about this book and then she paints the oak tree from her book. 

Alongside Natasha Farrant’s superb, empathetic, passionate story of nature, history, our place on the planet and the environment, are Lydia Corry’s glorious illustrations. Then again, we’re gifted information about seven trees, realising their individual strengths, horticulture and histories. Book Wagon

UK author Natasha Farrant won the Costa award for her book Voyage of the Sparrowhawk (2020) and Lyndia Corry's first book was Eight Princesses and a magic mirror (2019).

Odder by Katherine Applegate illustrated by Charles Santoso

Odder doesn't remember much

about her mother.

Pups are with their moms

for five months or so,

a year at most,

but Odder wasn't 

that lucky.

Still, she does recall

one piece of advice her mother

used to repeat:

Stay away from sharks.

Stay away from humans.

Stay away from all

that you don't understand.

Odder is a sea otter with a huge personality and a thirst for an adventurous life. But she could never have anticipated the adventures she will have in her life, the new friends, the things she will learn about the ways of the world and her connection with humans.

In her first adventure something happens to her mum. Odder is just a pup and she is rescued by the staff of an aquarium in California who run a sea otter research and conservation program. With their care and training she is taught how to be an otter - things her mother would have taught her if their time together had not been caught short. When Odder is released into the sea things go well at first but one day, as she is exploring with her friend Kairi, she goes a little too far and encounters a shark. Once again she is rescued and her destiny changes.

Rich, naturalistic details will delight lovers of marine life. Kirkus review

You can hear a video interview by Colby Sharp with Katherine Applegate and a written interview with Children's Book Review. I also found an interview with The School Library Journal.

Odder is a verse novel by Katherine Applegate. You know I adore verse novels. The character of little Odder is sure to linger with you long after reading this warm-hearted story. I think this book would be terrific to read aloud or you could give it to any animal lover aged 9+. One powerful aspect of this storytelling is the way Katherine Applegate uses point of view. As a reader you really are right inside the head, heart and eyes of the young otter called Odder.  If you want to explore other books which are told using the form of a verse novel there is a link on my sidebar. 

One of the books I most often recommend and rave about is another book by Katherine Applegate - Wishtree (not a verse novel) but instead a book. a must read title for adults and children hence the two different covers.

Katherine Applegate is also the author of these breathtaking books -  The One and Only Ivan and sequels, and the Endling series:

The one and only Ivan

The One and Only Bob

Endling the Last

Endling the first

Ivan the remarkable tree story

Counting Birds by Heidi EY Stemple illustrated by Clover Robin

I spied this book in the biography collection of a library I visit each week. It is one of the best children's libraries in Australia so I should not have been surprised to find this treasure. Counting Birds was published in 2018 and it celebrates the work of Frank Chapman. 

Publisher blurb: The remarkable true story of the very first Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Everyday kids learn how they can help protect bird species, near and far, with Counting Birds - the real-life story of bird counting and watching. What can you do to help endangered animals and make a positive change in our environment? Get counting! Counting Birds is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces kids to the idea of bird counts and bird watches. Along the way, they will learn about Frank Chapman, who used his bird knowledge and magazine Bird-Lore to found the first annual bird count. Bird counting helps professional researchers collect data, share expertise, and spread valuable information to help all kinds of birds around the world, from condors to hawks to kestrels and more. Counting Birds introduces kids to a whole feathered world that will fascinate and inspire them to get involved in conservation and become citizen scientists.

Here is a set of teaching notes to use with this book designed by the author. Here is an interview with Clover Robin where she shares her illustration process. 

I mentioned Clover Robin a couple of days ago. Take a look at her Instagram pages where you can get an idea of her art style. See inside her board book series - Nature Stories.

Clover Robin is a surface pattern designer and illustrator. She grew up in glorious Devon before training and graduating from Leeds College of Art and Design in 2007, followed by a Masters from Central Saint Martins. She delights in nature and all things botanical, inspired by a childhood of woodland walks and countryside rambles. Clover is currently based in Greenwich, London where all of her artwork is lovingly handcrafted and printed. Kids Best Books

About the author: Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple grew up in Hatfield, Massachusetts, and after 18 years of living elsewhere, she has returned. She has also returned to the family business—writing children’s books—after working as a probation/parole officer and a private investigator. Heidi is Jane Yolen’s daughter and sometimes writing partner. They’ve co-authored several books together, including their History Mystery series and Not All Princesses Dress in Pink. They also worked together on the nonfiction middle-grade Bad Girls: Sirens, Jezebels, Murderers, Thieves, and Other Female Villains and their most recent picture book, You Nest Here with Me illustrated by Melissa Sweet.  Heidi 'starred' in her mother's 1988 Caldecott-winning book, Owl Moon.  Murdoch Books

I now need to find these two books which also talk about the work of Audubon and also the annual bird count. You could also look here. 

Finally I just have to share three bird illustrations (not from Counting Birds) by Clover Robin. I have fallen in love with her work: