Best Sports & Outdoors Books for 3 Year Olds

Curtis Granderson grew up on the south side of Chicago. He loved sports and was determined to become a successful athlete. But perhaps because both of his parents were teachers, he had an even stronger desire to succeed in the classroom. He loved learning for its own sake, and from an early age, the importance of education. Now an established Major League Baseball star, Curtis has not forgotten the lessons he learned growing up. These are lessons not only about the importance of education, but also about working hard to attain goals; lessons about character, integrity, and personal responsibility. In his book All You Can Be, Granderson shares these valuable lessons with his young fans. He has also invited fourth graders from across the state of Michigan to submit artwork that exemplifies their own goals, the best of which has been culled here to illustrate the themes of the book. This is not just a book for aspiring athletes, it is a book for any young dreamer about how he or she can develop the character to help them succeed, whether they want to be the next president of the United States, the best teacher in the country, or even the center fielder for the Detroit Tigers.

Fun and Deceptively Simple – succinct yet moving poetry for youngsters

Praise for Shoreline Haiku!

“Thought provoking and beautiful. This is a great book for kids and adults alike.” – Colm (via Amazon UK)

“… simply takes you to a beautiful place!” – Lawrence Lee

“… very peaceful and calming; an ideal short bedtime story that can be enjoyed by all.” – Kevin Matthews

Do your kids love the beach? Would you like help to quiet them down at bedtime? Shoreline Haiku! is a beautifully illustrated story of a day at the seashore told through a collection of haiku paired with gentle watercolors.

Your child will delight in the enchanting illustrations and thought provoking verses of Shoreline Haiku!. Young imaginations will be set alight by the subtle interplay between poetry and painting.

What’s a Haiku? It’s a very short poem: a three line observation about a fleeting moment involving nature.

Haiku are contemplative or wistful in tone and are written with impressionistic brevity. There are no superfluous words and lines don’t have to rhyme. Imagery and perception take precedence. The meaning of a haiku is often suggestive, even subjective— inviting reader participation.

The verses in Shoreline Haiku! are composed in a three line format of seventeen syllables in a five-seven-five pattern that closely approximates the classical Japanese form.

This children’s book is relatable for precocious kids from preschool through ages 6-8.

FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited. Or, Buy now with 1-Click^® for the perfect bedtime story!

  Buck Wilder has ten books about nature and how we are connected to everything around us. His four hard covers books, Buck Wilder’s Fishing Guide, Hiking & Camping Guide ,  Boating Guide and Animal Wisdom are for kids of all ages. Each is filled with fun facts and interesting highlights of nature, wild imaginative drawings, and secret hidden characters on each page.
  Buck Wilder’s ten chapter books are written for  the early reader – early elementary level of reading. Each book is filled with fun illustrations, hidden messages, and an unique story about our outside world and how we can have fun with it. His books have sold 500,000 copies with his most popular title being ” Who Stole the Animal Poop?”

(Timothy Smith)

Laurel Snyder’s lilting poem is both a song of praise to the beauty of nature and a gentle lullaby. Jui Ishida’s rich, jewel-tone illustrations illuminate the text and incorporate details that readers will love to discover.

Catchy rhymes and visual cues introduce young readers to sports in this companion to Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do.

The clues in each lively verse can be spotted hanging from the clotheslines. What athlete wears those items? Turn the page to discover the sport at hand—and the athlete in full gear! From baseball and soccer, to fencing and archery, there’s something for everyone—including a surprise ending. A perfect choice for reading aloud and encouraging kids to join in the guessing and reveal.

Andy Robert Davies’s quirky illustrations build a separate story from the text. Close attention to the details will help young readers build their own storytelling skills and help them make visual connections.

The Pteranodon family is going on a campout! This adorable 8 x 8 is perfect for a first camping trip or night away from home.

Mr. Wishing decides to go fishing for a pet fish and finds Skipper, a perfect companion. But Skipper needs a friend! Mr. Wishing goes on another rowboat jaunt, but all he manages to catch are a starfish and a crab, which are not the ideal fish bowl companions for Skipper. Finally, Mr. Wishing brings home another fish, Flipper, and Skipper is happy as can be!

Millie is strong. Millie is fierce. But Millie has learned to keep her fierceness in check. And since she’s been sweet all summer long, Millie gets to have a sleepout with her friends. One where she promises to be well behaved. But things don’t go as Millie planned, and our fierce little heroine is not happy.  Still, she tries her best to keep her fierceness inside. But when the scary dog from next door howls at the girls’ tent, Millie’s ferocity saves them all!

A perfect addition to a bookshelf filled with Fancy Nancy, Eloise, Olivia, and Ladybug Girl.

Praise for the Millie Fierce books:

*”Readers already know what Millie learns: To everything there is a time and purpose, including fierceness; they will welcome this validation.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Millie Fierce is a delightfully naughty mix between Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and Molly Bang’s When Sophie Gets Angry.”–School Library Journal

“An unexpected Yeatsian lilt to Manning’s writing (“Millie frizzed out her hair and made the crazy eye”) lifts the text out of the ordinary; her powers of observation set it apart, too.”–Publishers Weekly

A father promises his young son that this summer they will see a deer. They set out over the dunes, through the marsh, and into the woods, searching for a white-flag tail or a set of leaping legs. But deer are hard to find, especially if your feet want to dance and your nose tickles until you sneeze. Squirrels scurry up trees, rabbits leap out of sight, and a pheasant flushes into the sky, but the deer remain hidden until the boy is almost ready to give up and head home. A captivating, lyrical narrative and oil-on-linen landscape illustrations create a sense of quiet suspense as a young boy experiences a sight he will hold in his memory forever.

Gal’s pictures capture all the beauty of the natural world. And she’s included a humorous cast of animal characters on a parallel journey of their own, so the art is full of funny things to spot.

This is a gem of a story for parents and teachers to share with their happy campers.

Summer is here, and Little Nye is making icepops to take on vacation. Nella is stuffing too much in a suitcase, and Lester offers to remove some things to lighten the load. Out go toys for beach games, flippers and masks for paddling, and more. But why won’t the suitcase shut now? Good thing that rubber raft is really all they need for their journey — and the garden hose makes a wonderful nautical spray!

CJ gets his very first basketball from Dad on Sunday, but can’t go to a real basketball court until the following Saturday. He decides to practice inside the house every day until he can get to the court. Can CJ stay out of trouble at home for a whole week until the big day?

CJ’s New Basketball uses funny, mischievous antics to teach children the days of the week and accountability for their actions. Colorful pictures illustrated by popular children’s artist Chris Padovano bring to life CJ’s exciting week of “basketball practice”.  

Herman and Henry, best friends forever, are camping in the great outdoors–and they couldn’t be having more fun! Well, at least Herman is enjoying all of the tent building, marshmallow roasting, and postcard writing. Henry doesn’t quite seem to get the hang of any of it.

Herman hates seeing his best friend so sad. So he decides to plot a very secret, very special surprise and do whatever it takes to make sure Henry has the best vacation ever!

This fabulously funny story about friends who stick together is chronicled through vibrant illustrations and lift-the-flaps.

Awards for Herman’s Letter
A Winter 2014-2015 Kids’ Indie Next Pick