Children’s Books that Grow Empathy & Care for the World
Andrea Koehle Jones is a Canadian children’s book author, journalist, and award-winning environmental education advocate. Her books help children, parents, teachers, librarians, and nature-loving families grow empathy, environmental awareness, and real-world action.
The Wish Trees and Don’t Let Ned Plant a Tree THERE! are joyful, classroom-friendly picture books about tree planting, problem-solving, friendship, and helping the world.
Don’t Let Ned Plant a Tree THERE!
Dig into this fun, interactive picture book and join the messy joy of planting a tree with Ned, a wildly enthusiastic puppy with big tree-planting dreams.
With the TREE-mendous help of friends, Ned learns how and where to plant trees. If this muddy puppy can do it, so can you. Get ready for some EPIC diggity-digging!
This laugh-out-loud children’s book pairs lively illustrations by Erin Mercer with lyrical text, a repeating rhyming refrain, teamwork, problem-solving, and a message kids can carry into the real world.
Perfect For Families, Classrooms, Libraries, and Earth Day
For Parents
A funny, warm read-aloud that helps children connect kindness, nature, animals, and the joy of helping the planet.
For Teachers
A classroom-friendly story for Earth Day, Arbor Day, environmental education, social-emotional learning, science units, and tree-planting projects.
For Environmentalists
A hopeful children’s book that turns climate care into something playful, practical, and empowering for young readers.
Why This Book Matters
When children read stories about planting trees, teamwork, and caring for the Earth, they begin to see themselves as helpers. Andrea Koehle Jones writes books that turn environmental education into imagination, laughter, and fun action.
The Wish Trees
The Wish Trees is a gentle, inspiring children’s book about planting trees, compassion, and imagining a better world. It is ideal for families, teachers, libraries, nature programs, and young readers who love animals and the planet.A gentle, interactive children’s book about planting trees, hope, and a hands-on nature activity that helps kids make a difference.
For little tree planters and wishers everywhere.
In The Wish Trees, children discover that even small actions—like planting a tree and making a wish—can grow into meaningful change.
Through a beautifully illustrated journey around the world, young readers meet children planting Wish Trees, caring for the Earth, and sharing their wishes for the world. This uplifting nonfiction book helps kids understand their connection to nature—and their ability to make a difference.
Includes a simple, hands-on tree planting activity: How to Plant Your Own Wish Tree.
A meaningful, child-friendly way for kids to take their first step in caring for the planet.
The Wish Trees: How Planting Trees Can Help Make the World a Better Place
- Beautiful text and illustrations pair to show the wonderful ways children around the world can connect with nature through a single wish tree.
- The text is poetic and soothing, but simple enough for young listeners and young independent readers. A sweet environmental children’s book that introduces children to the wonder of trees and the joy of tree planting.
- Written by children’s climate education advocate, climate journalist and United Nations Climate Observer Andrea Koehle Jones.
- Illustrated by New York Times bestseller Alicia Padrón.
- Non-fiction STEM back matter shows kids how to plant a tree and make a wish for the world.
- A great gift for nature-loving kids and a wonderful addition to any classroom, library, or home.
“My young audience spontaneously started suggesting ideas for wish trees before we were even half way through the book, and the W-i-s-h-h-h… parts were fun to read out loud!” — Natasha Zimmers, Outdoor Educator.
Buy on Amazon.ca
Buy on Amazon.com
100% of the author’s book profits support children’s environmental education and tree-planting initiatives.
