The time children spend indoors with nature-based children's literature is as important as the time they spend outdoors. Children's literature traditionally has been replete with pastoral, animal, and wilderness stories that nurture a sense of wonder and excitement about the world we share. Such literature encourages a high regard for the environment and enhances a child's capacity for empathy toward all forms of life. In this article, the author discusses how the informal, yet intact, nature curriculum found in compelling books for children helps them understand the manner in which nature sustains life itself and fosters realizations about current environmental issues that must be confronted by the global society.