Books for Children
by elin kelsey
elin is a best-selling, award-winning children’s book author. Her books celebrate the intimate connections children share with the glorious complexity of life on Earth.
Supporting Independant Bookstores
elin kelsey supports local and independent business owners and has made most of her books available through Bookshop.org. Bookshop.org is designed to support independent bookstores by sharing over 80% of its profit margin with more than 2,500 local shops. When you purchase through these links, you’re helping keep independent bookstores thriving.
A Last Goodbye
A Last Goodbye offers a gentle, poetic look at how animals and humans alike experience loss, mourning, and the rituals that help us say goodbye. Through beautifully crafted diorama illustrations, elin kelsey highlights the universal ways species support one another in moments of grief. The book ultimately leaves readers with a sense of connection and hope, reminding us that life continues through memory, care, and the natural world.
"A Last Goodbye . . . mindfully opens up avenues for children to talk about death through the exploration of animal emotions and relationships."—Marc Bekoff PhD, Author of The Emotional Lives Of Animals
You Are Never Alone
You Are Never Alone highlights the many ways nature continually sustains us—from the oxygen plants create to the ecosystems that nourish our food and health. Blending poetic, research-grounded writing with Soyeon Kim’s intricate diorama art, it encourages readers to observe, wonder, and recognize their place in the web of life. The book was honored on The Globe 100: Books that shaped 2019.
"elin kelsey and Soyeon Kim, with lyrical text and gorgeous art, make the interconnectedness of life here on our blue planet very clear. The positive message is scientifically based. Our relationships benefits us in remarkable ways. These two creators remind us that 'Mother Nature has your back.'"—Library Matters
You Are Stardust
You Are Stardust uses poetic, science-based text to show that every part of us originates from ancient stars and mirrors the natural world. Through parallels between human life and animals, plants, and Earth itself—enhanced by Soyeon Kim’s diorama art—the book inspires wonder and a sense of connection to the universe.
"An exquisite picture-book that instills that profound sense of connection with the natural world. Underpinning the narrative is a bold sense of optimism — a refreshing antidote to the fear-appeal strategy plaguing most environmental messages today. elin illuminates our deep connections to the complexity of life on earth."—Brain Pickings
Wild Ideas: Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking
"elin kelsey and Soyeon Kim have done it again. Their first collaboration, 2012’s You Are Stardust, was a breath of fresh air, inventive in its theme and gorgeous diorama-based illustration. Wild Ideas is equally delightful and thought-provoking. The book’s subtitle is let nature inspire your thinking, and this is just what kelsey advises her readers to do, as she celebrates the myriad creative ways in which animals solve problems."—Quill & Quire
Not Your Typical Book About the Environment
Not Your Typical Book About the Environment turns eco-anxiety into opportunity by showing kids that the Anthropocene is also a moment of innovation, creativity, and real-world solutions. Through everyday objects, lively profiles, and upbeat illustrations, it makes clear that young people can shape a more hopeful, sustainable future.
"An optimistic look at choices we can make to improve the planet, this book assesses the impact of everything from the clothes we wear to the food we eat. But instead of laying a guilt trip on readers, it points to eco-friendly alternatives, from devising new products to opting for vintage clothes instead of new."—Washington Post
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Strange New Species: Astonishing Discoveries of Life on Earth
Strange New Species takes readers into the field with scientists exploring newly discovered life forms, from deep-sea creatures thriving in extreme heat to microbes hidden in unlikely places. Packed with vivid photographs and fascinating facts, it reveals how much of Earth’s biodiversity is still being uncovered.
"kelsey covers an enormous amount of ground herself, explaining complex scientific theories, technologies and practices in language that's easy for kids to understand... DNA, microbial life on mars and genetic modification are all graspable in her clear prose laced with humor. She has just the right tone to reach kids and communicate the excitement of cutting-edge science."—SF Gate
A Last Goodbye
"A Last Goodbye . . . mindfully opens up avenues for children to talk about death through the exploration of animal emotions and relationships."
— Marc Bekoff PhD, Author of The Emotional Lives Of Animals
You Are Never Alone
The Globe 100's "Books That Shaped 2019"
"elin kelsey and Soyeon Kim, with lyrical text and gorgeous art, make the interconnectedness of life here on our blue planet very clear. The positive message is scientifically based. Our relationships benefits us in remarkable ways. These two creators remind us that 'Mother Nature has your back.'"
You Are Stardust
"An exquisite picture-book that instills that profound sense of connection with the natural world. Underpinning the narrative is a bold sense of optimism — a refreshing antidote to the fear-appeal strategy plaguing most environmental messages today. elin illuminates our deep connections to the complexity of life on earth."
Wild Ideas: Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking
"elin kelsey and Soyeon Kim have done it again. Their first collaboration, 2012’s You Are Stardust, was a breath of fresh air, inventive in its theme and gorgeous diorama-based illustration. Wild Ideas is equally delightful and thought-provoking. The book’s subtitle is let nature inspire your thinking, and this is just what kelsey advises her readers to do, as she celebrates the myriad creative ways in which animals solve problems."
Not Your Typical Book About the Environment
"elin kelsey shows that it’s possible to inform and educate children about taking care of their planet without scaring them or shaming previous generations. Reading Not Your Typical Book About the Environment is a joyful experience for both child and parent… books for young children need to focus on our hopes for the future, rather than the mistakes of the past. This may not be a typical book about the environment, but that’s because all the other books are doing it wrong."
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Strange New Species
"kelsey covers an enormous amount of ground herself, explaining complex scientific theories, technologies and practices in language that's easy for kids to understand... DNA, microbial life on mars and genetic modification are all graspable in her clear prose laced with humor. She has just the right tone to reach kids and communicate the excitement of cutting-edge science."
— SF Gate
