You know what puts you in the mood for travel? Reading about other countries. Before our 2024 trip to Costa Rica, we hadn’t traveled by plane in eight years. When we finally decided to go, you bet I checked out all the Costa Rica books that I could find! Whether you’re in travel mode or not, you can’t go wrong with armchair travel!
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Picture Books
Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey
This science book details how farmers at El Bosque Nuevo in Guancaste, Costa Rica, carefully find caterpillars for the puparium in Costa Rica and beyond. Pupae are carefully packaged and shipped to insect houses and butterfly pavilions. We enjoyed the stunning photographs of tropical butterflies in every stage. The main butterfly featured is the amazing blue morpho butterfly.
Destiny Finds Her Way
This is the true story of the rescue of a sloth named Destiny. The Sloth Institute is a nonprofit organization in Costa Rica. You will fall in love with these gentle creatures as you follow her story from babyhood to her release back into the forest. The book shows other rainforest animals as well.
A Little Book of Sloth
More sloth love! The sloth babies in the book will win your heart. This sloth sanctuary is called Aviarios del Caribe and located in Costa Rica.
Pura Vida Mae
This is a common greeting in Costa Rica and sums up the Costa Rican way of life. Literally translated, Pura Vida means “Pure Life.” In Costa Rica, this phrase is used in place of “hello,” “goodbye,” or “have a great day.” This sweet story is set in the rainforests of Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Follow an iguana and his rainforest friends as they have a laid back day.
Brave Baby Hummingbird
This is a great science book about the first year in the life of two Allen’s hummingbirds. The writing is scaled down for the younger elementary group. The photograph-like illustrations of hummingbirds and their rainforest habitat are stunning. Told from the point of view of the hummingbird, it describes their interactions with humans and the long migrations that they make. The endnotes detail more about hummingbirds.
The Umbrella
The cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica, inspired Jan Brett to write The Umbrella. You’ll meet the tree frog, toucan, kinkajou, tapir, monkey, quetzal, and hummingbird as they all squeeze into Carlos’ umbrella.
One Tiny Treefrog
This book packs so much information. Learn about the lifecycle of a red-eyed treefrog as the ten tadpoles disappear one-by-one to various predators. At the end, read scientific information about the red-eyed treefrog, the Costa Rica rainforest, and all the Costa Rican animal species that appear throughout the book. There is an additional paragraph provided for every stage of the tree frog’s lifecycle.
When Woman Became the Sea
This is a Costa Rican creation myth involving a snake and a tree… but not in the way you might think.
The Manatee’s Big Day
This bilingual book follows a manatee in the canals of Tortuguero, Costa RIca. Meet the aquatic wildlife that dwells in Costa Rica. All the animals band together against the scary shark, but check out the next book to learn about the value of sharks in our ocean ecosystem. The writing in English does not flow so well, but there is a lot of information in the endnotes. There is a section of Fun Science Facts at the end that provides more detail about the manatee, crocodile/alligator/caiman, and the bull shark, as well as other rainforest animals mentioned in previous books.
Photojournalism
Journey to Shark Island
Jeff is a shark photographer with a mission to document and advocate for the protection of sharks. This adventure is based on Cocos Island, off the coast of Costa Rica. It is also known as Island of the Sharks. Five species of sharks are covered: hammerhead shark, silvertip shark, whitetip reef shark, tiger shark, and silky sharks. Included is a discussion and photographs of the inhumane treatment of sharks, such as sharks without fins, the removal of the fins for shark fin soup, and the harm coming to sharks and sea turtles from fishhooks and nets.
Journey Through a Tropical Jungle
This is a photojournalist’s account of his time spent in the Monteverde Rainforest of Costa Rica. It’s perfect for middle schoolers looking for a nonfiction adventure story.
For the Middle Grade Readers: Costa Rica Books
I read both of these on the plane ride home and they were so much fun! Actually, as soon as I read one chapter of each one, it was taken from me by one of my 12-year olds. I was happy to give them up. We traded the books around and eventually finished them in circular fashion.
Lost
Recommended age: 8-11 years
“An ancient myth about a statue leads eleven-year-old Carter and twelve-year-old Anna down a trail deep into the Costa Rican jungle. They get turned around, then chased by howler monkeys. Carter and Anna try to find their way back to the familiar path, but the tangle of vines and trees all look the same. They are . . . lost!” (book description)
Hide and Seek
Recommended age: 8-12 years
“José, Anna, and Henry are junior members of the secret Silver Jaguar Society, sworn to protect the world’s most important artifacts. When they discover that the society’s treasured Jaguar Cup has been replaced with a counterfeit, the trio and their families rush to the rain forests of Costa Rica in search of the real chalice. But when the trail runs dry, new mysteries emerge: Who can they trust? Is there a traitor in their midst? With danger at every turn, it will take more than they realize for José and his friends to recover the cup before it falls into the wrong hands.” (book description)