Mexico is the southern neighbor of the United States. It is a country with a rich history and culture, a warm climate, diverse landscapes, and a variety of wildlife. From Mayan pyramids to busy cities to happy fiestas, Spotlight on Mexico offers a joyful experience to young readers. The book also includes recipes of some favorite Mexican foods that children will love to make!
The spotlight is on China having been host to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Maps and illustrations highlight this beautiful introduction to this vast country covered with such diverse landforms as mountains, deserts, and jungles. Stunning photographs feature the sites of its cities including Shanghai and Hong Kong as well as its architectural wonders such as the famous Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Children will also enjoy learning about Chinas people, their holidays and celebrations, high flying martial arts, Chinese cooking, and horoscopes.
This up-to-date and fact filled introduction to Australia features the unique people, land, and animals of this island country. Children will be fascinated to learn about the native Aboriginal peoples and their way of life, the harsh Outback wilderness, the Great Barrier Reef, and the many marsupials that are unique to Australia, including the kangaroo and the koala. Spectacular photographs also give young readers a close-up view of major cities.
Spotlight on Canada introduces children to Canada's multicultural people, its varied landscapes and climates, its exciting cities, and its joyful celebrations. A huge country with only one neighbor, the United States, Canada is divided into provinces and territories. French and English are its two official languages, and its rich history goes back to its French and English roots. This colorful book celebrates the diversity of this great country!
This fascinating book explores the growth and spread of Muslim peoples from the early 600s to the end of the Ottoman Empire. Early Islamic empires spread from the Middle East to the far corners of Asia and into Europe. The stories of the Umayyds, Abbasids, Al-Andalus, Fatimids, Crusades, Mongols, Safavids, and the Moghul and Ottoman empires are revealed. Key conquests and battles including the Crusades are detailed.
This colorful book describes the geological makeup and history of the Kalahari Desert in Africa. Covering most of Botswana, as well as portions of Namibia and South Africa, the Kalahari is not a true desert because it receives more than ten inches (250 mm) of rain each year. But the rain drains and evaporates quickly leaving no water on the surface of the red sand. Readers will learn about the variety of habitats in this vast desert system that support many different kinds of plants and animals such as springboks, giraffes, elephants, and zebras. Special sections also describe the Kalahari's natural resources, indigenous people, and the unique problems facing this region.
This intriguing book describes the geological makeup and history of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and China. Temperatures can get very cold and frost and snow are not unusual. Readers will learn about the variety of habitats in this vast desert system that support many different kinds of plants and animals such as camels, snow leopards, and bears. The Gobi Desert is also where the first dinosaur egg fossils were found. Special sections describe the desert's natural resources, such as copper and gold, and the unique problems facing this region such as the desert's alarming rate of desertification.
From the earliest times humans have shaped and changed the landscape. Historical and modern-day examples in this interesting book show how natural habitats and wilderness areas are destroyed as people need more land for farming and to build towns and cities, and how increasing urbanization of populations is adding to the problem of carbon emissions that cause climate change.
This intriguing book explores the reasons why people migrate: pushesinvoluntary migrationsand pullsvoluntary migrations. Historical migrations examined include: the slave trade; the relocation of Native Americans; migrations due to famine in Africa; migrations linked to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; the Irish potato famine; the migrations of Jews around the world; and the Great Migration of African Americans from the south to the north.
This new book will blow readers away! Accessible text, interesting facts, and bright, colorful design create an engaging combination for young readers. Readers will discover how wind forms, its affect on people, plants, and animals, and the tools scientists use to measure wind direction and speed. A hands-on experiment teaches readers how to make a wind vane and use it to find the winds direction.
Weather changes from day to day and season to season. But what exactly is weather and how is it created? Readers will discover the answers to these questions and many other weather wonders. Bright, full-color photographs, inviting text, and engaging questions introduce readers to the different types of weather in our world and how it affects our lives.
From gentle showers to heavy downpours and slow flurries to hail, this appealing title will be a hit with readers rain or shine! Readers will learn the basic concepts of the water cycle, the features of different kinds of precipitation, and the role temperature has in determining what falls from our clouds.
Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold something is. Temperature affects our lives from the clothes we wear to the activities we do. This engaging and entertaining title inspires a solid understanding of this essential concept. Readers also discover how a thermometer is used to measure temperature using units called degrees.
What are Forests? brings to life the wondrously complex and diverse ecosystems found in forests around the world. Intricate relationships and concepts are explained in a simple way with the help of beautiful color photographs. Children will be fascinated by the earth's many types of forests, the elements that make up a forest ecosystem, the wide range of plant and animal species that live in different forests, and the importance of forests to the rest of the Earth.
The constantly changing ecosystems of salt and freshwater wetlands support an amazing variety of wildlife species. Children will be intrigued by the fascinating animals that depend on wetlands, such as alligators and hippopotamuses, and the plants that grow there. This engaging book investigates swamps, salt marshes, and flood plains, the many plants and animals that live in wetlands, and the threats to these ecosystems and their wildlife.
Biomes are the major communities of plants and animals in our world. Children will love learning about life in everything from the chilly arctic tundra biome to dry, grassy savannahs.
Children will learn about the many land habitats in which baby animals are raised. This introduction looks at forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts and features appealing photos of wolf pups, baby orangutans, rhinos, guanacos, and foxes.
Engaging photos of baby lions, hippos, zebras, giraffes, and rhinos highlight this introduction to African savannas Interesting information focuses on the special needs of animals in this habitat, including how they find water during the dry season and stay cool in the intense heat.
Children will love the photos of the exotic baby animals that live in rain forests around the world, such as tigers, monkeys, lemurs, elephants, and sloths. Young readers will also learn about the different kinds of rain forests and discover what life is like for baby animals in both wet and dry seasons.
This book introduces habitats for baby animals in freshwater rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. Children will be fascinated by pictures of baby hippos, geese, swans, alligators, tigers, muskrats, nutrias, river otters, and more.
Captivating photos of baby alligators and crocodiles, raccoons, herons opossums, turtles, and other animals show children which animals are found in wetlands across North America. Readers will get a close-up look at how the animals' lives change as the seasons change.
Cute baby coyotes, prairie dogs, bobcats, falcons, and bison are just of a few of the grassland animals featured. Young readers will learn about food chains, prairie weather, underground homes, and how animals stay safe in grasslands.
Children will love the appealing photos of baby animals that live in both cold and warm oceanspenguins, seals, dolphins, whales, sea turtles, corals, and many kinds of fish. Young readers will also find out how baby animals survive in this salty, underwater habitat.
Delightful photos of baby raccoons, deer, bears, wolves, lynx, owls, and other animals show children which animals live in forests. Young readers will learn about food chains and see how life for baby animals changes with the seasons.
Children will be captivated by the amazing photos of baby animals that live on mountains: bighorn sheep, mountain goats, antelope, cougars, marmots, chipmunks, and other animals. Young readers see how baby animals find food and shelter in such rugged places.
