Chicken Little may have thought the sky was falling but Peter Pika is sure the glaciers are melting and is off to talk to the Mountain Monarch about it. Joined along the way by friends Tammy Ptarmigan, Sally Squirrel, Mandy Marmot, and Harry Hare, they all wonder what will happen to them if the glaciers melt. Where will they live, how will they survive? When Wiley Wolverine tries to trick them, can the Mountain Monarch save them? More importantly, can the Mountain Monarch stop the glaciers from melting?
Catchy desert twists on traditional children's songs and poems will have children chiming in about cactuses, camels, and more as they learn about the desert habitat and its flora and fauna. Tarkawara hops on the desert sand instead of a kookaburra sitting in an old gum tree. And teapots aren't the only things that are short and stout--just look at the javelina's hooves and snout. Travel the world's deserts to dig with meerkats, fly with bats, and hiss with Gila monsters! Whether sung or read aloud, Deep in the Desert makes learning about deserts anything but dry.
Big cats are fierce predators that roam the world from the mountains to the deserts. How are these wild cats that hunt for their food the same as pet cats that might chase a mouse or ball of yarn? How are they different? Children learn the days of the week as they travel to seven different world habitats to meet the big cats, and then back home to compare and contrast the domestic cat's behavior to that of its relative. The award-winning prequel to this book, One Wolf Howls, introduces children to counting and the months of the year as they watch the seasons change
Hurricane . . . just the word brings to mind the power of these natural disasters. Humans watch the news and know of impending arrival. We board up windows and gather supplies. We might huddle in our homes or go inland. Then we wait for the storm to arrive. But what do wild animals do? Do they know when a storm is coming? If so, how do they prepare? This book explains how nine animals sense, react, and prepare for a hurricane. Based on research or observations, the brief portraits are explained in simple, poetic language for children of all ages.
When Sophia dreams that howling winds whisk the fur and feathers right off her animal friends, she shares some of her clothes with them. But her clothing doesn't work well for the animals. Seeing their disappointment, she offers to sew each one the "right" coat. Animals line up to explain what they need and why. Polar Bear needs white fur to stay warm and hide in the snow. Fish needs scales, but with slime. Snake needs scales too, but dry ones. And how will Sophia make a prickly coat for Porcupine? The award-winning team of Halfmann and Klein (Little Skink's Tail) reunite to bring animal coverings (and classification) to life in an imaginative way.
Come spend A Day on the Mountain, the follow up to Kevin Kurtz's award-winning first book, A Day in the Salt Marsh. Rhyming verse and vibrant illustrations take readers up a mountain, from the forested bottom to the snow-covered top. While climbing, they witness the changing habitats and meet the plants and animals that live there. Learn about Black bears, Great Gray Owls, Garter snakes, Clark's nutcrackers, Bighorn sheep, Hummingbirds, Yellow-bellied marmots, Mountain goats, Salamanders, and Snow fleas.
Children facing cancer--whether their own, a family member's, a friend's, or even a pet's--will find help in understanding the disease through this book. A young boy discovers his dog's lump, which is then diagnosed with those dreaded words: "It's cancer." The boy becomes a loving caretaker to his dog, who undergoes the same types of treatments and many of the same reactions as a human under similar circumstances (transference). Medical writer and award-winning children's author, Sherry North artfully weaves the serious subject into an empathetic story that even young children can understand.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a wolf? What would you do in the cold winter months? Where would you sleep? What would you eat? Spend a year in the world of wolves in One Wolf Howls. This adventurous children's book uses the months of the year and the numbers 1 through 12 to introduce children to the behavior of wolves in natural settings. The lively, realistic illustrations of Susan Detwiler complement the rhyming text and bring each month to life. From January to December, howl, frolic, and dance, while learning important lessons page-by-page! The "For Creative Minds" learning section includes a "Wolf Communications Matching" and "Wolf Calendar" activity.
Can a swan survive without winter migration? Marcel, a young tundra swan, is tired from the first half of a winter migration. One thousand miles is a long way to fly--too long for Marcel, so he hides in the rushes to stay behind while his parents and the flock continue south. But with the lake nearly frozen over, he soon realizes that he is not cut out for life on ice. Other animals offer advice about how to survive the winter, but their ways of living aren't right for the swan. Hungry and scared, he falls asleep - only to be awakened by a big surprise! The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes "Tundra Swan Fun Facts" and a "Tundra Swan Life Cycle Sequencing Activity."
Little turtle was lost! Free from his egg, he climbed out into a big, beautiful new world. Lost and alone, he wondered--where did he really belong? The bear told him to live in the woods; the frog said, "The swamp!" But turtle just didn't feel at home. He needed help, but where could he turn? Author Susan Ring helps turtle in this whimsical story of self-exploration and nature, Where Should Turtle Be? Detailed illustrations by Laurie Allen Klein give these friendly animals personality, and in the end, an unexpected tickle and tumble help turtle find his place in his new world. The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes "Turtle Fun Facts" and "Match the Turtle to its Habitat."
While Little Skink hunts yummy ants for breakfast, she is suddenly attacked by a crow! But she has a trick to escape - she snaps off her tail, and it keeps on wiggling! Little Skink is happy to be alive, but she misses her bright blue tail. Readers will enjoy pretending with her, trying on tail after tail. The first is too puffy-fluffy, and another too stinky! Then one day Little Skink gets a big surprise...and she doesn't have to dream of tails anymore. The "For Creative Minds" section has information on tail adaptations and communications and a mix-and-match tail activity.
Imagine finding turtle eggs in your sandbox! When a mother diamondback terrapin lays eggs in a young girl's sandbox, the girl becomes a "turtle-sitter" to help the babies safely hatch. She raises the teeny hatchlings until they become big enough to fend for themselves in the wild. Then, with the help of experts, she releases them. Along the way, she learns about these unique animals and that she has made an important contribution to their survival. The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes terrapin fun facts and a turtle habitat craft.
Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life in this clever adaptation of the song "The Green Grass Grew All Around." The jungle comes alive as children learn about a wide variety of the animals (jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats) and plants (kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads) living in the lush Amazon rainforest. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the three-page "For Creative Minds" educational section.
This sequel to the award-winning Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean (2007 Teacher's Choice & 2005 Mom's Choice) takes readers on an around-the-world boat ride to learn how mammals sleep in or around nine major rivers of the world on all continents except Antarctica. Row down the Mississippi and watch two river otters slip into a hollow tree or look to the bank of the Brisbane River as a platypus pops into a hole and disappears into a narrow tunnel. Told in a soothing style, this book serves as a bedtime/naptime story for younger children or an animal geography book for older children. Adults may learn something, too! The "For Creative Minds" education section features a "World Map."
This whimsical story lets children imagine what life would be like if they were a pet parrot. Readers join four parrots their young, multicultural owners as they morph into four-toed parrots climbing around the house, then chew wooden spoons, popsicles--sticks and all--with hooked parrot beaks! The fun continues as children learn all about parrots and their adaptations.The "For Creative Minds" section has parrot fun facts, tips for taking care of a pet parrot and a "Make a Beak" craft.
What if you found a baby owl in your backyard? Would you know what to do? Where would you go to find help? Join young Maddie and Max as they learn a valuable lesson from a little lost owl in Baby Owl's Rescue by Jennifer Keats Curtis. The brother and sister pair just wanted to play baseball one day. They never expected to come face-to-face with a wild animal! Lush illustrations by Laura Jacques accompany this story and demonstrate the proper treatment of wildlife. This story reminds all of us that we live in a world surrounded by wild animals, and those wild animals deserve our caution and our respect!
On May 12, 2008, XiXi, a giant panda, escaped from the destroyed Wolong Panda Reserve when a 7.9 earthquake rocked Northern China. After the quake, mother and cub run from the wreckage. Confused and afraid, they get lost! How will they survive outside their reserve? Will they find food? Will they find shelter? And will they safely endure the earthquake after-shocks? The "For Creative Minds" education section includes: Endangered Giant Pandas; Life Cycle Activity; Panda Fun Facts; Shake, Rattle & Roll; The Richter Scale and Magnitude Ranges; and an Earthquake Chart & Map.
It isn't always easy being a moose but this young moose has a special, joke-telling friend to keep him company and to help him find his way. Join Moose, Magpie and some of their other animal friends as they frolic through a year of changes. Learn what the Liberty Bell and moose have in common or why moose cross the road. Laugh along with Moose and Magpie, and learn something while you are at it. The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes: Is it for real?, Moose and birds, What do moose eat?, Match the moose body part to its adaptation, Moose life cycle, Moose antlers, and Moose fun facts.
Long ago, when the world was young, the magpies' nests were the envy of all other birds. To help the other birds, Maggie Magpie patiently explained how to build a nest. But some birds were impatient and flew off without listening to all the directions, which is why, to this day, birds' nests come in all different shapes and sizes. This clever retelling of an old English folktale teaches the importance of careful listening.
When a boy and his mother take their dog Miles on a peaceful canoe ride, they find themselves frantically racing to save a mother loon and her family! Join them and watch the surprising outcome of Miles' encounter with the loons. Then witness the boy's moment of wonder when he meets the loon. The "For Creative Minds" section includes loon fun facts, information about loons in Native American Culture, a "Maker a Loon Mask" craft, and a "Map It," "Math It," "Measure It" section. Encourages children to care for animals.
Enjoy a day in one of the most dynamic habitats on earth: the salt marsh. Fun-to-read, rhyming verse introduces readers to hourly changes in the marsh as the tide comes and goes. Watch the animals that have adapted to this ever-changing environment as they hunt for food or play in the sun, and learn how the marsh grass survives even when it is covered by saltwater twice a day. An activity on adaptations is included in the "For Creative Minds" section.
Red bats can hibernate or migrate to warmer regions during the winter. Should this solitary little bat stay or should she go? That's the question the little red bat ponders as the leaves fall and the nights get colder! The squirrel tells her to stay. But what about the dangerous creatures that hunt red bats in winter? The sparrow urges her to go. But where? Carole Gerber takes young readers on an educational journey through one bat's seasonal dilemma in Little Red Bat. The For Creative Minds educational section includes: Match the Bat Adaptation, Bat Fun Facts, How Animals Deal with Seasonal Changes, Red Bats and Seasonal Change, and Bat Life Cycle Sequencing Activity.
Sing along to this light-hearted romp while learning about different food chains within a single ecosystem. Which animals come out on top, and which animals end up as snacks? Hey Diddle Diddle teaches children about the food web, the circle of life, and the part that each living creature plays within an ecosystem. This book is so much fun, kids will have a hard time believing they're actually learning. You'll be singing Hey Diddle Diddle long after you close the book.
Felina the Florida panther loved growing up in her forest home, until the forest starts to shrink! Trees begin to disappear, and Felina doesn't understand the new busy highway in the neighborhood. Other animals are in danger, too. Will Felina find a way to survive as humans threaten to ruin her home? Environmental science writer Loran Wlodarski gives children a look into deforestation and endangered animals in Felina's New Home: A Florida Panther Story, complemented by the detailed, emotive illustrations of Lew Clayton. Learn whether the animals in Felina's forest adapt to the new human presence and what children can do to keep wild animals safe, happy, and healthy.
A young boy and his abuelo push aside their Christmas preparation to rescue a beautiful cardinal during a blizzard. The bird quickly responds to their kindness, regains it strength, and flies off. The cardinal sweetly and unexpectedly rewards the boy, his grandfather, and their entire village with a lifetime of Christmas cheer. The "For Creative Minds" section contains instructions to create a bird-friendly backyard, simple bird feeder crafts, a "Cardinal Numbers" math game, and information on what to do if you find an injured bird. Encourages children to care for animals.
