When frogs get together, they love to sing! They fill their big, bulgy throat pouch with air and sing out loud. Some peep, some trill, some growl, some creek, and some go WAAH, WAAH, WAAH! It's a chorus that happens near almost every pond and stream. Learn more about these delightful creatures--and sing along with them!
Ancient trees embrace a wonderful world of creatures, each playing their special role. From lowly fungi to majestic owls, the book connects the web of nature and aptly portrays the amazing ways in which the inhabitants of the forest depend upon one another for survival. Stunning illustrations by the renowned illustrator, Christopher Canyon, manage to be both magical and true. As AAAS Science Books & Films says, "The science is accurate and the book painlessly teaches important ecological lessons."
The five intrepid BLUES are caricatures of little bluebirds, yet the featured REAL birds are accurate and carefully researched. In this volume, the Bird X-Games are coming soon. Sammi, the sportster, is determined to enter. In her quest, Sammi and the other BLUES travel the globe to see the most extreme birds - the fastest-moving, longest migrating,deepest-diving, and many other record-holders. And in the process, they discover that they have become X-treme themselves. X-citing!
This is the second in a series designed to inspire youngsters to appreciate birds. In this episode, the BLUES follow in the footsteps of the great birder, Roger Tory Peterson, and discover birds along all North American coasts, from Newfoundland to Alaska. Kids love to follow the fun-filled personalities of the five cartoon birds even while they learn about remarkable REAL birds. Bird facts and birding tips are scattered throughout. Major birders and birding organizations have endorsed the BLUES series.
All over the world, children want the same thing--the comfort of knowing that they belong, that they are part of something meaningful. Inside All takes the reader on a journey from the glowing edges of the universe into the warm heart of a sleepy child at bedtime, where we discover, not something small, but something huge. This is a story about how we each have a place in the world, and how the world lives in each of us.
The BLUES are five little cartoon bluebirds, each full of personality, who love to travel, and everywhere they go they discover new birds--REAL birds, that is. Bird facts and birding tips are scattered throughout. Major birders and birding organizations have endorsed the BLUES series.
Listen to the "buggy" concert happening in your yard, or in the fields and woods nearby. What insects are making those sounds? Learn who is making what sound, and why. Sing along with them! This book is a wonderful introduction to the noisy, busy world of insects.
Good food doesn't begin on a store shelf with a box. It comes from a garden bursting with life, color, sounds, smells, sunshine, moisture, birds, and bees! Healthy food becomes much more interesting when children know where they come from. So what's in the garden? Kids will find a variety fruits and vegetables, and a tasty, kid-friendly recipe for each one to start a lifetime of good eating. A "food for thought" section presents interesting facts about each fruit and vegetable, and a "how does your garden grow?" section explains facts about gardening and the parts of plants.
Remember the wonder and innocence of catching fireflies as they dance through the summer nights? Here is an opportunity to share the magical experience with your children. Amy is afraid of dark shadows in her bedroom, but notices a slight glow in the back yard. With exuberance she catches fireflies in a jar, only to find their lights go dim until they are free again--and finds that her fear of the dark is gone too. The photo-illustrations are lifelike yet dreamy. A wonderful read-aloud.
Teachers and parents, this book is an outstanding teaching resource, much more than the title might suggest. Beginning with a lifetime for a mayfly is about one day, it presents 24 lifetimes such as that of an earthworm (about six years), a giant sequoia (about 2,000 years), a bacteria (well, that depends), a dinosaur (never again) and the universe (about 15 to 20 billion years). Each example comes with detailed illustrations and something to ponder, such as, for earthworms: Worms teach us that our work can be very important, even if it cannot be seen. Each plant or animal is practically a lesson plan in itself, with tell about it, think about it, and look it up challenges. Written by a retired teacher, this is a favorite book for children and teachers alike.
From the trickle of snowmelt to the roar of the ocean, River Song celebrates rivers as a fascinating, ever-changing source of life and joy. It also introduces the young reader to vocabulary such as eddy, riffle and meander, and tells about some of the plants, animals, and insects that depend on the river.The author is not only an award-winning environmental educator and river guide, but also member of the famed Banana Slug String Band.
Written and illustrated by a 14 year-old in 1992, this best-selling book has introduced a whole generation to the wonders of a very important habitat. Following XYZ the Ant, young readers walk through the alphabet and engage in fun alliterations about the amazing anteater, majestic macaw, and quiet quetzal along with the other inhabitants they encounter in the rainforest. The colorful illustrations were done in magic marker. It reaches a large age range because the large text is for young readers, while smaller text is for you or more advanced children. Kristin Joy Pratt (A Swim through the Sea) once again successfully inspires a generation of children about one of the most precious and fragile realms on Earth.
Here is a gentle way to share a birth with a child. John Denver's hauntingly beautiful song "Ancient Rhymes" is about the birth of a baby dolphin, and Christopher Canyon's luminous illustrations - including a baby dolphin curled up with an umbilical cord and also a live birth - convey a sense of mystery, awe, and anticipation of things to come. The baby soon tastes the air and learns of dolphin ways, much the same way as a human baby does. There's something magical and indescribable about it - a timeless and endearing lullaby.
Jump like a squirrel, dunk like a raccoon, and - uh-oh - watch out for the skunk! Children learn the ways of forest animals to the rhythm of "Over in the Meadow" in this delightful introduction to the woodland habitat. They will also count the babies and search for hidden animals. And when they see how each illustration is made from cut paper, they may be inspired to try cut-paper art, too.
A dandelion can teach much about seeds and seasons and cycles, and the big world that a wind-blown seed can travel, but it also can make us appreciate the challenges it must overcome. This gorgeous book is at once simple and profound. You may be surprised and pleased by the questions and observations of your children after reading this together.
Go on a field trip between two covers with Tony to a special, brilliant habitat, a tidepool. A whole community of creatures lives there! Humor, a fun rhyme, good science, and brilliant illustrations come together in a clear, easily understood package. Two pages of Field Notes and fun facts at the back of the book offer intriguing glimpses of these creatures, from snails to sponges.
This true tale actually happened in Alaska to the famous naturalist, John Muir, and it became what he called the most memorable of all his wild days. One day, Muir set out to explore a huge glacier during a blizzard. Stickeen--an aloof little dog belonging to a fellow traveler--insisted on going along. They become stranded on the glacier. The only way out was over a precarious ice bridge, dangerous for a man and almost impossible for a dog. When amazingly they both escape, Stickeen's aloofness is replaced by rapturous adoration for Muir. The author skillfully weaves Muir's own words, the illustrations are extraordinary, and the result is a classic.
This brilliant picture book adaptation of the first hit song of John Denver is all about roots, family, and country. Set in Appalachia, a humorously diverse bunch of relatives and their in-laws go up, down and around the hills of West Virginia to converge by car, pickup, and motorcycle to a family reunion at Grandma and Grandpa's country home. True to Appalachian style, Canyon portrays it all as if on a quilt, complete with little stitches between the fabric.
Just imagine all of nature - mountains, prairies, oceans, and all - lying on your bed as a patchwork quilt! Take flora and fauna in their unique habitats, fold them up and you have a book, this book. Earth's major habitats are spread before you, ready to be examined. Here in this beautiful package are revealed the key concepts of natural science. This patchwork quilt of nature covers the whole Earth, your home - yours to learn about, to enjoy, to care for, and to love.
Here, in luminous illustrations, is the life cycle of an oak - and how it supports life even after it is gone. An acorn drops from a great oak and grows. Animals nibble at it, a fire threatens it, but overcoming many challenges it eventually towers high in the forest, observing the changing human scene below. Eventually its energy passes into many other life forms - even the cherry pie enjoyed by the boy in the house below.
This heartwarming book--an adaptation of one of John Denver's best-loved songs--is a lovely reminder of the good, pure things in life. "Sunshine On My Shoulders" celebrates friendship, sunshine and simple joy. Children and adults alike will love Christopher Canyon's whimsical and humorous illustrations, that capture the innocence of childhood. This is one of a series of picture book adaptations of John Denver's songs that reflect the gift of friendship and nature.
Teachers! Here is another field trip between covers from Tony Fredericks, a funny but very astute professor. Here he visits wetlands inhabited by leaping frogs and zip-zipping dragonflies. Teachers will appreciate the accurate science and great illustrations. Kids will appreciate the humor and cadence of the text, while learning how the wetland creatures interact in their community. Two pages of Field Notes and fun facts at the back of the book offer intriguing information on these creatures.
Australian animals are unique. Their babies may be riding in mama's pouch, or hitching a ride on daddy, piggy-back! Children will sing, clap and count to the rhyme of "Over in the Meadow" as they learn about wallabies, koalas, wombats, and more. Cut-paper illustrations add to the fun.
Here is the ideal introduction for preschoolers and early elementary children to insects that are not only amazing but also critically important to humans. Inside-the-hive views of a wild colony of honey bees offer close-ups of the queen, the cells, even bee eggs. Simple verse will engage a young child, while sidebars with fascinating information satisfy the somewhat older child. Parents, teachers, and interested children will enjoy much more information about both wild and domestic hives in the back of the book. The detailed art shimmers with life, highlighting each hair or grain of pollen on the bees. A wild hive in a tree in her own backyard served as a model for the artist!
Elementary science teachers! Here is a low-cost field trip between covers from Tony Fredericks, a funny but very astute professor. Plus, the habitat lies under just about every rock. A whole community of insects and other creatures lives under rocks--worms and ants, spiders and slugs, crickets and beetles. Dr. Fredericks focuses on the whole community of neighbors where the ground beneath a big old rock is home to them all. Two pages of Field Notes and fun facts at the back of the book offer intriguing information on these creatures.
