Ladybugs are pest control workers in bright, polka-dotted uniforms. These little exterminators take care of aphids and other insect menaces for farmers by eating them up! This bug profile shows kids that ladybugs are more than just beautiful beetles—they are insects with purpose.
Honeybees are in the honey-making business. These insects turn nectar collected from plants into honey and then store it in honeycombs. In this book, young kids will job-shadow honeybees working hard in their hives. Readers will see how busy bees make productivity look fascinating.
Did you know that aphids poop honeydew? It’s true! And it’s also fact that ants harvest this sweet poo. In this insect introduction, early readers will see aphids more as honeydew suppliers than pests. Red ones, black ones, green ones, woolly ones, and winged ones are all swarming in this title!
Some adult dragonflies can fly as fast as 60 miles per hour—a common speed limit for cars on a highway! Quick flight is essential for them to catch prey in midair. In this children’s title, readers will travel alongside dragonflies moving from page to page.
The last insect to need a megaphone would be a cicada. No bug is louder than a male cicada buzzing for a female! This title shouts cool cicada facts at kids, including that cicada noisemakers are called tymbals and that nymphs can stay underground for up to 17 years!
Fireflies are among nature’s tiniest luminaries. They are special in their ability to light up and blink at one another. Though they do not live for more than a couple months, they sure shine bright while alive! This title casts fireflies in a beautiful light for beginning readers.
If insects held their version of the Olympic games, a grasshopper would for sure make the podium for the long jump event. The long-legged insect can jump forward 20 times its body length! Elementary readers will make leaps in their understanding of grasshoppers in this book.
Damselflies could very well be part of the inspiration for the term “bug-eyed.” Their compound eyes are huge and protruding! Young readers will look with amazement at damselflies flying, eating, molting, and more in this insect close-up. A staring contest is on!
The insect symbol of hard work just might be a worker ant. A worker ant’s life is fully committed to finding food for a colony and caring for young. This book for beginning readers magnifies an insect that can carry more than its own weight!
Butterflies always use a straw when sipping nectar. This is because their mouths are crafted like suction tubes. In this insect profile, young readers are invited to travel from page to page like butterflies travel from flower to flower. They will drink up juicy information about butterfly basics.
An earwig has a Captain Hook appearance, with “pincers” attached to its back end. But honestly, the insect looks scarier than it is. Early learners will want to poke around this book to explore how earwigs look and behave. They are sure to get hooked on reading!
A leafy or a weedy. Every sea dragon is one or the other. Leafies have the advantage when it comes to being underwater masters of disguise. They look just like pieces of swaying seaweed! In this book, young readers can compare and contrast leafy and weedy sea dragons.
Every orca pod has its very own theme song! Musical elements include whistles, clicks, and pops. “Singing” is the orca way of communicating, navigating, and hunting. This read offers young children the chance to get in tune with the world’s largest dolphin species.
Sea urchins look like fireworks exploding underwater. The spines that create their unusual appearance do have a purpose: they protect the tiny animals from dangerous predators. In this title, sea urchins of all shapes, sizes, and colors are on display for early readers!
Curious how sea lions got their name? Well, male sea lions are responsible. Most have a lion-like mane, and they roar loudly to protect females. Young readers will learn all about the wild relatives of the trick-performing sea lions they enjoy watching at the zoo.
Northern cardinals are bright-billed songbirds. They often turn a tree branch or bird feeder into a stage. And they always look performance-ready in their red feathers and a spiked head crest. In this title, northern cardinals debut for young readers. Will they earn a reading encore?
One thing Canada lynx are known for is their insatiable appetite for snowshoe hares. These wildcats would eat the rabbit look-alikes for every meal if they could. On average, a lynx eats one hare every two to three days! In this animal introduction, young readers will see Canada lynx at home in their habitats and on the hunt.
Emperor penguins often come together like a sports team. A tight huddle keeps them warm in their Antarctic homeland. Coping with the cold is a must for these birds. Their wings cannot fly them to milder climates. This children’s title tells how emperor penguins manage life in the South Pole.
Mountain goats reach heights few other animals can. The skilled climbers often move up 10,000-foot peaks! Their split hooves help them balance on steep slopes. And their strong legs allow them to jump between rocks many feet apart. This mountain goat profile will elevate young reader interest in nannies, billies, and kids!
Mountain lions live like fugitives. These predators usually keep to themselves and try to stay in hiding. Their main goal is to keep their neighbors unsuspecting. Because the time always comes for these stealthy stalkers to pounce! In this book, kids will track an animal with many aliases.
Caribou are the reindeer of North America! These hoofed mammals grow huge antlers on their heads every year. The most impressive antlers can measure as long as 4 feet! This book calls elementary readers to join caribou in migrating the continent’s northernmost forest and tundra biomes.
No venomous snake in North America is larger than the diamondback rattlesnake. The eastern diamondback species can stretch out to a sizable length of 8 feet! Young readers will get wrapped up in discovering the ostentatious ways diamondbacks behave in the face of predators and prey.
Did you know that clawed lobsters can be right-clawed or left-clawed? Every baby is born with two cutter claws. Then one cutter claw eventually develops into a crusher claw, which determines handedness. Beginning readers will want to get their hands on this ocean animal profile!
A groundhog named Phil is possibly the most sought-after meteorologist on February 2nd. Many people wait for his forecast to know how long winter might last. If he sees his shadow, the season will likely drag on for six more weeks. This title introduces beginning readers to an unusual weather-prediction tradition.
Earth Day is a call to be “green.” This means thinking like a conservationist about everything from what grocery bag to use to what type of transportation to take. Elementary students just might be inspired to clean up a park or plant a tree after this read.
