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 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.
Go along on the exciting dream journey from morning to night, using hands and feet just like squirrels, monkeys, rats, spiders, frogs, penguins, elephants, lions, kangaroos, pandas, and eagles. Travel to the lush jungle, the African savannah, Australian outback, and to the frozen Antarctic. Finally, as the sun sets, snuggle beneath the covers and snooze, with recollections of animals at play, inspired by the imaginative illustrations of Sherry Rogers. After all, even the wild things need some time to rest after a day of fast-footed play! The "For Creative Minds" education section features a "Paws, Claws, Hands, and Feet" matching activity.
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.
Seasons change in the ocean much as they do on land. Spring brings new plants and baby animals, summer oceans glow with sparkly plankton lights, and autumn winds blow across the open water. In winter the humpback whales migrate to warmer waters, just as some land animals move to warmer climates. The cycle begins again as they return to the northern waters in the spring. In fun, fanciful form, Ocean Seasons introduces plants and animals that are joined through the mix of seasons, food webs, and habitats beneath the waves. While set in the Pacific, similar changes occur in the Atlantic also. The "For Creative Minds" learning sections features and "Ocean Food Web Card Game."
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.
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.
When a strange creature appears after the big rains, Australian animals wonder what he could be! His fur, feet, tail, and duck-like bill remind each animal of something different. But with a "down-under" spirit, they all pitch in to help him discover where he belongs. Kersplatypus is the story of one creature's journey to find his place in the world and how he sometimes falls flat on the way there.
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.
The sea is a place of mystery, where animals big and small play hide and seek! Can you imagine a shark hiding in the light? What about a clownfish in plain sight? Don't believe it? Then, sink into the deep blue sea with Jennifer Evans Kramer and Ocean Hide and Seek! Surround yourself with the vibrant ocean illustrations of Gary R. Phillips. The ocean is an old, old place, and the exotic animals in the depths have learned to adapt to their surroundings to survive. Can you find the creatures hidden on every page? Or will you, too, be fooled by an ancient, underwater disguise? The "For Creative Minds" learning section includes an "Animal Classification" and "Food for Thought" activity.
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.
Follow the photo journal of Carolina, a critically ill loggerhead sea turtle, as she is cared for and nursed back to health at the Sea Turtle Hospital of the South Carolina Aquarium. Just like hospitalized children, Carolina goes through a variety of emotions and procedures during her care and recovery process. When she first arrives at the hospital, she is too sick, weak, and confused to understand what is happening. She has blood drawn, x-rays taken, gets shots, and is fed through an IV...just as ill children may be! As she gains strength, she begins to interact with her caregivers and to, begrudgingly, understand that they are really trying to help. Join her as she interacts with her many caregivers and her sick or injured roommate turtles. Celebrate the happy day she is released back into the open arms of the ocean - a healthy and happy sea turtle! The "For Creative Minds" section includes a craft, game ideas and information on sea turtles. The author and photographer donate a portion of their royalties to the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Program at the South Carolina Aquarium.
Count backwards from 10 to 1 during one of the most colorful times of year: fall. Learn about the bright, colorful leaves and the trees from which they fall: aspen, birch, maple, oak, chestnut, linden, pine, beech, dogwood, and sweet gum. Watch the animals frolicking in the crisp, autumn air as they get ready for the approaching cold winter. The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes: Plant parts, Leaves--the shape of it all, What Good are Plants?, and Match the Leaves Activity.
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.
Babies come in all shapes and sizes and are welcomed into all kinds of families. This clever book of baby announcement riddles will have children giggling as they use the various text and illustrated clues to guess what baby was just born. The riddles introduce the life cycle of 12 different animals.The "For Creative Minds" section was vetted for accuracy by educators at the Houston Zoo and includes an "It's a Numbers Game" activity, information on animal families, fun facts about the 12 animals in the riddles, and a "Design a Birth Announcement" craft for a new pet or sibling.
Mmm-mm! Forest animals squeak, tweet, slurp, yip and chomp over the sweet, plump fruit of a wild blackberry bush. But what happens when a bear arrives to take part in the feast? Young children will enjoy following the story by making the animal sounds, and the chaos that strikes upon the bear's arrival will surely bring on the laughter. The cumulative, rhyming text makes for a great read-aloud.
Baby dogs are puppies and they belong to a litter, but what is a baby skunk called and what is the name of its family group? This clever, rhythmic story tells us just that! Counting from one to 10, familiar backyard animals are introduced by baby and family group name. Each stanza also tells a bit more about each animal by providing clues as to what they eat, how they sound or where they live. The "For Creative Minds" section includes more animal fun facts, information on keeping a nature journal and how to watch for wildlife in your own backyard.
While at play with his dog, Newton, a young boy discovers the laws of force and motion in his everyday activities. Told in rhyme, Lynne Mayer's Newton and Me follows these best friends on an adventure as they apply physics to throwing a ball, pulling a wagon, riding a bike, and much more. They will realize that Newton's Laws of Motion describe experiences they have every day, and they will recognize how forces affect the objects around them. The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes: Force and Motion Fun Facts, Matching Forces, Who Was Newton?, and Newton's Laws of Motion (2 of 3). Additional teaching activities and interactive quizzes are available on the Sylvan Dell Publishing website.
Little Gray loved his lagoon and the humans who came to visit him there. One day, Mama announces that they must swim north to a far-away sea. At first he is sad to leave his home, but Little Gray soon realizes the importance of their journey. What happens along the way and how does Little Gray help his mother? Swim along with Little Gray as he finds the way to this special, food-filled sea.
Trees grow in many habitats, all around the world. Some trees are short and some are tall. Some grow in hot deserts and others grow on cold mountains. Some have leaves that are broad and wide and others are short and narrow. Some trees stay green all year round while others have leaves that change color. Compare and contrast the different characteristics of trees through vibrant photographs.
