Ouch! Pesky insects bite up warthogs under the hot sun. Luckily, banded mongooses are here to help. They ride atop warthogs’ backs, picking insects out of their skin. The warthogs are happy to provide meals for the mongooses. The symbiotic bond between these species helps them both survive. This title for young readers explores the lives of these animal friends, including their habitat, individual behaviors, and relationship with one another!
An oxpecker searches for its next meal. It spots a tick on a Cape buffalo’s back. Yum! Suddenly, the oxpecker spots a predator. It warns the buffalo with a hiss. These two unlikely friends help each other to survive! Explore the Cape buffalo and the oxpecker, both as individuals and as a team working together, in this informative title.
A Nile crocodile opens its mouth wide. An Egyptian plover swoops in! It uses its sharp bill to pick at the crocodile’s teeth. But this dental work benefits the bird, too. It gets tasty food from the crocodile’s mouth! This title will take readers on a trip to the Nile River, where they’ll explore the symbiotic relationship between this unusual animal pair.
S-shaped markings trail behind a rattlesnake scaling a tall desert dune. It is a sidewinder making its characteristic climb! These snakes have developed a special way of moving so only two small areas of their bodies touch the scalding hot sand at a time. Readers will be slithering their way through the pages of this informative title about the desert adaptations of sidewinders!
No, Arctic hares are not wearing mascara! Their long, black eyelashes help these snow white hares see across the glaring white snow and ice. Learn all about how Arctic hares live in their freezing home in this title highlighting their many adaptations.
From padded split hooves made to scale rocky terrain to reflective fur, bighorn sheep have what it takes to survive in the desert! These tough animals survive even the driest of desert days through their physiological and behavioral adaptations. Early readers will find easy-to-follow text, striking photos, and several special features in this title on bighorn sheep!
Polar bears are built for subzero temperatures! With black skin to absorb the sun’s rays, two layers of thick fur to trap heat, and blubber lying under their skin, these bears are ready to take on any cold weather. Discover the many special adaptations of polar bears in this title about their lives in the Arctic!
Reindeer are migrating masters whose hooves change to tackle the different seasons of their Arctic home! In winter, hard, fur-covered hooves protect their feet from the snow and cold. As the ground thaws, their hooves become soft to make walking much easier. Travel across the northernmost biome and learn about the many adaptations of reindeer in this low-level title.
Greyhounds can zoom more than 40 miles per hour! But did you know that these speedy dogs prefer being couch potatoes? This fact-filled book for young readers highlights all that makes laid-back greyhounds awesome dogs.
Bark scorpions are the only scorpions in the Sonoran Desert that can climb! These critters use their ability to hide in cool, dark places while they wait to ambush their prey! Find out more about how bark scorpions survive the scorching Sonoran in this informative title!
Strong, fast, and fearless, roadrunners are the ultimate desert-dwelling birds! Their bodies maintain water by excreting salt through glands near their eyes, and their powerful legs let them race through the open brushland at speeds of up to 18 miles per hour! Early readers will be racing to get their hands on this title!
Spend a day hiking in the Sonoran Desert, and you may spot an unusual sight: a lizard sprinting on two legs! Collared lizards reach speeds of up to 16 miles per hour while racing on their hind legs to catch prey or escape predators. Eye-catching photos, fascinating facts, and explanations of adaptations will keep young readers glued to the pages of Collared Lizards!
Brittanys were first used in France as hunting dogs. But they’ve grown into lovable family pets! With their floppy ears, soft fur, and friendly faces, Brittanys are always ready to play or cuddle. Readers will love this fun and informative title about the looks, behavior, and favorite activities of Brittanys!
Burrowing deep under the snow, collared lemmings use their shovel-like claws to create a secret world of tunnels hidden from predators. These small rodents put on their white winter coat each fall to blend in with their snowy home. Early readers will love digging through the pages of this fun, fact-filled read about the adaptations of collared lemmings.
The gigantic ears of fennec foxes are not just for hearing small rodents scurry under the Saharan sands: these appendages radiate heat during scorching desert days to keep the foxes cool! Many more desert adaptations are explained in this fact-filled title about fennec foxes!
Arctic foxes are master hunters of the north! These small predators use their keen sense of hearing to listen for the rustlings of lemmings under the snow. Then, they leap to break through the layers of white to snatch their prey! This title walks readers through the fascinating adaptations Arctic foxes have developed to survive this harsh biome.
Australian cattle dogs live up to their name! They were first bred by cattle ranchers in Australia, but today their speckled coats and herding skills make them popular dogs around the world. This informative book introduces young readers to one of the world’s most intelligent dogs!
Who can resist a bichon frise? These cute pups may come from France, but their fluffy fur and energetic personalities have taken the world by storm. This book for beginning readers will turn anyone into a bichon fan with its colorful photos, informative infographics, and adorable dogs!
Explorer Basil Bernard Barnswhitten (B.B.B.) has a list of creatures he needs to verify for an important report so he visits the Finchhaven Museum of Extraordinary Curiosities, Oddities & Improbabilities. But he finds that one of the glass exhibit cases is damaged - something appears to be missing. Or did it escape? To complete his report, B.B.B. travels around the world to track down each creature on his list, all the while asking the same three questions: Is it alive? Is it extinct? Did it ever exist? By deciphering the clues in his journal, young explorers can accompany B.B.B. as he tries to locate each mysterious creature. Finding them won't be easy; lushly detailed scenes serve not only as camouflage but also as habitats to other strange and mysterious marvels
Dino tales! It took over 150 years to finally unravel the mystery surrounding this particular dinosaur. A man named Don gets his lifelong dream of having a dinosaur named after him. A scientist solves the mystery of a wounded Ice-Age creature. Fossil footprints lead to an important discovery. Stories by Dougal Dixon, "Dino Don" Lessem, Gail Jarrow, and Melissa Stewart.
Giddy-up! Read about Rebecca who rides her horse, Snickerdoodles, for 98 miles on the Texas Independence Trail each year. Are you ready to learn how horses talk and communicate through body language? Janet trains guide horses, and John tames the wildest horse by making friends with it. Stories by Mary Ann Hellinghausen, Leslie Wyatt, Shannon Teper, and Deborah Kearney.
Woof, woof! Mrs. Dooley has six dogs, but her house is too small. What will she do? When everyone else leaves for school, a girl spends her time with her best friend-- a dog named Sam. Rosie the dog loves smelling the neighborhood smells, but nothing smells as good as home. Autumn thinks that when her dog howls, it is a sad sound. However, when she meets Laura and her beagle, she learns that sometimes a howl means something else. Stories by June Swanson, Nancy K. Wallace, Ruth Donnelly, Nancy White Carlstrom, and Erin Berger.
The green forest! Baby Bear explores the forest looking for the perfect bed. Different forest animals prepare for the long winter ahead. Jack Rabbit doesn't believe it is going to rain. He talks to his forest friends who can smell the rain, and they all tell him that it is coming soon. Cheeper is learning how to sing. Can he learn before he must leave the forest? Stories by Lucinda H. Kennaley, Dale Cross Purvis, Gay Kamber Seltzer, and Highlights for Children.
Meow! There are so many kinds of cats, but they all seem to have one thing in common: they love mischief! Tex and Indi deal with Cow interrupting their projects. Jesse and his parents decide what to name their cat. Another family ends up with too many cats who won't go away! Stories by Highlights for Children, Lissa Rovetch, and Joy Cowley.
Real dinosaurs! Read about Triceratops' horns and their purpose. Did you know that there are animals alive today that move similarly to dinosaurs? Sometimes museums display copies of dinosaur fossils instead of the real thing. Learn how the Smithsonian made an exact copy of a dinosaur skeleton. A dinosaur fan's dreams came true as he watched a dinosaur skeleton being rebuilt. Stories by Sharon Pochron, Cheryl M. Reifsnyder, Ph.D., Suzanne McIntire, and Don Lessem, Dinosaur Editor.
