They feed on us, make their homes on us, and generally make our lives miserable. They are horrible guests, sometimes spreading deadly diseases. These blood-sucking parasites are lice and fleas and they are pests of the first order! This book delves into the tiny world of ectoparasites that prey on humans and animal hosts. Learn how lice and fleas cant live without us and how humans have been battling the itchy critters, often without much success, since the dawn of time. Special sections give information on the plague-producing history of rat fleas and how to combat the scourge of head lice.
This intriguing book looks at the remarkable abilities of plants and animals, which need to be studied to make our environment more sustainable. People have already used birds as models for constructing airplanes, but there are so many other models that have not been replicated. Living things live at the depths of oceans and at the tops of the highest mountains, harness the energy of the sun to make food, make oxygen from carbon dioxide, walk on water, build structures that are air-conditioned, and make materials stronger than steel without ever polluting or damaging the environment. They have done all the things we wish we could do. This book will make young scientists aware of the super powers of nature and may inspire some to find ways to change the future of Earth!
All living things die. Fortunately, nature has cleaners that eat decomposing things. Scavengers, detrivores, and decomposers are three groups of living things that use the leftover energy in things that have died. From hyenas and vultures eating carcasses, to mushrooms feeding on rotting wood, to dung beetles rolling in animal waste, this book has it all in vivid color!
Camouflage is blending into a natural environment, but mimicry is pretending to be another living thing to survive. Mimics use shape, pattern, sound, smell, and/or behavior to fool predators or prey. This amazing book will thrill readers of all ages with photographs of some of the masters of mimicry. Some are simply unbelievable! Mimics such as mantises, leaf insects, snakes, frogs, butterflies, and ocean animals will make readers wonder if what they are seeing is truly real!
Wild ones are moving into the city! Follow the dog Scooter as he wanders an urban landscape, seeing many wild animals and not seeing even more. Supplementary material contains true stories and helps children become aware of the presence of wild animals and understand why they have taken to living in cities.
Bugs and insects have always fascinated children. This book in the Creepy Crawly Critters series introduces young readers to grasshoppers. Readers can discover physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and more.
Bugs and insects have always fascinated children. This book in the Creepy Crawly Critters series introduces young readers to the praying mantis. Readers can discover physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and more.
Bugs and insects have always fascinated children. This book in the Creepy Crawly Critters series introduces young readers to walking sticks. Readers can discover physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and more.
Bugs and insects have always fascinated children. This book in the Creepy Crawly Critters series introduces young readers to honey bees. Readers can discover physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and more.
Bugs and insects have always fascinated children. This book in the Creepy Crawly Critters series introduces young readers to scorpions. Readers can discover physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and more.
Bugs and insects have always fascinated children. This book in the Creepy Crawly Critters series introduces young readers to cicadas. Readers can discover physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and more.
This informative book introduces young readers to the defining characteristics of the various groups of animals that make up the animal kingdom. The bodies of many animals, including several types of mammals, fish, reptiles, birds, and arthropods, are described in simple, easy-to-understand text. Children will learn about invertebrate and vertebrate animals, warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals, how animals move, the habitats of different animals, and how various animals find food.
This fascinating book uses pictures, illustrations, and easy-to-read text to introduce the characteristics of birds to young readers. Birds of all Kinds focuses on facts about birds bodies and behavior in a way that will make this book a delight to read.
Rodents have teeth called incisors that never stop growing! They must grind their teeth or gnaw on things to keep the teeth from growing too long. Kids will be eager to "sink their teeth" into the intriguing facts in Guinea Pigs and other Rodents. This book explores many of their favorite kinds of rodents, including rats, mice, guinea pigs, beavers, and squirrels. Engaging text and vivid images help children understand how rodents build different types of homes in various habitats, what kinds of foods rodents eat, and which rodents hibernate in winter.
Numbats, opossums, planigales and quolls - not to mention marsupial moles! - are some of the more unusual animals featured in this engaging and highly illustrated ABC book. The imaginative and playful text will capture a child's interest in these strange animals as well as other more familiar favorites, from butterflies to elephants.
Earth has more than a million species of insects! There are helpful insects, harmful insects, flying insects, insects that work together, endangered insects, and some really weird insects! This fun book with great photographs will delight children and encourage them to identify insects in their world. It will also give them information to write their own books about insects!
Bobbie Kalman presents some of the most endangered animals on Earth: rhinos, bats, butterflies, penguins, gorillas, monk seals, komodo dragons, and tigers, to name just a few. This beautifully photographed volume also explains the various classifications of endangerment, as well as the major reasons why some animals are facing extinction.
Kids will be shocked to learn that arthropods outnumber all other animal species combined! They will also be fascinated by the variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and behaviors found among these invertebrates. Labeled diagrams and startling close-up photography will introduce concepts including the similarities and differences among insects, arachnids, myriapods, and crustaceans, the functions and features of an exoskeleton, molting, metamorphosis, and other interesting body facts, and the crucial function of arthropods in food chains and webs.
Marsupials are the only mammals that have a pouch on their body in which they carry their young. Most of these amazing animals live in Australia, where they have adapted to the harsh conditions of life in the outback. In What is a Marsupial? children will learn astounding facts about marsupials, including the important differences between marsupials and placentals, how kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils, opossums, and bilbies are related, how marsupials reproduce and raise their young, the ways in which they hunt and feed, and why some marsupials are in danger.
Amphibian means two lives since these animals spend the first part of their lives underwater and the rest on land. From flying tree frogs to slithering caecilians, kids will be captivated by this slimy animal group in What is an Amphibian? Young readers will discover the amphibian family tree, an amphibian's body, special skin and senses, how they move and what they eat, water- versus land-dwelling species, their life cycle and parental care, and defending themselves.
While humans are different from monkeys, apes, and lemurs, they are all primates and are similar in many ways. For example, primates make many sounds that humans make, such as sneezes, burps, hiccups, and even laughter! What is a Primate? identifies the members of the primate family tree and describes how they are different from each other. This book describes reproduction, communication, and feeding, the complex social structures of primates such as chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gibbons, Old and New World monkeys, and how people are different. what is being done to rescue threatened primates from destruction by their human cousins
Children continue to be fascinated by these prehistoric creatures. What is a Reptile? covers all orders of reptile from 10-foot long Komodo dragons to tiny, inch-long gecko lizards. Featured are such amazing reptile facts as reptile bodies and senses, their hunting and self defense techniques, reptile homes and babies, the different kinds of snakes, lizards, chelonians, crocodilians, and tuataras, and the dangers to reptiles.
The cat, with its grace, strength, and prowess, has been a source of intrigue and companionship for humans throughout time. In this comprehensive study, kids will learn about the bodies, habits, and lifestyles of large and small cats. Full-color illustrations and stunning wildlife photography accompany detailed text that covers the maternal relationship between cats and kittens, the unique features of a cat's body that allow for agility and speed, the similarities and differences between large and small cats, and endangered and vanishing cats.
Dogs are believed to be the first animals to live with people as pets. What is a Dog? explains how these once-wild members of the animal kingdom still use their senses and instincts in daily living as well as in helping people. This book describes the dog family tree, a dog's body, dogs' super senses, the complex social order of dogs, and categories of dogs.
Children will be fascinated by the life cycle of these enormous polar animals. Stunning pictures and clear text guide readers through each stage of a polar bears life from cub to adult. Children will also learn how polar bears are being affected by global warming. Beautiful images and well-written text describe polar bear dens, how cubs grow and learn to live in the Arctic, and polar bear hunting techniques.
