Hurricane . . . just the word brings to mind the power of these natural disasters. Humans watch the news and know of impending arrival. We board up windows and gather supplies. We might huddle in our homes or go inland. Then we wait for the storm to arrive. But what do wild animals do? Do they know when a storm is coming? If so, how do they prepare? This book explains how nine animals sense, react, and prepare for a hurricane. Based on research or observations, the brief portraits are explained in simple, poetic language for children of all ages.
When Sophia dreams that howling winds whisk the fur and feathers right off her animal friends, she shares some of her clothes with them. But her clothing doesn't work well for the animals. Seeing their disappointment, she offers to sew each one the "right" coat. Animals line up to explain what they need and why. Polar Bear needs white fur to stay warm and hide in the snow. Fish needs scales, but with slime. Snake needs scales too, but dry ones. And how will Sophia make a prickly coat for Porcupine? The award-winning team of Halfmann and Klein (Little Skink's Tail) reunite to bring animal coverings (and classification) to life in an imaginative way.
Come spend A Day on the Mountain, the follow up to Kevin Kurtz's award-winning first book, A Day in the Salt Marsh. Rhyming verse and vibrant illustrations take readers up a mountain, from the forested bottom to the snow-covered top. While climbing, they witness the changing habitats and meet the plants and animals that live there. Learn about Black bears, Great Gray Owls, Garter snakes, Clark's nutcrackers, Bighorn sheep, Hummingbirds, Yellow-bellied marmots, Mountain goats, Salamanders, and Snow fleas.
A squid has two gigantic eyes to see in dark places, eights arms for holding food, and a funnel for swimming! Young readers will get sucked in as they discover how squids eat, swim, and escape predators. Blastoff! Series
Whales are giant sea creatures capable of performing amazing acrobatics! They groan and sing to talk to each other. This book lets children look closely at how whales live and behave. Blastoff! Series
A swimming stingray looks like its flying through the ocean! Its wide fins look like wings and help it glide. This book introduces children to the parts of a stingray, especially its stinging tail. Blastoff! Series
Look for a sea star's mouth in the middle of its body! Arms called rays surround its mouth. This book introduces children to the anatomy of a sea star and explains the unique way a sea star eats. Blastoff! Series
Astro is a stellar Steller sea lion! Only a few days old when found orphaned, he is cared for and raised at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California. When big enough to be released to the wild where he needs to be, he has other plans! Just like a lost dog finding his way home, Astro keeps swimming back towards the Center, crossing miles of open ocean water to do so. After several attempts, people realize that Astro is too accustomed to humans and will just keep coming back. Based on real events, readers follow Astro through some of his travels that have now taken him across the U.S. to his current home at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.
Manatees are gigantic ocean creatures. They are an endangered species. In this book, beginning readers will learn how manatees look, move through water, and dig up plants for food. Blastoff! Series
Wherever the ocean current takes them, jellyfish go. They are considered drifters. Follow jellyfish as they move underwater and discover why they are known for their sting! Blastoff! Series
Did you know that a puffer fish inflates into a ball when it senses danger? It uses size to intimidate predators. This book introduces children to the appearance, eating habits, and predator escape tactics of puffer fish. Blastoff! Series
Cuttlefish are chameleons of the sea. They can change their skin color to match their surroundings. Beginning readers will discover where cuttlefish live, what they eat, and how they stay safe from predators. Blastoff! Series
Did you know that there is a fish with the head of a horse? This book introduces children to sea horses; how they look, use a snout to eat, hide on the ocean floor, and have babies. Blastoff! Series
Though corals look like plants and sunlight helps them grow, corals are actually animals! Find out where corals live, what they eat, and how they make coral reefs. Blastoff! Series
Underwater earthquakes, volcanoes, and mudslides can cause tsunami waves that reach land and wreak havoc. Children will learn how tsunamis develop, how they are detected, and their devastating impact on communities. Blastoff! Series
Hurricane winds spin around a central point called an eye. A hurricane's eye usually has calm weather and clear skies. Eager readers will discover how hurricanes form, move, and damage tropical areas. Blastoff! Series
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a wolf? What would you do in the cold winter months? Where would you sleep? What would you eat? Spend a year in the world of wolves in One Wolf Howls. This adventurous children's book uses the months of the year and the numbers 1 through 12 to introduce children to the behavior of wolves in natural settings. The lively, realistic illustrations of Susan Detwiler complement the rhyming text and bring each month to life. From January to December, howl, frolic, and dance, while learning important lessons page-by-page! The "For Creative Minds" learning section includes a "Wolf Communications Matching" and "Wolf Calendar" activity.
Can a swan survive without winter migration? Marcel, a young tundra swan, is tired from the first half of a winter migration. One thousand miles is a long way to fly--too long for Marcel, so he hides in the rushes to stay behind while his parents and the flock continue south. But with the lake nearly frozen over, he soon realizes that he is not cut out for life on ice. Other animals offer advice about how to survive the winter, but their ways of living aren't right for the swan. Hungry and scared, he falls asleep - only to be awakened by a big surprise! The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes "Tundra Swan Fun Facts" and a "Tundra Swan Life Cycle Sequencing Activity."
Little turtle was lost! Free from his egg, he climbed out into a big, beautiful new world. Lost and alone, he wondered--where did he really belong? The bear told him to live in the woods; the frog said, "The swamp!" But turtle just didn't feel at home. He needed help, but where could he turn? Author Susan Ring helps turtle in this whimsical story of self-exploration and nature, Where Should Turtle Be? Detailed illustrations by Laurie Allen Klein give these friendly animals personality, and in the end, an unexpected tickle and tumble help turtle find his place in his new world. The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes "Turtle Fun Facts" and "Match the Turtle to its Habitat."
You can celebrate the huge difference caring people make for endangered animals while you practice subtraction skills. In this sequel to her popular addition title, What's New at the Zoo?, Slade presents a new subtraction problem in each clever rhyming verse. The colorful watercolors include realistic animals set in lush spreads by illustrator, Joan Waites. So join in the celebration of our world's precious animals with this exciting title, and have fun practicing math skills along the way! The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes: Endangered Animal Vocabulary, Food Chains and Webs, Missing Links in Food Chains, Endangered Animals, and Fact Families.
This is a companion book to Mary Alice Monroe's novel, Swimming Lessons, the sequel to The Beach House. In the novel, the readers witness a young mother, Toy, writing a journal for her daughter, Little Lovie. This is the journal Toy is writing. Using original photographs, this scrapbook journal explains the nesting cycle of sea turtles and the natural life along the Southeastern coast, including local shore birds, shells, and the sea turtle hospital. Adults and children will enjoy the images, information and the journal with or without the novel. The "For Creative Minds" educational section includes turtle nesting facts, a shell identification activity, and a make-your-own nature journal.
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.
