Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard


Annette LeBlanc Cate - 2010
    Quirky full-color illustrations portray dozens of birds chatting about their distinctive characteristics, including color, shape, plumage, and beak and foot types, while tongue-in-cheek cartoons feature banter between birds, characters, and the reader ("Here I am, the noble spruce grouse. In a spruce grove. Eatin’ some spruce. Yep."). Interactive and enjoyable tips bring an age-old hobby to new life for the next generation of bird-watchers.

Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh


Sally M. Walker - 2015
    Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training for World War I. Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company’s home town, and he brought her along to the training camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment’s much-loved mascot. But who could care for the bear when Harry had to go to the battleground in France? Harry found just the right place for Winnie while he was away — the London Zoo. There a little boy named Christopher Robin came along and played with Winnie — he could care for this bear too! Sally Walker’s heartwarming story, paired with Jonathan Voss’s evocative illustrations, brings to life the story of the real bear who inspired Winnie the Pooh.

Beatrix Potter, Scientist


Lindsay H. Metcalf - 2020
    For a decade before Beatrix released The Tale of Peter Rabbit, she became enchanted with fungi after encountering them on holiday in Scotland. She studied them obsessively, at first to draw them accurately, and later for the sake of inquiry. Her period as an amateur mycologist culminated with her submission of a paper to the Linnean Society of London, which asked her to revise, but did not let her attend because she was a woman. This is a STEAM-focused title and lyrical examination of how art interacts with science, the role of women in Victorian British society, and resiliency and reinvention in the face of rejection.

James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small


James Herriot - 1992
    From the springtime frolic of Oscar, Cat-About-Town to the yuletide warmth of The Christmas Day Kitten, these stories-radiantly illustrated by Peter Barrett and Ruth Brown-are perennial favorites, and this new complete edition will make a wonderful gift for all readers, great and small.

Unusual Creatures: A Mostly Accurate Account of Some of Earth's Strangest Animals


Michael Hearst - 2012
    Which animal can be found at the top of Mount Everest, 10,000 feet under the sea, and in your backyard? Which animal poops cubes? Which animal can disguise itself as a giant crab? These fascinating facts and hundreds more await curious minds, amateur zoologists, and anyone who has ever laughed at a funny-looking animal.

Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement


Stephanie Roth Sisson - 2018
    Spring after spring, year after year, she observed how all living things are connected. And as an adult, Rachel watched and listened as the natural world she loved so much began to fall silent. Spring After Spring traces Rachel’s journey as scientist and writer, speaking truth to an often hostile world through her book, and ultimately paving the way for the modern environmental movement.

Over and Under the Canyon


Kate Messner - 2021
    Over the canyon, the sun scalds the air, baking desert mud to stone. But under the shade of the cliffs hides another world, where bighorn sheep bound from rock to rock on the hillside, roadrunners make their nests in sturdy cacti, and banded geckos tuck themselves into the shelter of the sand. Discover the wonders concealed in the curves of the canyon, the magic of a desert wildflower bloom, and all the unexpected creatures that bring the desert to life.DISCOVER AMAZING ANIMALS: Kids are endlessly curious about the natural world and the wildly varied animals living in it—and the desert is FULL of amazing and surprising animals!CAPTIVATING NONFICTION: Like its predecessors, this latest offering in the Over and Under picture book series illuminates the magic of the natural world and its amazing inhabitants by telling the story of one family's hike through a real-world desert ecosystem in lyrical prose and color-drenched illustrations. Even the most reluctant readers will be drawn into a fact-filled story this compelling!GREAT FOR TEACHING: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize learning about animal habitats/biomes in K–2 curriculums, while later grades address topics like food chains, conservation, and endangered species. With a depth of research and an engaging, highly visual narrative, this book is an excellent resource for librarians and primary school educators.ENCOURAGES ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS: Concern for and preservation of the wilderness is an increasingly talked-about topic. This book provides a great, upbeat jumping-off point for discussions of the importance and wonder of our world's natural habitats and ecosystems.

The Secret Life of the Red Fox


Laurence Pringle - 2017
    Stunning, realistic illustrations celebrate the beauty of these mysterious creatures as readers learn important facts through an engaging and fascinating story. The book also includes back matter with more in-depth information, a glossary, and further resources.

Secrets of the Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist


Evan Griffith - 2021
    Jeanne Power was groundbreaking: she solved mysteries of sea animals and published her findings at a time when few of women’s contributions to science were acknowledged. Jeanne Power was persistent: when records of her research were lost, she set to work repeating her studies. And when men tried to take credit for her achievements, she stood firm and insisted on the recognition due to her.Jeanne Power was inspiring, and the legacy of this pioneering marine scientist lives on in every aquarium.

A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups


Anna Wright - 2015
    . . . This clever book introduces young readers to some of the words we use to refer to animals in a group. The ink, watercolor, and fabric collage art is brightly colored and uniquely sets this fun book apart from the crowd. Each page presents information about an animal and its group behavior, such as how geese fly in a V-shape and honk to encourage the leaders, and that sometimes tens of thousand of flamingos meet up in one location. Young readers will have a great time and create a wellspring of new vocabulary words.

Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth


Molly Bang - 2014
    professor Penny Chisholm to present the fascinating, timely story of fossil fuels.What are fossil fuels, and how did they come to exist? This engaging, stunning book explains how coal, oil, and gas are really "buried sunlight," trapped beneath the surface of our planet for millions and millions of years.Now, in a very short time, we are digging them up and burning them, changing the carbon balance of our planet's air and water. What does this mean, and what should we do about it?Using simple language and breathtaking paintings, Bang and Chisholm present a clear, concise explanation of the fossil-fuel energy cycle that began with the sun and now runs most of our transportation and energy use in our world.Readers will be mesmerized by this engaging fourth book in the award-winning Sunlight Series by Bang and Chisholm.

Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats


Ann Earle - 1995
    Included as well is a simple plan for a building a backyard bat house. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.This is a Level 2 Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science title, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents


Lita Judge - 2014
    Filled with illustrations of some of the most adorable babies in the kingdom, this awww-inspiring book looks at the traits that all baby mammals share and proves that, even though they're born in the wild, they're not so very different from us, after all!

Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep


April Pulley Sayre - 2016
    Squirrels wrestle.Squirrels leap.Squirrels climb.Squirrels sleep.If you followed a squirrel for a day, what would you see? Climbing branches, storing seeds, making homes in tree holes, and maybe even flying! Acclaimed nature writer April Pulley Sayre's lyrical text, paired with Steve Jenkins's stunning art, offers a glimpse into this fascinating world.Discover different kinds of squirrels as they scamper, eat, and—finally—sleep.

The Eye of the Whale: A Rescue Story


Jennifer O'Connell - 2013
    He had discovered a humpback whale tangled in hundreds of yards of crab-trap lines, struggling to stay at the surface to breathe. A team of volunteers answered the call, and four divers risked their lives to rescue the enormous animal. What followed was a rare and remarkable demonstration of animal behavior. This celebrated story, beautifully depicted in Jennifer O'Connell's mesmerizing paintings, will make you wonder about animal emotions and the unique connections we can have with animals, even whales.