From its opening pages, the book suggests that we are intimately connected to the natural world; it compares the way we learn to speak to the way baby birds learn to sing, and the growth of human bodies to the growth of forests. Award-winning author Elin Kelsey — along with a number of concerned parents and educators around the world — believes children are losing touch with nature. This innovative picture book aims to reintroduce children to their innate relationship with the world around them by sharing many of the surprising ways that we are all connected to the natural world.Grounded in current science, this extraordinary picture book provides opportunities for children to use their imaginations and wonder about some big ideas. Soyeon Kim’s incredible diorama art enhances the poetic text, and her creative process is explored in full on the reverse side of the book’s jacket, which features comments from the artist. Young readers will want to pore over each page of this book, exploring the detailed artwork and pondering the message of the text, excited to find out just how connected to the Earth they really are.

     "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad"? Well, forget 'em! Songwriter and comedy writer extraordinaire Alan Katz has turned those and other old favorites on their ears and created new nonsense songs kids will love. With zany, spirited pictures by illustrator and cartoonist David Catrow, this kooky collection guarantees laughs and plenty of silly dillyness for kids everywhere!

    For example, the zebra gallops, the bumblebee flies, the lemur leaps and the tiger prowls --- ?But look closer now ... We all have STRIPES!? And so it goes. Again and again, readers will be surprised to find that a group of four seemingly different animals all have one trait in common --- whiskers, horns, shells and the like --- for a total of thirteen traits in all. Observant children will notice that one of the animals from each group also appears on the following spread with three new animals that have a different characteristic in common. Finally, all forty of the featured animals are shown together, and readers are asked to search for those with specific characteristics not already covered in the book --- for example, those with spots, those who live in the ocean or those with six or more legs. Author Heather Tekavec has discovered a fun and interactive approach to helping young children begin to explore the ways animals are classified. Pippa Curnick's playful and engaging illustrations of the animals in their habitats are all scientifically accurate, keeping the experience both enjoyable and informative. The searching activity also works to enhance visual literacy. With a detailed glossary included, this is an ideal book for introducing early lessons on the characteristics of living things and for starting discussions on the ways all creatures are like and unlike one another.

    And while you're filling up on dinner, puffins are swooping down on the ocean by the cliffs to catch fish. It's an amazing world out there-at this very moment.

    Porcupines are scary. Bats are ugly.Or are they . . . ?This captivating book invites you to look beyond your first impressions at these awe-inspiring animals in the wild. After all, it’s best not to judge a beast until you understand its full, lovely life.

    Janeczko pairs with Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet for a collection of short poems to sample and savor. It only takes a few words, if they’re the right words, to create a strong image. Whether listened to in the comfort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six very short poems in this collection remind readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow. Selected by acclaimed poet Paul B. Janeczko and gorgeously illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems invites children to sample poems throughout the four seasons.

    Each fall, while the city's inhabitants dine on steaks, salads, and sandwiches, the great white sharks return to California's Farallon Islands to hunt their favorite meal: the seals that live on the island's rocky coasts. Massive, fast, and perfectly adapted to hunting after 11 million years of evolution, the great whites are among the planet's most fearsome, fascinating, and least understood animals. In the fall of 2012, Katherine Roy visited the Farallons with the scientists who study the islands' shark population. She witnessed seal attacks, observed sharks being tagged in the wild, and got an up close look at the dramatic Farallons—a wildlife refuge that is strictly off-limits to all but the scientsts who work there. Neighborhood Sharks is an intimate portrait of the life cycle, biology, and habitat of the great white shark, based on the latest research and an up-close visit with these amazing animals.

    Water can be a Thirst quencher Kid drencher Cloud fluffer Fire snuffer Find out about the many roles water plays in this poetic exploration of water throughout the year.

    Brian Karas present the extraordinary real story of a special gorilla.Captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington, mall to attract shoppers. Gradually, public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta. From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact.This is his true story and includes photographs of Ivan in the back matter.

    All night long, while you are asleep, millions of sea creatures move through the deep...This lavishly illustrated counting book offers a fascinating peek at ocean nightlife. Richly-textured collage art and infectious rhyme reveal the habits and habitats of otters, spider crabs, turtle hatchlings, and other nocturnal ocean dwellers. Young children will love acting out the action words associated with each animal, while counting creatures from 1 to 10, and from 10 back down to 1. Curious readers can learn more about each of the 20 creatures featured in a detailed endnote.

    But how do they get there? The answers are as varied as the landscapes, which range from Egypt's sandy desert to Switzerland's snowy peaks. Jaunty rhymes — in Venice, "Bianca, Beppo, Benedetto, ride aboard the vaporetto" — and exuberant watercolors celebrate the individuality of each locale, and there are plenty of humorous details to please eagle-eyed readers as they join their fellow students to travel by ferry, trolley car, helicopter, and more. A world map is included at the end, along with a summary listing where all the children in the story live.Sure to awaken student curiosity about the world, This Is the Way We Go to School combines themes of transportation, school, culture, and childhood into a not-to-be-missed multicultural extravaganza.

    Keats's collage-style illustrations perfectly complement this classic Appalachian counting rhyme, which is also a popular song for toddlers.

    With a wealth of information tucked into an engaging story, this informational picture book is a perfect pick for classroom investigations or story time. A chart on photosynthesis and a rub-a-leaf activity are included.

    In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a trip to Yosemite. Camping by themselves in the uncharted woods, the two men saw sights and held discussions that would ultimately lead to the establishment of our National Parks.

    Because if we’re talking about the best possible compliment to your eyes and ears alike, few have as many perks and grand moments as this." —School Library Journal starred review "Out of a windless August night/A luna moth in ghostly lightBeat softly on my window screen/Tick-tick-ticking-all silver green.She whispered secrets in my ear--/I am but a stranger here.The stars are scrawled across the sky/By ghostwriters, the Moon and I.You will not see me here tonight--/I have a thousand stars to write."What could be better than cuddling up with your child and this book on your lap and allowing your imaginations to soar with the words and images? Lovingly selected by U.S. Children's Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis and paired with vibrant animal photography, this collection of poems is an exuberant celebration of the animal kingdom and a beautiful introduction to this genre of literature. Designed for family sharing but targeted to ages 4-8, this dynamic, fresh, yet still classic collection of animal poems is a must-have for the family bookshelf.Featured poets include J. Patrick Lewis, Dorothy Aldis, Emily Dickinson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Frost, Rudyard Kipling, Jack Prelutsky, Elizabeth Madox Roberts, Robert Louis Stevenson, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and many more.Divided into chapters that group the poems by theme for extra resonance, the collection is a mix of old and new, classics, and never-before-published. A foreword from Lewis, sets the scene for helping children appreciate this gift of language and this visual feast for the eyes. Chapters include:Welcome to the World (birth of animal young)Big Ones (large animals--elephants, hippos, rhinos, bears)Little Ones (small animals--worms, insects)Winged Ones (birds and other flying creatures) Water Ones (aquatic animals--fish, dolphins, crabs)Strange Ones (curious creatures--armadillos, centipedes)Noisy Ones (loud animals--lions, hyenas)Quiet Ones (silent or still animals--hens, rabbits, snakes)Last Thought (a reflection on the world we share with animals)