Book picks similar to
Awesome Amphibians by Jeff Bauer


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Smarter than Squirrels


Lucy Nolan - 2004
    But when Here Kitty Kitty moves in next door, their daily routines are turned topsy-turvy. Filled with humor and adventure, this illustrated chapter book takes a look at life in the backyard from the well-intentioned but misguided viewpoint of man’s best friend.

Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World


Jacqueline Davies - 2021
    Charming full-color illustrations and a laugh-out-loud story make this chapter book perfect for fans of the Mercy Watson and Owl Diaries series.Sydney is a skunk and Taylor is a hedgehog, but no matter how odd the pairing may seem, their friendship comes naturally. They live happily in their cozy burrow . . . until the day Taylor gets his Big Idea to go see the Whole Wide World. From mountains taller than a hundred hedgehogs, valleys wider than a thousand skunks, to the dangers that lie in the human world, Sydney and Taylor wanted to see it all. With a map and a dream, they bravely set off, soon discovering that the world is much bigger than they realized . . .

Good Rosie


Kate DiCamillo - 2018
    She likes taking walks with George and looking at the clouds together, but the closest she comes to another dog is when she encounters her reflection in her empty dog bowl, and sometimes that makes Rosie feel lonely. One day George takes Rosie to the dog park, but the park is full of dogs that Rosie doesn’t know, which makes her feel lonelier than ever. When big, loud Maurice and small, yippy Fifi bound over and want to play, Rosie’s not sure how to respond. Is there a trick to making friends? And if so, can they all figure it out together?

Learning From the Octopus: How Secrets from Nature Can Help Us Fight Terrorist Attacks, Natural Disasters, and Disease


Rafe Sagarin - 2012
    Our response to catastrophe remains unchanged: add another step to airport security, another meter to the levee wall. This approach has proved totally ineffective: reacting to past threats and trying to predict future risks will only waste resources in our increasingly unpredictable world.In Learning from the Octopus, ecologist and security expert Rafe Sagarin rethinks the seemingly intractable problem of security by drawing inspiration from a surprising source: nature. Biological organisms have been living -- and thriving -- on a risk-filled planet for billions of years. Remarkably, they have done it without planning, predicting, or trying to perfect their responses to complex threats. Rather, they simply adapt to solve the challenges they continually face.Military leaders, public health officials, and business professionals would all like to be more adaptable, but few have figured out how. Sagarinargues that we can learn from observing how nature is organized, how organisms learn, how they create partnerships, and how life continually diversifies on this unpredictable planet.As soon as we dip our toes into a cold Pacific tidepool and watch what we thought was a rock turn into an octopus, jetting away in a cloud of ink, we can begin to see the how human adaptability can mimic natural adaptation. The same mechanisms that enabled the octopus's escape also allow our immune system to ward off new infectious diseases, helped soldiers in Iraq to recognize the threat of IEDs, and aided Google in developing faster ways to detect flu outbreaks. While we will never be able to predict the next earthquake, terrorist attack, or market fluctuation, nature can guide us in developing security systems that are not purely reactive but proactive, holistic, and adaptable. From the tidepools of Monterey to the mountains of Kazakhstan, Sagarin takes us on an eye-opening tour of the security challenges we face, and shows us how we might learn to respond more effectively to the unknown threats lurking in our future.

Horace & Bunwinkle


P.J. Gardner - 2021
    Perfect for fans of the Mercy Watson series, The Trouble with Chickens, and A Boy Called Bat.Horace Homer Higgins III despises dirt. And the outdoors. And ducks. But when his person, Ellie, moves to a farm called the Homestead, the anxious Boston Terrier is forced to adapt. As if that isn’t enough to strain his nerves, Ellie adopts a perpetually cheerful potbellied pig named Bunwinkle to be his baby sister.Bunwinkle is delighted to be on the farm despite the stuffiness of her new canine brother. She’s sure she’ll crack his shell eventually—no one can resist her cuteness for long—especially once they bond over watching a TV pet-tective show.When the duo discovers that some neighborhood animals have been disappearing, they decide to use their new detective skills to team up to solve this barnyard mystery. Is it a mountain lion? Or their suspiciously shot-loving veterinarians? Only one thing seems certain: if they don’t figure it out soon, one of them might be next.

Julian, Secret Agent


Ann Cameron - 1988
    When Julian, his little brother Huey, and their friend Gloria decide to be "crime busters," they find themselves in one adventure after another.

It's Not Easy Being a Bunny


Marilyn Sadler - 1983
    J. Funnybunny in this humorous and touching Beginner Book by Marilyn Sadler and Roger Bollen. It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny tells the “tail” of P.J. and his quest to become something other than what he is. Is it more fun to be a bear, a bird, or a pig? Read along as P.J. tries to determine who he is—and where he belongs. Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning."Sick of being a bunny, P. J. Funnybunny takes off to become a bear. Hibernation gets dull, so he tries being a bird. And so it goes, with beavers, pigs, possums, and skunks--till P. J. realizes that bunnyhood is for him. The short, repeating text is ideal for beginners and the bright, humorous cartoons will get immediate attention."-- School Library Journal.

Duck, Duck, Porcupine!


Salina Yoon - 2016
    Little Duck doesn't speak yet, but through his expressions and his actions, he shows that he has a better grasp on any situation than his older sister. Told entirely through dialogue and visual storytelling with subtle humor throughout, Little Duck ends up getting the trio out of whatever jam they are in.Moving into an exciting new paper over board reader format, Salina Yoon's early readers are perfect for fans of bestselling series like Elephant & Piggie and Ballet Cat, giving all her picture book fans a fantastic next step for reading fun.

The Curse of Snake Island


Brian James - 2007
    As the ship heads toward Snake Island, Pete has an idea to earn some respect—if the kids can find the hidden treasure before the grown-ups, then they’ll have to be taken seriously! Only one problem: The treasure is guarded by a giant snake that curses anyone who looks in its eyes. Can the pirate kids find the treasure, earn the pirates’ respect, and escape certain death?

A Nest Full of Eggs


Priscilla Belz Jenkins - 1995
    Slowly the bird develops, until one day it cracks through the shell. Safe inside the nest, under the care of its parents, the chick grows stronger. Soon it will learn how to fly and take care of itself. By next spring it will be ready to build its own nest and raise chicks of its own.

Paddington's Prize Picture


Michael Bond - 2017
    Gruber shows him just how fun it can be. But he’s not the only one—Mr. Brown has an artistic streak, too. So when a painting contest comes to town, the winning picture is a surprise to all. Because when Paddington is involved, the ordinary turns extraordinary!Paddington’s Prize Picture is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.

Wandi


Favel Parrett - 2021
    This is where he meets his first Human, and begins his long journey to becoming the most famous dingo in the world. He will never see his mountain home again, or his family. But it is his destiny to save alpine dingoes from extinction, and he dreams of a time when all cubs like him can live in the wild in safety, instead of facing poison and bullets and hatred. A children's literary classic in-the-making from one of Australia's most-loved authors.

Show me the Honey


Tish Rabe - 2010
    Where does honey come from? The Cat in the Hat knows that! It comes from bees, and what better way to learn about honey making than to visit inside a hive and see firsthand how it’s done? In this rhymed easy reader based on an episode from the new PBS Kids television show The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, the Cat, Sally and Nick, and Things One and Two shrink to bee size and learn how bees communicate via dance, collect nectar and spit it into combs, turn it into honey, and seal the combs with wax.This is a sweet, funny Step into Reading book that kids will gobble up (without realizing they are ingesting an important natural-history lesson!).

Nate the Great and the Missing Birthday Snake


Andrew Sharmat - 2017
    So are Lizzy's four pet snakes. Nate believes that a good detective knows his limits. Nate does not want to go to a birthday party filled with dangerous, slimy guests. But when one of these "guests" goes missing, Nate and Sludge must face their fears to save the day!Visit Nate the Great and Sludge! NatetheGreatBooks.comPraise for the Nate the Great Series★ "Kids will like Nate the Great." --School Library Journal, Starred"A consistently entertaining series." --Booklist"Loose, humorous chalk and watercolor spots help turn this beginning reader into a page-turner." --Publishers Weekly"Nate, Sludge, and all their friends have been delighting beginning readers for years." --Kirkus Reviews"They don't come any cooler than Nate the Great." --The Huffington Post

Stan the Hot Dog Man


Ethel Kessler - 1990
    He likes the fresh air, the friends he makes, and the time to go fishing. Plus he makes the best hot dogs around!Suddenly, in a terrible blizzard, a school bus becomes stranded in the snow. And who comes to the rescue?Stan the Hot Dog Man!