Book picks similar to
I'm Trying to Love Rocks by Bethany Barton


picture-books
non-fiction
science
picture-book

Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth


Nicola Davies - 2017
    The planet is full of millions of species of plants, birds, animals, and microbes, and every single one -- including us -- is part of a big, beautiful, complicated pattern. When humans interfere with parts of the pattern, by polluting the air and oceans, taking too much from the sea, and cutting down too many forests, animals and plants begin to disappear. What sort of world would it be if it went from having many types of living things to having just one? In a beautiful follow-up, the creators of the award-winning Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes deliver an inspiring look at the extraordinary diversity of Earth's inhabitants -- and the importance of their preservation.

Snowman - Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations


Laura Purdie Salas - 2019
    Each clever equation is a tiny, perfect poem that prompts readers to look at the ordinary and see the miraculous. Can you look at an egg in a nest and see a jewelry box? How are sunlight and heat like an alarm clock? Engaging sidebars reveal the science behind the signs of spring.

Fungus Is Among Us!


Joy Keller - 2019
    They're in the air you breathe. They're in the food you eat. They're on your body. Fungi are EVERYWHERE! But wait . . . do you need to be afraid? From fun facts about fairy circles to the delicious secret behind pizza, this book is the perfect read for young scientists. It even contains a Q & A section with a real-life mycologist!

Different? Same!


Heather Tekavec - 2017
    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.

Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack


Stacy McAnulty - 2021
    78% water, 100% delicious. A zombie chef who has sworn off eating brains salivates over this super powerful organ in this funny and fact-filled picture book. From learning about how the brain processes messages from our five senses, to learning why wrinkly human brains are so much more powerful than smooth mouse brains, this is an introduction to the organ that does it all.

Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11


Julie Gassman - 2016
    history. Amid the chaos, sea captains and crews raced by boat to the tragic Manhattan scene. Nearly 500,000 people on Manhattan Island were rescued that day in what would later be called the largest sea evacuation in history. In this rarely told story of heroism, we come to understand that in our darkest hours, people shine brightly as a beacon of hope.

One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong


Don Brown - 1998
    He spent his free time reading stacks of flying magazines, building model airplanes, and staring through the homemade telescope mounted on the roof of his neighbor's garage. As a teenager, Neil became obsessed with the idea of flight, working odd jobs to pay for flying lessons at a nearby airport. He earned his student pilot's license on his sixteenth birthday. But who was to know that this shy boy, who also loved books and music, would become the first person to set foot on the moon, on July 20, 1969. Here is the inspiring story of one boy's dream - a dream of flying that landed him more than 200,000 miles away in space, gazing upon the awesome sight of a tiny earth hanging suspended in a perfectly black sky. On the thirtieth anniversary of the moon landing, Don Brown's expressive story reveals the achievement of this American legend, Neil Armstrong, re

Tyrannosaurus Rex Vs. Velociraptor


Jerry Pallotta - 2010
    After I started writing the book, I found out the velociraptor is only 3 feet tall. Uh Oh! They are both nasty looking creatures.I find the skeleton of the velociraptor to be very scary.

Bloom Boom!


April Pulley Sayre - 2019
    Sometimes, they bloom a few at a time. But other times, many will bloom at once in a colorful flower boom! This photographic exploration of flowers goes from the desert to the woodlands and beyond, celebrating their beautiful variety and the science behind these colorful displays.

Winged Wonders: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery


Meeg Pincus - 2020
    But who solved this mystery? Was it the scientist or the American adventurer? The citizen scientists or the teacher or his students? Winged Wonders shows that the mystery could only be solved when they all worked as a team--and reminds readers that there's another monarch mystery today, one that we all must work together to solve.

The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal


Nick Seluk - 2018
    (That's why it's been Employee of the Month for 4.5 billion years.) So why does the Sun get to be the center of attention? Because it's our solar system's very own star! This funny and factual picture book from Awkward Yeti creator Nick Seluk explains every part of the Sun's big job: keeping our solar system together, giving Earth day and night, keeping us warm, and more. In fact, the Sun does so much for us that we wouldn't be alive without it. That's kind of a big deal. Each spread features bite-sized text and comic-style art with sidebars sprinkled throughout. Anthropomorphized planets (and Pluto) chime in with commentary as readers learn about the Sun. For instance, Mars found someone's rover. Earth wants the Sun to do more stuff for it. And Jupiter just wants the Sun's autograph. Funny, smart, and accessible, The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal is a must-have!

A Rock Is Lively


Dianna Hutts Aston - 2012
    From dazzling blue lapis lazuli to volcanic snowflake obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this book introduces an array of facts, making it equally perfect for classroom sharing and family reading.

Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge


Rachel Dougherty - 2019
    It was the first trip across an engineering marvel that had taken nearly fourteen years to construct. The woman's husband was the chief engineer, and he knew all about the dangerous new technique involved. The woman insisted she learn as well. When he fell ill mid-construction, her knowledge came in handy. She supervised every aspect of the project while he was bedridden, and she continued to learn about things only men were supposed to know:math,science,engineering.Women weren't supposed to be engineers. But this woman insisted she could do it all, and her hard work helped to create one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. This is the story of Emily Roebling, the secret engineer behind the Brooklyn Bridge, from author-illustrator Rachel Dougherty.

There's a Map on My Lap!: All About Maps


Tish Rabe - 2002
    The Cat in the Hat introduces beginning readers to maps–the different kinds (city, state, world, topographic, temperature, terrain, etc.); their formats (flat, globe, atlas, puzzle); the tools we use to read them (symbols, scales, grids, compasses); and funny facts about the places they show us (“Michigan looks like a scarf and a mitten! Louisiana looks like a chair you can sit in!”).

Seeds Move!


Robin Page - 2019
    But how do seeds get to the perfect place to grow? This exploration of seed dispersal covers a wide range of seeds and the creatures that help them move, from a coconut seed floating on waves to an African grass seed rolled by a dung beetle, to a milkweed seed floating on the wind.