Photographed against white backgrounds, their colors, shapes, textures, and seeming personalities shine. Whimsical but educational narratives accompanying each animal highlight fascinating natural history information: a bush katydid explains her bubblegum-pink color, a poetic opossum opines upon her often-shortened name, and a far-from-modest black swallowtail butterfly lets readers in on her secret for avoiding predators. Back matter includes a visual index, additional animal facts, a two-page life-size spread of silhouettes, and a full glossary. With such stunning photography, you’ll never see nature the same way again!

    Then it came back, along with Ceres and Eris...and now Haumea and MakeMake, too! The recent actions of the International Astronomical Union have put every solar system book out of date. In response, National Geographic joins forces with David Aguilar of the Harvard Smithsonian Astronomical Observatory to revise our 2008 book—and to update young readers on the high-interest topic of space. Using simple text and spectacular photorealistic computer art by the author, this book profiles all 13 planets in their newly created categories—plus the sun, the Oort Cloud, comets, and other worlds being discovered. Back-of-the-book activities offer hands-on fun for budding astronomers.

    He's got a degree in just about every discipline under the sun!Speaking of the sun, he happens to be specialist on that too, and Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space will tell you everything that there could be to know about our star, our planet, our solar system, our galaxy, and our universe. The professor's made sure of that; he's a fastidious little feline!Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space also explores topics such as gravity, extraterrestrial life, time, and many other fascinating subjects that will take you and your children on a journey to the very frontiers of space!Dr. Dominic Walliman received a PhD in quantum device physics from Birmingham University in 2010 where he spent several years teaching physics to undergraduates and previously obtained a physics BSc and an MSc in computer science. He has also spread the joys of physics to the wider world, taking part in a series of talks in schools and demonstrations at festivals as well as tutoring A-level physics students.Ben Newman is an award-winning illustrator (Royal Television Society Award for Best Branding and Opening Credits Sequence). Previous clients include Penguin, the BBC, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the New York Times, amongst many others. He is a long-standing contributor to Nobrow and is the author of two books, The Bento Bestiary and Ouroboros, under the same imprint.

    And many from around the globe proudly lay claim to ancestral ties there. S is for Shamrock: An Ireland Alphabet gives readers a guided A-Z tour of this small island country whose influence extends far beyond its sea borders.

    Because she was going to study him, she decided to call him Alex--short for Avian Learning EXperiment. At that time, most scientists thought that the bigger the brain, the smarter the creature; they studied great apes and dolphins. African greys, with their walnut-sized "birdbrains," were pretty much ignored--until Alex. His intelligence surprised everyone, including Irene. He learned to count, add, and subtract; to recognize shapes, sizes, and colors; and to speak, and understand, hundreds of words. These were things no other animal could do. Alex wasn't supposed to have the brainpower to do them, either. But he did them anyway.Accompanied by Meilo So's stunning illustrations, Alex and Irene's story is one of groundbreaking discoveries about animal intelligence, hard work, and the loving bonds of a unique friendship.

    Frogs are astonishing in their variety and crucial to ecosystems. Onomatopoeic text and stunning illustrations introduce young readers to these fascinating and important creatures, from Chile to Nepal to Australia.

    There would be beautiful castles, kings and queens, good knights, bad knights, fair ladies in danger, evil dragons from the mountains, and a giant troll that roars and eats anything. What kid hasn’t dreamed of living in fairy-tale times—hasn’t imagined himself as the bravest knight in all the land (or at least the knight’s faithful squire). As he has done in his celebrated There’s a Nightmare in My Closet and its follow-ups, Mercer Mayer brings childhood fantasy hilariously to life here. Bad knights are forced to pick flowers for the king, a day’s adventure involves rescuing a cat from a tree, and our hero boldly fights a fire-breathing dragon using his trusty slingshot.This silly charmer, originally published in 1968 as Terrible Troll, has been entirely redone in vivid color. It’s a rediscovered gem with timeless appeal.

    All day long, as he maneuvers his donkey cart through streets crowded with cars and camels, down alleys filled with merchants' stalls, and past buildings a thousand years old, Ahmed keeps his secret safe inside. It is so special, so wonderful, that he can reveal it only to his family, only when he returns home, only at the end of the day.

    King Arthur was a good ruler, but now he needs a good ruler. What would you do if the neighboring kingdom were threatening war? Naturally, you'd call your strongest and bravest knights together to come up with a solution. But when your conference table causes more problems than the threat of your enemy, you need expert help. Enter Sir Cumference, his wife Lady Di of Ameter, and their son Radius. With the help of the carpenter, Geo of Metry, this sharp-minded team designs the perfect table conducive to discussing the perfect plan for peace. The first in Sir Cumference series, SIR CUMFERENCE AND THE FIRST ROUND TABLE makes math fun and accessible for everyone.

    Fry bread is food.It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.Fry bread is time.It brings families together for meals and new memories.Fry bread is nation.It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.Fry bread is us.It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.

    She goes on to explain that even one tree is nice, if it is the only one you happen to have.Some of the reasons why trees are so good to have around are funny. Some are indisputable facts. But in all of them there is a sense of poetic simplicity and beauty which will be sure to entrance any young child. Whether he knows one tree or many, he will relish the descriptions of the delights to be had in, with, or under a tree.Marc Simont's joyous pictures, half of them in full color, accentuate the child-like charm of the words. And each painting of a tree or trees shows just how very nice they can be.

    Kids are invited to find out where worms live, see how they move, and understand why gardeners consider them friends with the help of this humorous and informative look at an unappreciated — and fascinating — creature.

    Washington. Living in a West Virginia settlement after emancipation, nine-year-old Booker travels by lantern light to the salt works, where he labors from dawn till dusk. Although his stomach rumbles, his real hunger is his intense desire to learn to read.... [A] moving and inspirational story." - School Library Journal, starred review

    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.

    At the mountain's base sits a cabin under an old hickory tree. And in that cabin lives a family—loving, weaving, cooking, and singing. The strength in their song sustains them through trials on the ground and in the sky, as they wait for their daughter/sister/granddaughter/niece, a pilot, to return from war. With an author's note that pays homage to the true history of Native American U.S. service members like WWII pilot Ola Mildred "Millie" Rexroat.