After rain comes down, the sun comes out and dries the puddles. But the water isn’t gone. The heat from the sun has turned it into water vapor—it has evaporated. Eventually, this moisture in the air condenses to form new clouds. Soon the rain will fall again.

    They’re mean. They eat things. Bor-ing. At least that’s how Sophie feels when she sits down to do her homework.   But then something decidedly unboring happens—Sophie is whisked away to the Arctic by a jovial polar bear named Olafur. In a whirlwind of a day, he shows the reluctant Sophie the many brilliant things there are to see in his home, from glacier mice to the northern lights. Sophie begins to learn that the polar bear’s home is so much more than a barren, frozen land. It’s a world filled with life, adventure—and a new friend.  The Bear Report showcases the power of curiosity to fill any blank canvas, whether it’s an incomplete homework assignment or the Arctic ice.

    Meerkats sleep in a stack. Is that how these kids go to sleep? Or do they hibernate in snow all winter long like frogs? Or maybe they sleep the day away like skunks? No, that can't be right! By the book's conclusion, the kids have imitated all kinds of animals who are portrayed sleeping in their natural habitats, thanks to Sydney Hanson's charming illustrations. Readers will recognize the way the human child eventually goes to sleep--with stuffed animals, a bedtime story, and a kiss good night!

    Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

    Worms, ladybugs, millipedes, and more help a garden grow each season. Tim McCanna’s gorgeous, rhyming text, combined with Aimée Sicuro’s stunning illustrations make this charming picture book as informative as it is fun to read aloud. Bonus backmatter features tons of cool facts about ecosystems and the symbiosis between plants and bugs.

    Celebrated paper artist Hannah Viano has created this beautiful alphabet book that will appeal to children as well as adults. The flora, fauna, and landscape elements in this book are found throughout North America, so readers around the country will connect with Viano's gorgeous art and text that are both scientific and poetic.

    Now, in Plant a Pocket of Prairie, Root and Bowen take young readers on a trip to another of Minnesota’s important ecosystems: the prairie.Once covering almost 40 percent of the United States, native prairie is today one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Plant a Pocket of Prairie teaches children how changes in one part of the system affect every other part: when prairie plants are destroyed, the animals who eat those plants and live on or around them are harmed as well. Root shows what happens when we work to restore the prairies, encouraging readers to “plant a pocket of prairie” in their own backyards.By growing native prairie plants, children can help re-create food and habitat for the many birds, butterflies, and other animals that depend on them. “Plant cup plants,” Root suggests. “A thirsty chickadee might come to drink from a tiny leaf pool. Plant goldenrod. A Great Plains toad might flick its tongue at goldenrod soldier beetles.” An easy explanation of the history of the prairie, its endangered status, and how to go about growing prairie plants follows, as well as brief descriptions of all the plants and animals mentioned in the story.With Betsy Bowen’s beautiful, airy illustrations capturing the feel of an open prairie and all its inhabitants, readers of all ages will be inspired to start planting seeds and watching for the many fascinating animals their plants attract. What a marvelous transformation could take place if we all planted a pocket of prairie!

    The Skydiving Beavers

    Umbrellas bloom on the streets. There are puddles for jumping and, later, a cozy home for hot chocolate and books.The air is full of waiting. The sky is full of breeze. The trees gust and billow. All before it rains.Rumble, rumble. Distant thunder. Rain is coming, rain is coming.

    

    Pale Male and his mate built their nest near the top of one of Fifth Avenue’s swankiest apartment buildings. Nine years and 23 chicks later, Pale Male’s fame had grown so large that a CBS newsman named him Father of the Year! But Pale Male was less beloved by the residents of the building, and in 2004 the owners suddenly removed the nest–setting off an international outcry on behalf of the birds.

    Ruth Heller's prose and pictures are the perfect means for discovering the variety of oviparous animals and their unique ways of laying eggs.

    You can also find out what happens to water after it travels through a tree's roots, branches, and leaves, and how to figure out a tree's age.Clyde Robert Bulla's simple and concise text and Stacey Schuett's lush illustrations follow a tree's continuous life cycle through spring, summer, winter, and fall.

    In fourteen funny, fact-filled honeybee poems and paintings, Douglas Florian explores the natural history of these often-unappreciated critters, revealing them to be a totally cool—and totally important—part of our ecosystem. Indeed, these buzzy bugs have been in the spotlight lately as wild bee populations are dwindling, honey prices are rising, and beekeeping has become a popular hobby.

    He believed that all life on earth, and the earth itself, is sacred. A moving and compelling plea for an end to man's destruction of nature.