Can you guess why a scarlet ibis is red? Why does the coral snake have red rings? Animals come in all different colors for a variety of reasons. Learn the science behind how being red helps animals survive in the wild in this beautiful nonfiction reader in the one-of-a-kind Rainbow of Animals series....

Ideal for today's young investigative reader, each A True Book includes lively sidebars, a glossary and index, plus a comprehensive "To Find Out More" section listing books, organizations, and Internet sites. A staple of library collections since the 1950s, the new A True Book series is the definitive nonfiction series for elementary school readers....

Where do earthquakes happen?

What was the biggest volcanic eruption?

What causes these natural disasters?

Can scientists predict when they'll occur?

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How does being green help animals survive in the wild? This easy-to-read science book fills a need for nonfiction science readers while entertaining students with stunning color photos and fascinating facts. Author Melissa Stewart explains the science of being green and how it helps animals hide or attract mates. Full-color photographs of green animals enhance every spread in this beautiful, one-of-a-kind series....

Check out cool Smithsonian websites and exhibits throughout the book

Meet a real Geologist

See fabulous close-up photos

Read extremely fun facts about rocks and minerals

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Fun and facts for children from one of the most trusted names in learning: the Smithsonian Institution.

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Being orange helps animals such as the Bengal tiger and Scarab beetle survive in the wild. Learn why some animals are orange in this fascinating nonfiction reader. Stunning full-color photographs complement each page of easy-to-read text in this uniquely beautiful series....

This fact-filled, colorful look at the amazing world of birds includes a call to action to protect these beautiful creatures.

In this simple introduction to birds and ecology, Melissa Stewart describes the behavior and beauty of birds and describes specific ways people can help protect them and their natural habitats.

Children learn basic facts about birds, including where they live, what they eat, and how they benefit plants and other animals. Sidebars throughout the book contain information on human action that has harmed birds and the many ways people can protect certain bird populations, such as by preserving forests and meadows and cutting down on pesticide use. Pointers on how youngsters can help birds in their own neighborhood are also included.

Author Melissa Stewart offers children a glimpse into the interconnectedness of our world and shows how the actions of one species can inadvertently harm another. Illustrator Higgins Bond s colorful, realistically detailed watercolor illustrations highlight the diversity of the species from the crested honeycreeper of Hawaii to the Florida scrub jay....

This fact-filled, colorful look at the amazing world of butterflies includes a call to action to protect these beautiful insects. MELISSA STEWART SHARES shares with young readers the basic facts about butterflies, including how they transform from caterpillar to butterfly, where they live, what they eat, and how they benefit plants and animals. Sidebars throughout the book contain information on human action that has harmed butterflies in the past and the many ways people can protect certain butterfly populations, such as by preserving forests and meadows and cutting down on pesticide use. Also included are pointers on how youngsters can help butterflies in their own neighborhood. Stewart reminds children of the interconnectedness of our world and shows how the actions of one species can inadvertently harm another. Bond's realistically detailed watercolor illustrations highlight the diversity of the species, from the Schaus swallowtail butterflies in southern Florida to the endangered Mitchell's satyrs....

Explores the causes and effects that shape our world and demonstrates how scientific phenomena occurs.

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We go inside when the rain comes down, but where do animals go? That depends on the kind of animal and where it lives. Bees hide in hives and ants stay safe in underground nests. Squirrels pull their long bushy tails over their heads like umbrellas. Caterpillars crawl under leaves. This new book for young readers offers a first glimpse at how different animals in different habitats behave during a thunderstorm.

In simple, easy-to-understand language, veteran children s book author Melissa Stewart takes a lyrical look at the behavior of animals in forests, fields, wetlands, and deserts and briefly describes how each creature interacts with its rained-soaked environment. Constance Bergum s soft, watercolor paintings colorfully depict the animals and special features of each habitat. Individual sidebar and panel illustrations provide close-up details of the natural world....

Ants are everywhere. They creep, they crawl, they climb, and they fall. But they get up and they keep on working. Ants come in all different shapes, different sizes, and different colors. And they do a lot of different jobs. These hard-working little creatures thrive wherever they go, making whatever adaptations necessary in their ever-changing world....

Ants are everywhere. They creep, they crawl, they climb, and they fall. But they get up and they keep on working. Ants come in all different shapes, different sizes, and different colors. And they do a lot of different jobs. These hard-working little creatures thrive wherever they go, making whatever adaptations necessary in their ever-changing world....

This guide to soil is part of a series that introduces the main types of rocks and soils, important minerals and their composition and properties. Using a variety of examples and evidence, it explains how and why they occur, and the processes involved in their formation. The uses of rocks, soil and minerals are explored, and how we come into contact with them in everyday life. The series also covers environmental and social issues associated with their extraction and use, such as pollution and the impact of mining on the environment....

They’re SSSSLITHERY! SLIPPERY! They creep us out! But get to know them and you’ll find snakes private, quiet types who just want a cool, shady place to call home. From the tip of their forked tongues, to skin that sheds, to the rattles on certain tails, these creatures have secrets all kids will love. Cool photos and fun facts slip us inside their surprising world....

When snow falls, we love to sled and skate and have snowball fights. But at the end of the day, we go home where it is warm and safe. What about all those animals out there in the forests and fields? What do they do when snow blankets the ground?

Journey from your neighborhood to the woods, where ladybugs crowd together in a gap in the stone wall and a chipmunk snoozes in his burrow.

Take a side trip to the pond, where a carp rests quietly on the bottom and a green frog nestles in the mud, scarcely breathing.

And then as winter passes and the sun_s rays grow stronger, join all the animals as they get ready for spring.

Award-winning science writer Melissa Stewart offers a lyrical tour of a variety of habitats, providing young readers with vivid glimpses of animals as they live out the winter beneath the snow and ice. Constance R. Bergum_s glowing watercolors perfectly capture the wonder and magic that can happen under the snow_
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The newest additions to the long-running and highly-respected Our Wild World series cover two fascinating, but very different, winged creatures! Outstanding nature photography and thorough information combine to make this a perfect purchase for the most curious readers! Bats and butterflies are common subjects in classrooms. Butterflies are perennially popular (their exotic beauty and the interesting process of metamorphosis), and the mystery and lore surrounding bats fascinates many. These books focus on commonalities among species, as well as interesting differences among the wide range of species in each group. Bats also addresses the rumors and negative information about bats, by debunking myths and giving the real story (which is more fascinating than the fiction!). Websites and index give added information and help navigate....

Explores the causes and effects that shape our world and demonstrates how scientific phenomena occurs.

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Explores the causes and effects that shape our world and demonstrates how scientific phenomena occurs.

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They’re SSSSLITHERY! SLIPPERY! They creep us out! But get to know them and you’ll find snakes private, quiet types who just want a cool, shady place to call home. From the tip of their forked tongues, to skin that sheds, to the rattles on certain tails, these creatures have secrets all kids will love. Cool photos and fun facts slip us inside their surprising world....

This guide to fossils is part of a series that introduces the main types of rocks and soils, important minerals and their composition and properties. Using a variety of examples and evidence, it explains how and why they occur, and the processes involved in their formation. The uses of rocks, soil and minerals are explored, and how we come into contact with them in everyday life. The series also covers environmental and social issues associated with their extraction and use, such as pollution and the impact of mining on the environment....

Explores the causes and effects that shape our world and demonstrates how scientific phenomena occurs.

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