Book Description

A nose for digging? Ears for seeing? Eyes that squirt blood? Explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this beautifully illustrated interactive guessing book bySteve Jenkins and Robin Page. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Got a whale of a tale to tell you friends
"What Do you Do With a Tail Like This" has the dubious honor of being the only Caldecott Honor Book from 2004 that was a serious contender in the first place. Informative, lively, and easy on the eye, authors Steve Jenkins and Robin Page have created quite a nice little piece of work. For those kids interested in the wide variety of animals, this book is a humdinger. Using a unique series of collage animals, each individual creature has been painstakingly cut from beautiful handmade papers. Sometimes these creatures are done exceptionally well. The skunk resting on its front legs has a furry white stripe made from what looks to be carefully teased paper fibers. Some creatures could have used a little more work. The blood that gushes from the horned lizard's eyes looks like nothing so much as a red/orange Rorschach test. Each section shows a section of the creatures to be discussed with such leading questions as, "What do you do with eyes like these?" or "What do you do with a tail like this?". The next spread shows each animal doing its thing with interesting facts and information. For those kids who'd like to learn a little more about a particular animal, the authors have included in-depth facts at the back of the book.

It's a beautiful book. One suspects that Page & Jenkins may have even gone so far as to hand dye the papers themselves to get just the right shades. How else could they have found a blue that matches so well the blue footed booby's webbed toes or the scarlet pink of a scorpion? Perhaps most impressive in some ways are the different methods employed to fool the reader into believing they're looking at fur, when in fact the page is full of paper layered on paper. There are flaws. Oddly, every animal in this book gets a short synopsis of its abilities, with the exception of one. I don't know what the egg-eating snake did to insult the publisher, but for some reason it does not have a catchy answer to "What do you do with a mouth like this?". There are some factoids about the snake at the end of the book, but such a huge typo is bizarre, and keeps me from granting it the five Amazon.com stars it so richly deserves.

To my mind, "What Do You Do With a Tail Like This" is the most technically complex 2004 Caldecott Honor book to win the award in quite some time. Regardless of how emotionally attached you grow to the book, you cannot help but enjoy looking at the complex and well rendered animals that appear in every shape and form in these pages. This is a book that was well loved during its creation. ... Read more

Book Description

Crawling through the dirt, worms are hard at work, helping plants to grow. Worms help the fruit and vegetables we eat by loosening the soil and feeding the plants. Read and find out about these wiggling wonders!

Book Description

Every parent awaits the question: Where do babies come from? FIRST COMES LOVE is a charming introduction to the birds and the bees, not to mention alligators, spiders, dragonflies, squirrels, peacocks, and-of course-people.

Illustrated by Clare Mackie, whose clever visual jokes and whimsical flourishes will appeal as much to grown-ups as they do to children, the book marries fun rhyming text with fascinating fact to tell a story of love, courtship, and birth across the animal kingdom. Written for the ages of 4 to 8, when kids are at their most curious and least embarrassed, here is the story of the lightning bug-"When the firefly is in a flirting mode, / He scribbles and blinks a special code." Thepenguin-"Quivering and caressing with flippers and beaks, / They touch and talk for two full weeks." And the kangaroo-"Kangaroobabies are rarely seen, / Because they're no bigger than a lima bean." Then below, in captions that amplify the verse, kids learn that every firefly species has its own blinking language, that penguins try to find the same mate year after year, and that a new-born kangaroo stays in his mother's pouch for the first three months. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

all ages, all stages
The natural science lessons in this enjoyable little book are evident in the slightly silly characters and droll rhymes. For both the young child and the adult reading it aloud, this could be a delightful "learning about the birds and bees" experience. The text can be easily simplified or expanded according to the listener's interest and ability. This book would be fun to give to an anniversary couple, to new parents, or to a "big sister or big brother". This book made my grandchild smile. Me too.

very basic intro to love and reproduction; adorable pictures
This is a great book for a very basic introduction to love and reproduction for a young child around 4 years old. The main text of the story is cute and rhyming with no great detail about reproduction, just the words "sperm" and "eggs" without the hows of it. The pictures and words contain entertaining animal facts about how various fish, birds, and mammals court and raise their young. However, in small print on the bottom of each page are a couple of sentences containing a more in-depth explanation of reproduction, naming the body parts and how they fit together, so you can just read the rhyming cute part for a very young child and add the specifics as you choose for an older child. The illustrations are very cute and whimsical and not at all realistic; for example, baby seahorses in bonnets in a carriage and a crab as a knight in armor. There are no diagrams of actual anatomy. If you are looking for a book illustrating the male and female anatomy you will need to find a different book. This is really just a cute introduction to love and mating, and you will need other books to explain the specifics.

My 5 year old loves this book!
The whole book is written in funny rhymes. Each page gives a little short factoid about the mating behavior of many different animal species. The part on humans is only about two short pages, but it does give a brief overview of "the birds and the bees" in a humorous but straightforward way without going into great detail. You will have to fill in the blanks for your child. My daughter thinks this is a great book, and I agree. The illustrations are hilarious! However, if you are looking for a book that goes into more detail about human reproduction, I recommend the classic, "Where did I come from?"

Wonderful! It's about time!!
I wish this book had been around when I was a child...

I can think of no better way to introduce the "birds and the bees" to children!

Jennifer Davis has done an amazing job at making an unjustifiably taboo subject easy to read and talk about.

The illustrations are precocious, the poetry witty and charming and the facts, well, factual and informative.

I've purchased copies for all of my friends' children and am looking forward to future books from this refreshing author.

I wish this book was around when I was little
I am a mother of two small children and I have fretted a bit about how I would answer their innocent questions about he birds and the bees. And then I found it.. "First Comes Love" is a wonderful picture book about flirting critters and amorous people and it even covers that tricky part about how that sperm finds his way to the egg. Unlike other clinical books on the subject this one is fun to read over and over just for the hip rhymes and the hilarious pictures.

My children are learning and laughing and so am I. There lots of fun facts that are new to children as well as parents like "kangaroo newborns are rarely seen since they are no bigger than a lima bean." I won't tell you much more but what creature would you guess swishes bubbles under his darling's chin to charm her? (It's the alligator but do not tell.)

If only my parents had given me a book like this....oh, the blushing I would have been spared.

Happy reading ... Read more

Book Description

The Uncover series combines the best elements of a book with model elements to help readers truly "uncover" the mysteries of what makes things work. A fascinating three-dimensional presentation allows in-depth, hands-on exploration of the subject at hand. This unique "model" is easily built, deconstructed and re-built layer by layer, system by system just by turning a page, until an understanding of the topic is achieved. Uncover a T. Rex examines the structure and fossilized bones of the most powerful meat-eating animal to ever live on land. Learn about scientists' theories and observations and how they came to their conclusions, Discover where T. Rex fossils were found in the U.S., if they were hunters or scavengers, if they were related to birds, and how fast this enormous animal could run. ... Read more

Book Description

Read and find out all about eggs -- and how baby chicks grow inside of them. Learn how chicks develop,how they get the food they need to grow, and how a mother hen helps keep them safe in this simple introduction to the life cycle of a baby chick.

Reviews (1)

Where Do Chicks Come From?
My kids loved this book. Even I learned a few things. ... Read more

Book Description

What would you do if something wanted to eat you? Walk on water? Stick out your tongue? Play dead? Animals in the wild use all kinds of methods to protect themselves from their enemies. Using dynamic and intricate cut-paper collages, Steve Jenkins explores the many fascinating and unique defense mechanisms creatures use to escape from danger. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What Do You Do When Something wants to Eat You?
Jenkins, Steve. What Do You Do When Something Wants To Eat You?
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997.
Experience the roller coaster ride of intrigue and escape as the vibrant pages of this book come to life with each new danger. As the title suggests, this book explores many interesting and unusual ways that equally interesting and unusual animals avoid becoming a predator's dinner. The Basilisk Lizard, for example, narrowly escapes the beak of a vicious-looking heron by running across the water's surface. This unique talent has earned it the nickname "Jesus Christ Lizard" in his native country of South America. Other animals featured in this selection are the puffer fish, the blue-tongued skink, and the hog-nosed snake. The textured, vividly colorful, and eye-catching illustrations compliment the story as each of the fourteen predators face off against their potential prey. Parents will like that the book is educational, and children will find it entertaining. Although intended for children, this book is for anyone from age 4 to 104 who enjoys learning about animals.

great art, lots to learn
My 6 year old and 4 year old loved this book and spent many hours actting out the "predator vs prey" scenarios and drawing pictures of the animals. ... Read more

Book Description

Author Sylvia Branzei and illustrator Jack Keely prove once again that they know what fascinates&150and completely disgusts&150kids of all ages. Learn about slimy creatures, vomit-munchers, bloodsuckers, and unforgettable animal poops. It's an icky concoction of information, but it contains a heaping helping of real and memorable scientific facts. With a perfect-bound spine and all new covers, Animal Grossology is easy to read! And it is perfect timeing, as the Grossology Museum Tour begins this summer. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

ANSWERS to gross questions that adults couldn't answer!!!
As a child I was curious and I asked questions that most adults could not answer. I am an adult and I enjoyed the fact that there were true answers to silly questions-Boogers, bugs, farts, stinky breath, crusty eyes, etc...

If you have ever wondered about these types of things this is the book for you. Plus you can impress adults with answers that they can't even answer. It's a great and truly scientitic book!

Animal Grossology
This is a very intertaining book for kids of all ages. It includes photos and cartoons to fit the discriptions. It is a perfect companion to Grossology: The science of really gross stuff! You'll love it. Buy it today ... Read more

Book Description

Amazon.com

Jane Goodall might be a household name for most grownups, thanks to herpioneering work with chimpanzees and more recent efforts at habitatpreservation. But many kids don't know the Goodall story and will love thischance to hit the ground in Tanzania and learn about the remarkable scientistand her beloved chimp friends. With dozens of vintage photographs, Goodallrecounts her early research in Gombe National Park, including a recap of herchildhood and how she came to know Louis Leakey and first enter the bush. Withclear and careful prose, Goodall explains her findings about chimp communitiesand communication, the role of hierarchies, and what sort of threats chimpanzeesface today. Best of all, Goodall's account always keeps curious young readers inmind, even relating some of her mistakes, such as when she became too close toher subjects and interfered with her own research.

Young protoscientists will appreciate Goodall's frank descriptions, fromkerosene-can-assisted dominance displays to her discovery that chimps engage inhunting and warlike behaviors, and hopefully, such detail will inspire furtherinterest in the future of chimpanzees and other threatened species. Proceedsfrom the book will go to Roots & Shoots, a "grassroots environmental andhumanitarian education program for young people" under the Jane GoodallInstitute. Because "hundreds of roots and shoots--young people like you--aroundthe globe can break through and make the world a better place for all livingthings." (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Jane Goodall tells about her chimpanzees to a new generation
My father subscribed to both "National Geographic Magazine" and their related series of books, the most memorable of which was about Jane Goodall's study of chimpanzees in Africa. The story of her work and the photographs of Fifi, Flo, Flint, Gremlin, David Greybeard and the rest were so enthralling. Many of those photographs, such as the one of infant Flint watching his mother Flo fish for termites and showing that man is not the only tool-using animal, are collected in "The Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their World and Ours," which Goodall uses to introduce her exciting work to a new generation of young readers.

When she was a child Jane Goodall decided she wanted to go to the jungles of Africa and study its animals. Today she is one of the most renowned and respected scientists on the planet, having dedicated her life and work to the study of a community of chimpanzees at the Gombe National Park in Tanzania. In this fascinating book Goodall recounts her exciting adventure in making ground-breaking discoveries regarding chimpanzees and their profound similarities to human beings. She also talks about her struggle to protect this endangered species and their vanishing habitats.

Most of "The Chimpanzees I Love" looks at the Goodall's study of the generations of these chimpanzees, where we follow individual chimpanzees from babies to adulthood. Goodall provides simple descriptions of her discoveries, and often points out her own mistakes (naming her subjects was not exactly a scientific practice). Chapters are devoted to how she first made contact with and was accepted by the chimpanzees, how they communicate within their community, the relationship between mothers and babies, what a day in the forest is like, and the mind of the chimpanzees. At that point Goodall gets into the plight of the chimpanzees, including a distressing look at their lives in captivity and how they are being sold in markets in Afrcia. All of the proceeds from the sale of this book are donated to support of Goodall's international grassroots educational program, "Roots & Shoots."

"The Chimpanzees I Love" is both informative and inspirational, which is what you expect from Jane Goodall, who is one of the people who truly defined idealism for a lot of young kids in the Sixties. The idea that Flo's daughter Fifi, who was a little infant when Goodall began her studies, is now around forty years old and has had her eighth infant astounds me. But the one I miss is Flint, the first wild chimpanzee whose development was documented from birth through death, who turned out to be as much a child of the Sixties as the rest of us.

wonderful woman, extraordinary book
beautifully design and illustrated work by a woman who has devoted her life to chimpanzee rescue and understanding...(...)--this is for all children ... Read more

Book Description

Yellow blood, silk of steel, skeletons on the outside! These amazing attributes don"t belong to comic book characters or alien life forms, but to Earth"s biggest and hairiest spiders: tarantulas. Here you are invited to follow Sam Marshall, spider scientist extraordinaire (he"s never been bitten), as he explores the dense rainforest of French Guiana, knocking on the doors of tarantula burrows, trying to get a closer look at these incredible creatures. You"ll also visit the largest comparative spider laboratory in America—where close to five hundred live tarantulas sit in towers of stacked shoeboxes and plastic containers, waiting for their turn to dazzle and astound the scientists who study them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

More than a picturebook but not quite a pre-teen read
Kids in grades 4-6 and more will relish Nic Bishop's startling close-up photos and scientist Sy Montgomery's vivid descriptions of scientific investigations in his Tarantula Scientist. Almost 80 pages pack in the photos and plenty of facts about the giant spiders, and will delight kids of all grade levels with accounts of investigative qualities. More than a picturebook but not quite a pre-teen read, this will reach a larger audience than most simple spider coverages. ... Read more

Book Description

Fascinating book introduces grade-school youngsters to industrious ants, tunnel-building earthworms, snails and slugs, beetles, and many other creatures inhabiting the world beneath our feet. Vivid descriptions of how they live, breed and interact; their methods of locomotion, feeding and defense; and the effect they have on the soil in which they live.
... Read more

Book Description

Features such jobs as horse farm owner, veterinarian, exotic animal trainer, and bird handler/interpreter. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A great book
This is a great book! I've always wanted to work with animals and I wanted to explore some of the options. This book really helped show me what is out there! It showed how many different careers with animals there really are!

Cool Careers For Girls With Animals
When I got this book I thought it would be sort of like a dictionary telling you just a little bit like the job, but it wasn't. It was better! Cool careers for girls with animals told you about how it is being that job and the responsibilitys of it too! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great reference tool
This is a detailed and interesting book about dinosaursfor kids. It's very up-to-date. It has dinosaurs we've never heard of before. Who knew that there was a dinosaur for every letter of the alphabet?Now we know! In the starting of the book there are very informative sections such as How Are Dinosaurs Discovered?, How are they named?, How are they grouped?, and what is a dinosaur!


The book was very easy for children to use.Lots of kids are interested in learning more about dinosaurs and this is a great tool for them



This book would be helpful to elementary students when writing reports on Dinosaurs.

Great new book for kids who've read all the dinosaur books
This is a detailed, interesting book about dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures for kids.It's very up-to-date.It has dinosaurs we've never heard of before.It's also not as sensational and gory as some.My son is 6 and has read most of the dinosaur books at the library, and he loved finding this one recently.I'm getting it for him for Christmas because he'll never get tired of it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Perfect for Students
This is the perfect book to use with middle school and high school students. I use this as a reference for cross-curricular projects with science fiction, science, language arts, and government. The background and general information is not too much for students to digest and the illustrations are fabulous. When required to come up with feasible life-forms for various planet types, the breakdown of possibilities for "alien" senses helps students to consider new approaches. The specific planet descriptions are also immensely helpful, giving students something to build on, opening their minds to the limitless possibilities of extraterrestrial life. This is the singlarly essential building block for endless projects. I wish I could afford a class set. Marvelous!

Meet "The Guide"
This is not your sci-fi book on aliens. This book is more like "Audbon Society Guide To Birds" of extraterrestrial biology. Dickinson and Schaller start by discussing our contemporary views of aliens and shows the fallicies behind it. They then explore places where life could be found. Then there is a discussion of biology, rules of life that would apply anywhere in the universe. Then, one by one, Dickinson and Schaller discuss possible inhabited worlds and what life might have eveolved there. Everything from gas giants to ocean worlds to ice planets are discussed. Then, inorganic life, like intellegent comets and macronulear life is discussed. Finally, to sum it up, the possibilty of contact is discussed. Throughout the book, a scientific aprouch is used, but the book is still very easy to read. Anybody interested in the possibilty of life on other worlds, and anybody who would like to see what theis life might be like, definatley should read this book.

Fun but not geared towards adults
This is a fun book but, I must admit, that I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping for something geared towards adults (or, at the least, towards an intelligent teen). This book is specificially geared towards children (i.e., a bright 8 year old or above). It is certainly a friendly book filled with colorful (if somewhat unimaginative) drawings. As well, it covers many of the issues relevant to the subject (e.g., why movie aliens shouldn't be regarded as realistic). My only complaint, once you correlate it to its intended audience, is that it does speak authoritatively more often then it should for such a speculative topic (e.g., it claims that we can expect that most intelligent species should have a humanoid template which is, to say the least, a debatable position).

Be that as it may, I would certainly recommend it if you want to introduce a child to the topic or if you know of a child that is already interested. For adults, however, I'd give it a miss. ... Read more