Down by the meadow that blows wild and free,
There's a world full of wonders I want you to see . . .

Written in engaging rhyming text, each real-life tale in this 10-story collection introduces one of nature's wonders. And at the end of each story, children are invited to explore an informative All About page to discover more facts on the topic. Stories include:

• The Mystery of a Mushroom
• The Woodwide Web
• The Song of the Deer
• The Flight of the Blackbirds
• The Magical Metamorphosis of Frogs
• The Hidden Great Horned Owl
• The Stag Beetle's Seven-Year Feast
• The Dance of the Honeybee
• The Little Rabbit and the Green Machine
• The Moth and the Moon

Sometimes things happen by chance. A blue jay drops an acorn, a lucky acorn that happens to fall in just the right place and begins to grow.

Though it begins life as a tiny part of the forest floor, the acorn soon grows large enough to provide shelter for a fox, host for insects that in turn provide food for songbirds, and a home for many small creatures. Animals hibernate in its branches and among its roots, and humans rest in the cool shade it provides.

As generations of living things pass by the tree, the forest develops, and a town begins to grow. And the lucky tree is always there, though its form and size change.

In this picture book about the life cycle of a tree and the plants and animals that depend upon it, Henry Cole reminds us, in elegant prose and stunning black & white illustrations, of the importance of interconnectedness and the passage of time.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Book Features:
- 24 pages, 8 inches x 8 inches
- Ages 4-6, PreK-Kindergarten leveled readers
- Simple, easy-to-read pages with real-life photographs
- Features before and after reading vocabulary
- Includes reading tips and comprehension and extension activities

The Magic Of Reading: Bring the magic of reading and nature to life with the Apple Trees and the Seasons book. The 24-page apple book features vibrant photographs and simple language about apple trees to practice early reading comprehension skills.

Hands-On Reading Adventure: Do you know how apples are made? By apple trees, of course! Follow along on a fun, science adventure journeying through each of the seasons to see how apples grow into yummy snacks for picking (and eating!).

Features: More than just a story full of fascinating facts, this kids book also includes pre- and post-reading vocabulary lists, reading tips for mid-story interaction and engagement, and fun reading comprehension and extension activities.

Leveled Books: Vibrant photographs and leveled text work together to tell a fun story and promote reading comprehension skills. The leveled book engages PreK and kindergarten readers with short, simple language and high-interest topics like nature.

Why Rourke Educational Media: Since 1980, Rourke Publishing Company has specialized in publishing engaging and diverse non-fiction and fiction books for children in a wide range of subjects that support reading success on a level that has no limits.

A tree suns and sways in the forest. She is a place to grow, to rest, and to shelter. But what happens when a tree falls? The answer will make your heart soar.
In this lyrical picture book, explore how the extraordinary nurse log provides a nutrient-rich space for new seedlings, shelters small animals, hosts different plant species, and, most profoundly, nurtures a new tree in the process, renewing the cycle of life. Young readers will be amazed by the nurse log's resilience and its powerful connection to the forest's past, present, and future.

BOOK ABOUT TREES & MUCH MORE: Every organism in the forest ecosystem is connected. This fascinating picture book powerfully illustrates how the end of one life in the forest can be the beginning of another.

FOR LOVERS OF NATURE: When a Tree Falls is a reminder of the wondrous ecosystems in our own backyards and the wild forest beauty we may discover by looking closely. It is ideal for families who enjoy being in nature.

LUSH ILLUSTRATIONS: The forest life is rendered with such richness and detail that it invites readers to immerse themselves in the endlessly inspiring natural world.

GORGEOUS GIFT: An excellent choice for a classroom book or as a gift for kids who love trees, spending time outdoors, and are mindful of environmental issues.

Perfect for:

• Kids who are interested in trees and forests
• Parents and grandparents of children who want to learn more about trees and forests
• Teachers, educators, and librarians seeking beautiful nonfiction books with STEM content
• Gift-givers looking for a distinctive present for an animal- or nature-loving child
• Anyone seeking a picture book that promotes environmental awareness
• Readers of Because of an Acorn, Over and Under the Rainforest, and Wake Up, Woodlands

A tree is more than just a plant, but a whole ecosystem hiding in plain sight, on street corners and in backyards everywhere. Discover how one tree provides shelter, food, and clean air to a host of animals and insects. Robins build their nest in the branches and bees gather nectar from flowers. The tree keeps its neighborhood clean, healthy, and safe. Leaves clean the air and roots keep the dirt from washing away. The tree's residents are safe through thunderstorms and changing seasons. This home is built to last!

Those buds POP open
and bees BUZZ
and rain SPLASHES
and sun SIZZLES

Author David L. Harrison's lively, rhythmic text informs and excites readers about the ecosystem of trees. Illustrator Kate Cosgrove's lush and dynamic illustrations color a charming world aglow with life. This award-winning team, from And the Bullfrogs Sing and The Dirt Book, are back with another picture book that invites young readers into the natural world around them. A Tree Is a Community is perfect for the budding naturalist.

The Books for a Better Earth(TM) collection is designed to inspire young people to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on. Focusing on solutions to climate change challenges and human environmental impacts, the collection looks at how scientists, activists, and young leaders are working to safeguard Earth's future.

Whoosh! Crash! Thunk! Follow along as the LOUD sounds of a falling tree signal the transformation of a QUIET area of the forest into a flourishing center of activity.

This lyrical nonfiction story uses word opposites such as small and large, dark and light, high and low, and fast and slow to introduce young readers to the natural recycling of fallen timber into log bridges. From bears, porcupines and raccoons to eagles, mice and deer, a host of forest animals repurpose a fallen tree, connecting two sides of a stream together throughout the seasons.

A carefully-chosen color palette of soothing natural colors and a charming collection of characters bring the playful prose to life in what is certain to become a storytime or bedtime favorite and a go-to book for early elementary science and language arts teachers.

When a tree falls, is its story over?

There are many ways a tree's story could end: Gobbled up by a bird as a tiny seed. Damaged by wind or ice or fire. Chopped down and hauled away. But some trees--this tree--survives. And grows old. Riddled with scars, cracks, and crevices, it becomes a place creatures large and small call home.

One day, after standing tall for centuries, this tree will fall. But even then, is its story over? Or will it continue to nurture the forest and its creatures for many years to come? Complete with additional information about the role trees play in a forest ecosystem, this sweeping story invites readers of all ages to celebrate the incredible life cycle and afterlife of trees.

Following the success of When Cloud Became a Cloud and When Moon Became the Moon comes Rob Hodgson's next long-form picture book about an apple tree's life cycle. This delightfully fun exploration of trees both informs and entertains, and helps young readers make sense of the world around them. The charming protagonist, Tree, sparsely narrates her story in ten short chapters with text bubbles and vignettes sprinkled in to provide wit, style, and humor. Young audiences will immediately connect to the colorful, whimsical art and welcome a sense of accomplishment in devouring this unexpected yet wholly accessible scientific book.

A lyrical story of an aspen grove through the seasons, inspired by the ground-breaking work of Dr. Suzanne Simard on how trees and fungi talk to each other.

In early spring, the Mother Tree wakens. She is hundreds of years old, and her children are the sprouts that she sends up from her roots. They look like many separate trees, but they are all part of the Mother Tree.

Above ground, the aspens use the sun to produce sugar. Below ground, fungi wrap threads around the aspen's roots, feeding on the sugar that they cannot make themselves. And in exchange, the fungi carry messages from tree to tree -- warnings of drought, disease and infestations.

Through the seasons and years, the Mother Tree shelters and feeds the other trees, the animals that make their home in the grove and the fungi that make it possible for the trees to talk to each other. But when a violent storm upends the order of things, can the forest survive without its Mother Tree?

This story of symbiosis, richly illustrated by Crystal Smith, shows how the forest inhabitants thrive by working together. An author's note explains the significance of mycorrhizal networks and why it is crucial to protect aspen forests.

Key Text Features

Illustrations

author's note

further information

resources

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.7

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.4

Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3

Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

Because of an acorn, a tree grows, a bird nests, a seed becomes a flower.

Enchanting die-cuts illustrate the vital connections between the layers of an ecosystem in this magical book. Wander down the forest path to learn how every tree, flower, plant, and animal connect to one another in spiraling circles of life. An acorn is just the beginning.

Packed with captivating facts about the most common trees in the United States and Canada, this brightly illustrated guide is perfect for young nature lovers.

It will leave youngsters primed to look more carefully at trees, and readers of all ages will find plenty of sound information. An attractive handbook for beginning nature enthusiasts.-- Kirkus

This accessible field guide concentrates on visual elements like leaves, offering easy ways of identifying and differentiating types of trees....Intended for personal use, this still offers plenty of basic information while sparking curiosity.-- Booklist

Learn all about the towering trees around you in A Kid's Guide to Backyard Trees --a handy, easy-to-carry guidebook for explorers that shows you how to identify 40 trees that can be found in North America --using their bark, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Discover the wild world of trees as you learn about their life cycles, unique features of different types of trees, and why protecting them is important for the planet. Check the glossary for tree-related terms you might not know, keep track of the trees you've seen in a handy log, and try out a fun DIY project that lets you practice identifying leaves at home.

With A Kid's Guide to Backyard Trees, children can become expert nature explorers, no matter their age!

Also available:

• A Kid's Guide to Backyard Bugs
• A Kid's Guide to Backyard Birds

A beautifully illustrated collection of 5 minute bedtime stories about the wildlife found in woods around the world. The perfect gift for children and grandchildren!

Every forest contains a thousand secrets... In this charming anthology of stories by Alicia Klepeis readers will be guided into forests to meet the amazing animals that live there. In one story a squirrel hunts for an elusive acorn it buried earlier in the year, while another looks at an Alaskan wood frog as it freezes itself alive to survive a harsh winter. Children will be thrilled by the tale of a reindeer that gets separated from its herd in the snowy woods of Scandinavia, and marvel at a chameleon changing colour in the forests of Madagascar.

Other stories feature elephants, wild cats, pangolins, badgers, foxes, monarch butterflies, otters, walking fish, a tree that can live for thousands of years, and even forest-dwelling penguins! All of these creatures and their habitats are brought to life with impressive skill by illustrator Kristen Adam.

Each story in Secrets of the Forest is based on the real biology and behavior of these amazing wild animals, and at the end of each tale readers will find out more about the science that inspired the story. So as they drift off to sleep, they will know a little bit more about the world around them.

The cover features a timeless design with gold foil and a cloth texture, making this book the perfect gift.

Winner of the Caldecott Medal

A radiant and buoyant picture book. --The Horn Book

A Tree Is Nice is a classic tale about the beauty of the everyday world. Simont's watercolors perfectly complement the poetic simplicity of the text, allowing the reader room to engage in his or her own imaginative embroiderings about trees (Children's Books and Their Creators).

Trees are beautiful. They fill up the sky. If you have a tree, you can climb up its trunk, roll in its leaves, or hang a swing from one of its limbs. Cows and babies can nap in the shade of a tree. Birds can make nests in the branches. A tree is good to have around. A tree is nice.

The 2017 offering from Big Picture Press's Welcome to the Museum series, Botanicum, is a brilliantly curated guide to plant life. With artwork from Katie Scott of Animalium fame, Botanicum gives readers the experience of a fascinating exhibition from the pages of a beautiful book. From perennials to bulbs to tropical exotica, Botanicum is a wonderful feast of botanical knowledge complete with superb cross sections of how plants work.

Life is the third book in the highly acclaimed series by award-winning author and illustrator Jennifer N. R. Smith. This immersive, intricately illustrated book printed in luminous HUV ink takes young readers on a tour of our wild planet and showcases the wonders of its biodiversity. Discover what makes flamingos pink, how bat saliva can help save people's lives, and much more.

This beautiful book introduces the concept of biodiversity to children and explains why it's so important to the world we live in. Learn how unlikely animal friends rely on each other for survival: from the crab that uses sea anemones as boxing gloves to shrimp that ride around on sea slugs, and discover why there would be no chocolate without pesky midges!

Stunning illustrations and informative diagrams bring to life important concepts, such as food chains, pollination, and genetic diversity, and the difference between a biome and a habitat, as well as demonstrating remarkable ways that different species have adapted to their natural environment.

Life highlights the importance of protecting and supporting biodiversity in our natural world and looks at ways that we can help to save our planet's wildlife. A feast for the eyes and the mind, Life will inspire young ecologists to see the wonder in the natural world around them.

How do trees grow?
Why do leaves change?
What kind of tree is that?

The acclaimed Brooklyn Botanic Garden's guide answers all kids' (and their parents') tree-related questions in an easy-to-understand way. It features 33 different trees that grow in North America, from rural Georgia to the streets of New York City to the California suburbs. Each profile includes a beautiful botanical watercolor illustration by author Gina Ingoglia showing the tree as it appears in a particular season, as well as life-size depictions of its leaf, flower, and seed. Readers of all ages will be in awe over the wonderful world of trees.

This captivating book explores the real connection and communication that runs underground between trees in the forest. The well-researched details about trees' own social network will help readers see that the natural world's survival depends on staying connected and helping others--just like us!

Parents, teachers, and gift givers will find:

• a beautiful story about our forests with scientifically accurate information
• educational backmatter about this underground web of communication
• a nature book that supports social emotional learning

The fascinating mycorrhizal fungi network runs underground through the roots of trees in the forest allowing for connection and communication. Readers will discover that trees have their own social network to help each other survive and thrive.

Introduce your toddler to different kinds of trees found across the United States with this colorful counting primer, from the creators of BabyLit.

Learn to count from 1 to 10 with this captivating collection of illustrations featuring different kinds of amazing trees found across the United States. Have fun reading--and finding--with your child as you search for trees such as 1 Mangrove Tree, 5 Giant Sequoia Trees, and 8 Quaking Aspen Trees. One you're finished counting, the last spread contains 10 more objects hidden throughout the book for you to find next, as well as a page dedicated to explaining fun facts all about the trees you just read about.

Now nature-curious kids can play and learn with the companion Backpack Explorer online game!