In this beautiful Caldecott Honor picture book, Steven Jenkins and illustrator Robin Page explore the many amazing things animals can do with eyes, ears, mouth, noses, feet, and tails. Young readers will relish the mystery behind this interactive guessing book.

A nose for digging? Ears for seeing? Eyes that squirt blood? Turn the page to find out which marvelous animal these attributes belong to.

With six full spreads illustrated in cut-paper collage and an end glossary with even more fantastic facts, readers will learn about species of birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, mammals, and arthropods.

Arresting details and visual surprises abound in this nonfiction picture book that will stir the imaginations of readers young and old.

Big mammals like elephants, hippos, and giraffes get a lot of press, but what about the little guys? From pint-sized flying squirrels to itty bitty chipmunks and teeny tiny mouse lemurs, learn all about the mini-est mammals from around the world, depicted at their real-life size.

A rare and adorable look at meerkat pups with renowned wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas

This gorgeous look behind the lens at wildlife photography offers a unique chance to enter the fascinating world of meerkats. In this companion title to A Leopard Diary, world-renowned wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas spends two weeks observing baby meerkats in Botswana's Kalahari Desert. In diary entry-style chapters, Eszterhas recounts how the creatures grow from tiny, wobbly meerkat pups to adolescents who hunt scorpions and have (almost) perfected the famous tripod meerkat stance. Along the way, the meerkat mob faces floods, hungry predators, and even a stampede of galloping zebras!

Eszterhas's narrative is accompanied by her stunningly intimate photographs of the meerkats at every stage of their lives. Throughout the book, she also incorporates facts about other animals that call the desert home and introduces readers to the local Ju/'hoansi people, who have lived in the desert for thousands of years. Her respect for the land and the people who care for it will encourage readers to approach wildlife with wonder and empathy.

A portion of the royalties from this book will go to the Wildlife Conservation Network, which works with local conservationist organizations to protect endangered wildlife in Africa and throughout the world.

Flamingos Are Pretty Funky introduces young readers to flamingos and their fantastic and (truly) fabulous traits. A companion to Wombats Are Pretty Weird, this funny, reader-friendly narrative nonfiction picture book about the natural world features sidebars, comic panels, and extensive back matter.

Flamingos are tall, wading birds known for their bright pink color. Their nests look like tiny volcanoes, and they live in areas that are considered extreme--from nearly boiling bodies of water filled with corrosive chemicals to cold, mountainous regions where ice freezes around their feet. And if you ask their snake friend, Joey, those aren't the only things that are fabulous about flamingos!

Abi Cushman's Flamingos Are Pretty Funky contains informative, expressive, and funny illustrations of flamingos in their natural habitats. This enlightening picture book offers an entertaining blend of narration, sidebars, speech balloons, and dialogue and is a refreshing departure from traditional nonfiction. Flamingos Are Pretty Funky serves up a child-friendly guide to the fun and fancy world of flamingos and the mystery, beauty, and science of the natural world.

Back matter includes additional information about flamingos and their habitats.

From anglerfish to zebras, discover 500 awesome animal facts for kids ages 9 to 12.

From frogs to foxes, scorpions and sharks, The Fascinating Animal Book for Kids has it all! This animal encyclopedia includes 500 amazing facts about animals that offer hours of engaging learning every boy and girl will love. Alongside full-color pictures on every page, find weird and wonderful details about Magnificent Mammals, Creepy Crawlies, Amazing Amphibians, Feathered Friends, and more. Great as a bedtime read or during the day, this standout among animal books for kids is ideal for any boy or girl who is wild about animals!

Go beyond other animal books for kids with fantastic facts like:

Today's golden hamsters are all descendants of a single hamster family that lived in Syria around 1930.

Ant mimicking spiders pretend to be ants by raising two of their eight legs to look like ant antennae allowing them to eat the ants.

A glass lizard looks like a snake, but it is actually a lizard with an extra-long tail--and no legs.

When you're looking for a kid's book for ages 9-12, this is the perfect choice to learn about animals--and have a whole bunch of fun!

What does it take to be top dog? In this illustrated exploration of the animal kingdom, Caldecott Honor winner Steve Jenkins introduces readers to some of the most powerful predators in history, from the Tyrannosaurus rex to the African Siberian tiger.

Using his signature cut paper art style, Jenkins illustrates how these animals dominate their different ecosystems using speed, strength, and even cooperation and cunning.

Take a trip through history and discover apex predators both past and present, from the earliest sea creatures to the modern African lion and giant freshwater ray, which can grow to over fifteen feet.

From the familiar but imposing American bison to the elusive narwhal, the animals of the globe have all been touched by evolution, developing unique and fascinating traits to ensure their survival. In this deeply informative and gorgeously illustrated compendium of some of the world's most unique animals, celebrate the way all living things have adapted for survival in astonishing and beautiful ways.

ALSC Notable Children's Books List - Middle Readers (2025)

A 2025 Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book

Unites STEM learning with literary excellence . . . an essential purchase. -- School Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW)

[A] beautiful work of natural history. -- The Wall Street Journal

Astounding, unusual, and breathtaking dwellings.-- Shelf Awareness (STARRED REVIEW)

Stunning . . . An exceptional exploration. -- Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)

A spectacular tour through the dwellings of twenty-seven different animals, from a hermit crab's secondhand shell to a beaver's lakeside dam to a comet moth's silk cocoon.

Acclaimed creator Isabelle Simler presents a poetic journey through amazing animal homes across the world. In Europe, alpine marmots stay safe in underground refuges. In southeast Asia, Sumatran orangutans doze off in treetop bedrooms. In Mexico and the southwestern US, elf owls nest in holes in saguaro cacti. On every continent but Antarctica, honeybees mold wax into palaces for their queens. No matter where you travel, some creature is making an extraordinary place to call home.

With connections to life cycles, camouflage, and other biological concepts, Home is a spellbinding showcase of the wonders of the natural world. Enchanting poetry, fascinating back matter, and intricately detailed art invite young readers to be amazed by the creativity and diversity of our animal neighbors.

Cooperative Children's Book Center CCBC Choices List - Poetry (2025)

How do you save a species? Start at the edges of the food chain.

In the 1950s, the brown pelican went from thriving to barely surviving. The culprit was DDT: a harmful pesticide that seeped into soil, spread in the water, festered in small fish, and ultimately caused the pelican population to plummet. Scientists sounded the alarm, but faced pushback from farmers who relied on DDT to control pesky pests.

It required many voices joining together, demanding change, before the government took action. Thanks to these efforts, we now have the EPA and the Endangered Species Act, which continue to protect wildlife threatened by climate change.

This thrilling and inspirational nonfiction picture book introduces young readers to bioaccumulation, endangered species, and one of the biggest grassroots movements of our time. It connects the success of the pelican's regrowth with conservation efforts in place today, such as pollinator gardens, wildlife corridors, and much more.

Sweeping illustrations depict the brown pelican's journey from near extinction to a robust, populous species. Back matter includes more details on the EPA, a glossary, and an index.

National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Ears can do much more than just pick up sound waves. In the animal kingdom, ears are sometimes an animal's strongest asset! For example, a fleeing black-tailed jackrabbit uses the position of its ears to help it confuse its pursuers and get away from danger. Some animals can close their ears to protect their bodies or use them to cool down or stay warm. Whether long, tuft, or goblin, ears can tell a lot about animals and their habits and habitats.

Which animal has the longest ears relative to its size? Which animal communicates through surprisingly high-pitched chirping sounds? And which animal can pinpoint the location of its prey using only its ears? Readers will find out all this and much more in this entertaining collection filled with unique and unusual facts.

Just like you have to take a bath and brush your teeth, fish also have basic hygiene practices they have to follow every day. But their approach to cleanliness doesn't just take place underwater--it involves a network of larger ocean animals washed by small fish and shrimp called cleaners at coral reef cleaning stations around the world.

Cleaners remove pesky parasites from their customers in return for a tasty meal, serving up to 2000 customers a day. Sea turtles, manta rays, and even sharks line up for a scrubbing in the busy stations, just like at a car wash. Some customers return 100 times daily. And they must remember the important rule if they want a washing by the cleaning crew: DON'T EAT THE CLEANERS!

Readers will delight in this colorful exploration of the remarkable teamwork among coral reef residents. Back matter features images of all 30 animals and a fun matching game: can you find the animals in the book?

In her latest nonfiction work, award-winning author-illustrator Susan Stockdale once again proves her talent in creating engaging and entertaining nature books for young readers.

From anglerfish to zebras, discover 500 awesome animal facts for kids ages 9 to 12.

From frogs to foxes, scorpions and sharks, The Fascinating Animal Book for Kids has it all! This animal encyclopedia includes 500 amazing facts about animals that offer hours of engaging learning every boy and girl will love. Alongside full-color pictures on every page, find weird and wonderful details about Magnificent Mammals, Creepy Crawlies, Amazing Amphibians, Feathered Friends, and more. Great as a bedtime read or during the day, this standout among animal books for kids is ideal for any boy or girl who is wild about animals!

Learn fantastic facts like:

Today's golden hamsters are all descendants of a single hamster family that lived in Syria around 1930.

Ant mimicking spiders pretend to be ants by raising two of their eight legs to look like ant antennae allowing them to eat the ants.

A glass lizard looks like a snake, but it is actually a lizard with an extra-long tail--and no legs.

When you're looking for a kid's book for ages 9-12, this is the perfect choice to learn about animals--and have a whole bunch of fun!

Join Mama Cheetah and Baby Cheetah in Ta-Thump, Ta-Thump, a charming children's book by Novella Dean with enchanting illustrations by Kerrie Robertson. Set in the vast Sudan Savannah, the duo shares heartwarming moments, and Baby Cheetah, curious about a rhythmic sound from Mama's chest, asks, What's that sound, Mama? This endearing tale explores the joy and unconditional love between Mama and Baby and the innate desire for children to emulate their parents. Ta-Thump, Ta-Thump is not just an adventure but also an introduction to the marvelous world of cheetahs. Snuggle up for a delightful journey, discovering the sweet melody of love in this captivating celebration of family bonds.