Animals
Crows : an egg-to-sky story
Margaret Peot
j598.864 Peot
Kids, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Nature
"This book is an introduction to the natural history of crows for children and includes a brief discussion of the difference between crows and ravens, as well as other members of the crow family such as magpies and jays"--
A mischief of mice
Christie Matheson
jE Matheson
Mystery, Kids, Picture Books, Animals, Nature
A menagerie of forest animals, whose temperaments match their collective nouns, try to solve the mystery of a missing group of mice.
Collective animal nouns, a mysterious disappearance, and beautiful autumnal illustrations make Christie Matheson's latest title for perfect storytime sharing this season! -Casey
Brown bears
Nick Crumpton
j599.784 Crumpton
Kids, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals
"Spring has arrived in Alaska, and a brown bear is waking up. She was alone when she fell asleep at the start of winter; now she is climbing out of her den with two cubs. Follow them as they discover how to survive in the wilderness, from climbing trees to catching salmon, as their mother teaches the cubs how to be bears"--Provided by publisher.
Enjoy learning about the lives of brown bears in this beautiful picture book, suitable for reading aloud to preschoolers and up. Gorgeous watercolor illustrations evoking the natural environment accompany interesting, straightforward information about bears' mother-cub bonds, behavior, hibernation, diet, and more. -Anne W
Roy is not a dog
Esmé Shapiro
jE Shapiro
Picture Books, Mystery, Animals
"On Lilypod Lane, everyone knows everything about everybody . . . or so they believe! When curious paperboy Weasel encounters his mysterious neighbor Roy on his route, he becomes convinced that Roy is actually a dog!"--
Dogs are people too! Wonderful storytelling and adorable illustrations abound in this latest from Esme Shapiro and Daniel Newell Kaufman. -Casey
This is not my lunch box!
Jennifer Dupuis
j591.73 Dupuis
Nonfiction, Kids, Animals, Picture Books
"Join in on a surprising camping trip and discover the favorite meals of your favorite forest creatures--from the wood frog to the moose. Rich art illustrates the beautiful biodiversity found in our forests and expressive, repetitive text helps even the youngest naturalists learn all about herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores"--
A cute book about animal diets that keeps kids guessing from page to page! -Anne W
I was : the stories of animal skulls
Katherine M. Hocker
j573.7616 Hocker
Picture Books, Animals, Nonfiction, Science
"Strong, smooth domes, skulls are more than remnants of creatures that used to be. They are artifacts that allow us to travel back through time. Every ridge, hollow, and crevice of a skull reveals something about an animal's habitat, food source, and skill set. By observing the characteristics of six different animal skulls, readers can learn about the lives once led by a lynx, a deer, a beaver, a hummingbird, a wolf, and an owl. Katherine Hocker's lyrical text and Natasha Donovan's fluid artwork, paired with sound scientific data and back matter resources, will ignite a child's native curiosity and encourage mindful observation of the wonders hidden in nature-and ourselves"--
A simple, satisfying juvenile nonfiction picture book that examines several animal skulls and connects them to characteristics and behavior the animal in question utilized while they were alive. The narrative, while based firmly in scientific knowledge, uses lyrical storytelling - it's not dry facts, but a poignant, beautiful celebration of perfectly-adapted animal behavior as evidenced by bone structure. A great first examination of how our physical selves have evolved to allow us to do specific survival tasks! -Anne W
Cicada symphony
Sue Fliess
j595.752 Fliess
Animals
"There are about three thousand different kinds of cicadas but only the males make the sound we know. Some cicadas appear every year but other kinds only show up every seventeen years, but no one knows why. And there can be trillions of them! Interesting facts and a rhythmic, rhyming verse combine with colorful illustrations to portray one of the most fascinating insects in the world"--
I recommend sharing this book with a young friend or family member. I love cicadas, and this book provided neat tidbits to expand my knowledge. The illustrations and narration are both engaging and colorful. This year, there are two different broods of cicadas coemerging, so now is the perfect time to brush up on your cicada facts! -Heidi K
The last zookeeper
Aaron Becker
jE Becker
Picture Books, Animals, Nature, Science Fiction
A master of the wordless form imagines a futuristic Noah's Ark in a luminous sci-fi parable for our changing world.
Masterful! Aaron Becker's latest title is wordless picture-book perfection. -Casey
Ungrateful mammals
Dave Eggers
741.973 /Eggers
Humor, Animals, Philosophy, Art / Art History
Before he embarked on his writing career, Dave Eggers was classically trained as a draftsman and painter. He then spent many years as a professional illustrator and graphic designer before turning to writing full-time. More recently, in order to raise money for ScholarMatch, his college-access nonprofit, he returned to visual art, and the results have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the country. Usually involving the pairing of an animal with humorous or Biblical text, the results are wry, oddly anthropomorphic tableaus that create a very entertaining and eccentric body of work from one of today's leading culture makers.
A fun, amusing, and quick read! I didn't know Dave Eggers was an illustrator and graphic designer before turning to writing — it's inspiring to know that all art can fuel other forms of art. Give this flip through before seeing him in conversation at the Englert on Thursday, March 7! -Annie
Creep, leap, crunch! : a food chain story
Jody Jensen Shaffer
j577.16 Shaffer
Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals, Nature
"In this nonfiction picture book, discover how the animal kingdom's food chain takes shape"--
Fabulous illustrations by Christopher Silas Neal accompany this cumulative food chain text. "Creep, Leap, Crunch!" is great for sensitive youngsters with alternate endings for each of the animals offered, reminding readers that predators are not always successful. A lovely glossary adds more information about the animals and temperate setting as well. Add this to the picture book nonfiction shelf! -Casey
Here is yet another gorgeous addition to the picture book nonfiction genre! Informative and digestible, Margaret Peot's "Crows: an Egg-to-Sky Story" is just right for sharing with young birders. -Casey