Animals Nonfiction

If you think dinosaurs are cool, wait till you learn what covered Earth 430 million years ago. That’s long before dinos even existed. There wasn’t much on land - some really tiny plants and even smaller animals like millipedes and mites. But offshore life was another story. Six-foot-long relatives of modern scorpions roamed the open water, gobbling up smaller creatures. Fish were out there, too. There just weren’t many of them, and they were much different than today’s fish.

Rescue thought he'd grow up to be a Seeing Eye dog - it's the family business, after all. When he gets the news that he's better suited to being a service dog, he's worried that he's not up to the task. Then he meets Jessica, a girl whose life is turning out differently than the way she'd imagined it, too. Now Jessica needs Rescue by her side to help her accomplish everyday tasks. And it turns out that Rescue can help Jessica see after all: a way forward, together, one step at a time.

On January 31, 1961, a three-year-old chimpanzee named Ham made history. Strapped inside a Mercury capsule, the little chimp blasted off into the sky, becoming the first intelligent being to ride an American rocket into suborbital space. Ham made a vital contribution to the United States space program. Because there were so many unanswered questions about space travel, scientists could not risk sending humans on a journey into the unknown. Chimpanzees, however, are very similar to humans in the makeup of their skeletons and internal organs.

Simple science text gives a close-up account of the fascinating world of the dung beetle. When an animal lightens its load, dung beetles race to the scene. They battle over, devour, hoard, and lay their eggs in the precious poop. Dung is food, drink, and fuel for new life - as crucial to these beetles as the beetles are to many habitats, including our own.

Grasshoppers, waterstriders, and fireflies light up the pages of this rib-tickling book of poetry for two voices. Written as spirited duets, the poems ring with the love songs of book lice, the serenades of moths, and a choir of cicadas. Each one is a treat, filled with busy insect life. In addition to the voices of these frisky critters, there are also fascinating tidbits about their lives and habits.

This audiobook reveals the secret lives of salt marshes. Along the coasts, where ocean tides mix salt water with fresh water, nature has created salt marshes - soggy places full of natural wonders. For years, salt marshes were maligned, drained, or filled in. Now salt marshes are valued as the home of fascinating wildlife, including more than twenty different species of birds. Ornithologist and photographer Doug Wechsler takes the reader on a down-and-muddy tour of the year-round activity in these wonderlands.

It’s the week before Christmas, and Eric is already bored with his vacation. His parents have to work, his friends are out of town, and the city is snowed under. Then he opens his apartment door for an exterminator, and is dragged into the adventure of his life. Anje Gabrail carries a crossbow and lives for his work. When he discovers a rat in the basement of Eric’s apartment building, he asks the boy to help him kill it. At first Eric agrees, after all, he doesn’t have anything better to do. But as the week progresses, Eric finds himself in a fight to save not only the rat but himself as well.

With this fascinating audiobook, award-winning journalist Richard Conniff satisfies your cravings for the thrill and horror of formication - that chilling sensation of something crawling across your skin. Blending humor and sophistication, he introduces you to a host of spineless creatures, from moths to leeches, and the extraordinary enthusiasts who study them. For over 20 years, the author has trekked through jungles, oceans, and deserts in search of invertebrates.

Did you know there are over 400 different species of sharks? Did you know they have been on Earth much longer than humans, and even lived before the dinosaurs? Here you'll learn all about these fearsome kings of the ocean, including their eating habits and the basics of their anatomy. Sharks come in many sizes, from under a foot long to over 40 feet - and that's not even counting the long-extinct, 60-foot-long Megalodon shark. And while some have been known to bite people, they are usually quite content to hunt other sea creatures.

Lorcan was seven years old when his mother first heard him say ‘I love you’. The words were not directed at her, but at Jessi-cat, the family pet. Lorcan suffers from autism and selective mutism, rendering him unable to speak in certain situations. This all began to change with the arrival of a kitten named Jessi-cat.

These are the adventures and discoveries of the scientists who revealed the secrets of the Komodo dragon. This strange creature inspired myth and legend, luring brave souls into the forests of Indonesia to see if the tales were true. In the end, it attracted scientists, who unraveled the mysteries of how such a remarkable creature could exist, how it uses the deadly germs in its saliva to its advantage, and how those microbes may lead to cures for stubborn diseases.

Now available in a bilingual edition, this audiobook is from the acclaimed About...animals series. Educator and author Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what mammals are, how they look, how they move, what they eat, and where they live. An afterword provides details on the mammals featured and inspires young listeners to learn more about them.

Cathryn and John Sill explain the basic characteristics that all insects share while offering a close look at a few of the many animals in this diverse category. As a fabulous addition to an important series for kids, this book explores the fascinating world of insects.

About Reptiles explains the basic characteristics that all reptiles share while offering a look at the animals that fall into this diverse category. An afterword provides further detail on the animals portrayed to inspire young listeners to learn more. In this easy-to-understand introduction to reptiles for children, elementary school teacher and author Cathryn Sill explains what reptiles are, how they live, and what they do.

This beginner's guide offers a first glimpse into the natural world of amphibians. In this addition to the acclaimed About series, educator and author Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what amphibians are, how they look, how they move, what they eat, and where they live.

Provides an introduction to the concepts of short and tall.

Find out about all of the basics about owning a bird. Learn about what birds eat, how to keep your bird happy, and general care.

Find out about all of the basics about owning a dog. Learn what dogs eat, how to keep your dog happy, and general care.

The tundra ecosystem is vast, covering a large part of the far north. Countless animals and plants live there. So what difference could the loss of one animal species make? Follow the chain reaction, and discover how important lemmings are.

Pet guinea pigs have cool body parts that sniff, chew, wheek, and scamper. Take an up-close look at these squeaky, four-legged friends.