Written by Terry Catasús Jennings
Illustrations by Laurie O'Keefe

Written by Suzanne Slade
Illustrations by Erin E. Hunter
         Erin's Painting Process

Written by Janet Halfmann
Illustrations by Shennen Bersani

The animals living in the forest are surprised when a mountain suddenly explodes, covering the land in gritty warm ash and rocks that make it unlivable for many plants and animals. Gopher survives in his underground burrow and gets to work, digging through the ash, and mixing it into the soil below. He works hard every day, and slowly some of the plants and animals return to the area. Will the forest ever be the same? Scientists spent years observing how life returned to the mountain following the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980. This fictionalized story is based on their surprising results of how life returns to an area that has been totally changed or destroyed.

FCM:
° What and Where Are Volcanoes?
° Tectonic Plates (with map)
° Natural Disasters and Habitat Changes
° Hands On: Pressure and Melting

Animals, like people, enjoy spending time with their friends and family. Many groups of animals have their own unique names. Did you know group of gorillas is a called a band? And a bunch of billy goats is a tribe? Following in the footsteps of Multiply on the Fly (multiplication), the award-winning What’s New at the Zoo? (addition) and What’s the Difference? (subtraction), this rhythmic, fun-to-read-aloud book introduces children to division as they conquer bands, tribes, mobs and more.

FCM:
° Collective Nouns Matching
° Penguins of the World Map
° Hands On: Dividing Cookies
° Division: Opposite of Multiplication

Baby Bat doesn’t want to leave his comfy, cozy, cave.  So when his mom tells him to practice flapping his wings he resists, thinking that if he never learns to fly, he will never have go out into the big, scary world. Suddenly, he loses his hold on the cave wall and falls. On the cave floor he meet Pluribus Packrat, who takes Baby Bat deep into the cave and teaches him about the importance of bats, and the interconnectedness of all living things within a cave ecosystem.

FCM:
° Life in Cave Zones
° Rock Formations
° Cave Habitats
° Hands On: Bat Echolocation
° Compare and Contrast: Bats, Birds, and Humans

Written by Carol A. Cole
Illustrations by Sherry Rogers

Written by Jean Heilprin Diehl
Illustrations by Cathy Morrison

Penelope Parker collects penguins! Short ones, tall ones; young and old—the penguins are from all over the Southern Hemisphere including some that live near the equator! Do the penguin antics prove too much for her to handle? Children count and then compare and contrast the different penguin species as they learn geography.

Sherry Rogers’ whimsical illustrations will have children laughing out loud at the penguin behaviors.

FCM:
° Compare and Contrast Penguin Adaptations
° Penguins of the World: True or False Questions
° Hands On: How Tall Are Penguins?

Beatrix the beaver longs to be good at something. Her brother, Bevan, is an expert at repairing the lodge and dam with mud and twigs. Her sister, Beverly, is a superb swimmer and underwater gymnast. What makes Beatrix stand out? Believing no one will miss her anyway, Beatrix swims away, only to find herself trapped! When Bevan and Beverly come to look for their sister, they are trapped too! What will happen to these Three Little Beavers?

FCM:
° Beaver Fun Facts and Adaptations
° Busy Beaves: Pests or Environmental Engineers?
° Hands On: Building Dams

Written by Darcy Pattison
Illustrations by Kathleen Rietz

Written by Terri Fields
Illustrations by Laura Jacques

Written by Kelly Kizer Whitt
Illustrations by Laurie Allen Klein

Baths may not a child’s favorite thing to do but all animals—even wild animals take baths to keep their bodies clean and healthy. Humans might use soap and water but some animals use their tongues, dust, or even let other animals clean them off.

Freezing temperatures, scorching heat, and a storm bigger than planet Earth is just some of the wild weather you will encounter on your trip through our solar system! Get your fun facts along with your forecast for each major planet, as well as the weather on dwarf planet Pluto. Any child with an interest in space is sure to love Solar System Forecast, and parents will love the educational “For Creative Minds” section in the back of the book. Get ready for some out of this world fun with Solar System Forecast!

Written by Marianne Berkes
Illustrations by Kathleen Rietz

Written by Carrie A. Pearson
Illustrations by Christina Wald

In a twist of perspective, wild creatures wonder how human children stay warm in the winter. Winter adaptation strategies and little-known animal facts are woven throughout this rhythmic story.