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You live in your home…but where is your home? It’s in your neighborhood…but where is your neighborhood? It’s in your town, which is in your state, which is in North America, which is on the planet Earth, which is in the solar system, which is in a galaxy of stars called the Milky Way.

Fourteen critters are presented here through well-placed photographs and fascinating factoids. From small (“the female tarantula lays 500 to 1000 eggs in a silken sac…”) to tall (“a giraffe’s tongue is black”), to up in the air (the hummingbird) or down in the water (a seahorse), this book is fun and informative.

The octopus is not only intelligent, it can be remarkably adaptable able to change color, shape and even skin texture. This fascinating overview is illustrated with attractive watercolors and includes additional detail in back matter. For older readers (ages 9 to 12), The Octopus Scientists (opens in a new window) by Sy Montgomery with photographs by Keith Ellenbogen follows octopus scientist, Jennifer Mathers, and her international team as they learn about and try to better understand this clever creature.

From whales to wasps, glimpses into animal behavior makes for intriguing reading. A pig eating python concludes the brief, engaging book illustrated with cut and torn paper collage. Back matter includes a bit more detail about the creatures described.

Follow three scientists as they study the osprey, a fascinating raptor, in and around Missoula, Montana. How these large birds are tracked and studied is revealed in a highly accessible well-researched text and color photos. Further information appears in sidebars and back matter.

School’s out! Everyone’s favorite amoeba is headed to summer camp! Squish’s summer is turning out to be terrifying! For one thing, Squish can’t swim. And to make matters worse, his new camp friend is a Hydra (scientific fact: A hydra’s tentacles can paralyze you!). Will Squish sink or will he swim this summer?

As it changes its appearance throughout the seasons, this plant also provides food for different birds and animals. But many people see poison ivy as a nuisance only for the itchy, sometimes dangerous reaction to it when they come in close contact with it. This attractive and informative introduction to poison ivy is handsomely illustrated with a brief but engaging text.

A variety of body parts are written about in different poetic forms — some humorous, some rhyming — accompanied by a factual insert on what appears to come from a notebook. Illustrations are as varied and serve to open the format and to illuminate the information for an entertaining and informative look at body parts.

Frank Einstein must figure out an alternate source of power or succumb to his archenemy T. Edison’s exorbitant prices for electricity. In this latest of over-the-top funny Einstein series, actual science fact is couched in humorous fiction.

Simple machines are all around us! They can be seen in a flag pole (a pulley), a faucet (a wheel and axle), and even on the playground (a seesaw is a lever!). Flat illustrations and an understandable narration introduce and explain three types of simple machines most of which are in a young reader’s experience.

Birds aren’t the only animals to make their homes in nests. Other nest-dwellers include insects, turtles, even orangutans. Handsome, detailed illustrations and an informative text (which can be read either in detail or for the main theme) appealingly present these animal homes and their residents.

Which is more amazing, the vampire squid or the blue whale? Could it be the leafy sea dragon or the wolffish? Characteristics of these and many other amazing sea creatures suggest that it is the most amazing but it is the reader who must decide. Stunning, realistic illustrations of each animal in its likely environment and fascinating facts present a host of remarkable beings.

Animals, like people, have faces. And faces have amazing features; for example, a panda’s furry face keeps it warm, a ladybug’s antennae smells, and large ears help bats hear. Explore these and other senses in crisp text and lots of photographs in an attractive, accessible format. A code for a supplemental digital book is included to continue the exploration.

Lyrical language and handsome, realistic watercolors present water in its many forms, from liquid to snow. Water is also in things like mud and even apples. Additional information about the processes seen and further readings concludes this striking and informative look at water.

Even when it’s too early to plant, there’s a lot going on underground. When a grandmother and her grandchild do plant, they tend the garden until it’s harvested and even then there’s a great deal of activity down in the dirt. Richly colored illustrations show both on top and underneath the garden.

Many animals on land and in the water, familiar and exotic, have spots — seen here through brief, poetic language and carefully crafted illustrations: “Spots with purpose, spots with flair. Spotted creatures everywhere!” Additional information about the animals and where they live concludes this handsome informational book.

Some creatures that live in oceans have skeletons, others don’t. Meet a colorful variety of them in this exploration of sea animals from jellies to clown fish in this playful but informative introduction. A chart of “sea facts” concludes this book that can be read with or without the extra information presented in a different typeface on each double-page spread.

Hippos are indeed huge. They can also be dangerous as they’re fast and have razor-sharp teeth. An informal narrative and dramatic illustrations combine with factual information in this engaging and fascinating look at a very big creature.

Follow a honeybee as it travels to a prairie in bloom to gather nectar and return to let other bees know of the place. Bold collages of honeybees from varied perspectives present the environment and hive. Additional information about the honeybee dance concludes this compelling look at a fascinating process.

Real inventions come into focus in this poetry collection, some factually, others fancifully; each is sure to make readers think anew about what is often taken for granted!

This anthology features 218 poems by 78 award-winning and popular poets, connecting science with reading and language arts. The “Take 5!” activities highlight concepts and topics identified in the Next Generation Science Standards and incorporate the literacy skills identified in the Common Core State Standards.

Many things happen when the wind blows. Dune grass bends, waves spray, and “Copper whirls ‘round/Between two magnets/High aboveground” to generate electricity that is used to power our nation. Lyrical text and realistic illustrations provide a creative introduction to wind power.

Forest animals “live as neighbors” and survive by building. The homes and their inhabitants are presented in stunning, earth-toned pop-ups accompanied by a brief but informative and engaging text.

A word on one side is illustrated on the opposing page of each spread. Lift the sturdy flap, and the egg becomes a chick, the acorn becomes an oak tree, etc. Even a very familiar caterpillar becomes a handsome butterfly in this thoughtfully presented glimpse of spring things.