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Rhythmic text and lush illustrations invite young readers (or listeners) to eat like a bear from April until midwinter. Textured illustrations and more thorough backmatter conclude this engaging introduction to brown bears and their habitat.

Bats come in different sizes with different characteristics but each serves a particular purpose. Crisp photographs and lucid writing provide a riveting introduction to these often maligned creatures.

Volcanoes erupt on land and in the sea and are found all around the world. Eruptions are both “creative and destructive” but all start with “gooey rock called magma.” Volcano facts are combined with specific locations and striking, textured collages for an absorbing introduction to a fascinating natural phenomenon.

In the rainforest of Sumatra, a baby orangutan is born. Photographs chronicle her life with mother and the baby’s growth. At about five years old, the baby is old enough to live independently though she still occasionally sees her mother. Brief general information about orangutans concludes this accessible photo essay.

Most kids like something chocolate-y, right? But there wouldn’t be chocolate without cocoa beans that come from cocoa pods that rely on insects and other creatures in rainforests — even monkeys! A brief but engaging look at this interconnected habitat is realistically illustrated with informative but humorous asides by bookworms to encourage each page turn.

There’s always something to do outside regardless of the weather. A range of activities are presented through short descriptions and photographs with notation to indicate if the activity can be done independently or if adult help is needed. Some are messy, all are doable.

Find out the difference between “warm blooded” and “cold blooded” creatures, learn why sweat is important, how to stay warm or cool, and how animals cope with temperature changes. Attractive illustrations and crisp text will inform and engage.

Stink is still afraid to put his head underwater so fears he’ll remain a “polliwog”. When frogs start to appear everywhere, however, Stink learns about them, what’s really going on, and learns to swim! The latest installment about Judy Moody’s little brother is sure to please.

In the spring in Pakistan’s Hindu Kush Mountains, two hungry snow leopard cubs wait for their mother. As they grown, they must learn to survive on their own in a harsh environment. Stunning illustrations and dramatic narration provide a glimpse of the animals’ lives.

This handsome book invites readers to look at birds while learning about their habits and habitats; clearly organized by region and illustrated with illuminating photographs for identification. Easy activities, positive actions, and additional resources are also included.

No visit to a beach is complete without finding shells. Those who visit the Northeast coast of the U.S. are sure to gain information and insight from a small but instructive, clearly illustrated book on seashells.

Look! Watch various animals in their own environment with a young dreamer. Here, expressive but realistic watercolor illustrations are truly worth a thousand words. They are accompanied by brief, repeating language just right for new readers.

Starting in space, an alien family bids adieu to their offspring (they look a lot like octopuses) who then head for earth landing in the ocean. When read the other way, he journeys home. The vertical format and strong design create a sophisticated literary and visual jaunt.

There are things to do indoors and outside. But the inside goes outside and the reverse with cutouts on pages in this attractive wordless book. Simple lines and flat colors are appealing on brown paper, and encourage careful — and multiple — examinations.

If a whale is what you want to see — as does the boy in this expressive, delicately illustrated tale — then patience (plus an ocean) is needed. Images combine with poetic language to create a quiet, deeply satisfying book rich enough for multiple readings.

A mother humpback whale and her calf travel from the Caribbean Sea to the coast of New England and back over a year. Informative text is formatted to be read as a whole or in chunks and illustrated with luminous pastel illustrations. Additional information is included.

Who’s hiding? Lift the flap to find out! Sturdy pages and flaps combine with simply shaped, brightly colored illustrations for a playful game even for the youngest child.

Fast and sluggish, over and under, in and out as well as other concepts are simply demonstrated by a cheerful, quick duck and a comical, slow snail in companion board books. Also see Quick Duck (opens in a new window) by the same author.

Meet marine animals in lush photographs and informative, straightforward text. Count familiar and lesser known sea animals from 1 to 10 and learn more from factual back matter.

Maisy and her friends plant a garden, tend it, and watch the vegetables and flowers grow. Pull tabs on sturdy pages let young readers see the results in this participatory garden tale.

Count colorful butterflies in natural settings in this small, sturdy, attractively illustrated concept book. Each of the colorful ten butterflies is identified by name on the back cover.

Two girls explore the spring colors of blossoming trees. Bold block prints show entire trees and provide a close-up of the blossoms, ideal to help identify familiar and less familiar trees from the dogwood, American beech, and magnolia.

There are many ways to picture a tree throughout the seasons. Sometimes a tree plays “a game of dress-up”, or serves as a “high-rise home sweet home.” Textured collage illustrations extend meaning of the simple, evocative text in a joy-filled celebration of trees.

998 of the 999 frogs (who were once 999 Tadpoles (opens in a new window)) awaken their big brother for an action-packed spring. Simple, childlike illustrations on open backgrounds leave plenty of room for imagination as the frog family and other animals celebrate the season.