Earth Sciences

What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)

Did you ever walk through a wall? Drink a glass of blocks? Have you ever played with a lemonade doll, or put on milk for socks? This latest addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series introduces the youngest readers to an important science concept: the differences between solids, liquids, and gases. Any child who wants to know why he can't walk through a wall will enjoy Kathleen Zoehfeld's simple text and Paul Meisel's playful illustrations.

Big Book of Dinosaurs

Everything about The Big Book of Dinosaurs is off the charts--the size of the book itself, the elaborate two-page spreads, the color models, and even the oversized type. Children can experience the amazing powers of these prehistoric beasts--the jagged teeth of the ferocious meat eaters, the slashing claws of the Deinonychus, and the long-necked Barosaurus that could reach five-story-high treetops and may have had eight hearts. Yet, like the dinosaurs themselves, there is nothing threatening or intimidating about this highly informative book. The text is brief and succinct, only conveying facts that children find interesting. (There's even an index for quick searches of favorite dinos.) The lifelike illustrations give young readers a solid sense of what dinosaur fossils and skeletal systems look like as well as clear mental pictures of how these creatures appeared in "real-life" millions of years ago. (Ages 4 to 7) --Gail Hudson

A first book of dinosaurs for young children.

The Big Book of Dinosaurs is an enticing collection of dinosaurs that is sure to excite any child. It is packed with full-color photographs of life-like models plus detailed illustrations. The simple text describes interesting features, while questions encourage children to compare various dinosaurs.

The Magic School Bus Inside The Earth (Magic School Bus)

Joanna Cole, Illustrations Bruce Degen. "Ms. Frizzle, the wackiest, wisest teacher in picture books... returns to teach geology via a field trip to the center of the earth." -Booklist, starred review. Paperback.

Snowflake Bentley (Caldecott Medal Book)

Most children are captivated by snow, but how many go on to make it their lifework? This beautiful biography, winner of the 1999 Caldecott Medal, tells the true story of a Vermont farm boy who was mesmerized by snowflakes. Wilson Bentley was fascinated by the six-sided frozen phenomena, and once he acquired a microscope with a camera, his childhood preoccupation took on a more scientific leaning. Bentley spent his life taking countless exquisite photographs (many that are still used in nature photography today), examining the tiny crystals and their delicate, mathematical structures. Jacqueline Briggs Martin tells this tale with simple, graceful prose that will engage children's imaginations. Edifying and snowflake-scattered sidebars offer more information about Bentley's methods and snowflake science. The artwork of Mary Azarian, whose 19th-century hand-press illustrations decorate the charming Barn Cat, shines once again in Snowflake Bentley, with woodcuts that reveal an appreciation for detail as well as for the man who loved snow. The lovely illustrations and equally fresh text will inspire and comfort youngsters (and grownups too) who wish they could capture snowflakes all year long. (Ages 4 to 8) --Brangien Davis

From the time he was a small boy, Wilson Bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles. And he determined that one day his camera would capture for others the wonder of the tiny crystal. Bentley's enthusiasm for photographing snowflakes was often misunderstood in his time, but his patience and determination revealed two important truths: no two snowflakes are alike; and each one is startlingly beautiful. His story is gracefully told and brought to life in lovely woodcuts, giving children insight into a soul who had not only a scientist's vision and perseverance but a clear passion for the wonders of nature. "Of all the forms of water the tiny six-pointed crystals of ice called snow are incomparably the most beautiful and varied." -- Wilson Bentley. SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY won the 1999 Caldecott Medal.

Sea Monsters: A nonfiction companion to Dark Day in the Deep Sea (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R))

How are an octopus and a squid different? What kinds of creatures live in the deepest abyss of the ocean? What do scientists say some legendary sea monsters really are? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this Magic Tree House Research Guide: Sea Monsters.

Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary (Trophy Picture Books)

Have you ever wondered what a badland is? What about a gulch? Do you wonder what an isthmus is? Or a seamount? What about the difference between a plateau and a plain, or a knob and a knoll? Well, here are the answers!

The sixty-three entries from A to Z describe the earth's features -- its physical geography -- from the highest mountain peak to the deepest ocean trench, in clear, concise terms. Each entry is beautifully illustrated in full color.

This is a perfect introduction to the dramatic and fascinating face of the vast world around us. The author and artist of the best-selling MAPS & GLOBES team up again, this time to prove that geography can indeed be an adventure.

Where Butterflies Grow (Picture Puffins)

Let's Go Rock Collecting (Let'S-Read-And-Find-Out Science. Stage 2)

Holly Keller has created vivacious new paintings for this favorite Reading Rainbow title about geology. Readers follow two enthusiastic rock hounds around the globe as they add to their collection. Along the way they will learn how sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks are formed. From the Egyptian pyramids to Roman roads, from the diamond ring on your finger to the pebbles under your feet'rocks are everywhere!

A Drop Of Water

The curious, protean nature of water has fascinated people for ages, and Walter Wick--the photographer of Scholastic's highly acclaimed I Spy series--is no exception. Wick is a great admirer and collector of 100-year-old science books where, according to his afterword, "Even the simplest experiments appeared as if improbable or impossible things were happening. Intrigued, I recreated some of the experiments and photographed them with my camera. The results seemed magical, but not because of any photographic trick; it was only the forces of nature at work. It was from these explorations that the idea for this book emerged."

As you're admiring the "crown" created by a water drop splashing into a pool, or how many water droplets can fit on the head of a pin (the smallest droplet on the pin contains more than three trillion water molecules), you'll learn about evaporation, condensation, snowflakes, how clouds form, and more amazing water tricks. Wick's other artfully composed photographs include a "wild wave" caused by a brown egg dropped in a water glass, soap bubbles with a "shimmering liquid skin," a snowflake at 60 times its actual size, and dew on a spider web. Like many old-fashioned science books, A Drop of Water ends with a list of simple experiments may lure the young reader into the world of scientific investigation. Unlike many old science books, this one also stands on its own as a beautiful, notable collection of photographs.

Looking at Rocks (My First Field Guides)

From their backyard to the local bank, rock hounds can identify common rocks wherever they go-all on their own!