Best Selling Books by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Go on a journey that begins with a few drops of rain on the dry desert floor. Using the Sonoran Desert as an example, Life in a Desert examines the physical features, processes, and many different species of plants and animals that make up a unique desert ecosystem. Find out about the impact of humans on this delicate ecosystem and what is being done to save it. Book jacket.

Relates, in text and photographs, the experiences of twelve-year-old Leif as he goes on his first hunting trip with his family in Montana.

Traces the pioneers'' footsteps in handmade covered wagons as the Westmont Wagoneers celebrate the pioneer spirit with a wagon train journey through western Montana and the Flathead Indian Reservation

Describes the examination of the Ice Man, his clothing and equipment, found in the Alps near the Austrian-Italian border in September 1991 and thought to be more than 4000 years old.

Homesteading: Settling America�s Heartland describes the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of the brave pioneer families who set out into the unknown to create a home on the vast, desolate grasslands of the Great Plains. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered, practically free, a 160-acre plot to anyone willing to develop it. Hundreds of men, women, and children took advantage of the opportunity to build a home, a farm, and a while new life on the western prairie. The homesteader�s life could be harsh. The Great Plains had few resources, unpredictable weather, and numerous dangers. Nevertheless, many stalwart Americans and immigrants took up the challenge. Many failed, but others survived and eventually thrived, opening the way for generations of Westerners to come. Kids and adults alike will delight in this engaging short history, beautifully illustrated with full-color photographs by William Mu�

"The book''s well-written text is right on the mark for the age group. A world map locates various frogs in rain forests on five continents on the colorful end-papers"("Booklist"). "Patent leaps into her topic straight off, captivating readers with such delicious factoids on rain forest frogs . . . sure to pull in those primary schoolers with a taste for the gruesome".--"The Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books". Full color.

Describes the discovery and study of fossil records revealing the herding and nesting behavior of the dinosaur known as Maiasaura.

Discusses the significance, growth, and cultivation of flowers and examines specific kinds.

Discusses hunting techniques of predators and survival techniques of their prey and relates this interaction among animals to the food chain and the balance of nature.

"This unusual book looks at the quetzal from many points of view: as the ancient Aztec god Quetzalcoatl; as a source of valuable feathers throughout Mesoamerican history; as a rainforest bird of striking beauty and intriguing habits; and as an endangered animal today....The writing weaves the many strands of myth, lore, art, and natural history into a coherent narrative....Drawings add their own sense of wonder and mystery. Well researched and handsomely presented, this book offers a many-faceted study of the quetzal."--Booklist. Bibliography, index, maps.

Follows Maggie, a type of Hungarian sheep dog known as a Kuvasz, as she protects her sheep, runs with the flock, and greets new baby lambs in the spring.

Examines the traits, origins, breeds, uses, and care of the big workhorses which have been in use from the Middle Ages to the present.

The author discusses the problems of disappearing and damaged habitats.

Describes, in text and illustrations, the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of the Grizzly bear and discusses the threats that humans pose to their survival.

In this groundbreaking, exceptionally researched installment of the award-winning Scientists in the Field series, discover how lizards rapidly adapt to life in the Caribbean islands, allowing scientists to study Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection in real time. Award-winning author Dorothy Hinshaw Patent joins forces with scientists/filmmakers Neil Losin and Nate Dappen, whose work is detailed in the Smithsonian Channel documentary “Laws of the Lizard,” to explore how the small but mighty lizards we call “anoles” are used by scientists to study basic principles of evolution and ecology. Travel with the team to Florida and the Caribbean as they research how anoles followed similar but independent evolutionary paths on the four major islands of the Greater Antilles (Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Cuba). So while anoles on different islands may look like close relatives, they often are not! This is Darwin''s principle of natural selection at work. And it makes anoles the perfect subjects for experiments that study how animals adapt to new challenges—such as climate change—in this exciting and timely addition to a celebrated series.

Describes the physical characteristics, diet, natural habitat, and life cycle of polar bears.

Discusses the variety of ways used by insects to communicate. Includes butterflies, ants, bees, termites, and many others.

Examines some of the popular wildlife refuges, in such states as Texas, North Dakota, and California, and focuses on the different methods used to help maintain a natural balance there.