Most Popular Books by John Himmelman

What types of plants and animals live in a meadow? From spiders to weasels, spittlebugs to beetles, take an up-close look at life in a typical North American meadow.

Chaos prevails when the barnyard animals decide to live in the house with Farmer Beanbuckets and his family.

While helping them, Tudley the turtle adopts his fellow animals'' behaviors--flying like a hummingbird, calling like a katydid, and flashing like a firefly--but learns about his own special talent when they help him out of his own trouble.

Beetles fly, frogs hop, and slugs slide over the pages of this book, made to be read by a child while lying on the grass. Children interact with the book, with a tip, tap, and turn of the book, moving the critters along. The critters even interact with each other in surprising ways. John Himmelman brings together his expertise as both a naturalist and an artist to encourage children to explore nature in their own backyard

This book beautifully renders ocean-side wildlife and their delicate relationships with one another. Himmelman''s breathtaking watercolor paintings are coupled with rhyming text couplets that examines the delicate balance that exists on the seashore.

Blah! Mr. Raisin is a bit of a grump. He lives all alone in a little house, and he likes it that way just fine. One day, a mysterious basket appears on Mr. Raisin’s doorstep. When he opens it up, it seems there’s nothing inside . . . until he notices a floating dog bobbing along his ceiling. What follows is a heartwarming, hilarious tale about embracing the unexpected—and finding friendship that takes you to new heights, in John Himmelman''s Floaty.

No one likes getting caught out in the rain! One drizzly day on the farm, a cow overhears a cat meowing to be let into the house. When the kind old lady inside opens the door, the cow gets an idea--one that spirals out of control! Minimal text and maximum hilarity make for a zany, fun-filled tale as we find out what happens when the cow says meow.

Examines the life cycle of a Nature Upclose: A Luna Moth''s Life

Graham''s new invention combines with a big snowfall to force his busy beaver family to take a day off from their chores.

Meet the most heroic chickens in town! On Monday, Farmer Greenstalk dropped his watch down the well. . . . On Tuesday, Mrs. Greenstalk was too tired to make dinner. . . . Who will help the poor Greenstalk family? Chickens to the rescue! The amazing chickens on the Greenstalk farm race to help various family members and farm animals every day of the week. Every day until Sunday, that is, when Emily Greenstalk has a little trouble . . . John Himmelman''s expressive illustrations are filled with the kind of hilarious details that will delight young readers. "The fun here comes from all the frenzy in the pictures, and it will take kids more than one look to see all the silliness." - Booklist

In lively, accessible prose, John Himmelman explains the intricacy of moths'' life cycle, their importance in nature, and how just a tiny handful of the many moth species are truly pests to humans. He tells how to attract moths with lights and bait, when and where to observe them, and how best to photograph these tiny subjects. Entertaining personal anecdotes and short profiles of some of the country''s foremost moth-ers add human interest. This new edition updates photos and information while focusing on states east of the Mississippi.

Relates the amusing adventures of a family of inventors.

Are bananas yellow . . . or is yellow a banana? Learn all about yellow—and other colorful things—in this rollicking picture book from John Himmelman, author of the Bunjitsu Bunny series u200bApproaching the concept of color, and the creative ways in which young children assign names to things in the world around them, with a fun, playful tone, this picture book is perfect for group or individual read-aloud story times. That yellow is a banana. No, a banana is yellow. These purples are grapes. No, these grapes are purple! This orange is a pumpkin. No, that pumpkin is orange! And this orange is . . . orange? With two charming siblings and a fresh, limited palette that allows each featured color to really shine, young readers will learn as they laugh in this side-splittingly funny, unique picture book.

Take a peek into an environment loaded with frogs, bugs, birds, and more. Budding naturalists can find bogs all over--maybe even in their own neighborhoods. A handy field guide in the back helps young readers identify the plants and animals illustrated throughout the book.

A friendly witch named Amanda gives a toad three wishes, but her good intentions backfire when he uses one of the wishes to become a witch.

Illustrations and simple text follow the daily activities of a ladybug through its life cycle, from summer to fall.

At a time when night-singing insects have slipped beyond our notice—indeed, are more likely to be heard as NatureSounds than in a backyard—John Himmelman seeks to reconnect us to creatures whose songs form a part of our own natural history. On warm summer evenings, night-singing insects produce a whirring, chirping soundscape—a calming aural tapestry celebrated by poets and naturalists for millennia. But “cricket radio” is not broadcast for the easy-listening pleasure of humans. The nocturnal songs of insects are lures and warnings, full of risks and rewards for these tiny competitive performers. What moves crickets and katydids to sing, how they produce their distinctive sounds, how they hear the songs of others, and how they vary cadence, volume, and pitch to attract potential mates, warn off competitors, and evade predators is part of the engaging story Cricket Radio tells. Himmelman’s narrative weaves together his personal experiences as an amateur naturalist in search of crickets and katydids with the stories of scientists who study these insects professionally. He also offers instructions for bringing a few of the little singers into our homes and gardens. We can, Himmelman suggests, be reawakened to these night songs that have meant so much to the human psyche. The online insect calls that accompany this colorfully illustrated narrative provide a bridge of sound to our past and to our vital connection with other species.

As author Himmelman can attest, people of all ages are actively learning more about frogs, toads, and salamanders. This book covers everything from amphibians'' physiology to their place in folklore and literature to possible explanations of why many populations have declined. Along the way we learn where to find them and how to identify them, how to handle them safely, how to create vernal pools and year-round pond habitats for them, and more.