Best Selling Books by Laurence Pringle

This highly engaging exploration of the concept of evolution lays out the history of life on earth—what we know and how we know it. Ever since Charles Darwin revealed his landmark ideas about evolution in 1859, new findings have confirmed, expanded, and refined his concepts. This ALSC Notable children's book brings together the pillars of evidence that support our understanding of evolution. In addition to stunning illustrations, more than fifty photographs capture natural marvels, including awe-inspiring fossils, life forms, and geological wonders. The result is a full and clear account of the monumental evidence supporting the modern view of evolution.

Are kids going to love this book? Is a frog waterproof? The latest title in the popular Strange and Wonderful series delivers the awe-inspiring variety of frogs, the world's hoppiest amphibians. Did you know that the Goliath frog is more than a foot long? Or that the tiny gold frog could sit on a dime? Some frogs have camouflage. Others wear bold colors warning their enemies that they are poisonous. Some frogs leap, others hop, one is a runner, and a few glide from tree to tree with their big, webbed hands and feet! Surprising facts and beautiful, realistic nature illustrations come together in this celebration of one of nature's most fascinating marvels.

The dinosaurs were outlived by crocodile-like predators. today, their descendants are found on five continents. These animals are strange and wonderful indeed.

Laurence Pringle takes a fascinating look at earth's only flying mammal in this fun and informative Parents' Choice Award book. Readers will learn how bats can pluck insects from the air, and even fish from the water. They will discover how bats help giant trees and other tropical plants to reproduce, and gobble up pesky mosquitoes. They will find out, too, how you can help to protect bats and their homes. Dozens of bats swoop through Meryl Henderson's striking illustrations. The colorful art and clear, concise text together demonstrate that bats may be strange, but that they are wonderful too, and well worth saving.

Discusses controversial attempts to control the coyote population of the United States.

Think of a world without cold drinks, ice cream, and frozen foods. Believe it or not, such a world DID exist! Learn all about this fascinating history in this nonfiction book. In the early 1800s, people began to harvest ice, store it in ways that limited melting, and transport it to homes and businesses. Eventually, almost everyone had an icebox, and a huge, vital ice business grew. In this riveting book, acclaimed writer Laurence Pringle describes the key inventions and ideas that helped the ice business flourish. He points to the many sources of ice throughout the East and Midwest and spotlights Rockland Lake, "the icebox of New York City," to offer a close-up look at the ice business in action. Pringle worked closely with experts and relied on primary documents, including archival photographs, postcards, prints, and drawings, to capture the times when everyone waited for the ice man and his wagon to deliver those precious blocks of ice.

We have been taught to fear scorpions in any form. But scorpions usually sting either to subdue their prey or to protect themselves. In fact, Earth has two thousand scorpion species, but only a few dozen are deadly to humans. With vivid descriptions of scorpions' life cycle, body structure, habits, and habitat and beautiful, realistic illustrations, this new entry in the popular Strange and Wonderful series explores one of nature's feared and misunderstood creatures.

From the tiny cookiecutter to the great white, the world's oceans are home to hundreds of species of marvelous and mysterious sharks. There's the giant whale shark - longer than two school buses but gentle enough to swim with humans; and the swell shark, which can wedge itself into a hideout and then swell so that it cannot be pulled out. There are sharks that lay eggs and sharks that have live babies. Some are small enough to fit into the palm of your hand, and some have teeth bigger than your fist. Join acclaimed author Laurence Pringle on a fascinating exploration of the wide variety of fish classified as sharks. Together with Meryl Henderson's beautiful and realistic illustrations, young readers will be taken on an unforgettable journey deep under the sea.

Profiles birds, fish, mammals, insects, and amphibians in alphabetical order, providing information on each animal's physical characteristics, behavior, and habitat.

Follow a year in the life of an adorable sea otter as she creatively hunts for food, deftly avoids danger from a great white shark, and gives birth to a pup. Living off the coast of California in the Northern Pacific Ocean, Lutris the sea otter shares her life in a giant kelp forest habitat with many other otters and animals. Lutris is resourceful and relies on her keen sense of sight and smell to find food and survive. When her pup is born, Lutris lovingly tends to and teaches her daughter until she is ready to head out into the world on her own. Filled with important facts and gorgeous illustrations, readers will be fascinated by the story of these remarkable mammals. This latest title in the Secret Life series has been vetted by a sea otter expert and includes back matter with more in-depth information, a glossary, and further resources.

Describes the steps in a food chain and discusses their importance in the maintenance of life.

Tradition is a central concept in the social sciences, but it is commonly treated as unproblematic. Dr. Boyer insists that social anthropology requires a theory of tradition, its constitution and transmission. He treats tradition "as a type of interaction which results in the repetition of certain communicative events," and therefore as a form of social action. Tradition as Truth and Communication deals particularly with oral communication and focuses on the privileged role of licensed speakers and the ritual contexts in which certain aspects of tradition are characteristically transmitted. Drawing on cognitive psychology, Dr. Boyer proposes a set of general hypotheses to be tested by ethnographic field research. He has opened up an important new field for investigation within social anthropology.

"Definitely the best cicada book for kids. Adults will appreciate it as well, as it is well written, factually accurate, and beautifully illustrated." —Cicadamania.com Discover why cicadas are all the buzz in the most complete, comprehensive book for kids about these noisy but harmless insects. Every year, annual cicadas emerge and pierce the air with their buzzing calls. Also every year, at least one brood of 13 or 17 year cicadas emerges in some part of the eastern or central United States. In Spring 2024, both groups will make their appearance in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Author Laurence Pringle and illustrator Meryl Henderson have created the story of this fascinating and often misunderstood insect, one that deserves to be protected.

Whales are among the world's most captivating creatures. The humpback whale can grow up to fifty feet in length. The blue whale is a giant that can grow to a length of one hundred feet. Its tongue weighs as much as an elephant! Yet all whales aren't enormous, and there are many kinds, from the beluga, with its white skin, to the narwhal, with its seven-foot-long tusk. Join Laurence Pringle as he introduces a variety of whales and describes efforts to save these magnificent creatures from extinction. With bold, realistic illustrations by Meryl Henderson, this journey to the undersea world unveils the mysterious world of these mammals in the ocean.

Did you know that octopuses can eject ink in the shape of a ghostly octopus or detach a wiggling arm while jetting away to safety? Or that their skin can change color for camouflage? Octopuses are the subject of this latest installment of the successful Strange and Wonderful series. Covering the entire life cycle of these mysterious ocean dwellers and their anatomical details and behavioral quirks, Laurence Pringle's investigation of octopuses is both a comprehensive and accessible introduction and resource.

Learn all about the elephant in this nonfiction picture book that explores every aspect of these giant mammals. This latest title in the Strange and Wonderful series allows young readers to journey into the lives of elephants in various habitats throughout the world. Kids will learn how elephants use their trunk, how they communicate, what they eat, and about their family groupings. The book also shows how we can ensure that elephants continue to live and thrive. Combining careful research and beautiful illustrations, this book is perfect for those who have an interest in animals and conservation.

This latest installment in the popular Strange and Wonderful series introduces readers to spider species from all over the world—from the common garden spider to the elusive black widow. Pringle’s comprehensive, lively, and informative text includes an overview of the many thousands of species in the world and describes spiders’ habitats, physiology, mating habits, web-making, what and how they eat, and how they protect themselves from predators. It also explores why people are so frightened by spiders and shows that those fears are largely unfounded. Accompanied by Meryl Henderson’s beautiful and illuminating paintings, this book perfectly hits the mark for budding entomologists. Includes a glossary, index, and further resources.

Describes different kinds of dinosaurs, and how paleontologists study them.

Discover how global warming began, what problems it is causing, and how it can be reversed.

Traces the history of nuclear warfare from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the present situation created by the arms race and predicts the effects of both a limited and a large-scale nuclear war.