New Releases by Ruth Owen

Packed with science, this book dives into the underwater world of plankton. Just because we can''t see them doesn''t mean these microscopic ocean superheroes aren''t essential for life on Earth. Meet some weird and wonderful species of zooplankton and phytoplankton See how many marine animals begin their life cycles as tiny zooplankton Learn how plankton are essential to all marine ecosystems and food webs And discover how plankton make oxygen and take harmful carbon dioxide gas from the air Using fantastic photos, 3D artwork, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) imagery, this book lets kids explore the complicated, fascinating, and incredible worlds of these tiny superhero life forms.

Two tiny lion cubs are practicing their future hunting skills by biting and pouncing on something that’s moving in the grass. The object of their game is—their father’s long tail! The huge father lion lazily rolls in the hot grass, patiently allowing his babies to use his body for climbing and a game of hide-and-seek. But if another male lion or predators, such as a pack of hyenas, comes close, the powerful father lion won’t hesitate to attack and fight to protect his family. Meet a father lion, the lionesses, and their cubs that make up a lion pride. Learn how the family hunts together and rules their grassland territory. And discover the life cycle of a lion cub and the important role that its father plays in protecting and raising the little animal. Filled with fascinating information and beautiful images, this lovely book is a must-have for young children who enjoy books about animals and nonfiction reading.

It’s a big day for a father seahorse. For a month he has been carrying his babies in a special pouch on his tummy. Now the young seahorses are ready to begin their lives in the ocean. With a series of pushes, he gives birth to 1,000 tiny babies. As the seahorse babies swim away, his protective role as their father is over. In this book, young readers will discover the unusual life cycle of seahorses. The fascinating text is accompanied by beautiful, detailed photographs. Learn how a pair of seahorses mate for life and live amongst the seaweed on a coral reef. See how the mother seahorse transfers her eggs to the father’s body. And discover how a father seahorse carries the pair’s eggs and then their babies in his body. In this book, young readers will meet a pair of seahorses and discover the unusual life cycle of these tiny fish. The fascinating text is accompanied by beautiful, detailed photographs.

This big book of info-packed pages introduces young readers to the subject of life cycles using a question-and-answer format. The life cycles featured include pet animals, farm animals, wild mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and spiders. This high-interest topic is perfect for early elementary nature and life science projects, and the fantastic imagery and quantity of information will have kids returning to the book again and again, making it a valuable resource for classrooms and libraries.

If you''ve ever been told, "Don''t play with your food," it''s time to forget that instruction! In this fact-packed title, the core science topic of "Changing States of Matter" just got fun as science escapes the laboratory into the kitchen. As kids embark on each new experiment in this book they will be actively encouraged to get messing with food as they investigate the science behind the things we eat. How can chocolate be a solid and a liquid? What happens when a foodstuff is frozen? Why do flour, eggs, and butter become crunchy cookies when combined? And much more! Students will explore the work of food technicians—the scientists that invent new foodstuffs for us all to enjoy. And they will get the chance to invent a new sandwich and develop and make their own brand new ice-cream flavor! As they cook and do science, students will follow step-by-step instructions, use the scientific method, work with science equipment, and practice and build their science vocabulary.

Plants, animals, humans—all living things need water to survive. But what is this essential substance made of and why is it able to change from a liquid to a solid to a gas and back again? In this book, young students will carry out a series of fun and innovative experiments to learn all about water. What are water molecules and how do they behave? Why does water seem to disappear when it is warmed by sunshine? Why does water suddenly appear from nowhere on the sides of a cold soda can? How do rain and snow get up into the sky? And how does water travel through the parts of a plant and even through the cells in your body? Budding young scientists will love messing with water as they learn all about liquids, solids, and gases, evaporation and condensation, and the water cycle. They will ask questions, make observations, gather evidence, test theories, and record their conclusions. Students will also use scientific equipment and build and practice their science vocabulary.

As the sun rises in a backyard, a tiny ant and thousands of her brothers and sisters leave their underground nest. The little insect has a busy day ahead foraging for food and carrying it back home for the ant colony to share. In this title for young nonfiction fans, the carefully leveled text and beautiful full-page photographs tell the story of a 24-hour period in the life of an ant. Discover how ants work as a team to find food and share information about good food sources. Peek into the ant''s underground home that she shares with her mother, the giant queen ant, and thousands of other busy workers. And even though the ant is very, very small, discover how she does essential work in her backyard habitat, such as dispersing seeds and making the soil crumbly, so water and air can reach the roots of trees and other plants. The engaging text is a perfect introduction to insect lives and life cycles and is just right for building an enjoyment of nonfiction reading.

In this fun book filled with beautiful, detailed photographs and fun worm facts, readers will enter the secret underground world of the earthworm. Discover how worms feed on soil and rotting leaves. Learn all about worm poop and how it’s a nutritious food for trees and other plants. See how a worm''s body is perfectly designed for wriggling through soil. Learn how worms must keep safe from being eaten by hungry birds and toads. And discover how worms mate, lay eggs, and make more worms! This book is a perfect introduction to critter life cycles that''s packed with core science vocabulary. The carefully leveled text and close-up images are a great way to get young readers enthused about nonfiction books and will get little nature fans seeing the humble earthworm in a whole new light.

Spend 24 hours with a hungry snail as it emerges from its daytime hiding place to forage for food and find a mate. But can the snail avoid becoming a meal for a hungry toad? Packed with science vocabulary and beautiful photographs, readers will discover all about the nocturnal lives of these amazing critters and find answers to question such as: Why do snails spend the day tucked up in their shells in cool, hiding places? How do snails slide from place to place? What do snails use to munch on juicy leaves and other parts of plants? What happens when a pair of snails meet up to mate and produce eggs? Snails are truly fascinating creatures, and young readers will love the weird and wonderful snail facts in this carefully leveled nonfiction book.

This beautiful book for young readers uses stunning, detailed photographs and carefully leveled text to show a 24-hour period in the life of a ladybug as she searches for a place to lay her eggs. Readers will... discover that a ladybug eats lots and lots of insects called aphids every day. learn all about the body of a ladybug and how she has powerful wings for flying tucked beneath her red spotted shell see ladybug eggs and larvae and be introduced to the life cycle of these popular little beetles. explore how a ladybug has clever ways to avoid being eaten by the predators that share her backyard habitat. The engaging text is a perfect introduction to insect lives and life cycles and is just right for building an enjoyment of nonfiction reading.

This beautiful book for young readers uses stunning, detailed photographs and carefully leveled text to show a 24-hour period in the life of an oak tree. Readers will... discover how the tree''s network of underground roots find water and nutrients. learn how the tree uses sunshine to make sugary food for energy. see how its thick trunk and leafy branches are home to up to 1,000 different kinds of animals, including insects, spiders, and birds. This engaging book is a perfect introduction to plant lives and life cycles and is just right to help young students build an enjoyment of nonfiction reading.

Have you ever noticed a yellow dandelion growing from a crack in the sidewalk? It may be hard to believe, but this little wild plant has a very important role to play in its habitat. As readers spend 24 hours with a dandelion, they will discover: how dandelion nectar is an essential food for bumblebees in early spring. how a dandelion''s juicy leaves, stems, and flowers are food for many different munching critters. how the fluffy, flyaway seeds can become a meal for many creatures, such as ants, birds, and mice. This book is packed with core science vocabulary and a perfect introduction to plant lives and life cycles. The carefully leveled text and beautiful images are a great way to get young readers enthused about nonfiction books and will get little nature fans seeing the humble dandelion in a whole new light.

When autumn comes, the plants in Mr. Green and Mo''s community garden produce their seeds and start to die. The leaves on the trees change color and drop to the ground. And as some of the garden''s animals prepare to hibernate or hide away for the winter, there''s still lots to do as there are pumpkins and apples to be harvested. Perfect for studying plant and animal life cycles and for building a love of nature.

Winter has arrived, and Mo thinks the garden has died. But Mr. Green knows that the garden is just resting until spring. Join the friends as they learn how trees save energy by having bare branches in winter. Discover how bulbs and seeds are just waiting underground. And learn the importance of feeding wild birds and creating safe, warm places for animals to spend the colder months.

It''s summertime, and the garden is in full bloom. Mo discovers the importance of bees and butterflies as they pollinate flowers around the garden. Tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, and other vegetable plants erupt from the soil, and the garden''s animals are busy raising their young. There is something new to see and learn every day in summer!

Can you really grow a carrot cake? Today, many children do not know where the foods they eat come from. This book takes kids step-by-step through all the stages needed to go from a packet of seeds to a crop of carrots and finally, a delicious carrot cake.

Everyone loves being wowed and tricked by hard-to-spot animals, and this book doesn’t disappoint. Each double-page spread presents a stunning photo of a camouflaged animal hiding in plain sight in its desert habitat—if you can find it!

Everyone loves being wowed and tricked by hard-to-spot animals, and this book doesn''t disappoint. Each double-page spread presents a stunning photo of a camouflaged animal hiding in plain sight in its backyard habitat—if you can find it!

Little Mouse and her babies live in the hedgerow. But one day, something big, noisy, and smelly visits their world and leaves something behind. Sniff? Sniff? As Little Mouse investigates a tempting smell, she finds herself slipping . . . and sliding . . . and falling . . . and stuck! She is trapped in a plastic bottle that was discarded by people in a car. How will she ever escape and make it home to her hungry babies? This important story highlights the dangers of littering and the harm garbage does to wild animals every day.

Earth''s insects are in trouble. That''s one half of this book''s simple but incredibly important message. The book''s other, more hopeful, "call to action" is that everyone can do something to help protect bees, beetles, and thousands of other insects. Without insects, many animals, including birds, amphibians, fish, and reptiles could not survive. Humans would struggle to grow enough food and decomposers would not be at work recycling dead plants and other waste materials. Learn how loss of habitats is affecting insects worldwide Discover how our use of pesticides and other chemicals is destroying insect populations Understand what insects need in order to thrive and increase in numbers Learn what we can we do as consumers and campaigners Discover how to create wild places for insects And see how even a small window box can be a food source and shelter for vital insects such as bees Perfect for young conservationists who want to improve our world and ensure a healthy future for the smallest and most endangered members of the animal kingdom.

If you love spiders, or if you are terrified of spiders, or if you just want to be mind-boggled by some incredible arachnid facts, this book is for you! These little eight-legged creatures are often the stuff of people''s nightmares, but spiders are amazing animals that are essential for our world. In this book, spiders set out to convince their human doubters that they really aren''t out to scare or harm people. In fact, they are far too busy weaving beautiful silk structures, hunting, keeping insect pests under control, and raising their young to want to frighten humans. Meet some weird and wonderful spiders, including bat-eating spiders, scuba-diving spiders, and spiders that disguise themselves as poop Learn how spiders are essential to ecosystems everywhere Investigate why some people are afraid of spiders And celebrate the lives of these little animals that so often get ignored or are dismissed as scary Told from a spider''s point of view, this fascinating, fact-packed celebration of spiders is determined to turn kids everywhere into spider fans and protectors.

In this book, readers will dive beneath the ocean to discover how fish, marine mammals, and a whole host of animals that make this habitat their home form an ecosystem and rely on their habitat and each other for survival. This title cleverly explores the connections between a range of ocean animals, plants, seaweeds, and other living things. Packed with curriculum science information See how ocean animals find or hunt for their food Learn about the life cycles of whales, sharks, and other marine animals Discover how some animals migrate to find food and mates Encounter some weird and wonderful creatures that live on the seabed Controlled vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure Beautiful, labeled photographs throughout Close photo/text match Includes an ocean food web diagram Filled with facts about the natural world, this title is perfect for students studying habitats, animal and plant life cycles, and ecosystems.

In this book, readers will explore a tree stump microhabitat and discover how the tiny animals, plants, and fungi that live here form an ecosystem and rely on each other for survival. This title cleverly takes young readers on a mini safari around, beneath, and inside a tree stump making connections between the living things that call it home. Packed with curriculum science information See how tree stump minibeasts make their homes and what they eat Learn about the life cycles of snakes and lizards Discover how tardigrades and other microscopic animals live in moss Controlled vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure Beautiful, labeled photographs throughout Close photo/text match Includes a tree stump food web diagram Filled with facts about the natural world, this title is perfect for students studying habitats, animal and plant life cycles, and ecosystems.

Two groups of friends. Two tiny seedlings. And one BIG dream of a greener, tree-filled future. This engaging, science-packed picture book follows two very different groups of young friends as they each plant a tree and then share their excitement through a series of pen pal letters. In the USA, five friends plant an acorn that grows into an oak tree seedling. They learn about their tree''s life cycle and how it will become an ecosystem that gives food and a home to birds, insects, and other animals. In Senegal, Africa, five friends plant an acacia tree as part of Africa''s Great Green Wall Project. They learn how their tree will nourish the soil, trap water, shade the hot land, and help their village grow crops. Both groups of friends also discover that their trees will help fight climate change! A narrative story supported with high-interest science fact boxes Perfect for nonfiction reading Supports curriculum learning about plant life cycles Includes a "Plant an Oak Tree" project Beautiful mixed media images using illustration, photos, and collage This uplifting celebration of trees will encourage young readers to not only notice, value, and enjoy these giants of the plant kingdom, but also want to plant a tree themselves.

This vibrant, colorful science book brings STEM to life and gets students thinking and working like scientists as they investigate how trees grow, stay healthy, and reproduce. The book will get readers asking and answering questions, making observations, collecting, recording, and analyzing data, performing tests, using scientific language and equipment, and having fun with experiments and science activities. Discover how huge trees grow from tiny seeds Learn how a tree’s branches and trunk grow See how a tree’s roots spread underground delivering water and nutrients to the tree Explore how a tree’s leaves make food through photosynthesis Discover how trees produce oxygen and take carbon dioxide from the air Investigate how trees produce flowers and fruits And learn about a wide range of unusual trees from around the world The book is supported with free, downloadable worksheets, activities, and resources for teachers Packed with facts and beautiful photographs, this title is perfect for non-fiction reading and is ideal for teaching all aspects of tree life cycles.

This vibrant, colorful science book brings STEM to life and gets students thinking and working like scientists as they investigate how animals, plants, and microbes make their homes in tiny microhabitats. The book will get readers asking and answering questions, making observations, collecting, recording, and analyzing data, performing tests, using scientific language and equipment, and having fun with experiments and science activities. Learn about the fungi, insects, and other minibeasts that make a compost heap their home. See the microscopic animals that inhabit moss and muddy puddles. Learn how the body of a dead whale becomes a home and food for animals at the bottom of the ocean. And discover some of the microhabitats on and inside the human body. Throughout readers will explore how living things rely on their microhabitat for survival. The book is supported with free, downloadable worksheets, activities, and resources for teachers. Packed with facts and incredible close-up photographs, this title is perfect for non-fiction reading and gives students and teachers a fresh and exciting approach to the topic of habitats.

Crunch! Munch! Delicious! We eat fruits and vegetables every day, but how do these foods actually grow? In this book, kids will discover how seeds develop into mature plants from which farmers or gardeners can harvest a crop. Many children are not aware of how the foods they eat are produced, so this eye-opening book will have them looking at produce as plant scientists. They will also learn how fruits and vegetables are good for our bodies and help to keep us healthy. The book includes critical thinking questions, activities and experiments, and it is supported with downloadable worksheets.

This big book of 96 science-packed pages introduces young readers to all the key facts about our solar system and the universe in a fun question and answer format. The book’s wide-ranging Q&As include: How many stars are there in space? Where does the Sun go at night? Will astronauts visit Mars? Which planet has diamond rain? What is the Moon made of? What is an eclipse? Which asteroid is the biggest? Is there another planet like Earth? And could I become an astronaut? • Perfect for earth and space science study: “The Universe and Its Stars” and "Earth and the Solar System” • Clear, accessible explanations of how the solar system works • Packed with photos, diagrams, and stunning NASA imagery • Close picture and text match with lots of labels • Key content vocabulary • Includes a glossary and comprehension quiz This high-interest topic is perfect for introducing students to non-fiction reading. And the fantastic imagery and quantity of information will have kids returning to the book again and again, making it a valuable resource for classrooms and libraries.

Decorating for Halloween can be just as fun as dressing up and going trick-or-treating—especially if it involves origami! Readers of this captivating guide follow step-by-step instructions to create their own special Halloween crafts. The paper projects can be displayed as decorations, given as gifts, or just held onto as keepsakes. Colorful photographs are shown alongside the text, giving readers an idea of what the origami model should look like at various stages and ensuring that readers of many ages and levels can follow along.

From shamrocks to leprechauns, many symbols are associated with St. Patrick’s Day. With the help of this guide, readers learn how to fold their own St. Patrick’s Day origami depicting some of these festive symbols. Each project features step-by-step instructions and colorful images to help support readers of many levels. By the end of a project, readers can feel accomplished and proud of their artwork, which can be held on to as a keepsake, given as a gift, or used as a decoration.