Animals Nonfiction

Ocean animals' special features help them survive in all parts of their watery homes, from the deep dark depths to busy coral reefs. Learn all about the amazing adaptations of ocean animals.

Boing! A mother kangaroo jumps. Her baby sits in her pouch. Beginning listeners will discover why pouches make good homes for growing marsupials such as opossums, wombats, and other animals.

Cheep! Cheep! What is that sound? It’s a baby bird in a nest! Beginning listeners will discover why nests make good homes for growing baby birds, squirrels, and other animals.

Learn how hammerhead sharks live in the ocean, meet their friends, and see their natural habitat.

Jennifer and Yo’s cat had kittens! Together, they track the kittens’ growth in a scrapbook and watch as the kittens’ mama teaches them how to be cats. Learn how mother cats take care of their babies from birth to 5 weeks!

In 1952, the United States was heavily involved in the Korean War. When members of the U.S. Marine Corps bought a horse to join in the war effort, little did they know that a hero would soon emerge. Trained to be a military pack horse, Sergeant Reckless quickly became a part of the unit and served to support the troops in several combat missions during the war.

On the night of February 18, 1952, during one of the worst winter storms that New England has ever seen, two oil tankers just off the shore of Cape Cod were torn in half by the force of the storm. This middle-grade adaptation of an adult nonfiction book tells the story of the shipwreck and a harrowing Coast Guard rescue when four men in a tiny lifeboat overcame insurmountable odds and saved more than thirty stranded sailors.

Listen to these true, heartwarming stories of daring animal escapes involving a pair of pigs who escaped slaughter, a cow who broke her neck and survived, a lamb born during transport and rescued by a woman, and more.

Dogs have many abilities, along with being super cute–they have great noses that can sniff out smells that humans can’t!

Did you know food scraps you throw away help plants and vegetables grow? Scavengers, animals who eat our food scraps, and decomposers: bacteria, fungi, and insects break the food down into soil. They eat some and put the rest into the soil we use for planting and gardening. Can you guess which animals and bugs make the best decomposers? What are scientists learning about decomposers?

Did you know some birds can grow thousands of feathers? Find out the different jobs feathers have to help a bird fly. Learn the differences between primary feathers and tail feathers in a bird’s flight.

Birds are easier to hear than they are to see. If you want to encourage more birds to visit your backyard–learn how to build a bird feeder and a bird's nest! What types of birds will you find? Learn two simple ways to help birds live and to observe them in your own backyard!

Have you ever seen a flock of geese flying in the sky? Yo and her grandfather spot lots of geese flying South to escape the winter’s snow and ice. Yo is excited to watch the geese begin their long journey home.

Yo and her mother go outdoors to fill the bird feeders with birdseed. Yo wonders if they should feed wild animals too. What will happen if Yo leaves birdseed out for other animals? Will Yo and her mother decide to feed the other animals?

Have you ever seen a coyote? Coyotes live across North America and have earned quite the reputation as pests. Many people have begun to trap and kill them in order to protect their livestock—but they are fascinating animals with long history and event part of folklore. Learn about the coyote and their special behaviors and abilities!

Yo learns about foods that are poisonous for dogs to eat. Yo and her grandfather learn what the most dangerous human food is for dogs using their computer. How many types of food will Yo and her grandfather find to keep Lips safe?

What's your favorite kind of music? There are many types of musicians—including birds! Songbirds can create all different kinds of music for different purposes. Learn about the different songbirds, their unique sounds, and where they live.

What is juicy, red and green with white stripes and pops up from the ground ready to eat—watermelon! Their seeds need plenty of water, lots of sun and nutrient rich soil. Follow along as a tiny, black seed bursts into a delicious fruit. Watermelons are ready to be picked when their yellow petals have all fallen. Find out what Bee-u-ti-ful insect helps the watermelon grow?

Learn what bird has the ability to sleep while flying through the sky–the albatross! With a wingspan of 10 feet, this sea bird glides over the warm Southern waters looking for squid and fish to eat! They spend most of their time flying except when eating or feeding babies. Parent duty is shared by these loyal birds who stay with their mate for life. Guess where the albatross flies to lay its egg?

Who is the first to show up to a forest fire? It's not firefighters—it's the Charcoal beetles! Looking for a place to lay their eggs, they search for the hottest parts of the fire in order to use the burnt trees. Learn how these beetles can sense fires and why fires are their ideal breeding grounds. Find out why scientists want to study these unusual bugs in order to help society!