Animals Nonfiction

A killer whale launches into the air creating a huge wave as it crashes back into the ocean. Find out how these great mammals live in the freezing waters of the Arctic. Learn what killer whales eat, and how they work together to hunt.

Penguins waddle slowly across the ice. But in the frigid waters, they zoom after prey. Learn how these birds stay warm in their polar habitat, how they raise their young, and how they find food while avoiding predators.

From sun up to sundown, this nonfiction book takes young nature explorers and zoologists through a day in the life of the emperor penguin. Discover their Antarctic home, eating habits, and fascinating behaviors. Plus, kids can continue exploring after the penguins go to sleep!

Buzz! Buzz! Was that a honeybee or wasp zipping past your ear? While both yellow-and-black striped insects can cause a painful sting, they have many differences.

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.

Birds have wings to fly somewhere warm in winter. But worms don’t have wings or even any legs. Where do they go? You will learn all about worms and how they survive when the weather turns cold.

Smelly trash, rotting food, and piles of poop are disgusting! But not to flies! Why? You have questions, and this book has the answers. Find out all about flies, including their body parts, young, food, and behavior.

Vampires are made-up creatures that drink blood. But vampire bats are real! Do they really need to drink blood to survive? You have questions and this book has the answers. Find out about vampire bats, including what they eat and their behavior.

They’re furry and funny. They’re tracked and tricky. What are they? Animal mysteries, of course! Get ready to crack the cases and the real animal info wide open. You might need your camouflage for this one.

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.

There is no animal in the world that can run faster than a cheetah. Yet, no matter how quickly they run from trouble, cheetahs may not roam the African plains forever. They have lost much of their habitat to farmland, and some are killed by farmers who worry about their livestock. But cheetahs have important friends - like Dr. Laurie Marker and the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia. Rosanna Hansen - who spent time working at the CCF - shares the fascinating story of cheetah preservation in this book young listeners will find irresistible.

Whether seen in the wild or at the zoo, children are probably familiar with each of the animals in this series. Each book introduces a common animal to early listeners and provides information to expand their knowledge about the characteristics, diet, and habitat of each animal. This volume includes Frogs, Coyotes, Geese, Gophers, Salamanders, Toads, and Weasels.

It’s the week before Christmas, and Eric is already bored with his vacation. His parents have to work, his friends are out of town, and the city is snowed under. Then he opens his apartment door for an exterminator, and is dragged into the adventure of his life. Anje Gabrail carries a crossbow and lives for his work. When he discovers a rat in the basement of Eric’s apartment building, he asks the boy to help him kill it. At first Eric agrees, after all, he doesn’t have anything better to do. But as the week progresses, Eric finds himself in a fight to save not only the rat but himself as well.

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?

People use different ways to stay warm in the snow, and animals have unique ways to stay warm, too! Learn how these animals keep their bodies warm in the winter weather. The muskox sheds its furry undercoat each spring and grows a new one every winter. A seal has an extra layer under its fur coat called blubber–this thick layer of fat lies under the seal’s skin and is a great way to hold heat!

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.