Small Elephant likes water, but not when it’s in a bath. Small Elephant’s mommy tries to make the bath more fun with toys and bubbles, but he is not fooled. He is too busy to take a bath. He has said no many times. He is getting very cross. And then he disappears! But Small Elephant’s daddy has a way to make the bath fun. He may look silly doing it, but it just might work!
What’s the deadliest animal in Africa? It’s not the lion or the crocodile–it’s the hippopotamus! Hippos have razor-sharp tusks, weigh as much as fifty men and can run 25 miles per hour! Follow these hefty hulks as they glide underwater, play tug-of-war, swat balls of dung at one another and nuzzle their young in the mud.
Throughout history, animals have shaped the world as we know it. But rarely have they received the recognition they deserve. Until now. It’s not only people who make history; sometimes animals do, too. Whether it’s because of their amazing strength, courage under fire, or just being in the right place at the right time, every one of the animals you will learn about here is famous.
“This is the first time I’m taking the bus by myself. Mom packed me a snack and had me bring my sweater in case I get cold.” But Mom likely didn’t imagine the adventure her little girl would have as she rides to her grandmother’s house in this picturebook. While the bus is taking her down the streets, through a forest and into a pitch-black tunnel, the little girl encounters an assortment of animal characters who enliven her journey, including a goat who offers her a flower from a bouquet, a wolf child with whom she happily shares her cookies and a fox who attempts to pickpocket a bear.
In the hostile Australian desert, a mother bilby gives birth to a baby. Nestled in a burrow deep underground, she cares for her little one. Soon he must grow up and learn to survive in a harsh environment. Nature-loving readers can follow the story of this elusive marsupial, learning its secrets even as it burrows out of sight.
In the center of Australia, the sun is setting over the baked earth, and Red Kangaroo stirs from his rest. It’s breakfast time, and Red must lead his mob of kangaroos off to find grasses for grazing. But Red is also on the watch for young male kangaroos who are ready to challenge him and try to take his place as leader. Striking illustrations set the mood for a compelling, fact-filled story of red kangaroos in the wilds of Australia.
When the Big Blue Thing, a camper van to us humans, arrives on Howling Hill, the local wildlife all agree it has to go. First the wolves try to scare it away, then the bears, boars, and foxes have a turn. Finally the wise owls suggest sending the smallest critters — the insects — to do the job. A cloud of bees, flies, and dragonflies make sure that the Big Blue Thing runs away at top speed!
Springtime has arrived in the mountains. The thawed streams rush, flowers bloom, and Anja is eager to explore it all. When Anja wishes to be tiny to win a game of hide-and-seek, her wish comes true! Just a few inches tall, she must find her way home with the help of some new animal friends.
The rain starts suddenly, hard and fast. After days of downpour, her family lost, Sebah takes shelter in a tree, eating pine cones and the raw meat of animals that float by. With each passing day, her companion, a boy named Aban, grows weaker. When their tree is struck by lightning, Sebah is tempted just to die in the flames rather than succumb to a slow, watery death. Instead, she and Aban build a raft. What they find on the stormy seas is beyond imagining: a gigantic ark. But Sebah does not know what she’ll find on board, and Aban is too weak to leave their raft.
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain describes in rhythmic, read-along verse how a resourceful man finds water for his thirsty herd and ends the drought afflicting the plain.