Category: nature

animals, children, nature

Tooth & Claw: The Wild World of Big Predators

Bergers Book Reviews

Tooth & Claw
Author: Jim Arnosky
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8624-2
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Big predators are more likely to be seen in a zoo than our own backyards. These incredible beings inspire awe and fear, as we appreciate how quickly they can corner and kill their prey. But even though they are dangerous, they are also incredibly magnificent.

Author and artist, Jim Arnosky, captures their beauty in Tooth & Claw. Sharing a bit about lions, leopards, cheetahs, bears, and wolves, he also paints detailed portraits of each. The images are so lifelike, one can almost reach out and touch these animals.

It’s easy to lose sight of the wildness of caged lions and tigers, but underneath their docile exterior lies the heart of a powerful beast. Arnosky clearly admires these creatures and inspires the reader to do the same.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature

Letters of the West

Bergers Book Reviews

Letters of the West
Author: Michelle E. Walch
Illustrator: John Maddin
Publisher: Craigmore Creations
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-940052-10-6
Pages: 32
Price: $17.99

Buy it at Amazon

A is for Alpenglow, F is for Foxglove, X is for Xeriscape…” This unique alphabet book features the many plants, animals, and other curious features of the west. Each letter is presented on its own page along with an accompanying whimsical drawing in bold scratchboard art.

Letters of the West is not your typical alphabet book. Some of these entries will be familiar, but many will be surprising, and kids will enjoy learning about nature as they learn their ABCs.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, nature

Critter Litter: See What Critters Leave Behind!

Bergers Book Reviews

Critter Litter
Author: Stan Tekiela
Publisher: Adventure Publications
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 978-1-59193-590-2
Pages: 26
Price: $12.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

If you were walking through the woods and came across a pile of scat (poop), would you know which animal had been there? Wildlife photographer, Stan Tekiela, has compiled this handy guide to assist in identification.

Twelve animals are featured: coyote, gray squirrel, northern raccoon, Virginia opossum, woodchuck, cougar, badger, moose, gray wolf, striped skunk, black bear, and porcupine. Each two-page spread shows photos of the animal featured, some of the animal’s food source, and a short explanation of how one would know the animal is living nearby. A photo of the animal’s scat is hidden under a flap to be lifted.

While it’s not always easy to identify scat when found, Critter Litter will help the young nature lover attempt to figure it out. This would be a great reference book to add to his collection.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children, nature

A Friend for Lakota

Bergers Book Reviews

A Friend for Lakota
Authors: Jim and Jamie Dutcher
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2082-8
Pages: 32
Price: $16.99

Buy it at Amazon

Lakota lives with a pack of wolves, and most of the time they all get along. But one day, everything changes, as they suddenly turn against Lakota. Another wolf, Matsi, sees what’s happening and jumps in to stop the fighting. Soon Lakota and Matsi are best friends. As long as Matsi is with Lakota, no one bothers him. Finally, more wolf pups join the pack, and everyone leaves Lakota alone. But Lakota remembers how he was treated and never bullies the youngsters.

A Friend for Lakota is filled with stunning, up-close photos of these beautiful wolves in action. Kids will love seeing the close relationship Lakota shares with Matsi, and enjoy learning more about wolves by reading the fun facts provided in the closing pages.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children, nature

Smithsonian Sticker Creations: Wildlife

Bergers Book Reviews

Wildlife
Author: Kaitlyn DiPerna
Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books
Genre: Children / Animals / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-62686-307-1
Pages: 64
Price: $15.95

Buy it at Amazon

Animals are amazing creatures, and kids love to learn about their unique characteristics. Which animals live in the ocean, the rain forest, the prairie, desert, or the woods? Which animals carry their young in a pouch? How do animals camouflage themselves from predators?

In Smithsonian Sticker Creations: Wildlife, these and many other questions are answered, as kids match the reusable stickers to the various worksheets. Kids love stickers, and they’ll have fun with them as they learn about the featured animals. And once they’ve placed them all in the correct spots, this workbook will be a valuable resource that they can turn to again and again.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature, science

Bug Detective

Bergers Book Reviews

Bug Detective
Author: Maggie Li
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1516-4
Pages: 28
Price: $14.95

Buy it at Amazon

Bugs can fly, scurry, and slither. But what else do you know about these interesting creatures? In Bug Detective, kids will learn more about each category of creepy-crawly.

Butterflies, stick insects, beetles, worms, centipedes, and more are all covered in two-page spreads. Each shows the normal life cycle of this group, along with feeding habits, reproduction, and other fascinating facts. Bug detective activities and a glossary are also included.

If you have a budding entomologist in the house, this book would make a great gift. So grab your magnifying glass (included on the front cover) and go explore nature!

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, birds, nature

Albatross of Kaua’i (The Story of Kaloakulua)

Bergers Book Reviews

Albatross of Kaua'i
Author & Illustrator: Susan Dierker
Publisher: Done by Dogs Publishing
Genre: Nature / Birds
ISBN: 978-0-9832386-2-1
Pages: 32
Price: $20.00

Buy it here

This spring, many people tuned in to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s birdcam to watch a baby albatross, Kaloakulua (KK), grow up. From the day she hatched to the day she flew out to sea, a camera followed her movements. Albatross of Kaua’i tells her story while teaching some new Hawaiian words along the way.

Susan Dierker, one of the camera operators, has compiled this book containing the narrative of KK’s birth and development, along with digitally altered photos designed for children. But the video footage that accompanies this book will become a treasured possession for those who watched KK grow up. Nearly an hour long, this DVD shares the memorable moments of her first five months that viewers shared with her.

If you enjoyed watching KK this spring, you will absolutely love this book and DVD. And if you missed out on watching the birdcam live, you can still enjoy the highlights. I highly recommend Albatross of Kaua’i for all bird lovers.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children, nature, science

Shark Baby

Bergers Book Reviews

Shark Baby
Author: Ann Downer
Illustrator: Shennen Bersani
Publisher: Sylvan Dell
Genre: Children / Animals
ISBN: 978-1-60718-6342
Pages: 32
Price: $9.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Shark baby is snug in his egg case, tied to a strand of kelp, wondering what’s outside. But when a storm hits, the rough ocean waves break the case loose, tearing it slightly. Shark baby can now see where he is and who he is encountering as he drifts about. But now he has a new question – what kind of shark is he?

Shark Baby introduces children to the life cycle of a shark and shows them a variety of shark species. A discussion guide with questions is also provided for classroom use. This book would be a great resource for science lessons.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

nature

Nanise’: A Navajo Herbal

Bergers Book Reviews

Nanise'
Authors: Vernon O. Mayes & Barbara Bayless Lacy
Illustrators: Jack Ahasteen & Jason Chee
Publisher: Five Star Publications
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 978-1-58985-217-4
Pages: 163
Price: $14.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

A Navajo Reservation set in an approximately 25,000 square mile area covering the northeastern corner of Arizona, the northwestern corner of New Mexico, and a portion of southeastern Utah is home to many plants used by the native population in medicine and ceremony. Many of these grow in elevations above 7,000 feet. Nanise’: A Navajo Herbal catalogs 100 of these plants.

Each plant description includes the common name, the Latin name, and the Navajo name. A description of the plant and its distribution follows. A brief summary of Navajo uses is given, but since these are considered private, they are not detailed. References conclude the entry, and a pen and ink drawing of the plant accompanies the text.

It’s obvious that the authors and illustrators approached this volume with careful research and devotion. Those with a strong interest in botany, with an emphasis on this region and Navajo use and practice, will find this book a valuable resource.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

art, nature

Birds & Words

Bergers Book Reviews

Birds & Words
Author & Illustrator: Charles Harper
Publisher: AMMO Books
Genre: Art / Nature
ISBN: 978-162326016-3
Pages: 152
Price: $34.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Charley Harper liked to say, “I could never get close enough to count the feathers in the wings, so I just count the wings.” His colorful bird illustrations are shown in minimal realism that hints more than it shows in this reprint of the 1974 classic.

Long feather tendrils grace a snowy egret’s head and back. Barn swallows are long and elegant, with sharply pointed wings. The cardinal is a study in bright red with a sharply pronounced black bib. A flock of starlings is a blur of black, green and purple with white spots.

Along with these and other bird illustrations, Harper provides his own unique commentary about each species. Although this is no carefully detailed Audubon book, Birds & Words will make any bird lover smile at these lovely creations.

Reviewer: Alice Berger