M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

Children’s Books that Teach
By Holly E. Newton

There is so much to understand about this wonderful world, and books become one of the most vital ingredients in learning.  Here is a list of some outstanding nonfiction books about animals and other subjects that are good for ages 7 through adult.

Hyperion has recently published Disney Learning:  Wonderful World of Animals, by Dr. Donald Moore.  This beautifully photographed book is full of information that has a format kids will enjoy.  There’s just enough text on each page that will invite kids through adult to read more about the animal being highlighted.  The sections include the following categories:  mammals, birds, fish & sea creatures, amphibians & reptiles, and insects.  Each page is filled with color and photos, making this book a must on family bookshelves! 

And take a walk on the wild side when you open Rain Forest, by Jinny Johnson and Dr. Nalini Nadkarni.  This magical book takes you to a place few have ever visited — the tops of the rain forest.  All along the way the majesty and wonderment that surround this deep green world is captured on each and every page.  The life in this forest will breathe new life into every reader. 

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There are some animals you wouldn’t want to cross paths with.  Dangerous Creatures, by Angela Wilkes, is filled with animals, large and small, that kids love to learn about.  The book is divided into three chapter headings — tooth and claw, small but deadly and venomous creatures.  The photos fill the pages with vibrant colors and will attract even the most reluctant reader! 

And while we’re on the subject of dangerous animals, The Best Book of Big Cats, by Christiani Gunzi, is a small sized book with loads of information about the large cats of the jungle.  Ms. Gunzi also wrote The Best Book of Whales and Dolphins in a similar format and size.

With springtime at our door, the world is bursting with new life.  Children are filled with wonder at the life changes of caterpillars.  Here is a book that explains and showcases these and other animal changes — I Wonder Why:  Caterpillars Eat so Much and other Questions about Life Cycles.  This book, by Belinda Weber, answers this and many other questions that kids will really enjoy learning about. 

Some of these questions include “Why do kangaroos have pouches?”, “Where do baby sharks live?” and “Why are frogs so noisy?”  Be sure to check out other “I Wonder Why” books in this series. 

Here are two picture books that will surely enlighten the reader.  Being Caribou:  Five Months on Foot with a Caribou Herd, by Karsten Heuer, is an account of the author and his wife trekking across the upper regions of Canada and Alaska in order to follow a herd of caribou.  This amazing account details the thousands of miles this large herd travels, and the tremendous amount of danger and difficulty they face, in order to arrive to their one safe haven — Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  The Heuers wanted to create more awareness of this refuge and protect it from oil drilling.  They accomplished more than just awareness!  This traveling account will not soon be forgotten. 

Clarabelle: Making Milk and so Much More, by Cris Peterson, and with photographs by David R. Lundquist, shows kids the sophisticated process of making milk, as well as methane to power generators.  You may think about this book long after a drink of milk.