Plants and Animals

A middle-grade and family-friendly introduction to the enchanting world of seaweed.

Young readers will be delighted to learn about the wonderful, watery world of seaweed, where emerald-green kelp forests grow as tall as trees and rainbow seaweeds shimmer like gemstones in the sunlight. Seaweed can be fun too, providing tasty snacks like nori crisps and cool things to do: hunt for dead man’s fingers to squeeze like a squirt gun, have a popping contest with rockweed or make seaweed art. Seaweeds are also critical to the health of the planet—they produce most of the oxygen we need to breathe, help to keep the earth cool and provide habitat for sea creatures. And they're full of healthy vitamins and have more minerals than any other food!

This colourful, activity-packed book explores the science of seaweed while showing how to sustainably harvest and use it, and providing many fun facts about marine plants and animals. It is a unique field guide, featuring seaweeds from both Atlantic and Pacific oceans and showcasing the beautiful and vital ecosystems of the coasts, and is sure to inspire curious beachcombers of all ages.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 12.

Additional Information
168 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Paperback

Litter is not only an eyesore but a serious threat to animals and their habitats. We can all work together to keep the planet healthy and clean.

Did you know that gum on the sidewalk is litter? Even a banana peel that is thrown in a ditch is litter. Trash poses a threat to animals everywhere, including pets, farm animals and wildlife. They can get injured or trapped in the litter and even eat garbage that makes them sick.

In Too Much Trash: How Litter Is Hurting Animals, we discover how garbage ends up everywhere—from city streets and the wilderness to farmland and the ocean. But there's good news: litter is a problem everyone can help prevent. Around the world, kids and adults are finding ways to take out the trash. Find out how you can help clean up the planet for all species.

Reviews
“Lively design layouts with discrete, digestible bits of text make the book accessible and inspiring. Showing how refuse harms humans and other animals, this work should move readers to act.” — Kirkus Reviews

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Orca Footprint series. Kids today inhabit a world full of complex—and often mystifying—environmental issues. Orca Footprints aim to help kids answer their questions about the state of the natural world with well-researched, simply-expressed information and powerful images. With topics such as food production, water, cycling and sustainable energy, these books will inspire kids to take action.

Recommended for ages 9-12.

Additional Information
48 pages | 8.00" x 9.50" | Hardcover

Wild horses are legendary, but today their very existence is under threat from a changing environment, politics and less protected spaces to roam free.

These animals live all over the world, including the iconic mustangs in North America—a symbol of freedom and the American West. Today what we thought we knew about the history of wild horses and where they came from is changing. What makes a horse wild? Where do they live and how did they end up there? What is the relationship between wild horses and Indigenous Peoples? How are governments and citizens working for or against them?

In this book, readers discover the history, biology and ecology of wild horses and the key role young people are playing in protecting wild horse populations to keep them running free for generations to come.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 12.

This book is part of the Orca Wild series that examines the intricacies of animals, ecosystems, humans and our relationships to each other.

Includes some Indigenous content.

Additional Information
96 pages | 7.50" x 9.00" | 50 Colour Photographs, 1 Index | Hardcover

A visually stunning introduction to patterns found in nature. Perfect for early STEM learning in preschool and kindergarten.

From the dots on a ladybug to the spiral on a snail, patterns in nature can be found anywhere. This simple and playful concept book introduces the littlest of readers to both math and nature while engaging their creative potential. By the end, kids will be able to identify:

• Spots and stripes
• Spirals and symmetry
• Waves and honeycombs
• And more

After learning about key patterns, the book's final page—a striking sunflower—will inspire kids to find patterns for themselves. Vibrant and immersive, Wings, Waves & Webs invites young children to discover the beauty of the world around them.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 2 to 6.

Curriculum Connections: Patterning, Geometry, Nature, Art and Design

Additional Information
36 pages | 10.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover

A thoughtful first glimpse into the world of marine mammals--from the small, playful sea otter to the gigantic blue whale.

With beautifully detailed illustrations, About Marine Mammals tells children what is essential for understanding and appreciating marine mammals. An afterword, which includes a glossary and recommended books and websites, provides further detail for children and their parents about a wide variety of marine mammals.

Former teacher Cathryn Sill and noted wildlife illustrator John Sill, use clear, informative text and illustrations to explain to children what marine mammals are, what they do, and how they live.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

This book is a part of the About Habitats series.

Additional Information
48 pages | 10.00" x 8.50" | Paperback

An informative and entertaining introduction for young children to the amazing birds that live near water in all types of habitats.

In this addition to the About… series, award-winning author Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what waterfowl are, where they live, what they eat, and how they move.

John Sill’s detailed, full-color illustrations show the characteristics of different types of waterfowl—from the Trumpeter Swans of northwestern North America to the Bar-headed Geese of central Asia.

Young learners who may only be familiar with the ducklings and geese on local ponds and lakes will be delighted to discover the amazing variety of waterfowl in the world. A glossary and afterword provide further fascinating details about waterfowl that will inspire readers to learn more.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

This book is a part of the About Habitats series.

Additional Information
48 pages | 10.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover 

Animals Illustrated mixes fun-filled animal facts suitable for the youngest of readers with intricately detailed illustrations to create a unique and beautiful collection of children’s non-fiction books about Arctic animals.

Each volume contains first-hand accounts from authors who live in the Arctic, along with interesting facts on the behaviours and biology of each animal. In this book, kids will learn what ringed seals eat, where they live, how they raise their babies, and other interesting facts, like how deep they can dive and how they are amazing diggers!

Educator & Series Information 
This book is part of the non-fiction Animals Illustrated series, which mixes fun-filled animal facts suitable for the youngest of readers with intricately detailed illustrations to create a unique and beautiful collection of children’s non-fiction books on Arctic animals. Each volume contains firsthand accounts from authors who live in the Arctic, along with interesting facts on the behaviours and biology of each animal.

Recommended Ages: 6 to 8.

Available in French: Phoque annelé 

Additional Information 
28 pages | 6.50" x 9.00" | Hardcover

Learn about food chains in the Arctic!

This book explores the concept of the food chain using Arctic plants and animals.

Educator & Series Information 
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is part of the Nunavummi Reading Series, a Nunavut-developed series that supports literacy learning while teaching readers about the people, traditions, and environment of the Canadian Arctic. It is a Level 8-11 book in the series. 

Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. F&P Level of this book: N.

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Paperback

There are a lot of different types of birds living in Nunavut. From snowy owls to rock ptarmigans, learn all about what each bird looks like, how they live, what they eat, their migration patterns, and more. This science book combines colourful illustrations and photographs in a handy field guide filled with interesting facts about birds.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 10.

This book is part of the Junior Field Guide series. Perfect for learning all about living things in the Arctic! These Junior Field Guides give information and interesting facts about the different animals that live in Nunavut.

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrated how all living things—from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen—provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass. Adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, this new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us. With informative sidebars, reflection questions, and art from illustrator Nicole Neidhardt, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults brings Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the lessons of plant life to a new generation.

Awards

• 2022 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year winner
• 2023 NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 winner
• 2023 Nautilus Book Awards winner
• 2023 The Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens winner
• 2022 Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year winner
• 2023 NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 winner
• 2023 Riverby Award winner
• 2024 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List winner

Reviews
"Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults is my new favorite book! What a great way for young people (and anyone, really) to learn about our healing medicines. So many teachings within the pages. I love the mix of photos, illustrations, and text boxes filled with reflective questions and translations. I will be purchasing boxes of this incredible book to share with loved ones! Chii miigwech!"—Angeline Boulley, #1 NYT Bestselling author of Firekeeper's Daughter 

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

“The themes that are interwoven throughout Braiding Sweetgrass align beautifully with both middle school and high school curriculum around social and emotional learning and environmental science. This new edition will help affirm the identities and beliefs of Indigenous teens while also introducing non-Indigenous teens to Indigenous teachings and ways of understanding the natural world.” - Shaina Olmanson, Editorial Director for Young Adult Nonfiction at Lerner Publishing Group

Additional Information
304 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Paperback

A wonder-filled picture book inspired by the science of trees.

With whimsical art and gentle text, Do Trees Have Mothers? translates scientific knowledge about the kinship structures of the forest into a beautiful and affirming story about how trees nurture the young. Discover all the ways in which a mother tree protects and nourishes the baby trees of the forest understory, and show young children what it means to care for a community, and for our environment and the earth.

Did you know that mother trees help seedlings survive by transferring carbon and nitrogen through the mycorrhizal network? They can even warn baby trees when there are troublesome bugs about! Drawing from scientific research, Do Trees Have Mothers? is The Hidden Life of Trees and Finding the Mother Tree for the preschool set.

The perfect book for budding nature lovers, this book introduces the forest’s complex and fascinating wonders in a friendly and age-appropriate way.

Reviews
“We are taught that trees are givers of life. The cedar tree is only one of the many trees of this world. For us it provides clothing, baskets, and ornaments for our many ceremonies. Within this amazing book are many examples of the importance that all trees have for us. We must honour, protect and allow trees to live forever.” — Joseph Dandurand, author of The Sasquatch, the Fire and the Cedar Baskets, November 2021

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardccover 

Warning -- this book contains top-secret information about flowers! Prepare to be shocked and weirded out by this hilarious and totally true picture book introduction to some of nature's strangest plants.

Flowers are beautiful. They have bright colors, soft petals and sweet nectar. Yum! But that's not the whole truth. Flowers can be WEIRD . . . and one bee is here to let everyone know! Talking directly to the reader, a bee reveals how flowers are so much stranger than what we think. Did you know that there are some flowers that only bloom in the nighttime? Some flowers are spooky, and look like ghosts, or bats, or a monster's mouth. And while most flowers smell good, there are some that smell like dead meat, or even horse poop!

This hilarious and refreshing book with silly and sweet illustrations explores the science of flowers and shows that these plants are not always stereotypically pretty and harmless as we often think they are -- they are fascinating, disgusting, complicated and amazing.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

This book is part of the Nature's Top Secrets series.

Keep the Conversation Going
Here are some ideas, activities and questions to consider after you’ve read the book:

• Start a “TOP SECRET” folder of your own to catalog weird information about flowers.
• Some flowers look like cute animals; some resemble ducks or doves or monkeys.
• Pick your favorite animal and draw a flower based on it.
• Why do you think a bee was the narrator for this book? Research to find out more about bees and their relationship with flowers.

Additional Information
36 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover

Jellies in the belly. Swim far sea turtle, swim far . . .

Join Lally the leatherback sea turtle from her birth on a tropical beach to her long migration north and then back again. During her journey, the sea turtle protects fish populations by feeding on jellyfish.

During Lally’s journey we learn about the dangers facing sea turtles, many of which are created by people. But we are also reminded of how amazing and special sea turtles are.

The story includes a step-by-step instructional guide for children to create their own ink and watercolour leatherback images to enhance learning, creativity, and fun.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 9.

About the Artwork
The permanent ink and watercolour illustrations reflect the life cycle of an endangered leatherback sea turtle. They are intentionally created to inspire young readers to show their understanding and create their own art after reading.

A perfect companion to the author's book A Salmon's Sky View.

Additional Information
40 pages | 5.91" x 9.06" | 16 painting of sea turtles and their habitat | Hardcover 

In this “surprisingly simple yet mesmerizing introduction to a wonder of the natural world” (Kirkus STARRED Review), kids aged 4 to 8 will marvel at the science of bioluminescence through stunning images of glowing creatures and other organisms.

When it’s dark out, we need light to see. But what if your body could make its own light?

From acclaimed author-illustrator Julia Kuo comes a remarkable picture book about bioluminescence, the light made from living things, and its many forms: fireflies and foxfire, fungi and glow-worms, deep-sea fish and vampire squids.

Kuo’s radiant art portrays a young child and adult discovering different bioluminescent creatures, accompanied by simple lyrical text and informative sidebars that reveal fascinating scientific facts about each of them.

An introduction to an extraordinary natural phenomenon, Luminous shines a light upon how truly wondrous the world is.

Luminous features:

• Brilliant and unique illustrations: The depiction of vibrant bioluminescent species against an unusual black backdrop creates an unforgettable visual experience for readers.
• The science of bioluminescence: Shares the real-life magic of bioluminescence with sidebars about the various places and species in which bioluminescence is found.
• Text can be read on two levels: Kuo’s simple and poetic narrative is accompanied by scientific facts about bioluminescence.

Reviews
“Will intrigue children and make them feel they have learned something new without feeling as though they are being taught….the illustrations…immediately evoke the glow of bioluminescence. Lovely.” — School Library Journal

“With two-level text and illustrations that almost seem to glow, Kuo presents the phenomenon of bioluminescence … simple, poetic text and striking images make for an effective group read-aloud. A surprisingly simple yet mesmerizing introduction to a wonder of the natural world.”—Kirkus STARRED Review

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
44 pages | 8.00" x 11.00" | Hardcover