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Items16
1
Ruby's Birds (2019)
Published
Ruby discovers city birds with a neighbor, and children can hunt for birds hidden in the illustrations. The Central Park guide at the back connects the game to real birds. Try the idea on a familiar block and see which birds turn up again on the way home.
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Insect detective (2010)
10.0/10on Open Library
Published
A dragonfly hunting and ants collecting food give young readers two different things to watch for. If you find an ant trail along a sidewalk, follow it with your eyes for a minute. Can you tell which direction the ants carrying something are going?
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Up in the garden and down in the dirt (2015)
8.0/10on Open Library
Published
The pictures move between the familiar garden aboveground and the busy world underneath. Read the earthworm pages before comparing the soil around a garden bed with an exposed patch after rain. This picture book makes the ground at your feet worth a second look.
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In the Small, Small Pond (1993)
2.0/10on Open Library
Published
Fleming's bright pulp illustrations give small pond animals lots of room on the page. On a pond visit, ask a young child to point out something moving above the water and something moving at its edge. It's an easy game to play from a dry path or bench.
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Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard (Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Books) (2013)
8.0/10on Open Library
Published
Start with the pages about shape and beaks, then sketch the outline of a bird you see near home. The comic panels make it easy to dip in, and the paperback adds drawing and mapmaking activities. A child can compare two sketches even before learning either bird's name.
More about Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard (Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Books)6
Tracks, Scats and Signs (1995)
Published
A useful guide for the walk where you find footprints and see very few animals. A child can compare the number of toes in a mud print or draw how a line of prints is spaced. The guide covers other signs too, so a quiet trail can still produce plenty to look at.
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Birding for Babies: Backyard Birds
This counting board book gives toddlers a first look at birds such as the red-bellied woodpecker and northern mockingbird. After reading, count whichever birds you can see from a window or stoop. A single bird that stays long enough to look at is plenty.
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Squirrels Leap, Squirrels sleep (2016)
Published
Short lines and Steve Jenkins's cut-paper squirrels work well for a quick read before a park visit. Pick just one thing to watch, such as how a squirrel moves from trunk to branch. Try describing the movement together before looking at the pictures again.
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A place for butterflies (2006)
Published
The third edition pairs butterfly profiles with the places and plants they depend on. Take the book to a flowerbed and watch which blooms get repeat visitors. Its North American examples make a useful starting point for a child who already knows there are different butterflies and wants to look closer.
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A log's life (1997)
10.0/10on Open Library
Published
An oak falls in a storm, and Robin Brickman's paper sculptures show how the log becomes part of the forest floor. On a walk, compare the outside of a newly fallen branch with one that's been there a while. Look for differences in the bark and edges without moving either one.
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Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail
The scavenger hunts give children ages four to eight a way to start in a yard or urban park. On a short outing, try finding one animal sign and hearing one animal sound. The activities work in small pieces, which helps when the trip is only as far as the next block.
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The Kid's Guide to Exploring Nature
The garden's educators bring journaling, experiments, and seasonal observation to places including city parks. Try using one page of a notebook for the same spot on two visits and jot down what came and went. The drawings help older elementary readers compare their observations with North American plants and animals.
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City Critters (2012)
Published
Photographs and accounts of urban animals such as crows, gulls, and raccoons give older readers a reason to think about where wildlife finds food and shelter. Read a chapter, then look at one familiar street or park with that question in mind. Pay attention to buildings as well as planted areas.
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Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard
The book shows how observations become useful records through examples such as bird counts and ladybug searches. Pick a creature, write down when and where you saw it, and try the same spot another day. The photographs and projects suit an independent reader ready to keep a record.
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National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America, Second Edition (2018)
Published
This field guide is handy once a child has seen a bird they want to name. Compare its shape and markings with the profiles, then check the range map to see if the guess fits where you live. Older readers can browse the shorter entries when the most familiar birds are already easy to recognize.
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Rspb Wildlife in Your Garden (2016)
Published
This guide is written for Britain and looks at wildlife in different parts of a garden, including ponds. Use it to compare two spots near home or to see which signs might tell you something visits after you go inside. It's especially handy for children asking what lives around their own garden.
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