New Animals. New language

The Fallen Star: The Nocturnals Book 3 by Tracy Hecht is a different approach to teaching kids about friends. usual characters are relatable to the children. Tracy Hecht introduces new characters to them, new language French showing the whole wide world outside. And did I say already that this is in a forest. What is more mystical than a forest? All the good makings for a great story. Thats not to say that the book is inscrutable. It is readable for a 7 year old albeit with a little effort, but it opens them to the new world where you look up words and things and learn about the ways of new animals. All this in the friendship frame. The book will increase kids vocabulary as well as curiosity and a penchant for learning.

The Small Heart of Things

Smew

Squacco heron

Summer World: A Season of Bounty

The book goes like a true story of parts of nature.

Wood frogs: Their rituals(awake for only few months a year and still thriving) seem weird. The author doesnt just stop at this observation. He goes about setting up little experiments to prove or dispute the possible explanations.

Bald-Faced Hornet Nests: Hornet paper, a Talisman to ward off all evil predators from a vireo's nest.

The Blues: Why ants dont eat blue butterflies?

Mud Daubers and Behavior: Can you imagine being born in an encasement with food provided?

Artful Diners: Rolled leaf caterpillars and dried leaves with still a bit of green at a spot

The sketches and pictures add to the magic.

Bees

The best I have read about bee like organisms is 'Mud daubers and Behavior' essay in 'Summer Word: A season of Bounty' by Bernd Heinrich. This book 'Bees: learn About Your world Series' is easy to relate for kids too with the playful nature of the two bees Brenda and Bella.
When I began reading from the view point of the bees, I wondered how it would pan out, but the author Trinity Jorden has maintained the consistency of bees and their interest - flowers and pollen. we read about animals like dolphins and even bees communicating in the figure eight but how does that communication look like? It does seem to be fun to be bees even if it gets crowded.
The facts of bees in the later part of the book are fun too, with a choice to start reading based on your interest.
Learnaboutyourworld

Falling into Place

The habits of rivers
Catherine Reid Essays

Ansel Adams Wilderness

Photographer traces Ansel Adams footsteps in breathtaking new book
The aspen leaves picture is so Jackson Pollockish

Tracks and Shadows

Harry W Greene

Braiding Sweetgrass

Skywoman

Pecans - Our people carried them wherever they migrated

Braiding the Commons

Changing cultural perspective: Consumerism to gift-minded
Goldenrod and Asters  - A Botanist's inspiration.