I grew up in a rural area, and loved wandering through the woods, listening to birds, and feeling moss under my toes. Nature always seemed like such wondrous magic. I became an engineer because I loved math and science, but then realized I wanted to share my love of nature with kids. So I earned an MFA in writing and now lean on my science and writing background to make sure that my books and the STEM books I recommend are both well-researched and presented in interesting ways. You can find more of my reviews on my blog for Perfect Picture Book Fridays. I hope the books on my list fill you with wonder, too!
This book blew my belief that the Antarctic is a desolate place out of the water—or perhaps out of the iceberg, as I watched an iceberg “calve”—sending a piece of itself into the southern ocean at the beginning of spring.
I loved being told to “look closer.” And what did I see? Penguins, leopard seals, krill, a zillion sea birds, and humpback whales all feasting (or being feasted upon). And a show-stopping double foldout page (that I wanted to frame, it’s sooo gorgeous!) that opens up to a magnificent array of sea creatures in opalescent waters.
What an ode to the amazing cycle of the seasons and life!
An iceberg shears from a glacier and begins a journey that takes it through Antarctica's seasons.
Follow the iceberg in the spring as it watches penguins trek across the ice to their winter homes and senses krill stirring underneath the ice. With summer comes more life: the iceberg sees humpback whales spiral and orca gather. And the iceberg moves too, ever shrinking as the sun softens its edges and undersea currents wash it from below. When autumn arrives with cooling temperatures, the sea changes and the iceberg is trapped in the ice for the winter freeze. Then spring returns and…
Such a glorious book that shows us the wonder of whales and why we need to protect them.
I fell in love with the blue whale drifting through a sea teeming with life. I watched her reveal an “elephant-sized tongue” that “shoved 21,000 gallons of seawater” out through her baleen filter, leaving her with a mouthful of krill that could “fill a school bus”!
Holy cow! I learned how her ears reveal her age and where she’s traveled over her lifetime. And when she died, my heart went with her. But wait! This was only the beginning, because it turns out her body sustains so much other ocean life. Life that will, in turn, feed the lives that will feed future whales.
The illustrations by the phenomenal Caldecott-winning Jason Chin are stunning!
Follow a blue whale’s enormous body to the bottom of the ocean, where it sets the stage for a bustling new ecosystem to flourish.
All living things must one day die, and Earth’s largest creature, the majestic blue whale, is no exception. But in nature, death is never a true ending. When this whale closes her eyes for the last time in her 90-year life, a process known as whale fall is just beginning. Her body will float to the surface, then slowly sink through the deep; from inflated behemoth to clean-picked skeleton, it will offer food and shelter at…
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
I thought I knew a lot about crows, but this book showed me otherwise.
From the first page, “I spill across the sky like ink—fill the night with jagged cries. I have one thousand eyes…” I was mesmerized by the storyteller, a murder of crows speaking directly to me.
The illustrations are just as absorbing as the narrative as crows huddle and act together to scare off predators through a long, cold winter night. An amazing true story! Plus, the info about crows and how smart they are in the back matter (like how they use tools) adds even more to the coolness factor.
A riveting informational picture book that explores the beguiling mysteries of crow behavior. Gorgeous illustrations take us into a crow's environment and community, making this an incredible-and unforgettable-reading experience.
Caw-Caaaaw! Crows are fascinating and resilient birds. What is the secret to their abundance and survival, especially throughout fall and winter seasons, when temperatures drop and crow-eating creatures lurk in the dark? I Am We unpacks these mysteries, exploring how and why crows roost together by the thousands and their reliance on cooperation and community.
Sharing a home in our urbanized ecosystem, crows are the ideal subject for learning about how…
The first page drew me in: “LOOK AT IT. Wounded, worn, twisted, torn. One day, this tree will fall, and this story will end. Won’t it?” Well, hmm. Yes? But then I found out, NO WAY!
From seed to seedling to mature tree, this tree had endured storms, drought, perhaps even a forest fire. It had healed itself, and became a home for birds, butterflies, spiders, tiny rodents, a whole ecosystem. And now, even after its death, it supported new life—a new seedling tree. And so its life goes on.
Oh, this really made me want to hug a tree! True green recycling!!
Discover how a tree’s wounds and decay bring new life to the forest ecosystem in this lyrical nonfiction picture book for fans of Because of an Acorn and A Stone Sat Still.
When a tree falls, is its story over?
There are many ways a tree’s story could end: Gobbled up by a bird as a tiny seed. Damaged by wind or ice or fire. Chopped down and hauled away. But some trees—this tree—survives. And grows old. Riddled with scars, cracks, and crevices, it becomes a place creatures large and small call home.
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
This is a fascinating book (even if you’re not a budding geologist)!
The ominous cover immediately grabbed me. Ground sloths, smilodons, dire wolves, errant eagles—and a pool of sticky tar—all awaiting their fate.
When I opened the book, I was pulled into the story, like one of the animals, only willingly! Vultures, American lions, short-faced bears, and mammoths get sucked in, too.
Who knew that this amazing place that offers a glimpse of our prehistoric past sits in the heart of Los Angeles, California? And scientists are right there studying fossils from the tar pits every day. A place I can see with my own eyes! And that tar? It’s still trapping unsuspecting critters today.
A one-of-a-kind STEM gem! Join fellow science lovers in this creative, non-fiction, poetical exploration surrounding the history and little-known origins of the ice age and La Brea Tar Pits.
Nominee, 2025-2026 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Awards, Intermediate List
“Uglow's rhythmic text traverses thousands of years as it tells the prehistoric tale of many fossils coming to exist in Los Angeles's La Brea Tar Pits....Milovanova's free-form illustrations include markings that seem scratched into each page's coloring―an apt approach given scientists' work to peer beneath the pits' surface in search of the region's prehistory.”―Publishers Weekly
“Playful language and masterful illustrations make…
A River of Dust tells the story of dust's journey as it soars above the broad landscapes of North Africa, spills over the Atlantic, and settles in the Amazon rainforest. Its tiny particles deliver precious cargo that is key to the health of the Amazon, the Atlantic, and our planet.
Dust's story is a lyrical ode to the vital roles that even the smallest among us can play, and as a story of separation and reconnection, it is STEM with a beating heart. Back matter includes information about continental movement, NASA satellites, and how scientists solved the mystery of the dust.
