»ÆÉ«app

What is vermicomposting? It’s a system for turning food waste into planting soil with the help of worms. Michelle Eva Portman provides a primer on the process as an entertaining story — a young girl and her mom convert a storage box into a house for their new “pets.” The box is a vermicomposting bin, and the pets are redworms. Accompanied by adorable illustrations, Compost, by Gosh! includes a how-to section for children to try composting at home.

Perfect for: Kids who like science and nature.

Find at your local library.

This early reader is full of fun facts about emperor penguins — their lifecycle, habitat, predators and even what they like to do for fun. With easy-to-understand explanations and plenty of illustrations, Emperor Penguins is a great choice for young animal lovers.

Perfect for: Kids who like animals.

Find at your local library.

Parents need to know that this book is both too delicate, and possibly too scary (on one page the jaws of a T-rex come out at the reader) for young kids. Also, though thoroughly researched, some of the information presented, both verbally and pictorially, is controversial, though the author is usually careful to indicate this. Families who read this book could discuss the science behind it, the sleuthing and inferences made by paleontologists. How did they figure out what the dinosaurs looked like and ate? What has caused their ideas to change? Families can also do further research together on the types of dinosaurs presented, or find out about other species.

Perfect for: Kids who like animals.

Find at your local library.

Written to celebrate Earth Day (April 22), Michael Recycle recounts the adventures of a young superhero whose powers allow him to teach people about recycling. Kids will relate to this “green-caped crusader” and the idea that one person can make a difference.

Perfect for: Kids who like science and nature.

Find at your local library.

Answering your youngster’s questions about plants, animals, water, and just about anything else having to do with nature is easy with this reference book in hand. Broken up into 22 sections, The Nature Treasury covers topics like “How animals grow,” “Soil up close,” and “What animals eat.” With double-page spreads depicting ecosystems ranging from savannas to tundras, this book will have kids searching the panoramas for the animals that live there. Large labeled ovals with the animals superimposed on them act as guides, so children can scan the scenes to find where the sea stars are hiding in the coral reef or the sidewinder in the desert. Children will be enchanted by the lush illustrations.

Perfect for: Kids who are curious — and parents who don’t know all the answers!

Find at your local library.

Autumn brings colder temperatures, and with it magnificent fall foliage. But why do leaves change colors? This question is explored in Betsy Maestro’s enjoyable picture book. If you’re looking for activities with leaves for your child or places to explore beautiful foliage, this is the book for you.

Perfect for: Kids who like science and nature.

Find at your local library.

This book is an excellent resource for any classroom, »ÆÉ«app or home library! Colorful illustrations accompany the fun and informative text. It’s broken into bite size categories, such as “Bath-time Questions” (e.g., Why is soap so slippery?) and “Kitchen Questions” (e.g., Why do onions make you cry?).

Perfect for: Kids who like science and nature.

Find at your local library.