Nature Nonfiction

Relive exciting tales from Highlights, now on audio! Stories include: A New Look at Hummingbirds by Jack Myers, PhD, A Peep Inside a Hatchery by Lisa Amstutz, Birds that Flock to Fires by Sneed Collard III, Bringing Back the Bluebirds by Brett Mahoney, Bug-zilla on the Hunt by Mary Meinking, Chatty Birds by Stephanie Logue, Emme Loves Bees by Jane Resides, Flying Copycats by Patricia M. Newman, Hanging by a Thread by Sharon T. Pochron, PhD, Jumping Spiders by Bryan Reynolds, and more!

Is your child always asking questions about the world and wanting to learn more about it? Isn’t it amazing how quickly children learn when they’re younger? Their brains are like little sponges, absorbing all the information around them. Your heart swells with pride when they tell you something new and exciting that they’ve learned. Perhaps it’s the ability to recite the names of all the planets in our solar system, or maybe it’s being able to solve a complex math problem. Wherever their passions lie, our Trivia for Smart Kids will keep their curiosity growing.

Did you know food scraps you throw away help plants and vegetables grow? Scavengers, animals who eat our food scraps, and decomposers: bacteria, fungi, and insects break the food down into soil. They eat some and put the rest into the soil we use for planting and gardening. Can you guess which animals and bugs make the best decomposers? What are scientists learning about decomposers?

Will Kimberly the Cat discover the difference between being spoiled and being loved? Kimberly the Cat had it all—caviar, a mansion, diamonds—until it was all ripped away. If that wasn’t humbling enough, it was Signey, a freckled girl, 12 years old, that whisked her away. Will Kimberly and Signey ever get along, or will Kimberly finally escape with a new madam?

The incredible true story of a friendship so strong that it crosses the globe! You will love the inspiring tale of Gobi, a lost dog who kept pace with an ultramarathon runner, Dion Leonard, across a vast desert. Follow their unlikely friendship through the challenges of a race and Dion's struggle to bring Gobi home for good.

Many people think penguins live only in cold, icy places. But the Galapagos penguins live in the blazing heat of the tropics. While this may seem like paradise, the Galapagos penguins are always on the lookout for ways to stay cool and comfortable. Learn more about these adorable animals, including how they got to the tropics, what they eat, other challenges they face in their lives, and what you can do to help.

Big, stately great horned owls with their hooting call and big orange eyes are the owls of scary stories. Learn more about these tufted hunters.

Who's that hiding in the tree? It's a panda! Listen to learn more about giant pandas.

Snatch! A great white leaps out of the water to catch a seal. How did it get its dinner? It used its superpowers! From a super sense of smell to super speed, a shark’s body is built for one thing—hunting. Its nostrils can smell some substances 10,000 times better than people! Low light? No problem! A shark’s eyes see well in dim light.

Picked by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the unknown wilds of the Louisiana Territory, Meriwether Lewis assembles a rugged team of adventurers, including co-captain William Clark - and a Newfoundland dog named Seaman. As hunter, retriever, and guard, Seaman becomes a trusted member of the Corps of Discovery. While the team tackles raging rivers and muddy shallows, Seaman is there - sharing their hunger and fatigue. Whether Indians threaten or grizzlies roar, he stands his ground. And through mountain peak or valley deep, Seaman remains a watchful friend and determined foe.

Don't let their size fool you. Miniature pinschers are fearless! Learn more about these fun-loving dogs.

Bark and wag. Chase dangerous animals away. Farm dogs are at home on the farm.

Explore the wild and wonderful world of bugs in this series for beginning listeners. Learn all about each bug's life including how they look, what they eat, and what they do for our environment. Featuring key science curriculum and filled with clear, simple text, these books are fun and exciting!

Macaws are among the most colorful members of the parrot family. These smart birds live in the rain forest. They use their bony tongues to crack into nuts and seeds. Find out more about these fancy fliers!

A collection of true stories about the amazing lives of eight shelter dogs. Many of these dogs were unwanted because of their size, behavior, or medical condition. All of the dogs found owners who loved and cared for them.

Have you ever wondered how fast a T-Rex could really run, or how much a Triceratops weighed? How about how long a Brachiosaurus’s neck is, or how high a Velociraptor could jump? This audiobook has all of these answers and more! Made for kids ages four and up, Dinosaurs for Kids is packed with interesting facts for the entire family.

In Anima, Kapka Kassabova introduces us to the "pastiri" people—the shepherds struggling to hold on to an ancient way of life in which humans and animals exist in profound interdependence. Following her three previous books set in the Balkans, and with an increasing interest in the degraded state of our planet and culture, Kassabova reaches further into the spirit of place than she ever has before. In this extraordinary portrayal of pastoral life, she investigates the heroic efforts to sustain the oldest surviving breeds of our domesticated animals,.

Ostriches can't fly, but they can run! Learn about how these birds survive in their desert home.

With three hearts and blue blood, its gelatinous body unconstrained by jointed limbs or gravity, the octopus seems to be an alien, an inhabitant of another world. It’s baggy, boneless body sprouts eight arms covered with thousands of suckers—suckers that can taste as well as feel. The octopus also has the powers of a superhero: it can shape-shift, change color, squirt ink, pour itself through the tiniest of openings, or jet away through the sea faster than a swimmer can follow.

There’s a new baby joining the herd. It’s an African elephant calf! Learn all about these big babies, including what they eat, what they weigh, how they’re raised, and how big they grow.