Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 150 science books for children, including the celebrated Meet the Mini Mammals, illustrated by Brian Lies, and Can an Aardvark Bark? and Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme, both illustrated by Steve Jenkins. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Union College and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University, Melissa worked as a children’s book editor for nine years before becoming a full-time writer. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. She lives in Acton, Massachusetts.Brian Lies is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. His books include the Caldecott Honor–winning picture book The Rough Patch and his New York Times bestselling Bat series, which includes Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame, and Bats in the Band. Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Brian now lives on the south shore of Massachusetts with his family. Visit him at BrianLies.com.

There’s plenty of potential curriculum use here, and the browsable format allows kids to dip in and out of the book, keying on whatever cool details they find the most fascinating.