Nature Through The Seasons

Describes the animals, birds, trees, and flowers that the amateur naturalist is likely to encounter in each season.

The technology boom of recent years has given kids numerous reasons to stay inside and play, while parents' increasing safety concerns make it tempting to keep children close to home. But what is being lost as fewer kids spend their free time outdoors? Deprived of meaningful contact with nature, children often fail to develop a significant relationship with the natural world, much less a sense of reverence and respect for the world outside their doors. A Natural Sense of Wonder is one father's attempt to seek alternatives to the "flickering waves of TV and the electrifying boing of video games" and get kids outside and into nature. In the spirit of Rachel Carson's The Sense of Wonder, Rick Van Noy journeys out of his suburban home with his children and describes the pleasures of walking in a creek, digging for salamanders, and learning to appreciate vultures. Through these and other "walks to school," the Van Noys discover what lives nearby, what nature has to teach, and why this matters. From the backyard to the hiking trail, in a tide pool and a tree house, in the wild and in town, these narrative essays explore the terrain of childhood threatened by the lure of computers and television, by fear and the loss of play habitat, showing how kids thrive in their special places. In chronicling one parent's determination (and at times frustration) to get his kids outside, A Natural Sense of Wonder suggests ways kids both young and old can experience the wonder found only in the natural world.

A Year in Nature is a beautiful, unique introduction to the seasons and how they affect the natural world. The book opens out into a stunning four-part carousel, revealing intricately detailed pop-up scenes of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Follow a family of foxes as the tiny cubs grow up through the year, and explore the woodland scenes to discover a world of animals, trees, plants, and flowers. From a fawn taking its first steps to squirrels gathering nuts for winter, the woodland is vividly brought to life by Eleanor Taylor's rich, distinctive illustrations.

In A Natural Year, critically acclaimed travel writer Michael Fewer celebrates the everyday wonder of Irish nature in these beautifully written diaries, observed from his homes in south Dublin and rural Waterford, in which he delights at the startling beauty and extraordinary complexity of the natural world through the tranquil rhythms of the passing seasons. Fewer’s infectious passion for his subject simply inspires our own observation, and suggests how careful study of the natural world around us can be a sure antidote to the stresses of modern life. At a time when it’s essential for us to understand the crisis that faces our wildlife and environment, we need to know more about the natural world around us, the treasures that are being needlessly lost, and the threat to our very way of life. A Natural Year will open eyes and hearts to a greater understanding of the world around us, and its innate beauty and fragility.

Discover the story of the seasons with four beautiful bedtime tales from the natural world. Meet a cuddly bear, a friendly raindrop, a little acorn and a shining snowflake, and learn how the world changes as the year goes by.

Winter, spring, summer, and fall—each season has its unique identifying features as well as its exciting activities. Readers will become well acquainted with these as they learn about the four seasons in this beneficial book. They’ll also decide which is their favorite season! Thoughtfully chosen photographs correlate with the achievable text and illustrate the characteristics of each season.