Swamp Things: Animal Life in a Wetland

It's early morning in a swamp. A roseate spoonbill is wading through a shallow pond. Slowly, the bird sweeps its long, spoon-shaped bill back and forth through the water. The colorful bird is feeling for small fish and shrimp. When its super-sensitive bill detects movement in the murky waters, the bird grabs its prey and gobbles it down. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance not only to learn all about roseate spoonbills and their swamp habitat, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as guessing how the bird got its name and finding objects equivalent to the weight of a newly hatched spoonbill chick, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.

Splash! Three playful creatures slide down a muddy slope and fall into a pond. Twisting and turning in the water, the river otter family continues its game. It's not all play, though, and soon the animals begin to hunt for fish in the murky water of their swamp home. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance not only to learn all about river otters and the swamp habitat in which they live, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as investigating the ways an otter's body is adapted to a life in water and guessing why mother otters push their little pups into the water, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.

A mother wood duck peeks out of a hole in an old, twisted tree in a swamp. The hole is the entrance to her nest. Once she's sure no predators are close by, the mother duck jumps from the nest hole to the ground. Then, one, two, three-tiny, fluffy ducklings start to jump from the tree. Soon 12 babies have jumped from the nest. Now, the newest residents of the swamp are ready to explore their watery home. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance not only to learn all about wood ducks and the swamp habitat in which they live, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as comparing a female and male wood duck and guessing what wood ducks eat, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.

It's a spring day in a swamp. A small brown animal is busy swimming back and forth across a pond. The animal is hard at work collecting plants to build its home. Finally, the hungry creature takes a break from its construction work to munch on cattail stems at the edge of the water. The animal is a muskrat, and the swamp's shallow ponds and streams are its home. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance not only to learn all about muskrats and the swamp habitat in which they live, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as estimating the weight and size of a newborn muskrat and describing the physical characteristics of an adult muskrat, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.

It's early dawn in a swamp. A large snake has spent the night hunting for fish and frogs in the ponds and streams. The snake is a cottonmouth-the only venomous water snake in the United States! It swims to the shore and slithers onto the land. When daylight breaks, the snake basks on a log, soaking up the sun's warmth to heat its body. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance not only to learn all about cottonmouth snakes and their swamp habitat, but also to develop their powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as guessing how the snake got its name and comparing the physical characteristics of adult and young snakes, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.

In a shallow pond, an enormous alligator is waiting, its nostrils breaking the surface of the dark waters. Suddenly, a duck lands on the pond. The alligator's huge, gaping jaws emerge from the water and snap shut! The duck quickly flaps its wings and escapes. The alligator sinks below the water again. The swamp is home to lots of other prey, and the stealthy alligator will soon catch a tasty meal. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of its primary-grade audience, this colorful, fact-filled book gives readers a chance not only to learn all about American alligators and their swamp habitat, but also to develop powers of observation and critical thinking. Built-in activities, such as using a measuring tape to see how long alligators grow and guessing how a mother alligator takes care of her young, give readers a chance to gain insights beyond the facts and figures.