Dawn Cusick

"Snot, spit, and slime may sound gross, but there's a lot science in these icky fluids. Mucus and saliva help animals eat, breathe, build, communicate, and defend themselves from predators and their environments. From spitting cobras and snot otters to slime stars and snotties, explore the world of animal snot, spit, and slime with hundreds of cool examples, incredible photos, and real science!"--Back cover.

For more than forty-five years, National Wildlife has been dazzling families with amazing images and stories. Get ready for some supersonic fun that will make you say WOW! Discover jet propulsion in squid and dragonflies, camouflage in cuttlefish and katydids, photosynthesis in salamanders and sea slugs, vocal sacs in frogs, balance in giraffes and spider monkeys, and antenna fencing crickets. Want more? How about spiders that use air bubbles like...

Poop gets a bad rap, but it's really very cool and useful. Animals use poop in many different ways: to trick predators and prey, send messages, feed themselves and their babies, build homes, mark their territories, and more. Young readers will discover why rabbits, hamsters, pigs and gorillas eat their own feces (gross!), why some ground-nesting birds circle their eggs with poop, and how caterpillars can build umbrellas made of poop to hide under....

Meet Ham, Minnie, Enos, Roscoe, Tiger, and Rocky. When the United States was scrambling to catch up to the Soviets after their successful launch of Sputnik, they didn't turn to Mercury Seven astronauts Alan Shepard and John Glenn. Rather, they began bringing chimpanzees to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico for a top-secret program. The goal? To do everything America needed to make space travel safe for humans and beat the Soviets. Based...

Hey! Look out! Sharp-eyed readers will need to keep their eyes peeled in this engaging look at how animals of all shapes and sizes blend in and survive in their native ecosystems. How do animals deal with danger? From crocodiles standing on their tails to great white sharks with their jaws wide open to well-camouflaged venomous snakes, prospective naturalists and conservationists will have a lot to look out for in this exploration of dynamic ecosystems...

Once a child is old enough to recognize the difference between a peacock and a frog, the idea of a peacock frog is funny and intriguing. Does it look like a peacock or a frog? Does it have a tail or a beak? And what about a skunk tiger beetle? Does it have stripes like a tiger? Or worse, stink like a skunk? Every page of Cool Animal Names invites laughter and discovery with 256 of the most bizarre animals on the planet. Discover weird animals such...

"Sneak a peek at more than 250 animals enjoying their favorite treats in Animal Snacks. Discover the world's cutest vegetarians, including giraffes, hippos, elephants, zebras, whale sharks, squirrels, panda bears, koala bears, gorillas,and kangaroos feasting on foliage and flowers. Carnivores have favorite foods, too, and you'll find them photographed with just the right amount of gross factor. Look for hyenas, komodo dragons, lions, snakes, stingrays,...