Books with author Catherine Herbert Howell

We all gaze at the night sky in wonder—and this guidebook, the ninth in the National Geographic Pocket Guide series, provides a go-to reference for everything filling the dark canvas above us. A basic guide to the solar system, distant galaxies, exoplanets and deep space, satellites and spacecraft, the big bang, meteor showers, and moon phases, this book also features scores of sky and constellation charts for stargazers. Each of the 147 featured topics includes a photograph or explanatory illustration or graphic. Interesting facts and tips throughout offer a quick guide to observing the night sky with the naked eye, from the Big Dipper and the North Star to auroras and eclipses.

This fun, photo-filled, and fact-packed guide to reptiles and amphibians will make kids stop and look for all kinds of scaly and slimy creatures right in their own backyards. From turtles to geckos, red cornsnakes to toads, kids will learn how, where, and when to spot these animals all over the United States (and how to keep a safe distance when necessary). With tons of info and interactive prompts, it's the perfect companion for backyards or field trips, camping or vacations. Durable and portable, it's just right for your pocket or backpack!

With this basic beginner's field guide to North American wildflowers, all who enjoy nature and the outdoors can identify common wildflowers, from backyard weeds to dainty forest blossoms. In a logical, user-friendly, highly visual format, this new title offers key facts about 160 of the most common wildflowers and weeds, coast to coast, including Canada and Alaska. To help with identification, each of the 160 entries has both a color photograph showing the plant in context and a color illustration showing the blossom close-up. This book is the perfect starting point for anyone, young or old, interested in learning how to identify wildflowers.

This basic beginner's field guide to our favorite animals that slither and swim is the latest in the growing National Geographic Pocket Guide series. Spot-on descriptive information and key facts about reptiles and amphibians are conveyed in a handy, colorful, easy-to-reference volume. More robust than any other beginning field guides, this book includes selected photography and newly commissioned art and graphics to illustrate and identify each species from every angle. With logical organization and bulleted information, this pocket guide is useful in the field or as in-home reference, for beginners, families, and new nature lovers alike.

This fun, photo-filled, and fact-packed guide to reptiles and amphibians will make kids stop and look for all kinds of scaly and slimy creatures right in their own backyards. From turtles to geckos, red cornsnakes to toads, kids will learn how, where, and when to spot these animals all over the United States (and how to keep a safe distance when necessary). With tons of info and interactive prompts, it's the perfect companion for backyards or field trips, camping or vacations. Durable and portable, it's just right for your pocket or backpack!

How does a deer mouse make a thimble? Which bird is a backyard acrobat? What makes a firefly glow? Worms and squirrels, deer and little brown bats: Creatures in every part of your backyard, from under the ground to up in the trees, come to life in Backyard Wilderness. Whether your backyard is 50 acres in the country or 500 square feet in the city, it is a wilderness for you to explore. You may have seen birds and butterflies, squirrels and spiders, but there is probably a whole lot more going on that you have never seen or thought about! In this book you will learn about a variety of creatures that may live in your backyard wilderness. Many of the kinds of animals we show here—from mammals to insects—occur throughout much of North America. If a certain species does not live in your area, a similar one probably does. For example, if an eastern cottontail doesn’t live where you do, perhaps a desert cottontail does instead. Be creative as you seek the creatures around you.