Books with author Debbie S. Miller

A Woolly Mammoth Journey travels back in time to follow a pack of woolly mammoths across rivers, plains, and glacial ridges on their annual migration to familiar feeding grounds. Along the way, a new calf is born and learns to walk, use her trunk to get food, and play with other young mammoths in the herd. As the seasons pass, the mammoths prepare for the long winter and try to protect each other from predators and the changing climate. Packed with information and featuring vibrant full-color illustrations, A Woolly Mammoth Journey brings the far-distant past—and its long-lost wildlife—strikingly close.

Acclaimed Alaskan duo Debbie S. Miller and Jon Van Zyle bring the beautiful and mysterious arctic lands to life in this smart, stunning picture book.Imagine a land where the sun rises at 1:58 a.m. in the summer and shines for less than four hours on a winter's day. The animals in the wilderness near Fairbanks, Alaska, witness some of the world's greatest temperature extremes and light variations ever year. At an average low of -16 degrees Fahrenheit, the winters may be unpleasantly frigid, but the light shows are always glorious!

"Are trees alive? How do they breathe? They don't have noses." And so begins a conversation between the author and her daughter that leads to a remarkable discovery: Trees are like children in so many ways! They may look very different from people, but trees have roots that hold them to the ground like feet and leaves that blow in the wind like hair. Their bark even comes in different colors, just like our skin. From this poetic comparison of plants and humans, readers will learn how trees live and grow, and how they get their food. They will learn about the baobab trees of Africa, the banyan trees of India, and the bristlecone pines of California. They will see, through Stacey Schuett's exquisite art, that trees come in all shapes and sizes-just like people-and provide a home to many different animals. But most of all, they will look at trees with greater respect and a bit of awe, after realizing that trees are alive too.

'Are trees alive? How do they breathe? They don't have noses.' And so begins a conversation between the author and her daughter that leads to a remarkable discovery: Trees are like children in so many ways! They may look very different from people, but trees have roots that hold them to the ground like feet and leaves that blow in the wind like hair. Their bark even comes in different colors, just like our skin. From this poetic comparison of plants and humans, readers will learn how trees live and grow, and how they get their food. They will learn about the baobab trees of Africa, the banyan trees of India, and the bristlecone pines of California. They will see, through Stacey Schuett's exquisite art, that trees come in all shapes and sizes-just like people-and provide a home to many different animals. But most of all, they will look at trees with greater respect and a bit of awe, after realizing that trees are alive too.

Two thousand miles is a staggering distance for any kind of journey. But imagine making it not by car or even foot―but by fin. That’s what faces Chinook, a female king salmon, as she takes a dramatic trip to safely deliver her eggs. From the Bering Sea, up the Yukon River, and on to the Nisutlin River, A King Salmon Journey takes young readers on an engaging ride through the waters of Alaska and Canada, bringing to life the biology―and mystery―of one of the world’s most popular fish. Based on the story of a real-life Chinook, this beautifully illustrated book deftly combines science with a fast-paced tale of survival and perseverance.

The true and fascinating survival story of the world's most distinctive bear. One January, in a cozy, snowy den, a polar bear gives birth to two tiny cubs. They weigh only a pound each, and they cannot see or hear. After several weeks, the family begins its journey-a 1,500-mile trek across the treacherous frozen landscape in search of food. Along the way, the cubs learn to hunt, swim, and travel as they grow so that they can eventually survive alone.

As temperatures drop, the animals that make the tundra home must ready themselves for survival. See how animals like the arctic ground squirrel and the woolly bear caterpillar use special coping devices to keep warm as they hibernate their way through the frigid winter months. Then when the temperatures finally rise, these creatures emerge and the pulse of life returns to the arctic.

Ride shotgun with the heroic mushers whose bravery inspired the Iditarod.In the winter of 1925, Nome, Alaska, was hit by an unexpected and deadly outbreak of diphtheria. Officials immediately quarantined the town, but the only cure for the community of more than 1,400 people was antitoxin serum and the nearest supply was in Anchorage―hundreds of miles of snowbound wilderness away. The only way to get it to Nome was by dogsled.Twenty teams braved subzero temperatures and blizzard conditions to run over 600 miles in six days in a desperate relay race that saved the people of Nome. Several of the dogs, including Togo and Balto, became national heroes. Today their efforts, and those of the courageous mushers, are commemorated every March by the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Jon Van Zyle's stunning oil paintings capture the brutal conditions, pristine wilderness, and sheer guts and determination demonstrated by the heroic mushers and dogs.

Two thousand miles is a staggering distance for any kind of journey. But imagine making it not by car or even foot―but by fin. That’s what faces Chinook, a female king salmon, as she takes a dramatic trip to safely deliver her eggs. From the Bering Sea, up the Yukon River, and on to the Nisutlin River, A King Salmon Journey takes young readers on an engaging ride through the waters of Alaska and Canada, bringing to life the biology―and mystery―of one of the world’s most popular fish. Based on the story of a real-life Chinook, this beautifully illustrated book deftly combines science with a fast-paced tale of survival and perseverance.