Books with author Dianne Swanson

The Dentist and You is a book for any young child making a trip to the dentist's office. It familiarizes children with many of the dental tools and procedures they are likely to encounter during their visit, allowing them to become more comfortable with dentists and oral hygienists. By showing how specific instruments are used to examine or treat them, why they are used, and how they work, this book helps children develop positive attitudes about their dental appointments. Some of the things examined include: dental lamp, rubber gloves, mirror, X-ray camera, scaler, air hose, saliva ejector, fluoride treatment, syringe, burr, and filling tools. Because control over their own bodies is very important to young children, their role in the use of each dental tool is emphasized through a special feature called "Your Job." Appearing on each double-page spread, "Your Job" briefly explains what children can do to help with the procedures, providing them with a confident and active role in their own dental care. The information is presented in a forthright manner. Potential fears associated with dental procedures are also addressed in a comforting and honest way. "Points for Parents" is a feature that offers advice about discussing the book with children and suggests activities to do together before and after a trip to the dentist to help children become comfortable with the visit and procedures. The Dentist and You is illustrated with photographs of children visiting various dental offices and contains line drawings. It includes an index.

Furry or spiny, thick and rough or smooth and slick: sometimes it's necessary to look just skin-deep! That's because skin itself is one of the most important parts of our and animals' bodies. In fact, creatures of the wild have an amazing selection of "natural coverings." Go up close as never before and see just how unusual skin can be. Each elephant has wrinkles in its lower leg as unique as a human's fingerprints. The grooves in the Australian thorny devil's flesh actually help it drink. Hippo's dense skin weighs one-fifth its entire weight--so it keeps this big animal safe from the sun. The bat's rubbery flesh allows it to swoop and fly, while the African armadillo lizard (and the porcupine too) has prickly scales that protect it. Skin that's armored, slimy, alarming, tasty, scary, and perfect for a disguise: you'll find out about it all!

Teeth that gnaw, teeth that groom, teeth that bite into delicious food and grind it down--imagine what life would be without teeth! Though there are some animals, such as birds and turtles, that don't need any, most others depend on teeth for eating, protection, and more. Horses nibble each other's necks to get rid of loose hair and pesky insects. The monkey-like lemur uses its front teeth as a comb to remove tangles. Beavers depend on them to cut down trees for the dams and lodges they build-and to munch bark, twigs, buds, and leaves. Full-color photographs show animals around the world using their hard-working pearly whites to chew, crunch, and chomp, while black-and-white drawings add some extra fun!

Here is something to chew on. A shark can lose and replace over 30,000 teeth in its lifetime. That's just one of the amazing facts that award-winning children's author Diane Swanson writes about in this popular Welcome to the World title. The text and colorful photographs bring the underwater world of sharks to life. Stories of a shark that traveled from New York to Brazil and sharks that find their way through mazes will enthrall children. Young readers will learn what baby sharks are called, how fast sharks swim, and what kind of seafood they like. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

Did you know that a sailfish's tail helps it zoom through water faster than most cars on a highway? Or that cows and horses swish their tails to flick away pesky bugs? Tails can really be terrific--animals use them to swim, fly, attract a mate, and even communicate! In this tale of tails, five to seven year olds will find out how creatures ranging from salmon to turkeys depend on their tales for survival, and how we humans once had them too. Every kid will love the full-color photos of animals in all sizes and shapes. The author lives in Victoria, British Columbia. 32 pages (all in color), 8 x 10. NEW IN PAPERBACK

Teeth that gnaw, teeth that groom, teeth that bite into delicious food and grind it down--imagine what life would be without teeth! Though there are some animals, such as birds and turtles, that don't need any, most others depend on teeth for eating, protection, and more. Horses nibble each other's necks to get rid of loose hair and pesky insects. The monkey-like lemur uses its front teeth as a comb to remove tangles. Beavers depend on them to cut down trees for the dams and lodges they build--and to munch bark, twigs, buds, and leaves. Full-color photographs show animals around the world using their hard-working pearly whites to chew, crunch, and chomp, while black-and-white drawings add some extra fun! The author lives in Victoria, British Columbia. 32 pages (all in color), 8 1/2 x 10.

Who's nose-y? Most animals are! That's because they usually have a much better sense of smell than humans do, and depend on their noses to find food, sense danger, poke around, and--if they're tame--do tricks. Black bears and grizzlies sniff out squirrels that are running underground, sharks smell blood from a distance of three city blocks, and rabbits have six times the sensors we have. Full-color photos and black-and-white illustrations capture an array of animals in their natural habitats. The author lives in Victoria, British Columbia. 32 pages (all in color), 8 x 10. NEW IN PAPERBACK