Books with author Rick Chrustowski

Why did the turtle cross the road? Five years after a female painted turtle hatches from her shell, she is ready to lay eggs of her own. This is a dangerous task because there is a road between her and the perfect nesting site. She starts to cross, but a huge car is hurtling her way. It stops just in time, and the kind people help her to safety. So the next time you see a Turtle Crossing sign, keep your eyes open—if you’re lucky you just might see a painted turtle on her way to make a nest. Turtle Crossing is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Whoosh! Big brown bats rush off on their nightly hunt, but one stays behind to have a baby. As summer turns to fall, the baby bat grows bigger. He learns to fly, then to hunt. Soon he has fattened himself up for the long winter ahead, when he'll hibernate until the spring sun returns once more.Big Brown Bat is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Follow the life of one ladybug as she journeys from the egg to adulthood.On a warm, sunny day at the end of summer, a ladybug lays her yellow eggs on a leaf. Soon, each egg hatches into a tiny larva with a huge appetite for aphids. Despite the dangers of ants and praying mantises, the larvae grow big enough to create hard pupae around themselves. When they break through the pupae, they are ladybugs at last.In simple, poetic text and vibrant illustrations, this nonfiction picture book explores the life-cycle of the most beloved beetle.

Follow the life of one small frog as he journeys from tadpole to adulthood.One spring day a frog’s egg hatches in a quiet lake. The tiny tadpole that emerges is weak at first, but little by little he grows stronger. Soon he sprouts legs and swims to the lake’s surface to breathe. A few weeks later he hops out of the lake onto dry land, a young frog at last. Land turns out to be a very different place from his watery home. The newcomer must learn how to hunt for food. He has to dodge unfamiliar predators. But the little frog is lucky: he survives these dangers.In simple, poetic text and vibrant illustrations, this nonfiction picture book explores the life cycle of the leopard frog.

Whoosh! Big brown bats rush off on their nightly hunt, but one stays behind to have a baby. As summer turns to fall, the baby bat grows bigger. He learns to fly, then to hunt. Soon he has fattened himself up for the long winter ahead, when he’ll hibernate until the spring sun returns once more. Big Brown Bat is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what zoo animals eat, and why.How do you feed a hungry crocodile without becoming dinner yourself?What do you feed a baby porcupine? Do elephants need vitamin pills?In the wild, animals can usually find the foods they need to eat. But zoo animals can't go out and search for their own meals. Instead, nutritionists must discover what foods each animal needs to stay healthy and happy. Whether serving lunch to poisonous snakes, making dinner for a thousand animals at once, or caring for babies who have lost their mothers, life for the zoo staff is never dull.This fascinating and informative book looks behind the scenes at some of the largest zoos in the country to discover what--and how--they feed their animals.