Books with author Tracy Read

We watch bees buzzing from plant to plant in our gardens, yet apart from worrying about being stung, many of us don't give them another thought. But who are these flying insects, and what exactly are they doing in our backyards? Exploring the World of Bees covers the differences in the social lives of bees and how they organize their families, their homes and their work. Young readers can learn that different bees have developed special physical adaptations -- from a body size so small they can't be seen in flight and keen vision to extra-long nectar-lapping tongues and convenient leg packs for carrying pollen. They'll also discover more about the many ways in which humans depend on bees, even while our activities increasingly put these precious pollinators at risk.

The curious facts and exotic fun of the lives of seals and walruses. The lifestyle of the seals that entertain at marine parks has little to do with how seals, sea lions and walruses actually survive in the wild. Exploring the World of Seals explains how these North American pinnipeds have adapted to live in two habitats, on land and in water. This ancient group of sea mammals comes in wildly different sizes, from the 100-pound ringed seal to the 3-ton elephant seal, and the range of their behaviors varies just as widely. With their streamlined bodies, insulating blubber or fur, flippers where other animals have limbs and long necks, these marine mammals are built to navigate the water in search of food, yet most of them court, mate and give birth on land. How do seals and walruses regulate their body temperature? How do they see their prey and predators in the dim underwater light? What are the effects of massive oil spills on the survival of these species that have inhabited Earth for millions of years? Exploring the World of Seals provides these answers and many more. The Exploring the World of... series is written for young readers who are curious about the natural world and the appealing creatures that inhabit it. Like its companion titles, Exploring the World of Seals is packed with facts and offer outstanding value.

The wild, wary gray wolf. The largest wild member of the dog family, the gray wolf stalks much larger mammals, such as the elk, caribou and moose. How does it succeed? Built to run, the long-legged wolf on the hunt uses its powerful sight, hearing, smell and physical strength. But, like the domestic dog, the wolf is a social animal: it lives in a pack. In this fully illustrated introduction, young readers will learn how group living makes sense for the wolf, allowing it to form strong bonds and share tasks like rearing its young, finding food and communicating over long distances. They'll also find out how habitat destruction, poisoning campaigns and hunting have reduced gray wolf populations in much of North America. Full-color photographs provide close-ups and action shots, while the engaging text, sidebars and captions tell the life history of an animal that researchers agree has one of nature's most engaging personalities. Firefly Books' Exploring the World of... nature series was created for younger readers who are eager to learn more about the wild creatures of North America. Each title contains beautiful photographs that depict the animals in their natural habitats, while the highly readable text explores their daily lives -- where and how they make their homes, what they eat, how they hunt, how they communicate and how they raise their young.

Coyotes are wily, secretive and extremely adaptive -- what young reader wouldn't be fascinated? Familiar to kids and adults alike through its many appearances in folk and popular culture, the multicolored coyote has the gray wolf to thank for its survival. As humans eliminated wolf populations across the continent over the last century, the coyote easily filled the gap. Today it is the most successful and most numerous large predator in North America. It makes its homes not only in the wild but increasingly in suburbs and even urban centers -- the coyote is wary of humans but is quite willing to enter the human world in pursuit of food. The coyote has a curious blend of characteristics that it shares with its dog-family relatives, the wolf and the red fox. Like the red fox, it has graceful, catlike movements. Like the wolf, it can hunt in packs but may also hunt on its own or with a partner. Exploring the World of Coyotes explains how the wily coyote achieved such great success, from its elaborate communication skills, mate selection and family life to its adaptive life skills and physical characteristics. The Exploring the World of... series is written for young readers who are curious about the natural world and the appealing creatures that inhabit it. Like its companion titles, Exploring the World of Coyotes is packed with facts and offer outstanding value.

Silently suspended in water, with only their eyes, nostrils and ears breaking the surface, these members of the crocodilian family play a terrifying sit-and-wait game with their prey, striking with lightning speed, chilling accuracy and a deadly bite stronger than any other living creature. Their victims stand little chance once held in their strong jaws. Land-dwelling prey are equally at risk--crocodilians can walk, gallop and leap at high speed, making them among nature's fiercest predators. The crocodile and alligator families descend from the reptiles that roamed Earth alongside the dinosaurs some 250 million years ago. Today, most of the land-dwelling crocodilians live in tropical lowlands, while the broad-snouted American and Chinese alligators have adapted to cooler temperatures. In Exploring the World of Alligators and Crocodiles, young readers will learn about the crocodilians' life history, physical characteristics, courtship displays, communication strategies and family life. They'll also find out how these semiaquatic reptiles rely on their senses and speed to survive--and why humans should keep their distance. The Exploring the World of... nature series was created for young readers who are eager to learn more about the wild creatures of the world. Each title contains beautiful photographs of the animals in their natural habitats and the highly readable text explores their daily lives and physical characteristics, how they make their homes, how they raise their young and what they eat. "This series has a different approach than typical animal books and goes beyond a basic introduction. The books provide the reader with another perspective and focus on different forms of survival tactics. Diagrams of the animals are presented describing different body parts and their functions. Another chapter discusses the natural talents of the animal... An extensive index is included. Recommended." --Library Media Connection, of the previous books in the series

With sturdy, streamlined bodies, outfitted with insulating blubber, flippers, tail flukes and fins, whales -- all known as cetaceans -- are built for life in the water. In Exploring the World of Whales, we meet the baleen whales and the largest members of the toothed whales, including the killer whale, the biggest of the dolphins. These marine mammals range in size from the 108-foot-long (33 m) blue whale to the barely 9-foot-long (2.7 m) dwarf sperm whale while boasting a range of distinctive physical traits, including the sperm whale's gigantic head, the humpback's barnacle-covered body and outsized flippers, and the narwhal's eight-foot-long tusk. Young readers will learn the difference between the baleen and toothed whales and how these differences affect habitat, diet and behaviors. They'll discover how whales communicate with one another across vast stretches of ocean, how some cooperate to raise families and hunt their prey, and how some are capable of remarkable feats of migration and deep diving. A lively, fully illustrated introduction to some of the planet's most intelligent species, this book also addresses the ongoing risks to whale populations. The Exploring the World of... nature series was created for young readers who are eager to learn more about the wild creatures of the world. Each title contains beautiful photographs of the animals in their natural habitats and the highly readable text explores their daily lives and physical characteristics, how they make their homes, how they raise their young and what they eat. "This series has a different approach than typical animal books and goes beyond a basic introduction. The books provide the reader with another perspective and focus on different forms of survival tactics. Diagrams of the animals are presented describing different body parts and their functions. Another chapter discusses the natural talents of the animal... An extensive index is included. Recommended." --Library Media Connection, of the previous books in the series

High flight with North America's mighty eagles. Only two kinds of eagles live in North America, the bald eagle and the golden eagle. These majestic birds belong to the same family and share many physical traits and behaviors, but there are also important differences between them. In this fully illustrated introduction, young readers will discover why the bald eagle lives along the coastlines of oceans, lakes and rivers while the golden eagle prefers mountainous regions, prairies and plains. They'll learn about the impressive nest-building skills of these two raptors and their courtship displays, mating patterns and fierce hunting styles. Full-color photographs provide close-ups and action shots of these aerial performers, while the engaging text, sidebars and captions offer insights into the life history of two of the world's most powerful winged predators. Firefly Books' Exploring the World of... nature series was created for younger readers who are eager to learn more about the wild creatures of North America. Each title contains beautiful photographs that depict the animals in their natural habitats, while the highly readable text explores their daily lives -- where and how they make their homes, what they eat, how they hunt, how they communicate and how they raise their young.

There's no greater thrill than spotting one of these tiny birds in the garden, and young readers will be fascinated by how this avian machine works. Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world, but they exploit every advantage that comes with their modest size. Exploring the World of Hummingbirds is a fully illustrated introduction to the hummingbird's high-performance lifestyle. Built for efficiency and fueled with high-energy nectar, this bird runs at a high temperature during the daytime, its heart beating 650 beats a minute, and its dense feathers keep it warm at night as it rests. Most impressive, however, are its skills as an aerial acrobat. Like a helicopter, it can move forward, backward and sideways. When feeding from a blossom, it can hover in midair and then turn and whir away at full speed -- all in two-tenths of a second. Readers will find out how hummingbirds and flowers have evolved for their mutual success. They'll also discover intriguing facts about hummingbird biology, flight, mating and nesting behaviors, family life, migration, and just how a hummingbird achieves and maintains its dazzling, shimmering colors. The Exploring the World of... nature series was created for young readers who are eager to learn more about the wild creatures of the world. Each title contains beautiful photographs of the animals in their natural habitats and the highly readable text explores their daily lives and physical characteristics, how they make their homes, how they raise their young and what they eat. "This series has a different approach than typical animal books and goes beyond a basic introduction. The books provide the reader with another perspective and focus on different forms of survival tactics. Diagrams of the animals are presented describing different body parts and their functions. Another chapter discusses the natural talents of the animal... An extensive index is included. Recommended." --Library Media Connection, of the previous books in the series

The ancestors of the elephant once roamed across much of the planet, but today, only two species survive: the African elephant and the Asian elephant. In this colorful introduction, young readers learn about the physical attributes and life history of the largest land mammal on Earth. With a massive body and huge ears that serve as built-in air-conditioning, a six-foot-long trunk with "fingers" that help it forage for food and water, tough, protective skin and outsized tusks used as tools and weapons, the elephant is a force to be reckoned with. Just as fascinating is the elephant's complex social structure. While adult males make their own way, the herd's oldest female nurtures and protects her extended family with the assistance of the other females. Guiding family members on lengthy migrations to find food and water, she teaches them life skills, organizes search parties for lost members and defends against hostile approaches. Together, the family forages and plays, welcomes new life, builds and maintains relationships and mourns its dead. In Exploring the World of Elephants, young readers also discover the value of ensuring that these intelligent, engaging mammals don't suffer the fate of their ancestors. The Exploring the World of... nature series was created for young readers who are eager to learn more about the wild creatures of the world. Each title contains beautiful photographs of the animals in their natural habitats and the highly readable text explores their daily lives and physical characteristics, how they make their homes, how they raise their young and what they eat. "This series has a different approach than typical animal books and goes beyond a basic introduction. The books provide the reader with another perspective and focus on different forms of survival tactics. Diagrams of the animals are presented describing different body parts and their functions. Another chapter discusses the natural talents of the animal... An extensive index is included. Recommended." --Library Media Connection, of the previous books in the series

Powerful, sleek and designed to hunt and kill other animals, the cougar is a cat, right down to its remarkable sense of balance, retractable claws and single-minded approach to independent living. Wherever this solitary hunter lives, it is a superior predator, using its stealth, timing and strength to ambush and overwhelm its prey, whether it's a tiny mouse or a 500-pound elk. Readers will learn about the cougar's special skills as a hunter and why it has the largest range of any wild land animal in North America. Illustrated with beautiful four-color photography, Exploring the World of Cougars is a lively, fact-filled introduction to this controversial cat.

High flight with North America's mighty eagles. Only two kinds of eagles live in North America, the bald eagle and the golden eagle. These majestic birds belong to the same family and share many physical traits and behaviors, but there are also important differences between them. In this fully illustrated introduction, young readers will discover why the bald eagle lives along the coastlines of oceans, lakes and rivers while the golden eagle prefers mountainous regions, prairies and plains. They'll learn about the impressive nest-building skills of these two raptors and their courtship displays, mating patterns and fierce hunting styles. Full-color photographs provide close-ups and action shots of these aerial performers, while the engaging text, sidebars and captions offer insights into the life history of two of the world's most powerful winged predators. Firefly Books' Exploring the World of... nature series was created for younger readers who are eager to learn more about the wild creatures of North America. Each title contains beautiful photographs that depict the animals in their natural habitats, while the highly readable text explores their daily lives -- where and how they make their homes, what they eat, how they hunt, how they communicate and how they raise their young.

We watch bees buzzing from plant to plant in our gardens, yet apart from worrying about being stung, many of us don't give them another thought. But who are these flying insects, and what exactly are they doing in our backyards? Exploring the World of Bees covers the differences in the social lives of bees and how they organize their families, their homes and their work. Young readers can learn that different bees have developed special physical adaptations -- from a body size so small they can't be seen in flight and keen vision to extra-long nectar-lapping tongues and convenient leg packs for carrying pollen. They'll also discover more about the many ways in which humans depend on bees, even while our activities increasingly put these precious pollinators at risk.