Books in Welcome to the World Series series

In cities or forests, raccoon make themselves at home. These animals find all sorts of mischief. One even climbed a tall construction crane to eat scraps the operator left behind. Raccoons can scamper down trees head first, swim across ponds and use their paws to pick fruit or unscrew jar lids. This book reveals the animal behind the mask. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

The world of beavers is world of teeth - four amazing front teeth that are constantly growing. Strong as chisels, the teeth allow beavers to eat bark, twigs, and leaves. The teeth are even strong enough to chomp through a thick trunk - no saws required! Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

What talents! Foxes can smell a rabbit hours after one has hopped by. Some can grip floating logs and "sail" to nearby islands. Gray foxes can even climb trees! If you thought a fox was just another pretty face, this book proves otherwise. From the frozen Arctic to the sweltering desert, Diane Swanson checks into these savvy animals and discovers the amazing things they do. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

Owls are a hoot! Whether they're hunting in the forest or hiding in a prairie burrow, these birds are full of tricks. Did you know that burrowing owlets can imitate rattlesnakes to scare away their enemies? Or that saw-whet owls can throw their voices from tree to tree, like ventriloquists? From hoots to spooks, Diane Swanson reveals the mischievous world of owls in the wild. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

Bears are amazing animals. This book captures them through color photographs and intriguing information by Diane Swanson. Polar bears can ski - scooting down slopes on all four feet, Grizzlies can run faster that cars are allowed to travel in towns, Lazy black bears sometimes fish lying down - they dangle a paw in the water and when a fish swims by, they scoop it out. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

With no bones and no nose, octopuses use their eight long arms for touching, smelling and even tasting! While some are as small as a paper clip, others can grow to the length of three doors. These intelligent animals enjoy living by themselves and eating a lot of seafood - crabs, scallops and fish. Filled with amazing facts and color photographs, this book provides a fascinating look at the undersea world. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

This book invites children to explore the fascinating world of orangutans. Young readers can learn how baby orangutans spend up to eight years with their mothers, gradually gaining the independence to survive in the forest, and how they use their long arms to travel through the tree tops and build new nests each evening to sleep in. With their expressive faces and personalities, and their close genetic relationship to humans - with about 96 percent identical genes - they captivate us. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

Diving, flipping, flying - bats can catch hundreds of mosquitoes an hour. There are a thousand different kinds of bats in the world, each with a strange collection of talents. They can swim, paddling with their wings. Some can even walk on their wrists! This book is an amazing look at the mammal with wings. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

Did you know there are approximately 340 different kinds of hummingbirds, some as light as a penny? These champion acrobats of the sky can beat their wings more than 40 times a second, fly backward and even hover in midair, like helicopters. Since it's much easier to hear hummingbird wings than see them, just follow the hum to find the birds. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

Take a walk on the wild side! Lynx, bobcats, and mountain lions are some of North America's most skillful hunters. They see well in one-sixth the light that people need. More than 20 muscles swivel their ears to help them detect the softest sounds. Even the smallest wild cat - the bobcat - is a powerful predator. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

The penguin has adapted to more habitats and climates than any other animal in the world. They live on sandy African beaches, windswept hills in South America and New Zealand, and icebergs in Antarctica. None of the 17 species of penguins can fly, but some penguins can swim long distances and dive to great depths for food. Children will find out all about penguins in this book. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

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.