Books published by publisher StarWalk Kids Media

In this clever follow up to their bestselling Silly Dinosaur Riddles eBook, beloved children’s science author Seymour Simon and his longtime collaborator, the very funny illustrator Dennis Kendrick, turn to zoo animals for a new round of silly jokes and riddles. (Ages 6 - 11).Seymour Simon, whom the New York Times called "the dean of the [children's science] field," is the author of more than 250 highly acclaimed science books (many of which have been named Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children by the National Science Teachers Association), and is the recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children’s science literature. His Webby Award-winning website, SeymourSimon.com, is chock full of interesting information for children and free, educational support materials for educators and families

Grade 1-3-Simon gets to the essence of his subjects through bold, dramatic color photographs and short, crisp texts. The first book draws comparisons between how long it took early aircraft to accomplish their missions and how long it takes modern planes; the inclusion of data about an aircraft of the future adds a touch of excitement. The description of the Hindenburg tragedy, however, seems stuck in between the discussions of various types of vehicles and their capabilities. Still, this is a good introductory title. Volcanoes begins with two full-page spreads of volcanoes erupting, first with a sky of smoke and then with a sky of fire. There can be no doubt in youngsters' minds that they are reading about something powerful, and Simon describes the damage as well as the positive aspects of these explosions. The photographs are so compelling that it is a shame that they are not identified (although the sources are given). How a volcano changes the weather and how lava comes through that hole in the ground are left unanswered, but this introductory book is meant to whet the appetite, and that it does. Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Mt. St. Alban, Washington, DC Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Nelson Mandela --legendary freedom fighter and revolutionary, first black president of South Africa and Nobel Peace prize winner--stated that his childhood in the Transkei countryside taught him everything he needed to know in life. This biographical novel brings to life Mandela’s childhood and his tribal initiation at sixteen when he resolved to live up to his name—Troublemaker—and fight for freedom for his people.

Cuddly-looking koalas are very appealing, but today koalas are an endangered species. Once hunted for their fur and now deprived of their food supply as forests are cut down for development, koalas are being raised in special parks where they can live in safety. Researched and photographed on location in Australia, Koala includes forty adorable, full-color photographs of these captivating marsupials playing, feeding, resting, and climbing, in captivity and in the wild.