Books in Explore Books series

A bullied boy discovers a door guarded by a sly monster . . . A painting of a door opens in a forgotten Egyptian tomb . . . A portal in the park promises to turn you into a much cooler version 2.0—if you can just get the bugs out . . . Edited by New York Times bestselling comics creator Kazu Kibuishi, who is also a contributor, the third volume in this highly praised series gathers some of the foremost and fastest-rising talents in comics for kids: Jen Wang (Koko Be Good), Johane Matte (Explorer: The Mystery Boxes), Steve Hamaker (colorist of Jeff Smith’s Bone series), Faith Erin Hicks (Friends with Boys), DougHolgate (Zack Proton series), and Jason Caffoe (Explorer: The Lost Islands and Flight). Readers maynever walk into a room the same way again.

Seven clever stories answer one simple question: what’s in the box? Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels—or mayhem—inside. Artists include middle school favorites Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier (Smile), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), as well as Jason Caffoe, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Rad Sechrist (all contributors to the groundbreaking comics anthology series Flight), and upcoming artist Emily Carroll. Praise for Explorer: Mystery Boxes STARRED REVIEW "An outstanding out-of-the box anthology from renowned comics veteran Kibuishi. With eye-popping full-color art and palettes ranging from candy-colored to ethereal earth tones, this is both a visual feast for the eyes and a healthy helping of thought for the soul. Superb.” –Kirkus Reviews, starred review STARRED REVIEW "Coherent for all its variety, there will be something here for most readers." –School Library Journal, starred review

Perfect for introductory science and biology lessons! What do mammals have in common? They have fur. They nurse their young. They breathe fresh air. But what else?Explore nature and discover a variety of mammals—also known as viviparous animals—and the many ways that they are unique from one another. “Here are twenty double-page spreads all bright with mammals. Large, tiny, prehistoric, unusual—they are all here in repeatable rhymes, and a million-dollar word (viviparous) is tossed in for good measure.”—The Provident Bookfinder“Both simple and surprising, Heller's sprightly picture books use verse and unusually harmonious pictures to introduce the animal kingdom. Chickens lists some of the many good things that come in egg packages, while Animals mentions all manner of mammals.”—Publishers Weekly About the Explore! series: Dedicated to helping children learn a variety of nonfiction subjects, the Explore series uses pitch-perfect rhyming text and brilliantly illustrated images to make learning fun.Books in the series:Explore Language1. Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions2. Cache of Jewels: And Other Collective Nouns3. Fantastic! Wow! and Unreal!: A Book About Interjections and Conjunctions4. Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs5. Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives6. Mine, All Mine!: A Book About Pronouns7. Merry-Go-Round: A Book About Nouns8. Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs Explore Nature1. Animals Born Alive and Well: A Book About Mammals and Their Young2. Chickens Aren't the Only Ones: A Book About Animals Who Lay Eggs3. The Reason for a Flower: A Book About Flowers, Pollen, and Seeds4. Plants that Never Ever Bloom: A Book About Fungi, Ferns, and Other Plants Without Flowers

Dig into the tail-wagging world of man’s best friend! Uncover the secrets of man’s best friend layer by layer in this new title in the popular Explore series. Young dog fans will love discovering all the weird and wild facts, viewing the cool illustrations and diagrams, and examining the unique 3-D layered model of a dog. With every turn of the page, the pup is deconstructed before their eyes, as the model demonstrates the hidden workings of the dog’s body. Perfect for curious kids, ages 8 and up.

In Explore the Human Body, a fascinating three-dimensional presentation allows in-depth, hands-on exploration of the most amazing machine in the world—you. This unique “model” can be deconstructed and rebuilt layer by layer, system by system, just by turning the page, so the reader can see how each part of the body is connected to the others. The complexities of the human body can be daunting, particularly for children, so by combining a 3-D model with informative text and pictures, Explore the Human Body helps children understand how all the major systems of the body work together to enable us to breathe, move, and interact with the world around us.

The highly anticipated second volume to the critically acclaimed Explorer series, The Lost Islands is a collection of seven all-new stories written and illustrated by an award-winning roster of comics artists, with each story centered around the theme of hidden places. Edited by the New York Times bestselling comics creator Kazu Kibuishi, this graphic anthology includes well-written, beautifully illustrated stories by Kazu (the Amulet series), Jason Caffoe (the Flight series), Raina Telgemeier (Drama and Smile), Dave Roman (the Astronaut Academy series), Jake Parker (the Missile Mouse series), Michel Gagné (The Saga of Rex), Katie and Steven Shanahan (the Flight series), and up-and-coming new artist Chrystin Garland. Praise for Explorer 2: The Lost Islands STARRED REVIEWS "A second gathering of new graphic tales, diverse of plot and atmosphere but thematically linked by island settings and every bit as stellar as its predecessor…First rate." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "With this second showcase Kibuishi affirms his editorial savvy for amassing talented creators and providing a vehicle to let them do what they do best: use comics to tell funny, thoughtful, and just plain good stories." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "Lost Islands is a great sequel to The Mystery Boxes (Abrams, 2012) that is masterfully told and beautifully drawn. A must-have for any collection." --School Library Journal, starred review "This sophomore effort’s solid artwork, dialogue, and stories will still be a great introductory title for young or struggling middle-school readers starting to explore the world of graphic novels." --Booklist "Variety of style is the real draw of Kibuishi’s graphic anthologies, and tweens reluctant to stray from their comic-book favorites will find the gamut of visual presentations eye-opening." --The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books "Another satisfying anthology that will leave readers eager for the next." --The Horn Book

Perfect for introductory grammar lessons! What is a noun? Explore language and discover the uses of nouns and their many grammatical forms from proper nouns to common nouns to abstract nouns. “Heller explores types of nouns: common, proper, abstract, concrete, compound, collective, singular, plural, and possessive... Its lush, exuberant full-color artwork will grab kids' attention.”—Booklist“With humor, style, and succinct, admirable precision, Heller summarizes everything most people will ever need to know about this particular area of grammar. ... A treasure.”—Kirkus Reviews“To say that Heller has a way with words is to understate a multifaceted talent... The rhymed text of this book is as witty and smooth as its predecessors ... Rarely does a book offer children so much to look at, listen to and learn.”—Publishers Weekly“Striking graphic design with large clear objects in bold colors overflowing each double-page spread make the book a visual treat. The use of bold type for all the nouns is particularly pleasing and will make for easy reading aloud... Those who have found the others in the series successful will want this one.”—School Library Journal About the Explore! series: Dedicated to helping children learn a variety of nonfiction subjects, the Explore series uses pitch-perfect rhyming text and brilliantly illustrated images to make learning fun.Books in the series:Explore Language!1. Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions2. Cache of Jewels: And Other Collective Nouns3. Fantastic! Wow! and Unreal!: A Book About Interjections and Conjunctions4. Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs5. Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives6. Mine, All Mine!: A Book About Pronouns7. Merry-Go-Round: A Book About Nouns8. Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs Explore Nature!1. Animals Born Alive and Well: A Book About Mammals and Their Young2. Chickens Aren't the Only Ones: A Book About Animals Who Lay Eggs3. The Reason for a Flower: A Book About Flowers, Pollen, and Seeds4. Plants that Never Ever Bloom: A Book About Fungi, Ferns, and Other Plants Without Flowers

Travel back to the time of the celts! Who were the Celts and who were their leaders? Why did they come to the British Isles and how did they live? Explore this ancient civilisation to understand how prehistoric people have influenced the way we live today. Find out all about the lives of the Celts - from the well-known leader Boudicca, to the Druid priests that were highly important in Celtic society. Discover the artefacts that give evidence of their way of life, and how historians have pieced together the evidence of their lives. Learn about the homes and communities that they lived in, the food that they ate, how they travelled and worshipped, and the influence of the Romans on their society. And try your hand at making your own Celtic torc!A great tool for project work at KS2!

Perfect for introductory grammar and language arts lessons! What is an interjection? What is a conjunction? Explore language and discover how to identify interjections and conjunctions and the way they work in sentences. Praise for Fantastic! Wow! And Unreal!:“Youngsters will delight in the rhyming text, which artistically weaves information through vibrant illustrations. ... This title is a must-have for school media centers as it provides sheer enjoyment and stimulating instruction for both students and teachers.”—School Library JournalAbout the Explore! series: Dedicated to helping children learn a variety of nonfiction subjects, the Explore series uses pitch-perfect rhyming text and brilliantly illustrated images to make learning fun.Books in the series:Explore Language1. Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions2. Cache of Jewels: And Other Collective Nouns3. Fantastic! Wow! and Unreal!: A Book About Interjections and Conjunctions4. Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs5. Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives6. Mine, All Mine!: A Book About Pronouns7. Merry-Go-Round: A Book About Nouns8. Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs Explore Nature1. Animals Born Alive and Well: A Book About Mammals and Their Young2. Chickens Aren't the Only Ones: A Book About Animals Who Lay Eggs3. The Reason for a Flower: A Book About Flowers, Pollen, and Seeds4. Plants that Never Ever Bloom: A Book About Fungi, Ferns, and Other Plants Without Flowers

Perfect for introductory grammar lessons! What is an adjective? Explore language and discover how to identify and create many different types of adjectives, from demonstratives to articles to proper adjectives. “To further a child’s grasp of the meaning and function of adjectives, this gorgeous picture book provides enrichment and depth of understanding… A visual and auditory feast, designed to make language discovery appealing and rewarding.”—Publishers Weekly“An excellent and enjoyable introduction to grammar both for younger children who will respond to the verse and images and for older children who will get an overview of adjectives and their uses.”—School Library Journal“The brilliantly colored illustrations are grand attention grabbers that give the unabashedly technical terms real punch.”—Kirkus Reviews About the Explore! series: Dedicated to helping children learn a variety of nonfiction subjects, the Explore series uses pitch-perfect rhyming text and brilliantly illustrated images to make learning fun.

“[An] extravagantly beautiful creation. It is unusual in its ingenious way of teaching botany and interesting words to the littlest of readers.”—Publishers Weekly“Ms. Heller’s colors and drawings are as electrifying as ever.”—Los Angeles TimesThe reason for a flower is to manufacture seeds, but Ruth Heller shares a lot more about parts of plants and their functions in her trademark rhythmic style.