Books in Smithsonian series

A unique guide to the extraordinary world of plants, from the smallest seeds to the tallest trees.Packed with more than 1,000 incredible images and full of fascinating facts, this beautiful children's book takes you on an exciting adventure through the wonders of the plant kingdom.Explore the incredible world of plants, from the smallest seeds to the tallest trees. Find out about the weirdest, smelliest, and deadliest flowers. Which plants eat insects? How do cacti store water? What flower looks like a bee? Where is the tallest tree in the world? Trees, Leaves, Flowers & Seeds explores the mysterious world of plants to find the answers to these and many more questions.Each type of plant - such as a flowering plant, a tree, a grass, or cactus - is examined close-up, with examples shown from all angles and in cross-section. Picture-filled galleries also show the wonderful variety of plants on different themes, from the habitats they grow in to the plants that supply us with our staple foods. But Trees, Leaves, Flowers & Seeds also takes a fun, more sideways look at some truly strange plants, such as trees with fruit like gigantic fingers, orchids that look like a monkey's face, seeds that spin like helicopters, and trees that drip poison.So open this amazing book and find out more about the world of trees, leaves, flowers, and seeds.

Experience 13 billion years of history on planet Earth, starting with the Big Bang before time-travelling right up to the present day. History comes alive as more than 130 different timelines are presented in glorious illustrative and photographic detail, together with accessible and informative text. Covering the rise and fall of empires, major scientific breakthroughs, groundbreaking inventions, and monumental moments in art, this is the go-to guide for just about everything that has ever happened. This comprehensive visual encyclopedia for children is an unprecedented collection of timelines and a wealth of knowledge about the world. From the most bloodthirsty pirate of all time to the first crime to be solved by studying fingerprints, you'll find it in Timelines of Everything. Find your own place in the world and understand where you fit in with this exciting, entertaining, and educational tour through time.

Turn your eyes to the skies for this starry-eyed spectacular!Take this practical page-turner on your out-of-this-world adventure to experience cosmic wonders, key constellations, and intergalactic information. Packed with crystal-clear visuals, easy-to-read maps, and top tips, you’ll have no problems navigating the starry night with this indispensable guide. Discover the most important constellations visible in the Northern Hemisphere, read the amazing stories behind each constellation, recognize the constellations of the zodiac, and experience the Milky Way as never before. Learn how to spot planets, galaxies, and nebulas in our Universe, as mind-blowing patterns in the sky are revealed in unprecedented detail.Star Finder! is the complete guide for aspiring astronomers and rising stars everywhere.

Dig into this photo-packed Penguin-Smithsonian book about fossils—and find out what was going on in our world.Aren't you curious about what Earth was like long ago? What creatures lived before us? What happened to the dinosaurs?Curious about Fossils explains why and where fossils form and looks at the colorful lives and important discoveries of some of the great early fossil hunters and collectors, including Mary Anning who unearthed the first ichthyosaur skeleton; Richard Owen who coined the word dinosaur; and Barnum Brown, who discovered the first remains of a T-rex. Then the adventure continues into modern times, where scientists on fossil hunts in places like North Dakota's Hell Creek Formation use computers and other technology to dig up the fossilized bones, teeth, and even poop that provide clues to the past. A must read for every kid who's ever collected a shark tooth or trilobite!

A landmark in reference publishing and overseen and authenticated by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, Natural History presents an unrivaled visual survey of Earth's natural history. Giving a clear overview of the classification of our natural world-over 6,000 species-Natural History looks at every kingdom of life, from bacteria, minerals, and rocks to fossils to plants and animals. Featuring a remarkable array of specially commissioned photographs, Natural History looks at thousands of specimens and species displayed in visual galleries that take the reader on an incredible journey from the most fundamental building blocks of the world's landscapes, through the simplest of life forms, to plants, fungi, and animals.

This sea monster is real. It lurks in the freezing black depths of underwater canyons. Nearly 50 feet long, it hunts with its long arms and tentacles. Its powerful suckers leave giant round scars on those that live through a battle with it. But this enormous beast, with its huge, strange eyes, remains hidden from humans. We rarely see it and know little of its ways. What is this monster? The giant squid. This famed member of the cephalopod group has a history of frightening fishermen, starring in fictional adventure tales, and keeping scientists guessing. What is the story of this mythic creature? Why is it so hard to study? What secrets does it keep? Clyde Roper, ocean scientist and squid expert, has been seeking this secretive creature for decades. Come along as he and other researchers unravel its mysteries.

Journey back in time and find out where the dinosaurs roamed. This unique children's atlas explores each continent, revealing fossil sites and stories on every map.Part of the best-selling What's Where on Earth series, this atlas is packed with maps of early Earth and more than 50 profiles of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Stare down a T. Rex in North America. Watch out for the Velociraptors' slashing claws in the Gobi Desert. Trek across the Siberian tundra and discover a woolly mammoth. This stunning book makes every animal come to life using breathtaking computer-generated imagery. Using specially commissioned maps, this dinosaur atlas shows you what the world looked like millions of years ago. A modern 3D globe next to each map helps you understand the arrangement of the continents over time and why we find fossils where we do. You can see what paleontologists (dinosaur experts) have dug up over the centuries in each continent and learn how they put together a picture of the past from a puzzle of ancient clues. Where on Earth? Dinosaurs reveals the prehistoric world as never before, and is an essential addition to the library of every young dinosaur expert.

Curious toddlers and preschoolers will learn fun facts in this Smithsonian Kids book about forest creatures including deer, bears, beavers, foxes, rabbits, birds, and many more. Every page features an engaging "spinning wheel" that when turned by your little one builds fine motor skills and introduces additional forest plants and animals in the viewing window. The sturdy board pages and built-in handle are just right for little hands, and the beautiful, detailed illustrations will engage, entertain, and educate your little one.

Get closer to nature than you’ve ever been before with this jaw-dropping guide to our wonderful world. Marvel at the breathtaking photography showcasing flora and fauna in the most incredible, intricate detail. From ants to elephants, the animal kingdom is explored and explained in this extraordinary encyclopedia that puts you at the heart of the action. See the tiny spines on a stinging nettle, watch lichen spreading over a tree, and observe the secret suckers on an iguana’s feet. The mysteries of the natural world are displayed in brand new images, together with cross-sections, macro, and electron microscope images. Alongside the utterly absorbing visual content, Explanatorium of Nature brings its own fountain of knowledge about how nature works. For instance, did you know baby foxes that are born with blue eyes turn to gold? Or that reptile scales are made from the same material as your fingernails? Discover how spiders spin webs, how birds fly, how snakes kill, and much, much more. This irresistible book is a guaranteed favorite for animal lovers, nature enthusiasts, and budding wildlife experts everywhere.

New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester looks at which way the wind blows in this exciting book about giant storms.Simon Winchester is an avid weather watcher. He’s scanned the skies in Oklahoma, waiting for the ominous “finger” of a tornado to touch the Earth. He’s hunkered down in Hong Kong when typhoon warning signals went up. He’s visited the world’s hottest and wettest places, reported on fierce whirlpools, and sailed around South Africa looking for freak winds and waves. He knows about the worst weather in the world.A master nonfiction storyteller, Winchester looks at how, when, where, and why hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, and tornadoes start brewing, how they build, and what happens when these giant storms hit. His lively narrative also includes an historical look at how we learned about weather systems and where we’re headed because of climate change. Stunning photographs illustrate the power of these giant storms.

Featuring amazing images of trains, virtual tours of engines, and profiles of key innovators, designers, and engineers, Train: The Definitive Visual History traces the history of the railroad and the role of trains, from the first steam engines to today's high speed bullet trains. Comprehensive catalogs feature the most important trains from each period, exploring in detail iconic trains such as the Fairy Queen, Orient Express, and Javelin, and follows the development of trains from early steam to Diesel engines and modern electronic locomotives. Beautiful photographs and detailed maps explore some of the world's most impressive rail routes from South Africa to Siberia, including the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the trans-Siberian Railway, and the high-speed Japanese Tokaido Shinkansen line. Includes 2 exclusive prints.