A deep dive into the history and science of dirt. Millions of people on Earth start their day the same way: we get out of bed, go to the loo and wash ourselves. But this hasn't always been the standard routine. Ancient Greeks and Romans were happy to splash about in public baths, but by the time the plague struck 14th-century Europe, many people believed that water spread diseases. It was not until the 18th century that Louis Pasteur proved that dangerous germs actually lurk in dirt. Even when hygienic habits began to be taught in schools, lessons were limited to washing faces and hands, because those were the parts that everyone could see. Dive deep into the history and science of dirt, discovering how people around the world (and out in space!) keep themselves and their surroundings free from filth, how our ideas of what's clean and what's not have changed and developed over the centuries, and why a little dirt can sometimes be a good thing...

A highly original non-fiction guide on waste and the environment for a young audience. Your Planet Needs You! is packed with simple and entertaining ways that kids and their families can reduce, re-use, recycle, renew and REALLY GET INVOLVED in cleaning up our planet. Nobody really likes to think about rubbish (pee-ew!). But whether you know it or not, waste is part of everyone’s lives. Each year, a single person can create up to a tonne of waste. That’s the equivalent weight of a small hippo! Where does waste come from? Where does it end up? And what can we do to help our planet? Renowned picture book creator Philip Bunting answers all these questions and more in this entertaining and enlightening look at how to wallop waste and reduce rubbish. Learn how to start a compost bin, or how to use an old egg carton to sprout your very own seedlings. Get tips on cool things you can do with empty tin cans or an old pair of socks, and discover how long different things take to decompose – from an apple core to a gumboot to a plastic bag. With a positive outlook and a generous dollop of humour, Your Planet Needs You! shows that taking care of our environment can be both fun and rewarding. You can be the change! Your planet needs you! For ages 4 and up.

Reinforce your fifth-grader's scientific understanding with Spectrum Science. Your child will strengthen scientific inquiry skills while delving into such varied topics as subatomic particles, the first airplane, identical twins, and galaxies. Spectrum(R) Science develops your child's science literacy with a variety of fascinating facts Ideal for introducing and reviewing key science concepts, Spectrum Science explores topics in natural, earth, life, and applied sciences. Captivating passages are presented in a manageable one-page format with bonus sidebar facts and key word definitions. Each passage is followed by comprehension questions for in-the-moment feedback, and chapter reviews and final tests help students track their progress. Each workbook includes a complete answer key. Spectrum, the best-selling workbook series, is proud to provide quality educational materials that support your students' learning achievement and success.

In this powerfully written and beautifully illustrated picture book by award-winning author and illustrator team Carole Boston Weatherford and E. B. Lewis, Mother Africa addresses her offspring of all colours in all corners of the earth, reminding us of our timeless bond. Written in the voice of Mother Africa, who speaks to her children-human beings-this stunning picture book thrums with the love between mother and child as it celebrates humanity's common roots. Before words or tools or fire, Mother Africa's caves sheltered us and her forests fed us. She could not protect us from all dangers, but, like mothers everywhere, she gave her children all she could and sent us into the world with confidence and love. Told in the ringing, singing language of a creation story, this book is a love letter from mother to child that honors our shared history. Includes back matter with nonfiction information about human evolution and about the migration of Homo sapiens from Africa around the globe.

"Weird and Wonderful" is a series of four books on the most amazing creatures and features of the natural world. The books are produced in collaboration with The Natural History Museum in London. Unlike many natural history books, these combine both living creatures and the Earth itself, in an original and dynamic approach that focuses on their amazing characteristics. On every spread, photographs taken especially for these books display the wonders of the natural world. Woven around them is an expert, lively text. "Zooming and Creeping" looks at the fastest - and the slowest - on land, sea and in the air, and asks why speed or sloth can be an advantage in the natural world.

Interactive and engaging, Ultimate Spotlight: Volcanoes gives children a closer look at different types of volcanoes and how they form! Explore the beginnings of a volcano: Pull a tab to follow the path of magma to Earth's surface, turn a page to reveal a big pop-up of a volcano eruption, and lift flaps to see the creation of a volcanic island. * Flaps! Pull-tabs! Pop-ups! Lots of interactive and moveable parts * Detailed illustrations that beg to be pored over again and again * Educational content reviewed by an expert b>Fans of Volcanoes will also enjoy the interactive learning of other books in the Ultimate Spotlight(TM) series, including Polar Animals, Rain Forest Animals, Savanna Animals, Dinosaurs, Firefighters, Trains, and Astronauts . * Great family and classroom read-aloud book * Books for 5 and up * Books for kindergarten and early elementary school students Chock-full of information, this book is an exciting introduction to volcanoes.

Earth is big! (compared to a frog) Earth is small! (when it's hiding in a galaxy) And that's not all. Earth is wet and dry, hot and cold, round and jagged, fast and slow. You get the idea. It depends how you look at it! Get to know our planet in a whole new way by comparing it to a huge variety of other incredible things - from tiny particles to giant star clusters. Did you know soap bubbles are some of the roundest objects in the universe? Or that we humans are totally outnumbered by chickens? Or that the driest desert on Earth isn't scorching but freezing? Tour some of the most extreme places on the planet and beyond it, take a look at life forms from bacteria to elephants to redwood trees and explore what makes our planet the perfect home for us. You'll never see Earth the same way again!

Discover the fascinating world of water! From a tiny drop to an enormous ocean, one of Earth's most important natural resources flows over land and underground, forms icebergs, and is even found in the air. This interactive book provides a comprehensive overview, exploring where water comes from and how it provides for all living things, and more! Readers can find out about the water cycle, dive into the ocean with marine animals, trace how water gets from a lake to our homes and explore ways in which water energy is used in our daily lives. * Supersized spreads feature detailed illustrations that just beg to be pored over again and again * More than 60 interactive flaps, tabs, pop-ups and more for hands-on learning * Educational content reviewed by an expert Fans of The Ultimate Book of Water will also enjoy other books in the Ultimate Book(TM) series, including Airplanes and Airports, Animals, Cities, Horses, Planet Earth, Space, Vehicles, and the Construction Site Book . * Great family and classroom read-aloud book * Nonfiction books for kids * Educational books for kindergarten and early elementary school students