Living for more than five thousand years, ancient bristlecone pines are the oldest trees on Earth. Interweaving lovely, meticulously drawn pictures with a story line that spans 5,000 years, Alexandra Siy invites young naturalists to explore the secrets of the world’s oldest trees—secrets of the earth’s climate, recorded in their tree rings, and secrets of the bristlecones’ resilience, as a species that lives in the harshest of environments. Recorded in their rings is evidence of a changing planet. A volcano erupts in 2036 BC. In 775, a storm explodes on the sun. Lightning strikes in 1122. And during the 20th century, the temperature increases dramatically. Alexandra Siy’s lyrical text, paired with Marlo Garnsworthy’s meticulously researched mixed media paintings, reveals the life cycle of the mysterious and ancient bristlecone pine. Free, downloadable activities designed to accompany the book are available on the publisher's website. Research, nature, art, vocabulary, and literature activities address Common Core State Standards: ELA/Literacy and Next Generation Science Standards. 

Pikas, tiny rabbit relatives living high in the mountains, serve as an entry point toward understanding the consequences of climate change. Pikas can't live in temperatures higher than 77 degrees F. As the Earth's temperature rises, pikas must keep moving higher and higher up the mountains to find a cooler climate in which to live. Everything is connected in the natural world. As the pikas livable habitat decreases, the lives of hawks, falcons, pine martins, foxes and the many other creatures that prey upon pikas are affected. If you are looking for an easily understandable introduction to the consequences of climate change, this is the book for you. Glorious photographs and a well-organized text reveal the key role pikas play in the alpine ecosystem. Helpful diagrams demonstrate the food web that includes this tiny mammal and other plants and animals, also threatened by the changing climate. A glossary, map and list of actions kids can take to help decrease climate change are also included. Free, downloadable activities can be found on the publisher's website.