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Scientific curiosity begins in childhood. Exposure to animals and their environments—whether in nature or in a book—is often at the root of a child’s interest in science. Young Jane Goodall loved to observe the wildlife near her home, a passion that inspired her groundbreaking chimpanzee research. Beginnings Collection A collaboration between Science Naturally and Platypus Media to inspire conversations about nature, science, and families. Scientific curiosity begins in childhood. Exposure to animals and their environments—whether in nature or in a book— is often at the root of a child’s interest in science. Young Jane Goodall loved to observe the wildlife near her home, a passion that inspired her groundbreaking chimpanzee research. Charles Turner, pioneering entomologist, spent hours reading about ants and other insects in the pages of his father’s books. Rachel Carson began writing stories about squirrels when she was eight. Spark curiosity in a child and watch them develop a lifelong enthusiasm for learning. These stunningly illustrated, information-packed titles introduce youngsters to the wonderful world of animals, and, by extension, to themselves. They encourage children to make real-world connections that sharpen their analytical skills and give them a head start in STEM. Reading these titles together inspires children to think about how each species matures, what they need to survive, and what their communities look like—whether pride, flock, or family. More than a simple scientific introduction, these animal stories are an instance and an analogy of caring love. Showing children attachment in the natural world fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion in both their interpersonal and interspecies interactions. An easy choice for the home, library, or classroom, our Beginnings collection has something to spark or sustain budding curiosity in any child. Titles in the Collection include: ages 0-4 | grades preK - 1 English Book Teacher's Guide Bilingual English/Spanish Book English/Haitian Creole Book ages 4-7 | grades preK - 2 English Book Bilingual English/Spanish Book ages 7-10 | grades 2 - 5 English Book Teacher's Guide Teacher's Guide ages 8-12 | grades 4-6 English Book Spanish Book English Teacher's Guide Spanish Teacher's Guide Our commitment to Spanish and bilingual STEM education: We are pleased to offer all of our Beginnings books in Spanish or bilingual (English/Spanish) editions. Librarian Amy Koester writes : Students for whom English is not a native language may struggle with a communication barrier in their interactions with STEM content. When instruction and activities are offered exclusively in oral or written English, nonnative speakers are at risk of losing motivation in STEM areas as their language capacities impact their ability to adequately demonstrate their STEM content knowledge; how frustrating to know the concepts being taught but not be able to express that knowledge. Difficulty speaking English should not be confused with an inability to think scientifically, and instructors with students who are English-language learners must adapt their approaches to teaching STEM content so that all students may not only learn but also demonstrate their learning. We know that there's a scarcity of adequate Spanish-language STEM resources. This is an extreme disservice to Spanish-speaking students and those from mixed-language families. To address this issue, we have committed to producing all of our books in Spanish or bilingual editions.

Experience 'Talking Science': A Children's Book Uncovering the Universal Language of Science and How Common Measurements Unify the World. A cozy hug is one meter wide, a good night’s sleep is 41,400 seconds long, and an African elephant weighs almost 5,500 kilograms. No matter where you are in the world, scientists use these same units of measurement to communicate with one another. Talking Science brings science vocabulary to life for even the youngest children. Written by award-winning children’s book author Mary Wissinger, with inviting and fun illustrations by Lilia Miceli, this innovative children’s book uses kid-friendly examples to show readers how big ideas can be shared—and how science connects us all. The International System of Units is a group of seven measurements—seconds, meters, kilograms, amperes, kelvins, moles, and candelas—that allow scientists anywhere in the world to understand each other. With this system, people from different places, who speak different languages, can describe and solve the same problems. In the past, scientists measured things in all kinds of different ways. But it's difficult to share science across the globe when one person uses their arm and another person uses their foot to measure the same thing! Now, using the universal language of science, we can work together to make discoveries. . ORDER PRESS RELEASE Book details Hardback (ISBN 978-1-958629-41-3 ) $16.95 eBook (ISBN 978-1958629-42-0) $13.99 Age range 2 - 7 years Grade range Pre-K - 2nd Grade Praise for Talking Science "...Will help young learners clearly visualize each base unit from the International System of measurement. Excellent addition to any school library’s 500 Dewey section." —Goodreads reviewer Melanie Dulaney MEET THE AUTHOR Mary Wissinger was born in Wisconsin where she spent most of her childhood singing, reading, and daydreaming. She dove into storytelling through acting, singing, and writing (and writing and writing). While spending time as a classroom teacher sharing the magic of music, she saw firsthand the incredible life-changing power of stories. Mary lives in St. Louis, MO where she writes stories that inspire curiosity about the world and connection with others. She is also the author of the Science Wide Open series and the My First Science Textbook series. She can be reached at Mary.Wissinger@ScienceNaturally.com . MEET THE Illustrator Lilia Miceli grew up in Turin, Italy, where she loved to use her drawings to tell stories. She studied 2D animation at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematrografia of Turin and is now a professional illustrator. Drawing is her primary form of communication and she likes to use her creativity to make the world a better place by dealing with important topics and creating something beautiful that raises the soul of those who see it. She also enjoys sharing food and drinks with friends, cuddling every cute animal she meets, and pretending to be a mermaid.

Women In Physics Featured in STEM Magazine APRIL 15, 2021 Women in Physics, the third book in the Science Wide Open series, has a 10-page feature in April 2021 issue of STEM Magazine! Check out the magazine to read more about the book and about the pioneering physicists. About STEM Magazine

Can you solve this real-world math mystery? Spring had turned the corner and twins Frances and Fiona were pleased that they could start spending time outside in their backyard. The family's yard was sheltered by trees with long branches, perfect for the girls' hobby of bird watching.  ¿Hablas español? Haga clic aquí para resolver... May Selected from: One Minute Mysteries: 65 MORE Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! Finding A Solution Spring had turned the corner and twins Frances and Fiona were pleased that they could start spending time outside in their backyard. The family's yard was sheltered by trees with long branches, perfect for the girls' hobby of bird watching. Frances had the job of mixing sugar in water for their hummingbird feeder. In the past, the girls noticed that more hummingbirds came to the feeder when they used a more sugary mix. This year Frances had decided to make the mix as sweet as possible. In the kitchen, she added sugar to hot water until sugar started collecting in the bottom of the pot even while she was stirring it. Then she filled the feeder with the water solution. "I just love it when we get to see so many hummingbirds!" Frances said as she screwed the lid onto the feeder. The girls hung the feeder on a tree branch where they could watch from their deck. It took a few days for the hummingbirds to start coming, and when they did, the birds left almost instantly each time. The girls went out to check the feeder. "I think I see the problem," Fiona said, scraping powder from the feeding holes. "Where did that come from?" Frances asked. "The birds can't get the mix out of the feeder," Fiona said. "This powder clogging the holes is sugar." "I didn't put any sugar on the outside," Frances protested. "And I stopped adding sugar to the water when the sugar started collecting at the bottom of the water even when I was stirring it. I know that when there's as much sugar as the water can hold, the water is saturated and can't dissolve any more sugar. Isn't that right?" REVEAL ANSWER

Kobo is one of the world’s largest eBookstores, offering millions of eBook titles across 77 languages. Find Science Naturally eBooks on Kobo: eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo eBook at Kobo

Let’s take a look at how architects design the world! Discover how they use creativity and problem-solving to create beautiful buildings that meet the needs of the people who use them. COMING MARCH 2026 Let’s take a look at how architects design buildings around the world! Travel the globe to explore how architects shape our communities using creativity, problem-solving, and innovation. Through colorful and vibrant art, this book highlights how buildings are designed to be both beautiful and functional, blending with their environments and meeting the needs of the people who use them. See how thoughtful architectural concepts can be found all around us. From schools in Rwanda that stay cool with smart materials to temples in India that come alive with sunlight, each stop along the way offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of building design. Readers travel to cities with sturdy skyscrapers that resist fierce winds, snug homes that absorb heat from the Earth, and buildings crafted to honor and reflect a timeless heritage. Architect and author Franchesca Alchanati shares her passion for design by bringing global examples to life for young readers. Illustrator Sophia Watts enhances this journey, using cutaways, diagrams, and bold visuals to show readers what’s going on behind the walls, down to the carefully chosen materials. Perfect for curious kids and budding builders, It Was Designed by an Architect celebrates the small details and big ideas that make our communities more purposeful, welcoming, and vibrant places to live. PREORDER PRESS RELEASE Book Details Age Range 7-10 years Grade Range 3rd grade - 4th grade Trim Size 10" x 8" Pages 40 Hardcover (ISBN 978-1-958629-93-2) • $18.95 eBook (ISBN 978-1-958629-94-9) • $13.99 Praise for It Was Designed by an Architect Coming soon... About the Author Franchesca Alchanati is a native of Los Angeles who grew up as a triplet, vividly recalls the moment she chose to become an architect—Career Day in second grade. Her passion for architecture grew through her education at Drexel University in Philadelphia, along with global travel and volunteer work that deepened her commitment to socially impactful design. Now based in Washington, D.C., Frankie balances her architectural career with leading Parenting Child Care Rwanda International (PCCRI), the NGO she founded to support families and schools in Rwanda. She can be reached at Frankie.Alchanati@ScienceNaturally.com . About the Illustrator Sophia Watts is a designer and illustrator from Nottingham. She graduated from Leeds Arts University with a first-class honours degree in illustration and is currently based in South West London, where she lives with her girlfriend. Sophia’s passions include animals, food, and travel, all themes that feature prominently in her work. She particularly enjoys creating scenes that capture the true essence of the places she visits, adding in the small nuances that make each location unique. Sophia mainly works digitally but occasionally works in traditional media. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to work with companies such as Penguin Random House UK, The Northern Opera Group, Scoop Magazine, Independent Leeds, Stratford Literary Festival, and more.

Can you solve this month's real-world math mystery? —¡Hannah!... ¿Puedes salir ahora mismo, por favor? ¡Tu hermana, tu papá y yo llevamos casi diez minutos esperándote! ... Noviembre Seleccionado de: One Minute Mysteries: More Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! • Misterios de un minuto: ¡Más misterios Cortos que Resuelves con Ciencias! Hogar, dulce hogar La familia de Guillermo y Fiorella estaba disfrutando de su última caminata del otoño antes de que el tiempo se pusiera muy frío para salir a caminar. A la mitad del camino, subiendo una montaña por un sendero desconocido, su padre dijo: —Este sería un gran sitio para una casa. Miraron a lo largo del prado soleado hasta una pequeña quebrada, sintiendo una brisa fresca que bajaba por la montaña. —Tienes razón, papá —dijo Guillermo. —A mi también me encantaría vivir aquí —dijo Fiorella—. Es tan bonito y estoy segura que hay ciervos y todo tipo de otros animales aquí. Sería tremendo ver la vida silvestre justo desde el balcón del frente de a casa. —No estoy segura de que viviría en un lugar como éste —dijo la madre—. No hay electricidad y ustedes no podrían sobrevivir más de un día sin sus aparatos. Jamás convencerían a la compañía eléctrica de instalar una línea eléctrica en este bosque tan remoto. —Bueno, si nos permitieran construir una casa aquí, podríamos crear nuestra propia electricidad —dijo Fiorella. —Pero generar electricidad requiere energía. ¿De dónde la sacaríamos? —preguntó su padre. REVELAR RESPUERTA

Can you solve this month's real-life math mystery? —¡Vamos alumnos, al pasillo de los dulces! —exclamó la señorita Hanson. Todos se quejaron al saber que estarían en el pasillo de las golosinas sin poder comer ninguna. Estaban en una excursión al supermercado para comprar materiales para un pryecto... Octubre Seleccionado de: One Minute Mysteries: More Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! • Misterios de un minuto: ¡Más misterios Cortos que Resuelves con Ciencias! Día de las brujas psicodélico —Oye, tengo una foto vieja de mi abuela vestida como tú, solo que ella no estaba disfrazada —dijo Kassandra cuando Ingrid entró al salón de clases—. Dijo que en su época creían verse muy bien. Normalmente su colegio tenía un código de vestimenta, pero era Halloween, el día de las brujas, y todos habían ido a la escuela disfrazados. Ingrid estaba vestida de hippie. Traía puesta una camisa de colores al batik, cuentas de colores, sandalias, y unas gafas con lentes color naranja en forma de corazones. Ingrid se quitó las gafas durante la clase, pero se las volvió a poner en la tarde a la hora de prepararse para la fiesta. Los alumnos estaban decorando el salón y pintando letreros para el desfile de la escuela. Quan, que pensaba que era muy chistoso, estaba colgando decoraciones al revés. Preston fingía que luchaba a espadas en su disfraz de piratas, y Ricky jugaba con sangre artificial después de ponerse un poco en su disfraz de zombi. Al acercarse la hora del desfile, Kassandra se dio cuenta de que uno de los letreros había sido decorado con una calabaza roja en vez de naranja. —¿A ver, quién es el chistoso? —preguntó Kassandra. Miró alrededor del salón en busca de una cara culpable. REVELA RESPUERTA

Platypus Media and Science Naturally Open Their Warehouse to America’s Schools, Literacy Organizations, and Nonprofits $2.50 Paperback | $3.00 Hardback | Domestic Shipping Included | 500 Book Minimum Access to books — and specifically book ownership — is one of the most reliable predictors of a child's literacy development, academic performance, and lifelong relationship with reading. Giving Back Through the Power of Books is Platypus Media and Science Naturally's commitment to that truth: a deliberate, values-driven decision to move an extraordinary collection of quality titles from a warehouse shelf into the classrooms, clinics, and community centers where they belong. By offering both paperback and hardback editions at accessible price points, the initiative gives organizations the flexibility to maximize their budgets while bringing durable, beautifully produced books to the children and families they serve. Platypus Media and Science Naturally award-winning titles have received honors from American Institute of Physics, the Mathematical Science Honors, and International Latino Book Awards. Their titles have been reviewed by School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, recognized by major book competitions, and featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — books trusted by educators, librarians, and families across the country. Our Mission *Note: Prices for this initiative: $2.50 Paperback | $3.00 Hardback | Domestic Shipping Included | 500 Book Minimum. This will be reflected in the order form. Prices in our shop reflect retail pricing to the public. Your price for this initiative will be $2.50 per paperback and $3.00 per hardback. How to Order To preview our catalog, visit our Platypus Media and Science, Naturally! online shops for available title options. Make your selections: title, ISBN, format, language, quantity, unit price. Minimum total order: 500 books. Each title must be purchased in full carton quantities. Please reference the list on our Order Form . E-mail your Order Form to ali@platypusmedia.com We will confirm inventory and send a final invoice. DOWNLOAD YOUR ORDER FORM Our Movement Has Been Featured in Access Newswire Publisher's Weekly Associated Press Ali Trujillo COO, Platypus Media, LLC Questions about title selection? We’re happy to help maximize your literacy budget. Ali@PlatypusMedia.com One time initiative while supplies last.

Science, Naturally is an independent press committed to increasing science and math literacy in early childhood education. Come See Us As much time as we spend working on exciting new books for you to enjoy, the real fun is getting out and meeting you! We travel far and wide to introduce our books to families, educators, and book lovers. Here are some places you can find us soon: Here's where we've been recently: May 3, 2020 Literary Hill Bookfest Washington, DC March 11-14, 2020 ITEEA Annual Conference Baltimore, MD Join Science Naturally president and founder Dia Michels for her session Creativity, Curiosity, and Critical Thinking Combined on Friday, March 13 at 1 pm in Room 342 . December 7, 2019 NoVa Labs Maker Market and Artisan Fair Reston, VA October 18-20, 2019 CA Science Education Conference San Jose, CA June 20-24, 2019 ALA Annual Conference Washington, DC We had an amazing time at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference! Did you catch our friendly mascot Snugglepus roaming the hall? We were thrilled to see our Spanish-language books featured at the Diversity in Publishing Pavilion Snugglepus enjoyed an evening in ALA's Central Park... ...and even got to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog! Plus, company president and founder Dia Michels recorded a podcast! Listen to it here: Dia Michels @ ALA June 2, 2019 BookCon New York, NY Come visit the Family HQ tent to hear Nathan Levy , author of the award-winning 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science and 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math do a short presentation. June 2, 2019 Maker Faire NoVa Fairfax, VA We had a great time at Maker Faire NoVa this weekend! We loved meeting all of you and seeing what the other Makers had in store. Jill, from the Fairfax County Library booth, shows kids how to play a carrot piano Guitars crafted from maple, made by 8th graders at the Ideaventions Academy in Reston, VA Anay checks out the laser printers A 3D printers makes an sea-blue octopus We loved this T-shirt! June 1, 2019 A Carnival of Games Washington, DC Folks came from all over the area to partake in Labyrinth Games & Puzzles' Annual Tabletop Game Day. Justin from Labyrinth Games & Puzzles serving popcorn and getting ready to hand out prizes. Jim from Semper Smart Games introducing kids to their game, Election Night. Mariah was on-site offering lessons in juggling to anyone willing to give it a try! Catherine from Catlilligames introducing kids to their biology game, Cycles. Oliver with Catlilligames playing Crazy Cats with families attending Tabletop Game Day. May 18, 2019 TJHS Techstravaganza Alexandria, VA Techstravaganza is a free, open to the public hands-on STEM activity fair that attracts thousands of visitors from the DMV area each year. At Techstravaganza, you will find over 50 different labs and demonstrations that cover a wide range of STEM concepts so there is something for everyone! This event is open to children of all ages. However, the labs specifically target elementary and middle school students. May 5, 2019 Literary Hill BookFest Washington, DC The Literary Hill BookFest began as a way of turning the Literary Hill column that Karen Lyon writes for the Hill Rag into a live event. Karen’s column showcases local writers and, after more than a decade of monthly columns, it was clear that Capitol Hill seems to have an almost limitless supply. What if we could bring together some of these authors who live on or write about Capitol Hill to meet their readers, as well as each other? Thus was born the 2011 Literary Hill BookFest. Everybody liked it so much that they encouraged us to do it again, and now we’re gearing up for another year. Also represented at the BookFest are the Hill’s booksellers, libraries, publishers, and other organizations with a focus on books. Our ultimate goal is to make Capitol Hill a respected center for literacy and the humanities in the metropolitan D.C. area. And we’re well on our way. Our first BookFest attracted more than a thousand visitors; last year, an estimated 1,500 people came to Eastern Market to meet our local writers and learn more about literary services in our area. Please join us this year and make it our best BookFest ever! May 4, 2019 National Math Festival Washington, DC April 28, 2019 Rockville Science Day Rockville, MD Thanks to our animal books, we were stationed in the nature room! We were excited to be placed next to these tortoises; one is African Spurred and the other is Red-Footed. President Dia Michels met a Blue-Tongued Skink and Brian Kristal of Reptile Wonders. There were plenty of other amazing vendors at the event! Here are Natan and Zoe with a robot "bug" from Code Sensei. April 27, 2019 Love Our Local Authors Day Alexandria, VA On Saturday, April 27, Science Naturally authors Dia Michels and Eric Yoder were featured at LOLA, hosted by Hooray for Books in Alexandria , Virginia. March 27-30, 2019 ITEEA Annual Conference Kansas City, KS March 22-23, 2019 Clippers SciFest SoCal Los Angeles, CA We had an amazing time at the Clippers SciFest SoCal! We're so glad that the Gardiner family (L) and students from Adams High School (R) enjoyed checking out our Women In Science books. March 20-23, 2019 CABE 2019 Annual Conference Long Beach, CA It was great exhibiting at the Latino Literacy Now! booth run by Edward Becerra alongside Georgette Baker (another Award Winning Author). We also had the pleasure of meeting conference attendee Karolin Rascon and bilingual children's educator, author, and recording artist Jose-Luis Orozco! How cool is this book truck? If you're in San Diego be sure to check out Letras Sin Fronteras ! February 14-16, 2019 AAAS Annual Conference Washington, DC Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at AAAS Family Science Days! We had a great time investigating how to tell if an egg has been cooked or not without breaking it open, how whales stay warm in freezing water... ...and even dueling with all of you! January 26, 2019 Haymaker STEAM Expo Haymarket, VA We had a blast at this event! Thanks to David Boyd (pictured here with his granddaughter) and the other event organizers. Company president and founder Dia Michels loves getting out and meeting all of you! Here she is (L) showing some Expo attendees one of our newest titles — My First Science Textbook: Electrons . December 13, 2018 John Burroughs ES STEM Expo Washington, DC November 30 - December 2, 2018 CST Annual California Science Education Conference Pasadena, CA What an incredible event! Here's our table all set up with our engaging science and math activities. Science Naturally president and founder Dia Michels was working hard but still found time to be a little slothful... We met so many great people at the event! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth. These table visitors are demonstrating our Double Dealing activity. November 3, 2018 VA Tech Maker Festival Falls Church, VA We had a blast at the VA Tech Maker Festival this weekend, where we met some some incredible Makers and attendees! We were thrilled to be at the booth next to TGAW and JellyBox 3D. Everything in this picture was 3D printed! These fish were printed in front of us all in one piece with flexible interlocking joints! The blue-footed boobie is now hanging in our offices. After watching kids freak out over virtual reality all day at the SAMSUNG VR booth, we had to check it out ourselves. Here's Victoria exploring a school in Borneo where orphaned Orangutans learn how to climb trees before returning to the wild! Thanks to the Samsung employee who stayed late to show us the VR headsets. Mariah (R) had a great time running our Eggcellent Idea activity with the kids who came to our presentation! Thanks to Christine (L) for organizing the presentations! We were also running science and math activities from our booth. This family is practicing questions from our One Minute Math Mysteries book ! November 3, 2018 GWATFL Fall Conference for World Language Educators Bethesda, MD September 23, 2018 KIDfest Silver Spring, MD Even though the rain forced them inside, Science Naturally salespeople Anay and Mariah had a blast meeting attendees at the festival on Sunday! Martin, Countess, and Amira Simiyu were delighted to see our award-winning One Minute Mysteries books. As a women-owned business, we just had to get a picture of this young customer's shirt! #WomenInSTEM There were so many other incredible exhibitors at KIDfest, including PARO , an advanced interactive robot which provides psychological and social comforts to humans through physical interaction. These therapeutic robots have been in use in Japan and throughout Europe since 2003. It mimics the comforts of a therapy animal in places and contexts where real animals are not welcome, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and around patients with allergies. By interaction with this animatronic and artificially intelligent cuddly creature, people's memories of pet animals or cherished stuffed animals are triggered, helping patients feel amused, relaxed, and motivated. Here, Science Naturally president and founder Dia Michels poses with a PARO representative and a PARO baby harp seal therapeutic robot. July 11-13, 2018 STEM Forum and Expo Philadelphia, PA July 7-10, 2018 UNIDOS Annual Conference Washington, DC "We are so excited to be a Latino Literacy Now award winner! It is very important to us that our content is accessible to both English and Spanish speaking students. This recognition will help spread the word about the quality STEM books that are available for the Latinx community!" -Dia Michels, Science Naturally founder and president We had an incredible time at the 2018 UNIDOS US National Latino Family Expo at the Latino Literacy Now booth. Dora explores Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado On Saturday Dia worked the Latino Literacy Now table with Randy Jurado, author of In The Struggle , and Diana Santamaria, author of the DLee's World series . Big thanks to Kirk Whistler (right), cofounder of Latino Literacy Now. On Sunday, Dia worked the Latino Literacy Now table with Randy Jurado and Fey Berman, author of the Mexamerica . We also had the pleasure of meeting Jose Sueiro, the executive director of the National Association of Hispanic Publications . June 12, 2018 Capitol Hill Maker Faire Washington, DC May 6, 2018 Literary Hill BookFest Washington, DC The Savor family took the Science in a Minute book set home from the festival with them. Don't worry! According to his mom, this frowning nine year-old actually does like books—he just hates posing for pictures! April 5-7, 2018 USA Science & Engineering Festival and Expo Washington, DC The Science Naturally team shows off our Math and Science books to convention-goers. Our corner booth had a great view of the US Postal Service area and the Einstein Stage! Company founder and president Dia Michels poses with one happy customer at the booth.

MUSEUM STORES Several Science Naturally books are available in museum stores around the country. Here's our most current list of museums where you can find us: California Explorastore 700 Exposition Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037 https://californiasciencecenter.org/visit/explorastore Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80205 http://www.dmns.org/ Explore Store, Science Museum of Minnesota 120 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102 https://www.smm.org/visit/gift-shop Impression 5 Science Center 200 Museum Dr, Lansing, MI 48933 https://www.impression5.org Museum of Discovery and Science 401 SW 2nd St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 www.mods.org/ Palouse Discovery Science Center 950 NE Nelson Ct, Pullman, WA 99163 www.palousescience.net/

With lyrical language and blooming illustrations, Mara Plants a Seed demonstrates the transformative power of simple actions. By cleaning up an empty lot and planting fifty sunflower seeds, Mara begins to create a flourishing, wild garden — but she doesn’t do it alone. AVAILABLE NOW! How does an imaginative girl turn an empty lot into a flourishing garden? With lyrical language and blooming illustrations, Mara Plants a Seed demonstrates the transformative power of simple actions. By cleaning up an empty lot and planting fifty sunflower seeds, Mara begins to create a flourishing, wild garden — but she doesn’t do it alone. Little does Mara know, flying insects, digging worms, hungry birds, noisy neighbors, and other secret gardeners are working to help transform the lot into something even more beautiful than she imagined. Rain storms wash away seeds, but rabbits leave some behind. Some helpers nibble up weeds, and others fertilize the soil. Each time Mara visits the garden, she’s expecting to see her sunflowers growing. But as the flowers blossom, she uncovers the exciting secrets waiting for her! Mara Plants a Seed inspires young readers to develop a deeper connection to the environment around them and study the many ways natural processes and ordinary animals help plants grow and thrive. Children will watch as Mara’s simple action of restoring an empty lot transforms a community and the beautiful way the garden bursts to life. . ORDER NOW Book Details Hardcover (ISBN 978-1-958629-76-5) $18.95 Age range 2 - 7 years Grade range Pre-K - 2nd Grade Trim Size 10" x 10" Page Count 40 pages PRESS RELEASE Praise for Mara Plants a Seed "While the book’s empty-lot-to-garden conceit is well-trod ground, the emphasis on ecological interdependence offers readers an enduring takeaway." - Publishers Weekly "A sweet and endearing story of hope and all of the delicate and special pieces required to sustain it." - Tyler Thrasher, Botanist, Artist, and Author of “The Universe in 100 Colors.” “Such a wonderful book that shows children that just one small act can make a beautiful difference. 'Mara Plants a Seed' is a perfect story to share with young readers that is packed with valuable lessons." - Melissa Inferrera, 1st Grade Teacher and Plant Mom, @musicmindandsoul “This precious tale of a girl’s journey into the garden inspires us to take a look around and imagine the possibilities. People, insects, bugs and even beings one can not see all come together in harmony. Powered by hope, tenacity and the help of community, we see how magical a single seed can be!” - Tamara Elmore, Tam in the Garden @taminthegarden "A once barren and neglected lot is transformed into a gorgeous, natural garden full of life, though Mara keeps an eye out for those sunflowers she's planted. She's not at all disappointed and neither was I! We're treated to a delightful, vertical two-page spread that I couldn't help but smile wide for when I turned to it. Bailey does a fantastic job of conveying how utterly wonderful it is to behold a wild garden, and Napoli and Furrow do an equally excellent job of explaining the process of seed to flower (including a blurb in the back encouraging readers to plant their own seeds)." - Goodreads Reviewer , Charessa "The principles of seed growth are entwined into this simple story leading to further discussions in the classroom about plant needs, ecosystems as well as ways to turn the unattractive and unused into something beautiful and well-loved." - Primary Teacher, Melanie Dulaney "Mara Plants A Seed is a lovely, heartfelt, relatable, lesson-filled, and creative story! This book is absolutely charming! Mara is a precious character. With her little act of kindness a trashed vacant lot begins to flourish. Her patience, love, and kindness helps nature become activated. The reader sees all the intentional, natural, and accidental actions which help the lot turn into a garden. The resiliency of nature and the joy nature brings to everyone is on full display. I adore this book!" - Goodreads Reviewer, Bailey Young (Check out the full review here ) Meet the Authors Robert Furrow is a gardener, a wildlife educator, and a birder. He is also a professor of teaching at the University of California, Davis, where he lives with his wife and daughters and dog. He teaches many shades of introductory biology, including wildlife natural history and how to garden for wildlife habitat. This is his sixth book co-authored with his mother Donna Jo Napoli. Donna Jo Napoli has published books for preschoolers through high schoolers. She is a gardener, a dancer, and a dual citizen of Italy and America. She is also a linguist who works on sign languages, advocates for the language rights of deaf children, and co-directs the website RISE, which offers bimodal-bilingual video books for free. She lives with her husband outside Philadelphia . Meet the Illustrator Melissa Bailey is the daughter of an avid gardener and granddaughter of a farmer. She is also an award-winning illustrator of 50+ children’s books and the author-illustrator of 2 picture books. Melissa loves living in rural Michigan, thinks it would be awesome to live in a treehouse, and tries to remember to water her plants.