We had the pleasure of speaking with Damon Jones of STEAM America and The STEAM Teacher earlier this year, and we are excited to share more information about this worthy cause! About STEAM America STEAM America was originally created "to empower schools, nonprofits and other educational organizations to create dynamic learning platforms via robust, customized professional development and training". This education consultancy is based out of the Washington, DC metropolitan area, where it specializes in helping organizations and individuals create high-impact educational programs and curricula for young people of all backgrounds. The program provides training, curriculum design, professional development, and other services to individuals and organizations seeking to create dynamic education platforms. STEAM America’s ultimate goal is to establish a sustainable school run on federal funds, but founder Damon does not want this to be a charter school. Through his school, he hopes to access new generations of students through online workshops/resources, picture books, and hands-on experiments that provide real-life application to STEAM learning. STEAM America and First Book Marketplace Damon also works with local book and grocery stores to give books and other school supplies to the community, as well as to raise funds for future book purchases. The First Book Marketplace provides educational resources such as books, supplies, digital learning resources, and activities to schools and organizations that serve children in need. STEAM America purchases between 300-500 books from First Book annually. Through Damon Jones' relationships with local schools, STEAM America provides scholarships and books to the students and schools who need them most. "If there is a school that [needs books], I give them away, no questions asked and no application." ~ Damon Jones, Founder of STEAM America About The STEAM Teacher Damon Jones' latest initiative, The STEAM Teacher, has a mission to empower youth and adults with quality, engaging educational resources. The STEAM Teacher is an online education and YouTube brand that does read-alouds both online and in schools, with a focus on literacy (The STEAM Teacher doesn't separate STEAM and literacy, as they go hand-in-hand). "STEAM topics are the focus, but literacy is the platform." ~ Damon Jones, Founder of The STEAM Teacher As more parents look into homeschooling, and market demand pulls him more and more towards this model, Damon knows there is more of a demand than ever for online STEAM educational resources that integrate hands-on learning as well (STEAM projects, not just science projects). A multidisciplinary approach that incorporates math, reading, and writing literacy is essential to The STEAM Teacher's mission. The STEAM Teacher and Science, Naturally! We are thrilled that Damon will be reading our books on his YouTube series as part of his mission to combine STEAM education and literacy! He is particularly interested in bilingual books that spread literacy tools and educational access to everyone! "I am very passionate about assuring that every child is literate. I want to do my part and make sure very child has a fair chance to success in their future." ~ Damon Jones, Founder of The STEAM Teacher

National Teacher Appreciation Day, also known as National Teacher Day, is observed on the Tuesday of the first full week in May. Everyone can think of a teacher who had a huge influence on their lives, and National Teacher Day is a day to honor their hard work and the critical role they have in children's learning and development. While we are always grateful for their contributions, it's still important to have a special day set aside to express our appreciation! The History of National Teacher Appreciation Day Political and educational leaders began discussions for a day to honor teachers in 1944.  In 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim National Teachers’ Day. Congress declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day. The National Education Association continued to observe Teacher Day on the first Tuesday in March until 1985 when the National PTA established Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of May.  The NEA Representative Assembly then voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day. Ways to Celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Day Teachers play a pivotal role in our children’s lives, inspiring a lifelong love of learning and discovery and making a difference in their well-being and long-term success. There are many ways to show appreciate to teachers! Here are some ideas for both children and adults: Send heartfelt letters, cards and messages of appreciation Create artwork, poems and video messages Recognize teachers with awards Decorate schools and teacher lounges Host surprise assemblies and other events to honor teachers Volunteer in classrooms to help teachers Share on social media about your favorite teacher and thank them using the official hashtag #ThankATeacher. Why National Teacher Appreciation Day is Important Whether it is a professor, guidance counselor, art teacher, or principal - an educator in each of our lives went above and beyond to inspire our learning. Thanking teachers for challenging us and believing in our ability to succeed only scratches the surface of repaying the deeper gratitude that’s due. While teachers' contributions are impossible to truly quantify, their hard work all too often goes unrecognized. According to Gallup research, only 29% of teachers strongly agree with the statement, "In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work." Recognition isn't just about feeling good. Research shows that consistent recognition for doing good work has a direct influence on the key performance measures that we use to evaluate our schools. In fact, teachers who receive regular recognition and praise: are more productive; are more engaged at work; are more likely to stay with their school; and are more likely to receive higher satisfaction scores from students and parents. What are some ways you and your child will honor the special teacher(s) in your life? Let us know in the comments!

On the first Friday of each May, space and science fans alike celebrate all the amazing things about space with a dedicated day of observance to everything in the great beyond! International Space Day is a day dedicated to spread awareness of the mysteries of outer space. This special day is the perfect opportunity to promote an interest in STEM with young children! All over the world events are held at local schools, museums, and planetariums. Scientific organizations provide highlights of historical flashbacks and pivotal research about all things celestial. It’s not just Science Fiction anymore! National Space Day was created in 1997 by the Lockheed Martin Corporation as a one-day event.  In 2001 former astronaut and Senator John Glenn expanded Space Day to International Space Day and widened the scope of this celebration across the world. Ways to Celebrate International Space Day There are several fun ways to celebrate International Space Day with your children! Some ideas include: Go to your local library and take out books about space. Learn about your favorite planets, or even space travel itself. Go to a science museum and learn about all things space, including our solar system, the makeup of each planet, or read up on the work of astronauts throughout the decades. Take a look at NASA’s website or social channels and see what they have been up to – there’s sure to be something that piques your child's interest! Snuggle up on the sofa and watch some space documentaries. Visit your closest space museum and spend the day exploring the exhibitions and learn more about astronomy. Wait until dark and lie outside and look up at the wonder of the stars! See how many constellations you can identify! STEM Space Activities for Young Children Recreate our galaxy! Using basic supplies found at any local craft store (Styrofoam balls, wire, colored pens, or paint) do research on the location of the planets in the solar system and create a fun model! You can even turn this into a mobile that hangs in your child's bedroom! Design a planet. Have your child use their imagination and create their own planet. Ask your kids to write (and/or draw) a description of their planet: does it have oxygen? Are there oceans or water? What type of creatures live there? They can use clay, paints, paper mache, or drawings to bring their imaginary planet to life! Make Moon Sand: This fun activity requires only 8 cups of flour and 1 cup of baby oil, and you can create cool moon sand that can make (and hold!) any shape! Don't worry - it's soft and super easy to clean up. Teach kids how planets orbit the sun with an easy, fun activity that only needs Playdough, a blue ball, and a pie tin! Go here for further instructions. Make your own constellations! Look in a book or go online with your child to see what some of the most famous constellations look like. Recreate these constellations using only toothpicks and small marshmallows! And the best part is your kids can have a fun snack at the end! What are some ideas you have to celebrate International Space Day with your child? Let us know in the comments!

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to connecting children and their families to diverse books, languages and cultures. The celebration is intended to be year-round, culminating on April 30th . Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. Its mission is to connect children and their families to diverse cultures, languages, and books. The goals of Día programming are to: Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories and libraries. Nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture. Introduce families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies. Recognize and respect culture, heritage and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities. The History of Día In 1996 author and poet Pat Mora learned about Día Day as it is celebrated in Mexico. She realized the United States didn't have anything like this, and so she proposed linking Children's Day, the celebration of childhood and children, with literacy and bilingualism, and created a new holiday: El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day). In 1997, the Texas State Library, under the direction of Jeanette Larson, produced a planning booklet to help librarians develop local programs to celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros. In 1998, a grant was awarded from the Kellogg Foundation to allow the National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE) to develop a plan for a national campaign to disseminate information on El día de los niños/El día de los libros. By 1999, schools and libraries across the country were hosting their own celebrations and creating a diverse love of reading for children from all backgrounds. By 2004, El día de los niños/El día de los libros had become a tradition in many schools and libraries and found its permanent home with the Association for Library Service to Children. Día in the United States In libraries all over the country, librarians, children, and parents celebrate Día year-round with book clubs, bilingual story times, guest appearances by children’s authors, crafts, music, and more. Libraries register their Día Programs held throughout the year in the national registry, which showcases all types and sizes of Día programs held throughout the country. On the official Día website, librarians and parents have access to book suggestions, tool kits, a resource guide, worksheets, and more great resources to help their Día Celebration. Every year more and more libraries celebrate Día; visit your local library to find out about their celebration! Special Offer to Celebrate Día Day! We are excited to offer a special buy-one-get-one-free offer in celebration of Día Day! For a limited time (offer good through 5/1/19) buy one Spanish or bilingual book from our website and get one FREE! Simply enter the code DIABOGO at checkout. We offer a wide selection of Spanish and bilingual books to choose from, including our popular books Si mi mamá fuera un ornitorrinco: Los bebés mamíferos y sus madres, Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado, and our Bilingual Science and Math Book Set / Conjunto de libros bilingües. What are some ways you introduce your children to diverse cultures through reading? Let us know in the comments!

We recently had the pleasure of attending ITEEA’s 81st Conference in Kansas City, MO. This event, held annually by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, provides opportunities for technology and engineering educators to learn from and share with other technology and engineering STEM education professionals. This year’s Conference theme was Technology and Engineering Bring STEM to Life. There were so many incredible sessions, exhibitors—and breaks for the best BBQ we’ve ever had from a gas station!—but our favorite event of the conference had to be the ITEEA STEM Showcase. The Showcase is a unique opportunity for award-winning educators from across the United States to share ideas, techniques, and best practices for everything including learning activities, equity, and classroom management techniques. Each Showcaser focuses on a single element of technology or engineering teaching and learning that they feel they have exemplified. We were honored to see that many of the Showcase presenters this year focused on using Science Naturally books in the classroom! Read on to see how four incredible educators use our books to spark curiosity in their students, draw cross-curricular connections, and bring STEM to life! Alma Miller: Exploring STEM through Literacy Alma Miller is a Science Education Consultant for the District of Columbia. She is a presidential awardee and the D.C. state coordinator for the national Science Teachers Association. With her clearly demonstrated excellence in science education, she is a frequent presenter at ITEEA’s Annual Conference STEM Showcase. This year, her Showcase presentation centered on the use of If My Mom Were A Platypus: Mammal Babies and Their Mothers by Dia L. Michels. She employed this book as informational text for her students to reference as they identified the various geographical and environmental issues associated with endangering the continued existence of the featured mammals. Ms. Miller’s students then used Makey Makey technology to devise a Q & A Tool that allowed them to match each mammal to the environmental issues that endanger its life. Introducing the use of Makey Makey opens the door to a large number of cross-curricular engineering and technology connections. Students gained hands-on experience making circuits, exploring the transfer of energy, and designing and creating tangible models. Her approach deepens students’ understanding of the interrelation of literature, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Conni Crittenden: Connecting Outstanding STEM Books with Design Process Conni Crittenden is a celebrated science teacher at Explorer Elementary in Williamston, Michigan. She is a presidential awardee for excellence in elementary science teaching, has won a McAuliffe Fellowship, and has chaired K-12 science in her school district. She also established and directs the McAuliffe Lab for the Integration of Science, Math, and the Arts at her school, and has introduced the use of a Beam robot in her classroom to allow homebound students to participate in class activities. Clearly, she is an innovative force in science education. Her Showcase presentation focused on using Science Naturally’s science trade books to support the engineering design process. Focusing on environmentalism, many of the engineering projects center around reusing materials. One activity begins by reading a page of One Minute Mysteries: 65 MORE Short Mysteries You Solve with Science. The mystery in question is “Home on the Range,” which features a family that, while hiking in the mountains, fantasizes about building a house and living in the wilderness. The mother isn’t sure this is such a good idea, saying “There’s no electricity and you kids couldn’t live for more than a day without your gizmos. You could never get the power company to run an electrical line this far out into the woods.” Her child, Fiorella, responds, “Well, if we were allowed to build a house here, we could make our own electricity.” She proposes a few suggestions: solar energy, wind power, a water wheel, and burning wood. After discussing this possible scenario, Ms. Crittenden’s students delve into practical applications of Fiorella’s energy-generating solutions. How does a solar oven work? Could school-aged children plausibly make their own? Ms. Crittenden’s engineering students can make their own by using her Solar Cooking Pringles Can Experiment! What about wind energy? Try Fan Car Physics! For water energy, Ms. Crittenden provided a Water Wheel experiment. She also used 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science and 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science to launch design-focused activities for her students. Cathy Barthelemy: Using Content Stations in Engineering Units Cathy Barthelemy is the Executive Director of Education at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The museum seeks to engage Fort Worth’s diverse community through creative, vibrant programs and exhibits that interpret science and the stories of Texas and the Southwest. One of the museum’s most unique features is their Museum School, an early-childhood learning program housed at the museum. Working here, Cathy has a unique perspective on science education. Ms. Barthelemy’s Showcase presentation demonstrated how educators can make sure their content is covered during their Engineering units. She suggests using “content stations” to reinforce the concepts students need to solve their problem or create their product. One activity she presented built on concepts presented in the first “League of Scientists” mystery, Ghost in the Water. In the book, the League learns that the green ghost haunting their school pool is actually an illusion created by Fluorescein, a dye that glows under a black light or sunlight. Her “Glowing Inquiry” Task Card allows students to explore this substance themselves (note: this activity should only be done with adult supervision). This is just one of the many ways Ms. Barthelemy identified that investigations can give students insight into how the science in the story worked. She also suggests an inquiry based on content from Leonardo da Vinci Gets a Do-Over by Mark P. Friedlander. Of course, da Vinci was an innovative and prolific inventor. One of his ideas was a parachute. Though he never got to test it out, his parachute very much resembles those that we have today. Ms. Barthelemy’s activity involves having students build miniature versions of Leonardo’s parachute, observing how it works, and then modifying it to hold more weight. Check it out here. Naveen Cunha: Navigating Mars Naveen Cunha is a 2019 ITEEA Teacher Excellence Award winner and the coordinator of Bryan Independent School District’s Odyssey Program, an advanced academics STEM program. The Odyssey Program provides an interdisciplinary, technology-rich environment that partners with local, regional, and national programs to enrich the learning experience. Throughout the three-year program, students follow a “Mission to Mars” theme to approach a variety of STEM topics. At this year’s conference, Mr. Cunha received his award and presented at the Showcase. Using the books in Science Naturally’s Math Madness book set as a launching off point for students interested in outer space, he presented a problem-based learning unit for students to address the challenges standing in the way of navigating the surface of Mars. His students devised solutions to varying distances, a harsh climate, and an unforgiving terrain using different kinds of robots and tools. He found the “really authentic scenarios” presented in 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math to be the perfect inspiration for students to study space science. Are you an educator who uses Science Naturally books in the classroom? Let us know what you do with them!

Happy Earth Day! While we should be protecting the Earth every day, Earth Day is a particularly good opportunity to talk to kids - even young kids - about why we need to save our valuable resources, and teach them ways they can make a difference! About Global Warming Most climate scientists agree that the main cause of the global warming trend we are currently experiencing is human contribution to the “greenhouse effect.”  The greenhouse effect is warming that occurs when heat is trapped by atmospheric greenhouse gases and that heat is released again.  Ultimately, global warming could have devastating effects on our planet, including the loss of animal habitats, a decrease in the amount of fresh water available, and the increased spread of some diseases. Many of the activities we take part in daily, such as driving to work, turning on lights and appliances, and throwing away garbage, cause greenhouse gases to be released.  It’s not possible to completely eliminate our release of greenhouse gases, but there are countless things we can do to reduce our impact on the environment. How (and when) to Talk to Children About Climate Change Many parents are concerned about how climate change will affect their children, and can see that the world their children will grow up in will be changed dramatically. It can be difficult, however, to know when and how to talk to young children about our environmental crisis. The best way to figure out if your children are ready to talk about climate change is to listen carefully to what they say and the questions they ask. Most school-aged children, and even many preschool aged children, already know a bit about climate change and other environmental issues from school or the media. If your child never raises the issue, it may be because they know nothing about it, or perhaps because they are too anxious to raise the topic. You can provide opportunities for conversation by explaining what you do to preserve the Earth, like recycling, reducing plastic use, and conserving energy and water in language your child can understand. Help them feel less anxious and helpless about environmental issues by talking to them about the environmentally-friendly things you do every day and help them learn to appreciate and care for the natural world along with you. Showing kids ways they can help the Earth empowers children, and educates them on the importance of 'living green' at a young age. Get Kids Involved in Helping the Earth Kids are naturally curious, and love projects and activities, so there are many ways you can educate your kids about how to help the Earth all while having fun! Walk, bike, or take the train to an appointment or for errands and explain to your child how doing this instead of driving helps the Earth. Encourage them to walk or bike instead of asking for a ride when it's responsible and safe to do so. Have your child help you sort items between trash and recycling. Talk to them about where the recyclable materials go and how they are reused. You can turn this in a game to make it more fun, even for a toddler! Educate kids on the importance of conserving energy. Encourage them to turn off lights when they leave a room, or turn off unnecessary lights when they see them on. To create a feeling of enthusiasm, and reduce anxiousness about the environment, have them keep track of how many lights they turn off and give out prizes! Volunteer to participate in river/beach cleanups with your kids. Seeing first hand how much trash washes up on our shores sends a powerful message to kids, and they can immediately see the results of their efforts! Plant a tree or bush with your kids, and explain how trees and vegetation help the environment. Put them in charge (with your help) of watering and caring for it, and let them take pleasure in watching it grow! Start a compost project in your backyard and get your kids involved. Composting can be done very inexpensively and keeps a lot of waste out of landfills! Encourage kids to use less water when they are brushing their teeth and washing the dishes. Talk about how using less water helps the Earth and the animals; this gives them feelings of pride and accomplishment even while doing a chore they may not like too much! Help your child be an environmentally-friendly artist by coloring on both sides of paper and making craft projects from items like used paper towel rolls and milk cartons. Read About the Natural World Kids love to read, and be read to, and books about the natural world help foster a love of nature at a young age. Kids are never too young to start learning about our amazing Earth! Books help teach kids that all living things have an intrinsic value, and each plays a unique role in the complex web of life. The earlier kids learn about animals and the environment, the more motivated they become to help protect endangered and threatened species such as bees, elephants, giraffes, whales, and more. We offer some beautifully illustrated, fun, and educational books that teach children about mammals and how they interact with their families and the environment. Babies Nurse Babies Nurse is an award-winning book with an overarching theme of breastfeeding inspires conversations about parenting, biology, habitats, survival, and more, making this book an engaging choice for young children as well as elementary school readers. The book’s luminous illustrations and lyrical text give children a glimpse into the worlds of 13 different mammal babies. Compelling childhood facts also broaden the reader’s knowledge about each animal. Also available in Spanish. Cuddled and Carried Cuddled and Carried's beautiful images introduce kids to attachment in the natural world. Watching mothers lend a paw, wing, flipper, or hand to care for their young fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion. The stunning images and gentle verse will capture the curiosity of even the youngest readers as they see how animal mothers tend to their cubs, pups, calves, and chicks. If My Mom Were A Platypus: Mammal Babies and Their Mothers If My Mom Were A Platypus teaches young children about how all mammal mothers feed, protect, and teach their young, even though these tasks can challenge their own needs for survival. But a mammal baby’s journey to maturity varies dramatically depending on whether it is a bear or a bat, a shrew or a seal, a hippopotamus or a human. This fascinating look at life cycles portrays the normalcy of birth and breastfeeding and explores how mothers help 14 different mammals navigate the path from helpless infants to self-sufficient adults. What are some fun ways you teach your kids about the environment? Tell us in the comments!

Did you know that there are over 1000 species of bats, comprising 25% of all mammals? April 17th is Bat Appreciation Day and we’d like to take this opportunity to learn about this incredible and diverse mammal! Why Bats Are Important Bats play an important role in their ecosystems. Some plants depend wholly on bats to pollinate their flowers or spread their seeds. So, without bats the world would have less precious vegetation! Bugs are one of bats' favorite meals, so another way bats help our environment is to eat unwanted pests and insects! Bats and Plants Over 500 species of plants really solely on bat for survival including some of our favorite fruits and vegetables like mango, banana, durian, guava, agave, and even cocoa! Next time you eat a piece of chocolate thank a local bat for the delicious treat! Some species of bats, like the Tube-Lipped Nectar Bat of Ecuador and the Banana Bat of Mexico, have extraordinarily long tongues to help them reach the bottom of bell shaped plants that are unreachable to other birds and insects. Not only do plants rely on bats, but the bats rely on the plants for survival as a source of nutrients and food! Bats and Insects Some people believe that bats are pests, but did you know that they are actually pest controllers? A bat's favorite midnight snacks include some of the insects that bother us the most like mosquitoes. moths, flies, and even scorpions! Bats eat enough insects in some regions that it reduces the need for pesticides, which is good for people and the environment! Bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes an hour and often consume their body weight in insects every night. Interesting Bat Facts Bats are unique and fascinating animals! Here are some facts about bats you may not know: Bats are the only mammals able to fly. Bats are exceptional flyers. Their wings are thin which gives them excellent airfoil. The propulsion power bats have is extraordinary; they can fly very fast. In fact, Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats can fly up to 99 miles per hour! Bats use echolocation to get around in the dark. Bats don't see very well and are most active at night, so they have to rely on navigational methods other than sight. Bats send out beeps and listen for variations in the echoes that bounce back at them to determine the right way to go. Bats live long lives. Bats can live for over 20 years! Some bats really do drink blood. There are three species of Vampire Bats whose diet consists only of blood. They have small and extremely sharp teeth which are capable of piercing an animal’s skin without them even noticing. Bats live both in families and on their own. Some bats live by themselves while others live in caves with thousands of other bats. Mother bats can spot their babies from thousands of bats. Bat mothers can find their babies among thousands or even millions of other bats by their unique voices and scents. Most bats only have one pup, making them more vulnerable to extinction. Over 50% of bat species are endangered. More than half of the bat species in the United States are in severe decline or listed as endangered. In addition to loss of habitat, one of the most dire threat comes from white nose syndrome, a disease that has decimated bats in the U.S. and Canada. Fun Bat Activity! Our sister company, Platypus Media, and our partner Share My Lesson, have a fun bat activity that is perfect for kids grades 3-7: Baby Bat Cups! Mother Mexican free-tailed bats leave their babies (pups) in a cave with three million others at night while the mothers hunt. When they return to the cave at dawn, they're faced with the task of identifying their own baby in the pitch black, cold, and crowded nursery. How does mom find her pup? By their unique combination of smell and sound! This activity helps students understand how much the senses we use are the ones necessary for survival in our particular environments. This is a companion activity for If My Mom Were A Platypus: Mammal Babies and their Mothers. This title is available at a discounted price for Title 1 schools on the First Book Marketplace. The book explores how 14 different mammal babies navigate the path from helpless infants to self-sufficient adults, and comes with a free downloadable Teacher’s Guide filled with activities just like this one.

April 15th isn't just the day taxes are due - it's also Leonardo da Vinci's birthday! Be sure to read to the bottom for a special discount code for our popular book, 'Leonardo da Vinci Gets A Do-Over'! We want to honor this man who was a mind before his time and who made so many contributions to science, technology, engineering, math, and the arts. Involved in anatomy, botany, painting and drawing, and inventing machines from scuba suits to the precursor to the helicopter, da Vinci was a very intelligent man who dreamed big, and he is widely considered one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived. About Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was born in Anchiano, Tuscany (now Italy), close to the town of Vinci that provided the surname we associate with him today. In his own time he was known just as Leonardo or as “Il Florentine,” since he lived near Florence—and was famed as an artist, inventor, and thinker. Da Vinci received no formal education beyond basic reading, writing, and math, but his father appreciated his artistic talent and apprenticed him at around age 15 to the noted sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio. Under del Verrocchio, Leonardo refined his painting and sculpting techniques and trained in mechanical arts for the next 10 years. Although relatively few of da Vinci’s paintings and sculptures survive — in part because his total output was quite small — two of his works are among the world’s most well-known and admired paintings: 'Mona Lisa' and 'The Last Supper'. Da Vinci’s interests ranged far beyond fine art. He studied nature, mechanics, anatomy, physics, architecture, weaponry, and more! He often created accurate, workable designs for machines like the bicycle, helicopter, submarine and military tank that would not come to fruition for centuries! Our da Vinci Birthday Special! To honor this remarkable man's contributions to art, science, technology, engineering, and more we are hosting a special on our award-winning blended STEM fiction book, 'Leonardo da Vinci Gets A Do-Over'! Enjoy $3.00 off the regular purchase price with the code: MFdaVinci at checkout! “This book is a delight! We used it to meet our science requirements without a significant realignment of sequence or reduction of teaching time. What makes it truly special is the range of cross-curricular opportunities found in every chapter. It is a rare book that offers so much opportunity for cooperation across disciplines.” —Sue Garcia, Supervision-Curriculum Specialist, Retired Educator, Spicewood, TX Treat yourself to an intriguing story of great discoveries. With the help of three American middle schoolers, da Vinci attempts to catch up on 500 years of knowledge in a quest to invent something to better humankind. 'Leonardo da Vinci Gets A Do-Over' is an entertaining, engaging, and inventive way to learn about history, math, art, science, and more! Let us know in the comments what your favorite da Vinci creation or invention is!

Every year on April 8th we celebrate Zoo Lover's Day! People of all ages love a chance to take a trip to the zoo; it's fun for the whole family! Many of us have fond childhood memories of taking a trip to the local zoo and observing all the magnificent wildlife. It's truly amazing to see your favorite animals up close, and learn more about animals and their habitats. Zoos are more than just a place to view animals, however, they can also teach us about the conservation and preservation of all the wonderful wildlife around us! Zoo professionals work hard to share their knowledge and awareness about these beautiful animals. Conservation and Preservation Did you know that while you are enjoying your day looking at the animals that you are also learning about their conservation and preservation? Zoos may have started off as a place to show off exotic animals, but today many zoos are keen to educate their visitors about animal conservation and preservation and invest time and resources to help maintain animals' natural environment. Many zoos use conservation efforts in their exhibit designs to protect their animals and their habitats, especially for species that are severely endangered and are no longer living in the wild. Zoos across the world are working to help preserve all amazing creatures so they will one day have the chance to roam free in the wild once again. Zoo Professionals Every zoo is staffed with highly trained professionals that provide excellent care and for their animals everyday. From the very moment you walk through the gates of your local zoo, you and your child are immersed into a new world, and it's an amazing chance to learn more about animals and the natural world. The dedicated zoo staff is always ready to educate people on the amazing wildlife that they spend their lives protecting everyday. Many zoos also work directly with conservation workers to educate them or send zoo keepers abroad to contribute their knowledge and skills to help to improve conditions and habitats for animals all over the world! With spring in the air it is the perfect time to visit a zoo and take the opportunity to learn more about animals and how you can help with animal preservation! What are some of your favorite animals to see in the zoo? Let us know in the comments!

April 2nd is Children's Book Day! This special day is celebrated around the world to inspire a love a reading and call attention to the value children's books bring to everyone. A child’s reading skills help ensure success in school and everyday life. From a very young age children have the ability to interpret and process a lot of information. Books are not only a useful source of information but they also spark curiosity and imagination in your young one! First organized in 1967 by Jella Lepman, Children's Book Day is celebrated on Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthday (April 2nd) to encourage parents, teachers, and children around the world to participate in reading events and show children all the amazing possibilities that come from reading. Children's Book Day brings STEM and reading together. By tying literacy and STEM together, you can enhance your child’s reading skills and expose them to the wonderful world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Children's Books About Life Science Babies Nurse inspires conversations about parenting, biology, habitats, survival, and more, This book is an engaging and educational choice for young children as well as elementary school readers. If My Mom Were a Platypus educates your little one about mammal mothers and how they feed, protect, and teach their young. The beautifully illustrated pages helps children observe the amazing world around them and educates on the habits and habitats of mammals! Cuddled and Carried's beautiful images introduce the reader to attachment in the natural world. Read about how mothers lend a paw, wing, flipper, or hand to care for their young fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion! Children's Books About Chemistry and Physics Chemistry and physics teach critical thinking and problem-solving. Reading about these subjects - even at a young age - encourages children to ask questions, investigate the world around them, and make observations to draw conclusions. We offer several books that delight and inform your child about the scientific world around them! Here are some examples: The My First Science Textbook series sparks scientific curiosity in kids of all ages! These colorful textbooks let your child's imagination roam while you and your child ponder what’s it like to live inside an atom! These books give your child the chance to learn about some of the most fundamental concepts in science BEFORE the social pressure and intimidation of formal schooling. Women in Chemistry helps your child discover the power of curiosity and resilience along with the women who have blazed a trail in the world of science! From ancient times to modern day, the exciting story of chemistry is sure to inspire the scientist in everyone. Our Science Wide Open Collection is a series of scientifically accurate children's books, with a mission to teach young kids about Chemistry, Biology, and Physics while highlighting many of the some of the mind blowing achievement of many of our Women of Science! What are some of your (or your child's) favorite books? Let us know in the comments!

Book Harvest is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “provide an abundance of books and ongoing literacy support to families and their children from birth and serve as a model for communities committed to ensuring that children are lifelong readers and learners.” For over 8 years Book Harvest has been striving to give every child access to reading and learning through their four programs: Book Babies, Books on Break, Books to Go, and Community Book Bank. About Book Harvest Ginger Young founded Book Harvest in 2011 with the mission to help every child gain access to books and reading skills. In the first month after opening, Ginger and Book Harvest collected 10,000 books that she kept in her garage in Chapel Hill, NC. Ginger is the Executive Director of Book Harvest today. Book Harvest places a particular emphasis on building home libraries for children from low-income families, as there is a link between poverty and poor academic outcomes. Their mission is to level the playing field when it comes to academics and socio-economic status. Reading is essential to fight this problem as it builds confidence, expands horizons, and helps create future readers Book Harvest provides a variety of popular (and bilingual) books (approximately 1.053,369 to date) to children from birth to the end of high school. They achieve their mission through four main programs: Book Babies (263 Families) From the very start of an infant’s life Book Harvest is there for your little one. Two or three times a year a home visitor with a background in education or social work will come and bring up to 10 brand new books to your house. Each family gets to keep these books. The goal is to have a home library for your child of 100 books by the time that they are in Kindergarten. The focus of this program is to build relationships with the families over the first 5 years of your child’s life. They love to stay in touch with the families and offer other programs like a parent book club and library celebrations to promote library card sign-ups. Books on Break (45 Schools) The time to focus on summer reading for children starts with elementary school. Book Harvest partners with schools in April/May to have a free book fair for the kids, with schools hosting this annually. They supply hundreds to thousands of books to schools each year, the amount depending on each school's need. Books to Go (87 Educators and 43 Schools/Organizations) Several times each year, Book Harvest opens their warehouse to allow teachers to come and find books that they know their kids would love to read. Each book is given to the kids to keep. All books in the warehouse are free and there is no limit to the number of books that can be taken. Afterwards, the teachers are free to come up with many unique and creative ways to give away the books to their students in the school. Community Book Bank (84 Organizations) Book Harvest’s largest program today is their Community Book Bank. Through this program they donate books to community members and organizations serving children from low-income families. Organizations range from doctors’ offices and day cares to laundromats and barbershops. The Community Book Bank partners with organizations and offers free bookshelves in lobbies and waiting areas, book tables at community events, and other mechanisms to share books. They make sure that children and families who are taking advantage of services offered by these partner organizations also have access to free books anytime they visit that partner organization. Book Harvest refills the books as needed, with no questions asked and no charge to the host organization. They also host giveaways at events like family literacy night or parent teacher conferences. About Daniele Berman Daniele Berman is one of the amazing staff members at Book Harvest. Daniele’s strong and kind demeanor makes her the perfect Communications and Events Manager! She is responsible for managing all of the communications and a robust calendar of special events. Daniele’s children follow in their mom's footsteps by volunteering, and by being ambassadors for Book Harvest. Daniele not only influences her own children, but also the lives of anyone she meets! “It is a particular kind of pride as a mother and a staff member to see your own child’s life changed alongside the lives of the children your organization serves.” Science, Naturally!, and Book Harvest We are honored that some our books are among the many that Book Harvest uses in its programming, including Babies Nurse (bilingual), Cuddled and Carried (bilingual), and the books in our Science and Math Mysteries Book Set (bilingual). How You Can Help If you have new or gently used children’s books you’d like to donate, please drop them in the Book Harvest bins at any of these locations. You can also buy books from their Amazon wishlist and have them shipped directly to their office!

Since the domestication of the dog, people have been drawn to these selfless, loving animals. National Puppy Day falls on March 23rd every year and it is only fitting that we take this time get to know a little bit more about the animals that love us unconditionally everyday! Mother and Puppy Bond Puppies and their mothers have a bond straight from birth, just like humans! As each little puppy comes into the world, its mother carefully tends to its first needs including licking and cleaning her newborn to stimulate breathing and encourage nursing. The care and protectiveness that a mother shows for her pups is strong. She whines to alert her humans if she’s separated from her puppies, and will will put herself between her puppies and danger if sensed. Puppies grow up quickly. At 3 to 4 weeks of age they start to transition from their mother's milk onto solid foods, a process known as weaning. Nursing is an important part of a puppy's health and development. Mother's milk provides the nutrition and antibodies to help a puppy grow up to be big and strong! A mother dog nuzzles her pups, placing her face close by or lying very still when one of her little ones wiggles into the crook of her neck for a nap. As her offspring grow, she will still seek out their company, and it isn’t unusual to find a mother dog and her weaned puppies still snuggling together. Human and Canine Bonding The evolution of the dog can be traced back millions of years. The transition of some wolves into dogs probably began upwards of 100,000 years ago, but the domesticated dog likely dates back anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 years. The human-canine bond has blossomed and strengthened over time, and only continues to grow stronger and stronger everyday! The bond that we share with these four legged animals can be as strong as the connection we share with other humans, sometimes even stronger. There are also service dogs who are trained to help humans in specific ways. For example, seeing-eye dogs are trained to help visually impaired people find their way around and alert them to danger. Did you know dogs can also be trained to alert humans to certain medical conditions, like asthma, heart conditions, strokes, diabetes, epilepsy, and seizures? These dogs are specifically trained to alert their owner about an impending medical condition that the person may not even be aware is happening! In this way, dogs can even save our lives. There are also dogs who are trained to help people with anxiety and other mental health conditions (known as Emotional Support Dogs), and Therapy Dogs who bring comfort and joy to those who are ill or living under poor conditions, such as those who have been affected by a natural disaster. Playful Puppy Points Here are some fun facts you may not know about puppies! Puppies are born blind and deaf: Puppies actually can’t see or hear until they’re almost two weeks old — they don’t even open their eyes before then! They spend 15–20 hours a day sleeping: We all know that dogs spend a majority of the day sleeping and that has not changed ever since they were puppies. Puppies are born without teeth: Even though puppies are known to chew everything in their wake, they are toothless until they are 4 weeks old. The word "Puppy" has French roots: The word puppy comes from poupeé, a French word meaning doll or toy. The litter size depends on the breed: smaller breeds tend to have smaller litters, while bigger dogs give birth to more puppies. Dalmatians puppies are born WITHOUT spots: You may remember this from 101 Dalmatians, but Dalmatians puppies are born white and spot-less. The markings usually begin to show up after four weeks. For dog owners: what are some of the ways your dog helps you? Let us know in the comments!