Elizabeth Shreeve

An imaginative nonfiction middle grade exploration of mythology, paleontology, and early civilizations that invites readers to delight in legendary creatures from across the globe and the fossils that might have inspired their origins. What if we lived in a world with fire-breathing dragons? Or enigmatic, alluring mermaids? How about rainbow-nibbling unicorns? These fabled beasts aren’t as far from us as we think. After all, their legends had to have come from somewhere… Join us as we weave together legendary tales and new scientific findings to uncover connections between real and mythical creatures. Delving into the past, we’ll see how our ancestors took what they found in the world and created the beloved fantastical creatures we dream about today. Could the skull of a protoceratops have inspired the hooked beak of a griffin? From manatee to mermaid, heron to phoenix, we’ll trace the truth behind these fantastical creatures and make some new discoveries along the way!

Dive into this gorgeous book that highlights modes of locomotion of ocean creatures, from drifting plankton to swift hunters and world travellers riding ocean currents across the globe. Learn about over 30 species of sea life, including mammals and fish, and discover the beauty of marine ecosystems that comprise our one, interconnected ocean. The book includes kid-friendly information on conservation of marine resources, fostering life-long stewardship among young readers, and also provides a short field guide for the wildlife featured in illustrations. Surging, whirling . . . drifting, swirling. The ocean wraps our world in wonder, from rocky coast to deep down under. Come, let’s go—

With rhythmic text and stunning artwork, this picture book celebrates the dynamic animals and habitats of the ocean, from shallow waters to ocean depths. Beloved Alaskan artist Ray Troll's gorgeous scientifically accurate illustrations capture the imagination of young readers--for ages 5-9. Dive into the dynamic habitat of the Earth's one ocean and discover the many ways sea creatures move through their watery world, from kelp forest fish to swift hunters and long-distance travelers riding ocean currents across the globe. Learn about over 30 species of sea life, including mammals and fish, and discover the beauty of marine ecosystems that comprise our one, interconnected ocean. The book includes kid-friendly information on conservation of marine resources, fostering life-long stewardship among young readers, and also provides a short field guide for the wildlife featured in illustrations. Surging, whirling . . . drifting, swirling.The ocean wraps our world in wonder, from rocky coast to deep down under. Come, let's go-- on an ocean journey.

Armadillos are a hodgepodge of different animal parts and behaviours rarely seen together—in short, they’re oddballs! In this companion to The Upside-Down Book of Sloths (ISBN 978 1 324 01577 2), Elizabeth Shreeve explores the evolutionary history of armadillos and how they became the burrowing, swimming, roly-poly, armoured predators of today. She pairs modern species like the adorable pink fairy armadillo, the chilling screaming hairy armadillo and the iconic nine-banded armadillo with their ancient counterparts, such as the glyptodont, which could be as large as a car, had a turtle-like dome of armour and even a spiked tail club! Entertaining, educational and completely endearing, The Oddball Book of Armadillos digs deep into armadillos, their evolutionary history and their future in our changing world.

"Readers can begin to understand the joyous, wondrous, frightening complexity of the creation of life. A book to be read over and over for its intriguing story, illustrations, and captions." --School Library Journal (starred review) Clear and inviting nonfiction prose, vetted by scientists--together with lively illustrations and a time line--narrate how life on the Earth emerged "out of the blue." It began in the vast, empty sea when the Earth was young. Single-celled microbes too small to see held the promise of all life-forms to come. Those microbes survived billions of years in restless seas until they began to change, to convert sunlight into energy, to produce oxygen until one day--Gulp --one cell swallowed another and the race was on. Learn how and why creatures began to emerge from the deep--from the Cambrian Explosion to crustaceans, mollusks to fishes, giant reptiles to the rise of mammals--and how they compare to the animals we know today, in a lively and accessible outing into the prehistoric past that boils a complex subject down to its lyrical essence.

Many find sloths cute, while some find them just plain bizarre. In The Upside-Down Book of Sloths, Elizabeth Shreeve uncovers their less-well-known evolutionary history and how they became the beloved—and unique—creatures of today. She pairs and compares the six extant modern species, like the pygmy sloth, the brown-throated sloth, and the ai, with their prehistoric counterparts, such as Thalassocnus, the tough seafaring sloth; Paramylodon, which had armour-like skin and walked on the sides of its feet; and Megatherium, which could weigh up to 8,000 pounds. She even reveals how modern sloths have adapted to hang upside down, how they learned to swim and even how they poo! As entertaining as it is educational, The Upside-Down Book of Sloths offers a brilliant deep dive into sloths, their evolution and their connections to our planet’s natural history—and future.

Where did life on Earth come from? Out of the blue! Discover the story of life on Earth, and how it evolved from tiny cells in vast oceans into the huge variety of creatures that covered our prehistoric planet. Find out why creatures first emerged from the sea and brought life onto land, in a lively and engaging journey through millions of years of fishes, giant reptiles and mammals. With illustrations from the award-winning Frann Preston-Gannon, this is a gorgeous introduction to the amazing story of prehistoric life.

Graceful, succinct prose and engaging illustrations trace the evolution of life on Earth out of the blue and back again. Clear and inviting nonfiction prose, vetted by scientists--together with lively illustrations and a time line--narrate how life on Earth emerged "out of the blue." It began in the vast, empty sea when Earth was young. Single-celled microbes too small to see held the promise of all life-forms to come. Those microbes survived billions of years in restless seas until they began to change, to convert sunlight into energy, to produce oxygen until one day--Gulp --one cell swallowed another, and the race was on. Learn how and why creatures began to emerge from the deep--from the Cambrian Explosion to crustaceans, mollusks to fishes, giant reptiles to the rise of mammals--and how they compare to the animals we know today, in a lively and accessible outing into the prehistoric past that boils a complex subject down to its lyrical essence.

The Case for Open Space explores the benefits of private sector involvement in creating, maintaining, operating, and programming parks and open space—ranging from enhanced returns on investment for developers that include open space in their projects to improved community health outcomes. This publication by the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) Building Healthy Places Initiative and ULI's Sustainable Development Council (SDC) incorporates research conducted by ULI staff and SDC members, as well as takeaways from stakeholder interviews—including with ULI members who have developed or supported parks and open space through their project investments.

It’s Freddy’s first day of school, and he needs to get ready. But school is big, it’s far away, and it’s full of strangers. Luckily, Freddy remembers he has work to do—in space! When his mom reminds him to put on his shoes, he pulls on his moon boots instead and blasts off. Captain Freddy’s adventures in space may just make him ready for his big day back on Earth.

One night Hector falls asleep to the sound of rain rat-a-tat-tatting on the roof of his wumblebug hole. And even though the rain has been coming down for days, Hector is not worried. He's safe and snug. But then Hector wakes up to discover his hole is filling up with water fast! Hector is swept out of his home, along with all of his belongings. The next morning he sets off in search of a new place to live. And though Hector is sad to lose his old hole, he soon discovers what makes a hole a home.