Explore Night Science! encourages 6–9 year olds to safely explore and understand what happens around the world when it is dark outside. Readers are led step by step into integrated, active explorations that uncover the science and technology of the natural and physical world that surrounds them. Kids learn about the rod and cone cells found in their eyes as they test their color vision at night, create a chorus mimicking the sounds of nocturnal animals, and make a personal stardome. Sidebars highlight a real kid who discovered a supernova, how Stonehenge is an ancient almanac, and what elephants and moths have in common. Kids will be amazed at the adaptations used by plants and animals to survive and thrive in the dark of night. Whether they live in the country or in the city, kids will learn to use all of their senses to investigate the night.

An entertaining, fact-packed introduction to the science of night. What happens when we go to sleep at night? Kids can find out in this fun exploration of the world after dark. This nonfiction book covers the surprising amount of activity going on at night with animals, plants, celestial objects and even our own bodies! Here are answers to all the questions kids have about nighttime — and many they have never thought of! — including: Why do we dream? How do bats use echolocation? What blooms in the moonlight? Why do stars twinkle? There’s so much here to investigate, kids will be up all night!

‘Accompanied by NASA photographs and Dorros’s colorful, lively drawings, the text explains the Earth’s rotation in clear and simple terms. An experiment using a lamp as the ‘sun’ further clarifies the principles introduced.’ —BL.

A charming and captivating exploration of the science of light. Where does light come from? How does it work? What is it made of? A girl and her cat find answers to these questions on a summertime journey of scientific discovery. The pair identify loads of examples of light, while exploring many fascinating topics: natural and artificial light; uses of light; opaque, translucent and transparent objects; absorbed, reflected and refracted light; and how the eye sees light. It’s a gentle yet comprehensive introduction to light and all its mysteries. From stars in the sky to fireworks over a lake, our inquisitive guides shine a light on … light!

Young readers are invited to join a determined fox as she sets out to find her dinner in this simple, stylish introduction to light and dark. Fox is hungry. She waits until dark, then emerges from her den to hunt for food. Follow her as she pads through the city streets and learns about sunlight, moonlight, and electric light. Shadows grow along alleys and reflections bounce off store windows as Fox moves through patches of light and dark. Using simple, clear language and beautiful illustrations, this gentle story is the perfect introduction to light and dark for budding scientists.

"[In] a revision of the 1963 edition, [a] brief, clearly written text [tells of a young girl who] learns some interesting facts about fireflies from her grandfather. Alexander uses richly hued pastels for her illustrations of the young girl, her grandparents' farm, and the creatures of a summer night."—SLJ.

A groundbreaking history of the human mind told through our experience of dreams—from the earliest accounts to current scientific findings—and their essential role in the formation of who we are and the world we have made. "A resounding case for the mystery, beauty and cognitive importance of dreams." —The New York Times What is a dream? Why do we dream? How do our bodies and minds use them? These questions are the starting point for this unprecedented study of the role and significance of this phenomenon. An inves­tigation on a grand scale, it encompasses literature, anthropology, religion, and science, articulating the essential place dreams occupy in human culture and how they functioned as the catalyst that compelled us to transform our earthly habitat into a human world. From the earliest cave paintings—where Sidarta Ribeiro locates a key to humankind’s first dreams and how they contributed to our capacity to perceive past and future and our ability to conceive of the existence of souls and spirits—to today’s cutting-edge scientific research, Ribeiro arrives at revolutionary conclusions about the role of dreams in human existence and evolution. He explores the advances that contempo­rary neuroscience, biochemistry, and psychology have made into the connections between sleep, dreams, and learning. He explains what dreams have taught us about the neural basis of memory and the transfor­mation of memory in recall. And he makes clear that the earliest insight into dreams as oracular has been elucidated by contemporary research. Accessible, authoritative, and fascinating, The Oracle of Night gives us a wholly new way to under­stand this most basic of human experiences.