A little creature with a flat, furry body, webbed feet, and a duck bill does not know the answer when other animals ask what kind of creature he is, but he is willing to try climbing a tree, flying, and swimming to help them figure it out. Includes facts about platypus.

In 1798, the governor of Australia, John Hunter, came across an odd-looking animal. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Curious as to the identity of the mysterious creature, he shipped the strange animal to scientists in Great Britain so they could study it. At first, the scientists thought the animal was a hoax. No real animal could look so bizarre. Was it a fish, a bird, or a mammal? No sooner did scientists determine that this rare animal was indeed real than a new set of questions arose that would take scientists over a century to answer. In Platypus: A Century-long Mystery, kids follow the work of scientists as they study the platypus and attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding the animal's identity. Large, full-color photos and a narrative text will keep readers turning the pages for more.

"Developed by literacy experts for students in kindergarten through grade three, this book introduces platypuses to young readers through leveled text and related photos"--

Find out what a platypus has in common with a beaver or a dolphin. Learn what sets a platypus apart from a giraffe or a wild dog. Readers will compare key traits of platypuses—their appearance, behavior, habitat, and life cycle—to traits of other mammals. Charts and sidebars support key ideas and provide details. Through gathering information about similarities and differences, readers will make connections and draw conclusions about what makes this animal a mammal and how mammals are alike and different from each other.

Spider thinks he is a celebrity. Why you ask? Because if anyone sees him, they scream with "delight." This charming tale shows that your perspective on life, no matter how misconstrued, can keep you confident in any situation.

In a Southwestern retelling of "The Little Red Hen," Burro finds it difficult to get any help from his friends as he diligently works to turn corn into tortillas, in a text that includes a Spanish/English glossary and a simple recipe for making tortillas.

Children will delight in discovering the many plants and animals who call the rain forest home in a clever adaptation of the song The Green Grass Grows All Around.