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Newest Science Poetry!

Visit this remarkable ecosystem and meet some of the animals and plants that traveled on long-ago winds and ocean currents to evolve into unique forms of life found nowhere else on Earth.

"...informative, accessible, and not to be missed."

                                        --Booklist STARRED review

"...the match between poetic art and direct, scientific info make this an easy classroom sell to aspiring writers or ocean enthusiasts."

                                        --BCCB 

"...an evocative deep dive into the unique biodiversity of the Galápagos ecosystem in this conservation-minded tribute." --PW STARRED review

  • Green Earth Book Award Long

  • Bank Street Best Children's Books 2024

Serengeti Plains of Grass book cover with zebras and wildebeests

Join the great migration of blue wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles as they return to feast on growing grass in the endless open spaces of the Serengeti short-grass plain in this lyrical exploration of an ecosystem in motion...

"Absolutely fascinating on many levels..this book will indeed provide unending food for thought and inspiration."  --School Library Connections

"A STEAM book in the truest sense as it inspires curiosity through art and science."

                                          --School Library Journal STARRED review

                                        

“A vibrant picture of Tanzania’s Serengeti Plain and the animals and plants that reside there. . . . Rich gouache and pastel art. . . . A reverent and educational portrait. . . .”                                      --PW

"Throughout, the emphasis is on the interdependence of these species, all linked in an intricate web. Attractive and informative, this will please browsers and information seekers alike." 

                                          --Booklist STARRED review

  • Bank Street Best Children's Books 2023

  • Eureka! Gold Award California Reading Association 

  • Blueberry Honor, Evanston Library

  • Green Earth Book Award Long List

Spi-ku book cover several spiders with cartoony eyes.

Welcome to the silk-spinning, bungee-jumping, hunting, trapping, trick-filled world of spiders!

"A celebration of spiders in poetry and prose...Engaging and information rich, this is wonderfully well woven."                                                                                 --Kirkus STARRED review

"Interweaving abundant scientific information, poetry, and colorful cartoon illustrations, this collection offers a lively introduction to spiders, covering everything from their traits and behaviors to types of arachnids...plenty to engage, inform, and intrigue."              --Booklist

"...wry Gorey-esque bait for the spider grossout fans..."                                                            --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.

  • Bank St. Best Children's Book List 

Amphibian Acrobats book cover large toad with frog leaping over it

They leap! They hop! They march! They squiggle on every continent (except Antarctica). Frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (what are caecilians, anyway??) are on the move and bring their incredible show your way!

“A completely satisfying package… It’s impossible not to warm to herpetology after reading aloud poems… Meganck’s wry cartoons amplify the humor. The backmatter, strong as the main text, serves young readers well but will also spur teachers interested in multidisciplinary units on to new heights… Child readers and educators will find themselves enthralled by short, punchy poems and the science behind them.”

                                                                        —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

  • NCTE Notable Poetry List

  • Bank St. Best Children's Book List

  • CRA Eureka! NF Silver Award

  • Denver Public Library's Best and Brightest Children's Poetry

Superlative Birds_front cover hi res cop

Explore the fascinating world of superlative birds from the tiniest bee hummingbird to the speediest peregrine falcon. Ever wonder which bird has the loudest voice? Which one builds the biggest nest or has the most feathers? Get to know all about the best and brightest―and smelliest!―denizens of the bird world and those characteristics all birds share through fun poems and narrative science notes.

A science glossary, notes on poetry forms, and resources for more bird learning are included. Witty drawings by Robert Meganck add another layer of fun to this humorous and informative gallery of our world’s most accomplished birds.

THREE STARRED reviews!!!

"With characteristic humor and carefully crafted language, poet Bulion offers readers amazing facts about birds of our world...These engaging poems read aloud beautifully...Excellent resources for further bird study complete this delightful offering. Entertaining and educational, a superlative package."                                                                       --Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

  • NCTE Notable Poetry List

  • CT Book Award Finalist

  • PA Young Readers Choice Nominee

  • CRA Eureka! Silver Award

  • Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended 

Leaf Litter Critters book cover frog trying to eat many arthropods
        

Take a humorous poetic tour through the leaf litter layer and dig into fascinating verse and science notes about billions of tiny critters that live and work there. Meet some of the denizens of the "brown food web," the ecosystem of busy recyclers who engineer and enrich soil so green plants can thrive. Enticing and entertaining illustrations by Robert Meganck add to the adventure.

Included in the book are a glossary of science terms, notes on poetic form, resources for further study, and step-by-step, hands-on investigations for your own discoveries! 

"...expertly crafted...A delightful, memorable introduction to an unsung ecosystem."

                                                                                         --Kirkus STARRED review

"...will inspire youngsters to get busy collecting, observing, and penning their own

science-meets-poetry observations."                                     --SLJ Curriculum Connections

        

Random Body Parts book cover Gross Anatomy Riddles in Verse

Take a free-form, poetic romp through the workings of the human body, solving riddles as you go with a little help from Shakespeare. Fascinating science notes, playful illustrations and science photos add interest and humor. Science and poetry glossaries included. 

"Bulion blends highbrow humor and science information..." PW

"[Educators will] find this exquisite gem of a book incredibly useful." SLJ

 

  • NCTE Notable Poetry List

  • AAAS Outstanding Science Book

  • NSTA Recommends

  • Parents Choice Approved Award

  • CBC Reading Beyond List

 

        

At the Sea Floor Cafe Odd Ocean Critter Poems book cover two shrimp

Come visit denizens of the deep as they swim and scuttle across the pages in haiku, limerick, free verse, shape poems and many other forms, accompanied by science notes. Science and poety glossaries included in back matter.

"Beguiling lines...should spark readers' interest in poetry and marine biology alike" PW

  • Bank Street College Best Book

  • Parents' Choice Award

  • NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book 

  • NCTE Notable Poetry List

  • "Take a closer look" at how insects attack prey, hide from predators and populate our Earth in a collection of gruesomely funny poetic forms. Narrative science notes accompany each poem, and science and poetic glossaries round out the back matter.​

      

    "The poems in this collection flit and buzz effortlessly from page to page as members of the insect world are showcased in a variety of poetic forms, from haiku to clerihew." SLJ

  • ABC Best Books for Children

  • Book Sense Winter Children’s Pick List

  • Librarian’s Choices Texas Woman’s University Pick

  • Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children 

  • Cabbage white butterfly

    Cabbage white butterfly

    The Universe of Fair book cover Brother and sister holding hands

    Eleven-and-a-half year old science whiz Miller Sanford is drawn into a mishap-filled fair day he never imagined involving a string of tag-along first graders, lemon meringue pie, witch pumpkins and flying death heads. Immensely appealling, humorous illustrations throughout.

    "A cheerful and totally entertaining look at fairs, friendship and the value of family."

                                                                                                              Kirkus

  • Bank Street College Best Book 

  • Parents' Choice Silver Award​

  • The Trouble with Rules book cover two children sitting back to back

    Best friends Nadie and Nick pretend they're not after being teased in middle school. When a new girl joins their fourth grade class, she engages the class clown in a gross-out competition with Nadie caught in the middle. Antics involving pencils, potatoes, pillbugs turn more serious as Nadie tries to sort out the importance of friendship. 

    "Readers will empathize with Nadie's thought-provoking predicaments and her personal responses as she struggles through the transition from lower to upper elementary school."   Kirkus

  • Kansas State Reading Circle Reading List

  • Sequoyah Children's Masterlist

  • Cocheco Reader's Award

  • UnchartedWaters book cover a jellyfish underwater

    A month in a seaside cabin with a favorite uncle--most teenaged boys would be thrilled. But not Jonah. He's too busy keeping secrets.
    First, there's the letter addressed to his parents from his English teacher. 
    Second is Jonah's secret reason for not joining the local swim team.
    And finally, Jonah convinces his little sister to keep yet another secret, one that gets him into a lot more than he bargained for during his month at the shore with Uncle Nate...

    ​"Realistic details about marine biology research and boat motor mechanics are engaging, and reluctant readers...will identify with Jonah. Add this title to survival/​adventure collections." SLJ

    • Kansas State Reading Circle Middle Reader Pick

    • Bank Street Best Book

    • Public Library of Cincinnati Librarian's Choice

    • Mark Twain Award nominee

    Fatuma's New Cloth book cover.  Young East African girl and her mother looking at a market.
    Join young Fatuma in a joyful visit to an East African market where she finds the secret to perfect chai and her own special qualities by looking beyond appearances.

    "In Bulion's tender tale set in East Africa, the traditions of chai (tea) and kanga cloth contribute to a mother's gentle lesson to her daughter." PW

    • Best Book for Young Children: Children's Africana Book Award

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    7 Bilingual Versions!

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