Helen Plum Library

A Harvard evolutionary biologist presents an engaging discussion of how the human body has evolved over millions of years, examining how an increasing disparity between the needs of Stone Age bodies and the realities of the modern world are fueling a paradox of greater longevity and chronic disease

"A natural history of cheating from selfish genes to lying politicians. Nature is rife with cheating. Possums play possum, feigning death to cheat predators. Crows cry wolf to scare off rivals. Amphibians and reptiles are inveterate impostors. Even genes and cells cheat. The Liars of Nature and the Nature of Liars explores the evolution of cheating in the natural world, revealing how dishonesty has given rise to wondrous diversity. Blending cutting-edge...

"A kindergarten-level introduction to camels, covering their growth process, behaviors, the deserts they call home, and such defining features as their humps"--

"Simple text and photographs describe ocean animal adaptations"--Provided by publisher

"A penguin's sharp beak hides a textured tongue that helps it grip fish. A red-eyed tree frog has a holden eyelid that covers its eyes so it can see predators while it sleeps. Rhyming text and eye-catching photos offer an up-close look at lots of fascinating hidden creature features!"--

"Simple text and photographs describe polar animal adaptations"--Provided by publisher

"A book of insects, with a focus on their 'super powers'--their extraordinary and very real abilities--and an art/design style that evokes comic-book-hero-and-villain awesomeness. The book will include profiles of the animals and their powers, mixed with spreads that compare, contrast, and pit the insects against each other in a kind of 'who would win??' action format. Head-to-head combat! Astounding weapons and abilities! Awesomeness! Plus: science."--...

In Cheats and Deceits, Martin Stevens describes the remarkable range of adaptations in nature, and considers how they have evolved and increasingly been perfected as part of an arms race between predator and prey or host and parasite. He explores both classic and recent research of naturalists and biologists, showing how scientists find ways of testing the impact of particular behaviors and colorings on the animals it is meant to fool. Drawing on...

Creative nonfiction picture book explains evolution and natural selection. A newly-emerged peppered moth blends in with other speckled-winged moths on lichen-covered branches, but over time the moths with black wings increase as trees are blackened by soot from man-made machines

"If you could have any animal's coat, whose would you choose?"-- " If you could have any animal's coat, whose would you choose?What if you woke up one morning and discovered your body was covered in an animal's scales, feathers, or fur instead of your own skin? How would that change your life? What If You Had Animal Scales!? is the next imaginative book in Sandra Markle's popular What If You Had series.If you had a chinchilla's fur, you'd never need...