Bubby’s Book Club

Welcome to Bubby's Book Club, Elmwood Park Zoo's curated list of environmentally educational books with corresponding coloring and activity sheets!

Miles and Miles of Reptiles By Tish Rabe There are thousands of reptiles. I'll show some to you. Your mother will not mind at all if I do. Join the Cat in the Hat as he introduces beginning readers to reptiles. What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? By Steve Jenkins A nose for digging? Ears for seeing? Eyes that squirt blood? Explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this interactive guessing book, beautifully illustrated in cut-paper collage, which was awarded a Caldecott Honor. The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses By Joanna Cole On a most sense-sational trip that takes them through an eye, an ear, a tongue, and even a dog's nose, Ms. Frizzle's class learns about the senses. Using their trademark sense of humor, Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen provide facts about the senses in both the human and animal worlds.

The Great Kapok Tree By Lynne Cherry One day, a man exhausts himself trying to chop down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forest's residents, including a child from the Yanomamo tribe, whisper in his ear about the importance of trees and how "all living things depend on one another". A Nest is Noisy By Dianna Hutts Aston A Nest is Noisy is a gorgeous and informative look at the fascinating world of nests, from those of tiny bee hummingbirds to those of orangutans high in the rainforest canopy. Forest Bright Forest Night By Jennifer Ward Someone is always awake in the forest--and someone else is always asleep! Some animals are alert in daytime and sleep at night. Others are alert at night, and are sleepyheads during the day. Plus be sure to count the animals.

Skunk at Hemlock Circle By Victoria Sherrow Children discover that they do not have to travel great distances to see great things as they read about a skunk who comes out at night to search the backyard for his dinner. Verdi By Janell Cannon Young Verdi doesn't want to grow up big and green. He likes his bright yellow skin and sporty stripes. When Verdi finds a pale green stripe stretching along his whole body, he tries every trick he can think of to get rid of it — and ends up in a heap of trouble. Despite his efforts, Verdi turns green, but to his delight, he discovers that being green doesn't mean he has to stop being himself. A Butterfly is Patient By Dianna Hutts Aston From the creators of the award-winning An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, and A Rock Is Lively comes this gorgeous and informative introduction to the world of butterflies. An incredible variety of butterflies are celebrated here in all of their beauty and wonder, from the tiny Arian Small Blue to the grand Queen Alexandra's Birdwing.

Pup 681: A Sea Otter Rescue Story By Jean Reidy Washed ashore alone, a tiny sea otter pup needs help! Soon, a rescuer is there, to take her in and keep her warm and fed. The pup faces challenges in her new life without her sea otter family. But with the love and care of her rescuer, she flourishes in her new home. Inspired by a true story, Pup 681 is a heartwarming and hopeful tale about family and love. Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book By Britta Teckentrup Through a hole in the book's cover, an owl invites you inside to meet a majestic tree and all its forest inhabitants during the changing seasons. Mouse's First Summer By Lauren Thompson Mouse and Minka invite you to celebrate summer with a picnic in the park.

Little Skink's Tail By Janet Halfmann While Little Skink hunts yummy ants for breakfast, she is suddenly attacked by a crow! But she has a trick to escape — she snaps off her tail, and it keeps on wiggling! Little Skink is happy to be alive, but she misses her bright blue tail. Readers will enjoy pretending with her, trying on tail after tail. A Color of His Own By Leo Lionni Elephants are gray. Pigs are pink. Only the chameleon has no color of his own. Then one day a chameleon has an idea to remain one color forever by staying on the greenest leaf he can find. But in the autumn, the leaf changes from green to yellow to red . . . and so does the chameleon. Flora and the Flamingo By Molly Idle In this innovative wordless picture book with interactive flaps, Flora and her graceful flamingo friend explore the trials and joys of friendship through an elaborate synchronized dance.

Vulture View By April Pulley Sayre Turkey vultures soar on the balmy air, looking for their next stinky feast. These birds don't hunt — they like their food to be already dead, and their eating habits serve a very important ecological role. Vultures are part of nature's clean-up crew Near One Cattail: Turtles, Logs And Leaping Frogs By Anthony Federicks What creatures live in a bog-boggy place? From zip-zipping dragonflies to hip-hopping frogs, here's a medley of critters who swim, soar or crawl in a wetlands home that protects one and all. Ladybug at Orchard Avenue By Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld Ladybug encounters many predators while hunting for food and searching for a winter home. Ladybug's bright red coloring helps to keep her safe, but will she find enough food and a safe shelter for the winter months ahead?

Big Chickens By Leslie Helakoski When four big chickens see a wolf sneaking near their coop, they run into the woods to hide. But for a bunch of big chickens, running away from danger isn't as easy as it looks. Chicken Little By Ronne Randall I think the sky is falling! I must run and tell the king! Chicken Little fears the sky is falling, so he runs with his friends to tell the king. But who do they meet along the way? The Busy Tree By Jennifer Ward Spectacular illustrations rendered in oil paint, and a rhyming text that describes a tree's activities from its roots to its branches, introduce young readers to the amazing activities that go on in a tree.