This series introduces readers to some of the most exceptional creatures of the animal kingdom. Includes fun facts and what makes them unique and interesting from other animals. Features informative sidebars, detailed infographics, vivid photos, and a glossary.

One of the most famous non-fiction American books, Walden by Henry David Thoreau is the history of Thoreau's visit to Ralph Waldo Emerson's woodland retreat near Walden Pond. Thoreau, stirred by the philosophy of the transcendentalists, used the sojourn as an experiment in self reliance and minimalism… "so as to "live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not,

Bizarre creatures are floating around in our oceans—squishy, slimy, spiky-headed monsters. And they're not even grown up yet! These kids have to go through some drastic changes before they get to be adults.

Everyone knows that caterpillars and tadpoles go through metamorphosis, but so do some of the most monstrous creatures under the sea.

Take the spiky-headed zoea, somersaulting through the water on

Toxic creatures can be found almost anywhere—in the woods, in the desert, in your own backyard . . . even in your room!

Some, such as poison dart frogs and puffer fish, have poisonous skin or other organs. Others are venomous—they have stingers, spines, or fangs to injects their toxins.

You know some of them already: black widow spiders, killer bees, rattlesnakes, stingrays, and scorpions. There are lots of other