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Mother and babies. Babies and mothers. The animal kingdom offers a special fascination for children because so many of the cozy rituals they share at home are echoed in nature. In this beguiling approach to biology, middle graders can learn how animals eat, sleep and learn, from birth to maturity. Fourteen different species including the Least Shrew, the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat and the Hooded Seal are presented in detailed illustrations and a scrupulously researched text.

Click to view the AWARDS received for this book.

Download the Activity Guide
Download Hands-On Guide to Science Demonstrations
Download Mammal Biodiversity Table
STEM Grant Proposal

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Dia L. Michels is an award-winning internationally published science and parenting writer, she is the author or editor of over a dozen books for both children and adults. Her books have been translated into Spanish, Dutch, Hebrew, Chinese, and Korean. A popular speaker, she lectures frequently at conferences, universities, libraries, and schools around the country. She teaches classes on mammal reproduction and lactation at children’s and science museums around the U.S. and is a commentator for Public Radio, International. Her articles have been published in People, Parenting, Mothering, Parents, Baby Talk, Family Fun, Nurturing, and the Washington Post. She lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC, with her husband, Tony Gualtieri, their three children, and four cats and a dog. She can be reached at Dia@PlatypusMedia.com.

Andrew Barthelmes, illustrator of If My Mom Were a Platypus, and designer of I Was Born to Be a Brother and many other projects, is a New York based illustrator and graphic designer. A graduate of The School of Visual Arts, his illustrations have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, Ladies' Home Journal, Street & Smith's Sports, and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to the Platypus book, he also illustrated Herman the Loudmouth. He has been a children's book designer for Random House, Inc. and is currently creating new children's books for Reader's Digest. He lives in Peekskill, NY with his wife Barbara, and new baby, Julia.