Art and science mingle in Julia Rothman's fascinating visual tour of the natural world. If you've ever wanted to see how mountains are formed or wondered about the life cycle of a mushroom or the different types of feathers on a bird, you'll delight in exploring Rothman's drawings, diagrams, and dissections. Her spirited exploration of earth and water, flora and fauna will open your eyes to new views of nature's wonders.

Introduction

Chapter 1
Common Ground
Really Moving - Layers of the Earth - Minerals - The Rock Cycle - Fossils - Landforms - Mountains - North American Landscapes - Field Succession - Loose Landscape Painting

Chapter 2
What's Up?
Up in the Atmosphere - Predicting Weather - The Water Cycle - Storms - Why Are All The Snowflakes Different? - Rainbows - Sunsets - Phases of the Moon - Constellations

Chapter 3
Come Close
Anatomy of a Flower - Anatomy of a Bee - Anatomy of a Butterfly - Metamorphosis - Plants That Attract Butterflies - Beautiful Butterflies - Colorful Moths - Sedges, Rushes, Grasses - Grazing Edibles - Incredible Insects and Bugs Abounding - Spectacular Spiders - Anatomy of an Ant

Chapter 4
Take a Hike
Anatomy of a Deciduous Tree - Anatomy of a Trunk - Leaf Identification - North American Trees - Beautiful Bark - Some Flowers, Cones, Seeds, and Fruits of Trees - Printing Patterns - Anatomy of a Fern - Pretty, Pretty Lichen - Mysterious Mosses - Waterbears - Mycelium - Anatomy of a Mushroom - Marvelous Mushrooms - Rotting Log - Foraging in the Forest

Chapter 5
Creature Feature
Animals in the Neighborhood - Anatomy of a Bat - Common North American Bats - Tree Squirrels - Ground Squirrels - The Lyme Bacteria Cycle - Grizzly Bear vs. Black Bear - The Animal Underground - Snakes - Lizards - Wild Cats - Wild Dogs - Animals with Antlers...and Horns - Aquatic Mammals - Outstanding Adaptations - Marine Mammals

Chapter 6
A Little Bird Told Me
Anatomy of a Bird - A Bevy of Birds - Kinds of Feathers - Birdcalls - A Variety of Nests - Extraordinary Eggs - Intriguing Bird Behavior - Birds of Prey - Owls - Big Birds - A Variety of Beaks - Water Birds

Chapter 7
Head Above Water
Water Bodies - Ecosystem of a Pond - A Few Freshwater Fish - Life Cycle of a Salmon - Water Bugs - Toad vs. Frog - Life Cycle of a Frog - Tidal Zone Ecosystem - Fantastic Saltwater Fish - Anatomy of a Jellyfish - On the Sand - Seashells by the Seashore - Some Seaweed - Harvesting, Processing, and Eating Seaweed

A Note about Conservation

Bibliography

Julia Rothman is a highly acclaimed contemporary illustrator and author of many best-selling books, including Nature Anatomy, Farm Anatomy, Ocean Anatomy, Food Anatomy, Nature Anatomy Notebook, and Wildlife Anatomy.  Her illustrated column, Scratch, is featured biweekly in the Sunday New York Times. Clients for her illustrations and pattern designs include Target, the Washington Post, MTA Arts & Design, and more.  She lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.