Bits of rock, plants, and living creatures—what are they all ingredients for? An award-winning nonfiction author offers the youngest explorers a closer look at nature’s wonders in action.

Rocks crumble, battered by ice, wind, and water. Plants wilt, trees fall, and old bones, fins, and feathers break apart. What then? Step by step, Sally M. Walker’s simple narration lets the youngest soil scientists learn how dirt is created, becoming home to animals as well as conduits for nutrients that help to continue the life-giving cycle. Kim Smith’s inviting landscapes capture a range of forest flora and fauna, from mushrooms to pinecones, foxes to chipmunks, birds to snails. A note to parents suggests bringing the learning to life by encouraging questions and observations of the natural world.
 
Contributor Bio(s)
 
Sally M. Walker is the award-winning author of more than sixty books for children, including the first two board books in the Nature in Action series, Rocks’ Journey and River’s Journey, as well as the picture books Out of This World: Star-Studded Haiku, illustrated by Matthew Trueman, and Trees: Haiku from Roots to Leaves, illustrated by Angela Mckay. Sally M. Walker lives in Illinois.

Author Residence: Dekalb, IL

Kim Smith is the New York Times best-selling illustrator of more than thirty picture books, including the first two books in the Nature in Action series. In addition, she has worked on children’s games, puzzles, animation, 3D displays, posters, and magazines. When she’s not busy illustrating, she spends time exploring and painting in the great outdoors. Kim Smith lives in Calgary, Canada.

Illustrator Residence:Calgary, AB