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Life Cycles
The Beavers' Busy Year (Hardback) - Common
Along a stream a dam pops out of the water. Beavers are busy at work! These aquatic mammals have unique traits that aid them in building the perfect lodge to raise young beavers and keep predators away. Mary Holland’s vibrant photographs document the beavers’ activities through the course of a year. Do these beavers ever take a break? Follow along as they pop through the winter ice to begin the busy year of eating bark, building dams and gathering food just in time for winter to come again.
Unknown Binding
First published February 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Mary Holland
74 books23 followersMary Holland, naturalist, wildlife photographer, columnist, and author, resides in Hartland, Vermont. Marys work in environmental education has included directing the state-wide Environmental Learning for the Future (ELF) program for the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, being a resource naturalist for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, designing and presenting Knee-high Nature Programs for libraries and elementary schools throughout Vermont, and compiling Vermonts Rare Bird Alert for the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. In addition to writing a natural history newspaper column and magazine articles, Mary has written and photographed a childrens book, Milkweed Visitors, which introduces young and old alike to the insects that visit a milkweed patch. "
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 14, 2017
Great photos, excellent information... but didn't come together as engaging. Just.. bland.
November 1, 2018
Excellent book about beavers...their adaptations, their life cycle, and the way they change their habitats! So well done!!
March 2, 2020
This reads a little too much like a textbook for my taste, but the pictures more than compesate for that. They're well-chosen, vibrant, and eye-catching.
March 6, 2014
Have you ever seen a real, live beaver? Beavers are mammals, just like us, which have hair, give birth to live young, and feed their babies milk. They are also rodents, like mice, chipmunks, squirrels, woodchucks, and porcupines, which have four big front teeth called incisors that never stop growing. When our boys were young, we lived in Dayton, OH, and took them to see some beavers at a local metro park. After we moved to Missouri, we took them to a Department of Conservation beaver watch program at a nearby nature preserve along the Missouri River. What do beavers eat? Where do they live? And what do they do in the fall, winter, spring, and summer?
Children love to learn about different kinds of animals. In A Beaver’s Busy Year, the informative text and the gorgeous, full-color photographs, all by Mary Holland, provide a lot of interesting facts about beavers and how they live. These fascinating creatures were once hunted almost to extinction for their fur which was used to make men’s hats. The “For Creative Minds” section in the back has additional material on beaver signs, how beavers engineer their dams, and their relationship to other pond wildlife. There is a 15-30 page teaching activities guide available at the publisher’s website to help youngsters explore the world of beavers further. A similar Sylvan Dell title by Mary Holland is Ferdinand Fox’s First Summer.
Children love to learn about different kinds of animals. In A Beaver’s Busy Year, the informative text and the gorgeous, full-color photographs, all by Mary Holland, provide a lot of interesting facts about beavers and how they live. These fascinating creatures were once hunted almost to extinction for their fur which was used to make men’s hats. The “For Creative Minds” section in the back has additional material on beaver signs, how beavers engineer their dams, and their relationship to other pond wildlife. There is a 15-30 page teaching activities guide available at the publisher’s website to help youngsters explore the world of beavers further. A similar Sylvan Dell title by Mary Holland is Ferdinand Fox’s First Summer.
July 8, 2014
A Beaver's Busy Year is an excellent, and quite informative, book about beavers that will satisfy the inquisitive minds of even the most insatiable young reader. Engaging and educational, this book has a lot to offer without feeling "text-book-ish." Author Mary Holland has left no stone unturned in regards to the fascinating lives of this elusive creature.
The main body of the book covers interesting facts about beavers and includes some terrific photographs which help support the content of the book. In the back of the book, the author provides even more informational tidbits that will satisfy most any questions kids might have about beavers. Youngsters with an unquenchable desire to find answers will not be left hanging after reading this book which comes highly recommended.
A Beaver's Busy Year is a great selection for classrooms, home and school libraries, and gift-giving for youngsters fascinated with animals. This book has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.
The main body of the book covers interesting facts about beavers and includes some terrific photographs which help support the content of the book. In the back of the book, the author provides even more informational tidbits that will satisfy most any questions kids might have about beavers. Youngsters with an unquenchable desire to find answers will not be left hanging after reading this book which comes highly recommended.
A Beaver's Busy Year is a great selection for classrooms, home and school libraries, and gift-giving for youngsters fascinated with animals. This book has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.
April 11, 2014
This book is a very informative book all about beavers. It teaches about how important beavers are to our habitat.
Beavers are a keystone specie. Keystone species by definition means that many different plants and animals depend on beaver ponds and wetlands for their survival. These aquatic animals are busy all year long, They are smart animals who know what they need for survival. Beavers make their lodge in unique way to keep predators away.
This book has real life photographs through out it. I recommend this book for anyone who is an animal lover.
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by Abordale Publishing (formerly Sylvan Dell Publishing) in exchange for our honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer and no compensation was received for this review.
Beavers are a keystone specie. Keystone species by definition means that many different plants and animals depend on beaver ponds and wetlands for their survival. These aquatic animals are busy all year long, They are smart animals who know what they need for survival. Beavers make their lodge in unique way to keep predators away.
This book has real life photographs through out it. I recommend this book for anyone who is an animal lover.
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by Abordale Publishing (formerly Sylvan Dell Publishing) in exchange for our honest review. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer and no compensation was received for this review.
January 14, 2014
Filled with full-page photographs that allow readers to get up close and personal with the ever-fascinating beaver, this book is a good introduction to the animals. Not only will they learn about their habitat, eating habits, and physical characteristics, but readers will find out interesting facts such as how they often groom themselves with their feet, sometimes even using their nails to remove wood particles from their teeth. Most interesting to me, though, was learning about the habits of these animals during the cold months of the year. As always from this publisher, there are quizzes and activities provided in the book as well as online teaching resources. This title would be a handsome, popular addition to the science classroom library.
August 12, 2016
This book gives children an inside look at a beaver's life. Have you ever wondered what's inside a beaver dam? What do beavers eat all winter? How many babies they have in a litter? This educational book answers these questions and more. It is informative and interesting, yet short enough for even young preschoolers to enjoy. The photography is beautiful and adds to the visual interest of the book. There are a couple pages of good information and beaver facts at the end of the book for kids that want to know more.
Verdict: Really good non-fiction for kids!
My blog: Batch of Books
Verdict: Really good non-fiction for kids!
My blog: Batch of Books
March 13, 2014
My Review: Interesting read for animal lovers. Learn to spot a Beaver at bank lodge, floating food leftovers, chewed bark, beaver dam and more. The author's photos are vibrant and help tells the story. I highly recommend this book for classroom teaching.
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of these books from Arbordale Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.
April 8, 2014
This book offers great pictures and wonderful insights into the life of a beaver. Readers can learn many interesting facts about these mammals such as how they use their teeth, eyes, webbed feet and tail.
They are shown building their lodge and how they prepare for winter. At the back of the book there are six pages of supplemental learning activities. This book would be a great educational addition to a science library for younger readers.
They are shown building their lodge and how they prepare for winter. At the back of the book there are six pages of supplemental learning activities. This book would be a great educational addition to a science library for younger readers.
July 7, 2014
excellent photography. large print. Includes additional info on the last four pages that is really helpful. No charts or graphs, but a great resource.
August 27, 2014
I got this because we saw these sticks in the river and mama said it was a beaver's house.
The back of the book has more information that would be good for big kids.
How do they breathe in there?
The back of the book has more information that would be good for big kids.
How do they breathe in there?
August 28, 2014
Almost everything a kid would want to know about beavers. Full page photos with large size text, back matter has more detailed info.
November 20, 2014
4.5 stars! Really great. Can't wait to try more in this series!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews