Dive to a coral reef and spot a new species of pygmy octopus. Travel deeper and discover fragile, nearly transparent jellies as they drift past. Then head down into a world of eternal night. You’ll encounter animals that make their own light and zombie worms that feast on the bones of dead whales.

Your adventure is based on the real journeys of scientists involved in the Census of Marine Life. From 2000 to 2010, more than two thousand researchers from eighty-two countries carried out the most extensive investigation of ocean life ever attempted.

Author Rebecca L. Johnson takes readers to research sites around the globe, showing how ocean scientists do their work. Stunning photographs throughout bring readers face-to-face with some of the most mesmerizing creatures on Earth.

“When you pick up an animal and realize that what you are looking at is something no one else has ever seen-a species that as yet has no name-it’s humbling and also quite thrilling.”

-Joel Martin, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California

Why do seasons happen? Where do animals go in winter? How do plants reproduce?

From changes in the plant world through the year, to penguins preparing a nest, and puma kittens learning to hunt, plants and animals from every corner of the world are used to illustrate the many processes that govern natural life. These include metamorphosis, hibernation, migration, pollination, plus the many environments in which they occur, such as savanna, swamp, jungle, and deciduous woodland.

The four acetate overlays feature:

• Winter to Spring: the Himalayan Mountains change
• Spring to Summer: a South American pampas over time
• Summer to Fall: deciduous woodlands turn with the season
• Fall to Winter: a conifer forest prepares for the cold.

The Uncovering series: Exposing science and technology in stunning color and detail.

Jam-packed with exacting full-color illustrations, these titles focus on topics of particular interest to young readers. Informative text and descriptive captions and sidebars complement dozens of annotated drawings. Each book contains four acetate overlays, used in some cases to show changes over time, in others to show a cutaway interior.