The Picture Book Buzz - May 2025 Interview with STEAM Team Books Members

Whether you're here to support the STEAM Team authors, curiosity, or because you love nonfiction books, I hope you read to the end because you'll discover some amazing authors and super spectacular books!

Today I have the pleasure to introduce you to five authors from the STEAM Team Books – a group of authors and illustrators who joined together to celebrate and help promote their STEAM books. I hope you enjoy this peek at these delightful books and fascinating creatives.

"STEAM Team Books is a group of authors who have a STEM/STEAM book releasing in 2025. It includes fiction & nonfiction, trade or educational books.” Check out their website for other interviews, activities, and bios.

Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing? What is your favorite type of book to write? What drew you to STEAM books? etc.)

Jessica Stremer – Wonderfully Wild: Rewilding a School and Community (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster 5/6/2025) – I’ve been writing books for kids since 2019, although the desire to write had existed well before I first put pen to paper. Once I got started writing it didn’t take long to hone in on the types of stories I wanted to tell – nonfiction narratives about lesser-known topics or events that inspire kids to look at the world differently.

[Author of Plight of the Pelican: How Science Saved A Species, illustrated by Gordy Wright (2025), Fire Escape: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires (Books for a Better Earth) illustrated by Michael Garland (2024),  Lights Out: A Movement to Help Migrating Birds, illustrated by Bonnie Pang (2024) and Great Carrier Reef, illustrated by Gordy Wright (2023).]

Laura Perdew - Conservation Success: Protecting Wild Spaces and Species (Nomad Press 5/15/2025) – Looking back, I’ve loved writing, and I’ve loved being outdoors ever since I can remember. Fast forward a few decades and it makes perfect sense that I combine those two passions to write STEAM books about nature and the environment. My goal as an author is to share with kids things about the natural world with the hope of inspiring them to unplug, explore, and take action. 

[Author of dozens of STEAM books for kids including, - Keystone Species: Meet the Animals Key to Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity (2024),Your Sustainable World (2024), Picture Book Science Series – Biome Explorers, illustrated by Lex Cornell (2022), Mammals (Field Guides for Kids) (2021), Picture Book Science Series – Animal Adaptations, illustrated by Katie Mazeika (2020), Crazy Contraptions: Build Rube Goldberg Machines that Swoop, Spin, Stack, and Swivel, illustrated by Micah Rauch (2019), Biodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth, illustrated by Tom Casteel (2019), Bringing Back Our Wetlands (2018), and Extinction: What Happened to the Dinosaurs, Mastodons, and Dodo Birds?, illustrated by Tom Casteel (2017).]

Ann McCallum Staats – Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press 5/20/2025) – Excluding the puppet plays I used to write and present to the kindergarten class each Friday when I was a sixth grader, my first book was The Secret Life of Math in 2005. Today, I write from an office that looks out at an expanse of undeveloped parkland. As I lean into mostly nonfiction, I aim to illuminate topics that might be overlooked, places that are worth exploring, and people who are inspirational role models. My goal is to help readers connect to the joy and awe of this world.

[Author of numerous books, including High Flyers: 15 Inspiring Women Aviators and Astronauts (2024), Thrill Seekers: 15 Remarkable Women in Extreme Sports (2021), Women Heroes of the U.S. Army: Remarkable Soldiers from the American Revolution to Today (2019), Eat Your U.S. History Homework: Recipes for Revolutionary Minds (2015), Eat Your Science Homework: Recipes for Inquiring Minds (2014), Eat Your Math Homework: Recipes for Hungry Minds (2011), and Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere: A Fibonacci Tale (2007).

Darcy Pattison – Climate: How Wladimir Koppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Climate Map (Mims House 4/20/2025) – My husband and I own a three-story Victorian house in the downtown historic district of Little Rock, AR. His real-estate business occupies the first two floors, but the top floor is a funny, little attic space where I write. The weather and climate affect my work because the attic gets pretty hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s one reason I was drawn to this new story about climate.

[Author of 70 books, including I Am the Thirsty Desert (2023), George Washington's Engineer: How Rufus Putnam Won the Siege of Boston without Firing a Shot (2022), A Little Bit of Dinosaur (2021). The Moments in Science series - Aquarium: How Jeannette Power Invented the Aquarium to Study Marine Life (2023), Fever: How Tu Youyou Adapted Traditional Chinese Medicine to Find a Cure for Malaria (2022), A.I. How Patterns Helped Artificial Intelligence Defeat World Champion Lee Sedol (2021), Erosion: How Hugh Bennett Saved America's Soil and Stopped the Dust Bowl (2020), Eclipse: How the 1919 Solar Eclipse Proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity (2019), Pollen: Darwin’s 130-Year Prediction (2019), Clang! Ernst Chladni’s Sound Experiments (2018). And the Another Extraordinary Animal series - Jeremy, the English Garden Snail: Heredity, Citizen Science, and #snaillove (2/2025), Pelorus Jack, the New Zealand Dolphin (2024), Diego, the Galápagos Giant Tortoise: Saving a Species from Extinction (2022), Rosie the Ribeter: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (2019).]

Kris Coronado – Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines (Clarion/Harper Collins 5/27/2025) – While Lighthouse Ladies is my debut picture book, I’ve been a writer for decades. I got my start when I was 14, writing for the teen section of the Richmond Times Dispatch in Richmond, Va. From there, I went on to work at publications such as Entertainment Weekly, People and Redbook, before ultimately settling into becoming a regular contributor for the Washington Post in a variety of their feature sections.

I caught the writing for kids bug when reading to my nephews – who are now teenagers! After writing some not so great fiction, it finally dawned on me to utilize my strength as a nontraditional nonfiction writer, like I’ve always been, to bring atypical yarns to a younger audience.

[Debut Author]

What helps you to be inspired? (perhaps a certain place, music, activity, etc.)

Jessica Stremer – I find inspiration all around me, especially when spending time outside. I like listening to podcasts and reading, of course. Sometimes just a word or two will pique my curiosity and lead me down the research rabbit hole.

Laura Perdew - I am regularly inspired by the natural world! I spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in the summer; I see so many amazing things that evoke a sense of wonder - from towering, jagged mountain peaks to tiny, fragile wildflowers and insects. Even at home I frequently get lost in my research about the natural world. And with the right filters on, news feeds and social media are great sources of information about nature and the environment. All of this sparks ideas.

Ann McCallum Staats – I’m constantly curious. I learn about one very cool thing and it sparks further research. For example, when I first thought about writing about plants, I challenged myself to write about something that many of us often don’t pay much attention to. It didn’t take long for me to discover exploding seeds, flowers that smell like rotten meat, wood that’s fire resistant. I was hooked. Once I have an idea, I write fairly quickly. P.S. I love writing proposals!

Darcy Pattison – I should probably have become a scientist of one sort or another, because much of my work is inspired by scientists. But my attention span jumps all over. Two years ago, I learned about the weirdest octopus in the world, a small one that creates its own shell (Read Aquarium.) And this year, I delved into weather data and how one man aggregated that data from around the world to generalize about climates. One of the best parts of being an author is the ability to follow your curiosity wherever it takes you!

Kris Coronado – Everything and anything! As a journalist, my strong suit was always looking for story ideas that captured something before it became the next thing everything was talking about or highlighting overlooked stories in a meaningful way. That habit continues. With that said, as a mom to a nine-year-old and six-year-old who approach the world with endless curiosity, sometimes a book idea can come from a simple question from them.

Now that we know a little more about all of you, what sparked your interest and caused you to write this book?

Jessica Stremer – Wonderfully Wild: Rewilding a School and Community (5/6/2025) – Rewilding was a topic I was interested in writing about, but I was struggling to find a narrative that allowed kids to play a part in the action. Then while researching for a different idea I discovered a story about a school whose beloved willow tree fell down in a storm, and it was that story that became the inspiration for this book.

Laura Perdew – Conservation Success: Protecting Wild Spaces and Species (5/15/2025) – Through my research on various projects, I’ve learned about amazing conservation efforts going on around the world. These projects, large and small, use a variety of approaches. Some involve nations or communities while others were started by a single individual. Based on local knowledge, science, and innovation, these conservation efforts have been successful.

I wanted to highlight these efforts as an antidote to all the negative news we hear. I also hope to inspire and empower kids - I want them to know that there are positive things going on and that they can be part of positive change, even as kids.

Ann McCallum Staats – Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants (5/20/2025) – This book came to me as I was staring out my office window at the ever-changing landscape—golds and browns in the fall and greens and bright colors in the spring. I thought of how I enjoyed the view but had never really considered the incredible range of adaptations plants use to survive and thrive. I came up with the organizing scheme, “biggest, baddest, smelliest” and went from there. I definitely have a new-found respect for plants around the world after writing this book! The strategies plants implement to flourish in all kinds of environments are truly amazing.

Darcy Pattison – Climate: How Wladimir Koppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Climate Map (Mims House 4/20/2025) – Of course, the climate warming crisis inspired this book. My take on topics, though, is to search for historical information that helped us understand a problem. In this case, Köppen wrote an autobiography that was completed by his daughter, so a combination of autobiography and biography. It was written in his native German but was translated into English. I often find that old books are helpful as I research a topic. Sometimes, I find an ebook version, but often I use interlibrary loans or purchase books.

Kris Coronado – Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines (5/27/2025) – While researching another book, I read a small news snippet that mentioned a lonely lady lighthouse keeper off the coast of Maine. A lady lighthouse keeper?! I had to know more. I dove in deep.

It's so interesting that many of these developed from research for other books or topics. What makes you passionate about being a children’s author?

Jessica Stremer – At some point, learning and experiencing new things starts to feel like something we have to do instead of something we want to or enjoy doing. I’m passionate about creating books for kids (and adults) that encourage that sense of discovery and wonder.

Laura Perdew – For me, being passionate about being a children’s author is a combination of things - my own love of nature, my experience as a teacher and mom, and my interest in conservation. Writing for kids is a way for me to share my passion for nature and the environment with the hope that kids will be as amazed as I am by the natural world and ultimately be inspired to take part in conservation.

Ann McCallum Staats – As a former educator, I pride myself on being able to read the room. In other words, I can see when kids are bored or disconnected. My mission is to turn that detachment into enthusiastic engagement. There is so much in this fascinating world of ours that is worth exploring and fighting for. When I write about people, I want young readers to be inspired to follow their own path to success. When I write about nonfiction topics, I want kids to tap into curiosity and appreciation for the complex world we live in. I’m passionate about reaching kids where they’re at through my words and motivating them to make a difference.

Darcy Pattison – My goal is always to put the right book into the hands of the right kid at the right time. Books can expand a child’s world, bring the world to them, and help them understand their inner and outer worlds. I read constantly—fiction and nonfiction—and can’t imagine a life without books. Some people keep track of the number of books they read a year, but I’ve never been able to keep a count. I know that it’s hundreds of books—of all sizes, formats, genres, and fascinating content. I read paper books, digital books, and listen to audiobooks. My world is books. I want to bring that rich, fascinating life to kids.

Kris Coronado – While I often jump headfirst into researching a topic due to a compelling interest in what I’m writing about, the fact that I am also introducing this concept to kids – whom I consider to be curious kindred spirits – is a tremendous gift. Sharing stories that make children pause for a second for an “ah-ha” moment or shift how they may see the world is an absolute delight that I won’t tire of anytime soon.

We are all lucky that each of you is so passionate and talented in bring us along in your wonder and excitement. Is there anything special you want your readers to know about your book?

Text © Jessica Stremer, 2025. Image © Josée Masse, 2025.

Jessica Stremer – Wonderfully Wild: Rewilding a School and Community (5/6/2025) – I sprouted a handful of willow tress while writing this book, and some of the photos I took of that process were used to help as illustration guides. The first time I saw the sketches I was most excited to see the roots from my own willow trees being portrayed.

© Nomad Press, 2025. Text Laura Perdew & Illustrations Lex Cornell, 2025.

Laura Perdew –- Conservation Success: Protecting Wild Spaces and Species (5/15/2025) – The most important takeaway for me is this: people are making a difference and that despite what you may hear, there are successes to celebrate. Conservation projects are underway all over the world and they are improving ecosystems and saving wildlife. Each project is unique and relies on the integration of innovation, Indigenous and scientific knowledge, technology, and individual determination. The book looks at various conservation approaches including restoration, rewilding, reintroduction, habitat reconnection, species recovery, community-based conservation, eco-tourism, and laws and protections. Each chapter also features a kid conservationist, highlighting the fact that even though they are young, kids are making a difference!

Text © Ann McCallum Staats, 2025. Image © Zoë Ingram, 2025.

Ann McCallum Staats – Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants (5/20/2025) – My goal for this newest book is to turn a mundane topic—plants—around and to create impassioned readers who not only come to appreciate that the hard work of learning to read is oh-so-worth-it, but who embrace their role as Earth’s next stewards. I want readers to be curious about the communication strategies used by plants, or how they implement ingenious tactics to survive in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. I also want readers to know that this book’s evolution was a lot of work. While I was fascinated from the get-go, I also knew very little and chose to spend countless hours researching and learning. The result is a book that I hope will influence the life of a child far beyond the time they spend reading it. 

Text © Darcy Pattison, 2025. Image © Peter Willis, 2025.

Darcy Pattison – Climate: How Wladimir Koppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Climate Map (4/20/2025) – First and foremost, this is a book about weather. Köppen was a weatherman for decades before he developed the broader climate ideas. During his time, people only knew about weather in their own area. Köppen helped establish weather stations on the North Sea and received daily telegrams with the weather data. From that, he drew daily weather maps for Europe—a breakthrough in science reporting. Early elementary kids must study weather and this book will help them understand a deeper purpose in those daily reports—to understand our world in more depth. And what’s most amazing is that his climate maps were so accurate that they are still used today.

Text © Kris Coronado, 2025. Image © Islenia Mil, 2025.

Kris Coronado – Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines (5/27/2025) – This book features four fascinating real lighthouse-keeping women overcoming astounding obstacles, in a time when most did not have the right to vote. These intrepid women demonstrated "girl power" was around well before it became a popular phrase.

These are all such fascinating books! What was the hardest, or most challenging, part of writing or researching your book? Was there a bit of your research you didn’t get to include?

Jessica Stremer – Wonderfully Wild: Rewilding a School and Community (5/6/2025) – Getting the pacing right was one of the hardest parts of writing this book. Originally, I estimated the book to be about forty pages, but it still felt cramped. My editor suggested spreading it out to 48 pages so some of the scenes had more room to breathe.

Laura Perdew –- Conservation Success: Protecting Wild Spaces and Species (5/15/2025) – The hardest part of this book was deciding what to include and what not to include. As I’ve said, there are so many amazing conservation efforts underway worldwide, but I could only highlight a handful. I had to pick the ones that I thought best illustrated the different conservation approaches. I also tried to balance small and large projects, and choose projects from a variety of locations and habitats. That meant I came across many, many projects that I loved, but that didn’t make it into the book. I definitely over-researched this book!

Ann McCallum Staats – Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants (5/20/2025) – This was definitely a challenging topic. I sold the book on proposal which meant that, once the contract was signed, I actually had to write it. I’ve never really been a plant person and, while I do have a couple of indoor plants these days, I’ve also killed more than my share of plants. When tasked with this assignment, it was challenging to infuse excitement into the text. I wanted readers to feel the same newfound ‘wow’ that I did. I wrote one chapter that didn’t make it into the book, the Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa). It’s a fascinating plant—I mean, look at the name alone—but there just wasn’t room to include it.

Darcy Pattison – Climate: How Wladimir Koppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Climate Map (4/20/2025) – Köppen’s autobiography was chock full of interesting things. He wrote over 560 journal articles about a variety of topics. He established the practice of using weather kites to study the upper atmosphere. He even published a cloud atlas. Of course, almost none of that made it into the book because I had to focus on how his studies lead to the creation of climate maps.

Kris Coronado – Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines (5/27/2025) – Finding a photo of Venus Parker, the wife of William Major Parker, who kept Killock Shoal Light in Chincoteague, Va. from 1886 to 1912. While I was able to find a photo of William, turning up one of “Aunt Venus” – as locals called her – proved impossible. Venus, who like her husband was black, has a poignant and powerful story. I worried that without a photo of her, we would not be able to include her in the book, but my incredible editor at Clarion, Kate O’Sullivan, thought otherwise. When I saw Islenia Mil’s depiction of Venus for the first time, I gasped and my eyes watered. FINALLY, there she was. I cannot wait for readers to meet this inspirational woman.

Thank you all for sharing this extra information! Are there any upcoming projects that you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?

Jessica Stremer – My next book, Trapped In The Tar Pit: How Palentologists Unearthed A City’s Prehistoric Past published in August of 2025. It’s my first nonfiction book that doesn’t have an environmental theme and I’m really excited to see how it is received.

Laura Perdew –- I am currently working on a project about the ocean for readers in grades 4-6. I pitched the idea to Nomad Press because I love the ocean and am amazed not only by its biodiversity, but also by the huge role it plays on our planet. The book covers that role as well as the different ocean zones, the various ways humans utilize and rely on the ocean, and current ocean conservation efforts.

Ann McCallum Staats – The book I’m working on now is called A Quilt of Stars and it’s co-written with astronaut Karen Nyberg. I’m so honored to be a part of this project. The second time she traveled to space, Karen spent 166 days on the International Space Station. While there, she was struck by the view of the planet beneath her that showed no borders and no conflict. In an effort to bring the people of the world together, she initiated an astronomical quilt challenge. People from around the world contributed quilt blocks which were later sewn into 28 quilts. These quilts represent the connectedness of our beautiful world and transcend everyday problems. I’ve seen gorgeous sketches by Alida Massari so far and am eagerly awaiting this book’s arrival into the world. 

Darcy Pattison – Last year, I visited the Prague Zoo in Prague, Czechia, where I learned about the endangered species of wild horses, the Przewalski’s horse (or P-horse for short). It was another fascinating journey across the world following the story of scientists working to save the species from extinction. Not Extinct: Przewalski’s horses return from extinct in the wild will come out in July 2025. Exciting for me, it will be photo-illustrated using historical and contemporary photos partially provided by the Prague Zoo.

Kris Coronado – I’ve got a wide variety of projects in the pipeline, but it’s too early to talk about them publicly. Let’s just say the next book kids read from me will aim to be spunky and unexpected.

Intriguing, to say the least. We wish you all the best with these books and endeavors. Last question, what animal or natural feature (place) do you want to learn more about? Why?

Jessica Stremer – How can I pick just one! There are a few historical events I’d like to explore further, and always so much to learn about the ocean. It’s hard to say what I’ll tackle next!

Laura Perdew –- There’s no way I can answer that - the natural world is full of wonders and I never know what I’m going to learn or discover next. I just keep my eyes and my mind open!

Ann McCallum Staats - Great question! Honestly, I really don’t know. The natural world fascinates me, but I’m also intrigued by a wide variety of subject areas. I compare my writing career to my teaching career. I’ve taught in three countries and at different levels. I did a one-year stint in a one-room school in northern Canada followed by teaching elementary math in the U.S. Then my family and I moved to the United Arab Emirates where I taught in the English department at the University of Sharjah. My last teaching job was as an English as a Second Language teacher for high school. All this to say that I’ve written picture books, middle grade fiction and nonfiction, and young adult titles. As I mentioned earlier, most are nonfiction and for now, that is my writing love!

Darcy Pattison – Platypuses! My nine-year-old grandson is consumed with platypuses, and he’s rubbing off on me!

Kris Coronado – Hmm, considering overlooked people are an important subject in the books I write, perhaps I should say I’d like to learn more about a wide variety of homo sapiens? 😊. Kidding aside, I find myself becoming increasingly intrigued by the mystery of our oceans – there is SO much we don’t know about them. Whether this leads me to write a book about them, we shall see!

NOW, let me take a moment to introduce you to these amazing STEAM books! 

Wonderfully Wild: Rewilding a School and Community by Jessica Stremer, illustrated by Josée Masse (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster 5/6/2025) -  This lovely, lyrical book “loosely based on a real-life event,” explores a classroom's experience in rooting branches from a beloved fallen willow tree that had grown in the school yard. Learning, throughout the process of rooting, repotting, and care of saplings, that when not all of them survived - and "That’s just how things go sometimes.” Gorgeous, delicate illustrations detail the discoveries and actions of the diverse classroom. It's an excellent exploration of rewilding a schoolyard (adding a pollinator garden, bird & bat houses) and ultimately their town, with wonderful back matter offering tons of information and ideas for rewilding our own areas - wherever we live.

Synopsis: The old willow tree has stood in the schoolyard for as long as anyone can remember. It’s a gathering place, a run-laps-around place, a dream-under place. Until one blustery night when a storm blows it over.

Brokenhearted over the loss of their beloved tree, the students come up with a wonderfully wild idea: to grow new willows! With nature as their classroom, they immerse themselves in the sensory experience of the outdoors as they gather branches and trim clippings. Before long, many new trees begin to take root. But their wonderfully wild ideas don’t stop there. Can the class encourage their community to reconnect with nature and transform their entire schoolyard?

Conservation Success: Protecting Wild Spaces and Species by Laura Perdew, illustrated by Lex Cornell (Nomad Press 5/15/2025) - After discussing the history and importance of conservation, brief comics and conversational text draw the reader through a middle grade evaluation of the restoration, rewilding, reintroduction, recovery, reconnection, community-based conservation, ecotourism, and finally laws and protections that scientists, individuals, communities, and governments are using to save and protect the environment and species around the world. Sidebars with "Words to Know," science explanations, QR codes, brief bios of "Youth Conservationists," "Species Spotlights," and "Essential Questions," work together with experiments and crafts (at the ends of each chapter) to provide lots of thought provoking and hands-on involvement and interaction with the readers.

Synopsis: In Conservation Success: Protecting Wild Spaces and Species with Hands-on Science Activities for Kids, young scientists ages 9-12 discover different conservation efforts around the world. Learn about the individuals, scientists, organizations, and countries involved in protecting species, habitats, and our planet! From returning lynx to the Colorado high country and recovering the population of California condors to turning poachers into wildlife protectors and transforming dumps and golf courses into thriving habitats, these conservation success stories offer hope and inspiration along with scientific explanations on why these efforts work.

There are many ways to approach conservation including restoration, rewilding, reintroduction, recovering species populations, reconnecting habitats, community-based conservation, ecotourism, protections and laws, and, above all, education. Guided by science, these collaborative efforts foster biodiversity and encourage ecosystems to become healthier, stronger, and more resilient. In Conservation Success, we investigate the people and the science guiding the initiatives and see how these efforts will inform future conservation and add to the scientific knowledge of our natural world. Plus, you might become empowered to take part in conservation efforts in your part of the world!

Conservation Success includes hands-on activities and critical thinking exercises to help readers gain a deeper understanding of science-based conservation. These activities, a narrative writing style, fun facts, words-to-know, and primary source links combine to take readers on an investigative journey to conservation projects around the world.

Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants by Ann McCallum Staats, illustrated by Zoë Ingram (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press 5/20/2025) – This middle grade book uses engaging conversational text and fun illustrations to delve into some big, bad, smelly, and "exceptionally strange" plants using sensational adaptations in the "science of plant survival." Such as a leaf big enough a man can sit on and a plant that looks like a rock. Interspersed among interesting tidbits of information about some amazing plants is scientific information on photosynthesis, plant names, pollination, seed dispersal, taxonomy, medicinal uses, communication, and seed banks. It's a really fun look at some amazing plants.

Synopsis: From deadly nightshade to the flying duck orchid, discover how some of the biggest, baddest, smelliest, and strangest plants around the globe earn their reputation as masters of survival.

Ready to meet some far-out flora? Leaf through this book and you’ll unearth some of the amazing adaptations that help plants thrive: Seeds that explode. Leaves that look like stones. Berries so deadly that swallowing just a few will stop your heart. A plant that eats meat, and another that pretends to be meat—rotten meat, with a smell so rank you’ll want to plug your nose. Dig in to the science of plant survival in a botanical book blooming with lush illustrations and filled with engagingly narrated, fascinating facts about how plants flourish, even in the most extreme environments on earth. A glossary, source notes, index, and select bibliography round out the back matter for readers eager to know more.

Climate: How Wladimir Koppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Climate Map by Darcy Pattison, illustrated by Peter Willis (Mims House 4/20/2025) – Fascinated with the diversity of plants and why they only grew in certain areas, Wladimir Köppen dedicated himself to studying and creating daily weather maps first of Europe, then of the Atlantic and Indian oceans, and finally of the atmosphere itself. Launching kites with instruments into the sky. Then, studying the "daily, monthly, and yearly weather maps," Wladimir created the first ever world climate map. A map upon which current maps are based. This is a fascinating biography of a steady and meticulous scientist who still impacts the world today.

Synopsis: Elementary Science - Weather and Climate

As a teenager, Wladimir Köppen became interested how the landscape changed as he traveled south from St. Petersburg on the Baltic Sea in northern Russia to Crimea on the Black Sea. Explaining that changing landscape became his life's work.

In late 1800s, weather and climates were poorly understood. They needed someone to study it carefully over a long period of time. Köppen moved to Hamburg, Germany as head weatherman at the Deutsche Seewarte, the German Marine Observatory on the Baltic Sea. His job was to start one of the world's first daily weather reports. He helped set up weather stations on the North Sea and train its staff. From around the world, he gathered other weather data.

The World's First Climate Map

Slowly, that childhood problem of changing landscapes came into focus as he developed the world's first climate map. Still today, we use Köppen's maps, with some slight modifications. Köppen's maps still help us understand the world's ecosystems and plan for the future. 

Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines by Kris Coronado, illustrated by Islenia Mil (Clarion/Harper Collins 5/27/2025) – A spectacular nonfiction celebration of four lighthouse ladies "full of grit. Bravery personified." Women who wrestled the waves to rescue shipwrecked sailors, pounded a warning bell for twenty-four hours, and fought to keep the light on despite their grief. Engaging text and stunning illustrations bring these mini biographies to life. An author's note contains some additional information on these ladies and resources about other lighthouse keepers, wives, and daughters.

Synopsis: The derring-do of Shark Lady meets the inspiration of Mae Among the Stars in the true stories of four intrepid and diverse women of history as they battle weather and waves to save sailors at sea. Kris Coronado's debut nonfiction picture book, perfect for fans of Hello, Lighthouse, is brilliantly illustrated by Islenia Mil.

Ahoy! To man a lighthouse over a century ago in America required guts, courage, and bravery. It was a job tackled by hundreds every day, many of whom . . . were not men! This true tale chronicles the amazing feats of four fascinating women. Each real lighthouse lady featured in this book—whether she’s on a wind-walloped Hawaiian clifftop or an icy channel off the Virginia coast—shows that girl power was around long before it became a popular phrase.

Thank you all for giving us a little peek into yourselves and your books. Wishing you all enormous success.

To learn more about these writers, or to contact them:

Jessica Stremer – Wonderfully Wild: Rewilding a School and Community (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster 5/6/2025) -  

Website: https://www.jessicastremer.com/about

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/JStremer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlstremer

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jstremer.bsky.social

Laura Perdew – Conservation Success: Protecting Wild Spaces and Species (Nomad Press 5/15/2025) -

Website: https://lauraperdew.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorLauraPerdew

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Ann McCallum Staats – Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press 5/20/2025) –

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Darcy Pattison – Climate: How Wladimir Koppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Climate Map (Mims House 4/20/2025) –

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Kris Coronado – Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines (Clarion/Harper Collins 5/27/2025) –

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