National Parks of the USA

Ages 7 to 10, Grades 2 to 5

Take a tour of America's great outdoors with this book that goes wild for the flora, fauna and epic landscapes of the National Parks of the USA.

Take a tour of America's great outdoors and discover the beauty and diversity of its most iconic and majestic national parks.

*A 2019 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students: K–12 (National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council)*

Packed with maps and fascinating facts about the flora and fauna unique to each of the 21 parks portrayed, this lushly illustrated coast-to-coast journey documents in large format the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places – and shows why they should be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Explore Florida's river-laced Everglades, travel down the white water rapids of the Grand Canyon, trek across the deserts of Death Valley, and scale the soaring summits of the Rocky Mountains with this book that brings you up close to nature's greatest adventures.

Divided by region (East, Central, Rocky Mountains, West, Tropics, and Alaska), a pictographic map at the start of each section shows the locations of the parks to be covered. Each park is introduced by a stunning, poster-worthy illustration of one of its scenes and a summary of its makeup, followed by individual illustrations of the animals and plants that make their homes there.

Captions provide captivating information about the wildlife. Did you know that Everglades National Park is home to marsh rabbits who paddle through its swamps searching for herbs, flowers, and other plants to nibble on? Or that the pronghorn antelope of Badlands National Park are the continent’s fastest land animals, sprinting up to 60 miles per hour to escape predators like bobcats and coyotes?

A “Can you spot this…?” page at the back challenges you to find a pictured critter or plant for every letter of the alphabet.

The parks include: Acadia, Badlands, Big Bend, Biscayne, Bryce Canyon, Channel Islands, Death Valley, Denali, Everglades, Glacier, Glacier Bay, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Hawaii volcanoes, Isle Royale, Mesa Verde, Olympic, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Virgin Islands, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.

A book to be treasured by children and adults alike, National Parks of the USA serves to inspire the adventuring naturalist in all of us.

Brimming with facts, activities, and beautiful illustrations, the National Parks of the USA series of books immerses young people in the wonders of America’s outdoors. Learn about the wonderful wildlife, stunning scenery, and rare plants that inhabit these precious outdoor spaces. Celebrate these beautiful and rare locations, and be awed by the diversity and grandeur of the national parks’ living landscapes.

Also in the series: National Parks of the USA: Activity Book and National Parks of the USA Postcards.

About the Author

Kate Siber, author of the award-winning bestseller National Parks of the USA, is a journalist and a correspondent for Outside magazine living in Durango, Colorado. She has tried her hand at almost every adventure activity going, and covers the world's wild and remote places as well as environmental and social issues. Her writing has been featured in many publications, including National Geographic Traveler, National Parks, Preservation, Men's Journal, and The New York Times.

Chris Turnham is an illustrator and printmaker based in Los Angeles. He's worked as an artist in both feature and television animation and has contributed illustrations to publications and children's books.