New Releases by Dawn Cusick

Meet Ham, Minnie, Enos, Roscoe, Tiger, and Rocky. When the United States was scrambling to catch up to the Soviets after their successful launch of Sputnik, they didn''t turn to Mercury Seven astronauts Alan Shepard and John Glenn. Rather, they began bringing chimpanzees to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico for a top-secret program. The goal? To do everything America needed to make space travel safe for humans and beat the Soviets. Based on extensive research and interviews with living members of the team of veterinarians, handlers, and psychologists who worked with the animals, The Astrochimps offers a fresh perspective on animal intelligence and the rise of the space age. Detailed back matter provides resources, space mission stats, and calls to action for young readers to honor the astrochimps'' legacy and advocate for the humane treatment of chimpanzees today. Vividly depicted at work, at play, in and out of spacecrafts, these chimps played an under-appreciated part in helping the United States win the Space Race.

Have you ever wondered why bugs have green blood? Or how vampire bats drink blood for meals? Get The Scoop on Animal Blood gives you all the gory, scientific details on what flows in animals veins. This book is hot blooded! And cold blooded! And green blooded! In fact, when you dive into the world of animals and their blood, things can get pretty gross and weird. But we know you like gross and weird! In this installment of the award-winning Get the Scoop series, you will find out why deep-diving mammals have larger blood cells than other animals and more of them. Have you ever wondered how vampire bats prefer to eat their bloody breakfast? We''ll tell you! How about why stink bugs have green blood, or while horned lizards squirt blood from their eyes? We know that stuff, too! Get the Scoop on Animal Blood comes with more than 250 wild and awesome facts about animal blood, and also has over 200 color photos of animals and, you guessed it, their blood. With this book, you will be neck deep in bloody science fun.

Learn amazingly icky facts, see the yucky photos, and gross out everyone you can! Welcome to a world filled with snot otters, puss caterpillars, spitting spiders, slime stars, snotties, and more! In Get the Scoop, you''ll learn that snot, spit, and slime may seem gross, but there''s a lot of amazing science in these icky fluids. Animals use them for communication, defense, to find food, to travel fast, and more. Jellyfish and corals produce "mucus nets" to capture prey. Parrotfish burp out a mucus blanket to sleep under every night, while sea stars and sponges release volumes of mucus to distract and discourage predators. Barracudas use mucus in their scales to increase their swimming speeds and protect them from parasites. Poison dart frogs release toxins with mucus. Hagfish secrete slime if another animal tries to eat them. Clams and mussels make "mucus strings" to bring food to their mouths. Hippopotamuses release "blood slime" that works as sunscreen and an antibiotic. Saliva helps animals in hundreds of ways, too. Anteaters and giraffes use sticky saliva to help them eat, while leeches, vampire bats, and ticks use chemicals in their saliva to help them feed on blood. Many mammals use saliva to help them recognize offspring and others spit saliva at predators and prey. The venom in shrews, snakes, and other reptiles comes from adapted salivary glands. Some animal saliva works like glue, helping swifts, termites, and wasps build nests.

That’s so gross! Presented in partnership with Ranger Rick and the National Wildlife Federation, prepare to be grossed out by an engaging and unique look at some of the more disgusting survival techniques from the animal kingdom. From blood-squirting reptiles to blood-sweating mammals to nose-picking primates, learn about some of the ickiest creatures in the animal kingdom and the amazing purposes served by their grotty behaviors. From cleanup to dinnertime to self-defense, each off-putting act is actually an aid to survival! Author Dawn Cusick and the National Wildlife Federation have compiled a volume as attractive as its subject is nasty.

For more than forty-five years, the National Wildlife Federation has been dazzling families with amazing images and stories. Get ready for some supersonic fun that will make you say OUCH! Discover talon strength in birds of prey, sharp claws in lions and pumas, chewing mouthparts in insects, venom in snakes, and toxins in frogs. More? You want more? How about skunks that eat bees, stinging cells in jellyfish, meerkats that eat scorpions, caterpillars with spines, badgers and bears that bite, and zebras that kick! This book celebrates amazing animal surprises from all over the world with one-of-a-kind photographs from the NWF archives.

For more than forty-five years, the National Wildlife Federation has been dazzling families with amazing images and stories. Get ready for some supersonic fun that will make you say WOW! Discover jet propulsion in squid and dragonflies, camouflage in cuttlefish and katydids, photosynthesis in salamanders and sea slugs, vocal sacs in frogs, balance in giraffes and spider monkeys, and antenna fencing in crickets. Want more? How about spiders that use air bubbles like gills, skunks that eat bees, sea slugs that steal stinging cells from jellyfish, bower birds that build sparkling nests, and jawfish that brood eggs in their mouths! This book celebrates amazing animal surprises from all over the world with one-of-a-kind photographs from the NWF archives.

Explores the different types of animal eggs, from insects to reptiles, fish, and birds, and describes how different adult animals care for their eggs and the strange places they place them.

Looks at the varied types of animal tongues and their different uses in adaption to their environment, from the sticky tongue of a chameleon, to the tongue of the lizardfish lined with teeth, to the tongue of the parrot used to make sounds.

Discusses animal droppings and their uses, importance, and meaning.

Learn about the diverse ways insects use their butt ends to survive and thrive.

From Michaels, America''s largest specialty retailer of arts and crafts merchandise and the place to get supplies for painting, floral and home decor, needlework, scrapbooking, and more, comes an extraordinarily big, beautiful, and encyclopedic collection of techniques and 175 projects. Whatever a crafter''s pleasure, it is in here, from beading and woodworking to glass and fabric crafts.

"Crafters will find a wealth of inspiration and instruction on constructing unique lamp shades...Cusick begins with instructions on how to put together a basic lamp shade, then proceeds with more creative examples such as fabric-covered shades, glass shades, and crocheted shades....ends with a portfolio of designers who use their talents to create unique lamp shades....Experienced crafters will find lots of creative ideas..."--"Library Journal."

Searching in vain to find the perfect lamp to accent that impossible room is now a thing of the past. With this Lampshade Book & Kit, you''ll learn the basics of lamp lingo and shade construction, and create two custom shades out of material you select. The 80-plus examples, ranging in style from origami to stained glass, will provide inspiration and help you decide what fabric or paper goes best with your motifs. Comes with: -- 2 10 in. bottom rings -- 2 5 in. top rings -- 2 pieces precut adhesive-backed styrene -- 1 shade template to use for future projects -- fabric glue -- all-color hardback book

Using leftover pieces of fabric, quickly learn to love making these delightful Christmas decorations. The straight-line sewing technique makes every project quick and easy to make. Make Yuletide whimsies -- miniature stockings and strings of light, culinary celebrations, gift-basket liners in festive fabrics -- plus dozens of other irresistible patchwork treasures, all from leftover materials.

Contains complete directions for making over ninety wreaths, decorations, and ornaments such as pine needle ornaments, and twig wreath.

Make this Christmas the most beautiful one ever with this collection of craft projects for the holiday season, including sewing crafts, stockings, soft sculptures, dried wreaths and garlands, pinecone crafts, culinary treats, and more. Complete with step-by-step instructions. Full-color photos.

120 elegant Christmas projects with step-by-step directions will enrich your holiday season and many can be adapted for use once the holidays are over.

Instructions for making hundreds of items include tips on collecting natural materials, drying flowers, and more

Captioned color photographs with instructions for creating various wreaths.

Contains 100 projects to make for your home during the Christmas season. Includes garlands, swags, centerpieces, ornaments, and wreaths.