A mother explains to her son that in nature, an end is also a beginning as day gives way to night, winter ends and spring begins, and, after it stops falling, rain makes clouds for other storms.

In this astonishingly assured, exquisitely crafted debut collection, Anthony Doerr takes readers from the African coast to the suburbs of Ohio, from sideshow pageantry to harsh wilderness survival, charting a vast and varied emotional landscape. Like the best storytellers, Doerr explores the human condition in all its manifestations: metamorphosis, grief, fractured relationships, and slowly mending hearts. Most dazzling is Doerr's gift for conjuring...

A child observes the arrival of spring and its effects on plants and animals. Includes suggestions for nature study projects.

Spending a day outdoors, Anna revels in the joys of sun, sky, grass, flowers, berries, frogs, ants, and beetles.

Two children walk through the woods with a guide, exploring trails and observing nature around them.

Gray Fox is at one with nature and his place in it. When his life is brought to a sudden end, we see--through the eyes of a compassionate young boy--that nature offers recompense for loss.

Nature interferes when Lee attempts to throw away her empty popcorn bag.

Stella and her little brother, Sam, embark on an adventurous day in the forest, where they explore the outdoor world together and discover the joys of nature.

Before finding the robin she is searching for, a child discovers other interesting fauna and flora in her backyard.

Presents Thoreau's reflections on his experiences living alone in the woods surrounding Walden Pond and his philosophy concerning humankind's need to reevaluate life and commune with nature.