Fire Escape

A timely middle grade nonfiction overview of the incredible ways animals detect, respond, and adapt to wildfires, as well as how climate change is affecting the frequency and severity of these devastating events in nature.

Goats and beavers. Drones and parachutes. Pinecones and beetles. What do they have in common? Believe it or not, they are all crucial tools in fighting, preventing, and adapting to wildfires!

These vicious fires are spreading faster and burning hotter than at any other time in history. Ongoing droughts, warming weather, and a history of poor forest management have extended the traditional wildfire season beyond the summer months. It is a matter of life and death for wildlife worldwide.

This breathtaking nonfiction book focuses on unique angles to a hot topic, including injury rehabilitation efforts, species that use wildfires to their advantage, how to help area repopulation, and the animals that help to prevent/fight wildfires. A riveting, kid friendly text is accompanied by stunning woodcut illustrations and full-color photographs, as well as extensive back matter with glossary, sources, and index.

Books for a Better Earth are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book
An ALA Sustainability Round Table Top 10 Selection
Named to the Missouri Dogwood Reading List★ "Garland's beautifully illustrated woodcuts, alongside vibrant color photographs, complement Stremer's book about how wild animals' keen senses help them detect and avoid danger from wildfires. . . A timely, engaging book that is as illuminating as it is fun to read."—Booklist, Starred Review

★ "Must-reading on a hot topic."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"A great resource on animal coping behavior as well as on how fires can sometimes be beneficial to nature."—School Library JournalJessica Stremer is the author of Great Carrier Reef, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection which received two starred reviews. After studying biology with an emphasis in ecology, she began writing for children as a way to instill curiosity, wonder, and respect for our natural world. She lives with her family in Wisconsin. Visit her online at www.jessicastremer.com

Michael Garland has written and illustrated many books for children, including Fish Had a Wish (Kirkus Reviews Top 25 Children's Books), Tugboat (Best Children's Books for Family Literacy), Pizza Mouse (Junior Library Guild Selection), and Birds Make Nests (Correll Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Informational Text and NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book).