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Backpack Explorer On the Nature Trail

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Jump-start curiosity with this take-along field guide for children ages 4 and up. From worms, birds, and spiders to trees, flowers, and clouds, young explorers learn what to look and listen for wherever they are — whether in a nature preserve, an urban park, or a suburban backyard. Seek-and-find lists, on-the-trail art projects, and discovery games get kids engaged in hands-on learning about nature, and a real pull-out magnifying glass helps them get a close-up glimpse of leaf veins, seed pods, and tiny insects. Filled with activities, checklists, and stickers, this interactive nature guide belongs in every kid’s backpack.

48 pages, Hardcover

Published March 20, 2018

2 people are currently reading
127 people want to read

About the author

Kathleen Yale

6 books2 followers

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5 stars
75 (72%)
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24 (23%)
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3 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Babs.
Author 16 books190 followers
January 14, 2018
We go hiking a lot and started taking the boys with us. Duncan decided he wanted this book as we were looking at some good ones for him to use. He loved the pictures as it made things easier to identify. He also loved the interesting facts each section had. We also played a few games that were included. We closed out eyes and listened see what we could identify just from the sounds.
Profile Image for T.J. Burns.
Author 83 books45 followers
October 27, 2017
Fantastic! The perfect companion to a children's hike, camp-out, or nature scavenger hunt. Big, colorful pictures, easy to understand descriptions and explanations -- just what a child needs to awake curiosity and stimulate exploration!

I received a copy of this book from Storey Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Misti.
373 reviews10 followers
February 10, 2018
This is a super cute book for preschoolers to young elementary age children! It would be used differently for each age group, I think, the younger with help from their parents, the older would be able to pair it with a little nature journal for documenting their nature treasures.

*I received a digital copy via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review*. I'll definitely find a hard copy when the book is actually published as my 3.5 year old son loved flipping through the book.
39 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2018
I love this book. My daughter has had hours of fun exploring the garden and tails for signs of wildlife. It comes with a great list of things to take along on your adventure. This is not only a great book for opening children's eyes to the wonder of nature around them but also has many pages of cool creative ideas. I would highly recommend it for kids who love the outdoors or those who you'd like to encourage to leave the house. A perfect gift.
Profile Image for Sharon Tyler.
2,815 reviews39 followers
February 22, 2018
Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail, from the editors of Storey Publishing, is currently scheduled for release on March 6 2018. Jumpstart curiosity with this take-along field guide for children ages 4 and up. From worms, birds, and spiders to trees, flowers, and clouds, young explorers learn what to look and listen for wherever they are — whether in a nature preserve, an urban park, or a suburban backyard. Seek-and-find lists, on-the-trail art projects, and discovery games get kids engaged in hands-on learning about nature, and a real pull-out magnifying glass helps them get a close-up glimpse of leaf veins, seed pods, and tiny insects. Filled with activities, checklists, and stickers, this interactive nature guide belongs in every kid’s backpack.

Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail is a well organized and accessible guide to take with you for any family outdoor outing. While it would be fantastic to take on a camping trip or long hike, but I think even short walks to the park or an afternoon in the yard could be made more interesting by using the activities and guide. I can see take the book in sections and spending a day talking about trees and plants and trying the creature creation or nature painting ideas with my own children. I think the amount of information and activities make this a book that will get much use from the family. I really liked that the activities are things that can be done as a family, but also by an older child taking the imitative to do them on their own in the back yard or as the family camps. I would suggest previewing the book before hitting the great outdoors, just to see what you might want to focus on or try while you are out there.

Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail is a wonderful field guide to take out on a family hike, camping trip, or even for short walks or trips to the park. The information and activities are interesting and adaptable for all ages.
252 reviews1 follower
March 20, 2018
An amazing book for any young outdoor enthusiast! It is full of great photographs, diagrams, and activities that will engage any budding explorer!
Profile Image for Amber Webb.
735 reviews19 followers
November 26, 2017
Backpack Explorer is one of those books that I will be giving out as a gift for years to come. This is a perfect book to hand to children that are curious about nature and want to be explorers. I loved the mix of factual information and fun activities to engage with throughout the book. Great book!
Profile Image for Kate Taelman.
155 reviews2 followers
November 9, 2017
There is so much I liked about this book! First, this book is full of usable information for the kid nature lover/hiker. The pages are full of photographs and diagrams to identify things in nature. Next, I absolutely loved the nature activities they provided. Another detail I liked was the visual index. I thought it was a cool feature for kids.

I would definitely recommend this for early/middle elementary aged kids.

*I was able to read/review an advanced copy through Netgalley
Profile Image for Barbra.
1,440 reviews8 followers
April 17, 2018
This awesome take along field guide is perfect for they little outdoor enthusiast. Inside this hardcover spiral notebook readers will find stickers to keep track of things they see on a hike, easy to read information about animals, insects and plants, and instructions on crafts and how to make a map. Ages six to 10 will want to put this in their backpacks.
Profile Image for Victoria Peipert.
214 reviews6 followers
November 1, 2017
A wonderful introduction to studying nature. Not only is this book enjoyable and informative as a tool it really aims at encouraging young children to appreciate nature in fun ways - I especially loved the mandalas!
Profile Image for Lee Dawna.
Author 18 books15 followers
December 17, 2020
Bought Backpack Explorer for a child's gift and when my husband wrapped said gift, he ended up spending half an hour looking through the book. He said it was interesting and that's all I needed to know! Great book for dad's and kids!
Profile Image for The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street.
746 reviews55 followers
August 2, 2022
The entire Backpack Explorer series follows a similar format and scope -- part nature guide, part nature journal, and part activity book. These books would work well for a homeschool nature group or for interest-based learning. Note that each book is consumable with write-in pages and stickers to use.

Children will have an opportunity to learn about various nature-based and nature exploration topics: leaves, birds, insects, clouds, mushrooms, flowers and all kinds of critters. Real photographs are included when possible which adds to the depth of experience.

Pages are included for children to nature journal or keep track of their observations. For example, stickers are provided in the back of the book for the child to add on to a specific page to sort of earn a "badge" for what they observed and learned. There are other pages that provide scavenger hunts or checklists for children to write in. In this case, children can keep track of different smells or sounds or textures they've experienced on the nature trail.

In addition, there are a number of activity ideas for exploration, play, and nature engagement: play animal hide & seek, make nature paint brushes, or create nature clay impressions.

Overall, this is a nice hands-on exploration guide that celebrates nature!

**Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Storey Publishing. Opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Erin Buhr.
Author 4 books41 followers
April 17, 2018
As a huge fan of getting kids outside I love this book! I love how it gets little kids to slow down and look more closely at their environment. My kids found adding the stickers to the book as they spotted things hugely motivating.

The simple cues on each page like "Can you find a bird soaring in the sky" or "Listen for frog or toad croaks" offers adults great ideas for focusing and expanding your experiences outside. I love that these phrases and questions are full of rich vocabulary and how well the ideas invoke the different senses.

This is a truly fantastic outdoor trail guide for engaging kids and inspiring fun learning opportunities. It is full of a diverse variety of experiences and activities that will get your kids investigating, creating, and discovering the world around them.

*I received a free copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
Profile Image for Sarena Christensen.
30 reviews2 followers
July 13, 2022
Backpack Explorer: Rock Hunt is a perfect book for a student kindergarten through 5th grade. This book gives the readers activities and discussion options about rocks throughout. The book explains classifications, has discovery zone pages with facts all about landforms, rocks, gems and fossils. If you are looking to create study cycle with your child/students then this book is a wonderful companion. Rock Hunt is a wonderful birthday gift for all the grandkids, nieces and nephews as well as your own little one. The scavenger hunts were perfect to entertain various age groups and still be inclusive. Pick one up today and begin exploring in your own backyard!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for access to this Digital ARC.
23 reviews
November 27, 2017
I initially read this book on NetGalley because I thought it might be a good addition to our school's Outdoor Education collection. After reading it, I see that it works much better as a single owner title not a library book. The photographs in the book are very well done. From animal prints to spider webs, each picture encourages the reader to explore nature. The book includes stickers as well as lots of hands on art ideas using plant life. This a a wonderful book for families that want to enjoy the great outdoors and learn some things along the way.
Profile Image for Bo.
302 reviews20 followers
October 21, 2019
I recently included this book in a nature backpack I assembled for my grandchildren ages 6 and 3. The perfect accompaniment to the journal, drawing stuff, binoculars, etc. We used the book for the first time and the many activities and various guides captured their attention for a half day's adventure.
Profile Image for Annamarie Carlson (she, her).
1,264 reviews25 followers
Read
January 24, 2021
Take this book on your next nature walk! Use the included guides to learn about trees and leaves, compare and identify insects, search for wildlife, and more. A well-designed book for young adventurers, that still functions without consumables removed to make it circulate in a library. All real photos featuring children only feature white kids.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews