Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2022 i Click Science and Discovery Magazine for Preschoolers and Young Children

Animals have many ways to stay safe. Some run or hide. Others have special ways to protect themselves. Can you pretend to do what these animals do? Hold Still A rabbit freezes in place when it senses danger. Its color helps it blend in so a hawk on the hunt can’t spot it. A walking stick is even better at blending in. It looks like a branch when it holds still. Leap Away Springy back legs help a frog leap far. It jumps to move from place to place—and to escape from snakes and birds. A grasshopper’s knees work like springs too. The grasshopper bends its knees to store up energy. Then it relaxes its legs, and BOING! The energy launches it into the air. An impala’s jump can be…

Native American cultures tell many old legends about the wise and crafty trickster, Coyote. Even today, coyotes are known for their intelligence and ability to survive in many different environments—in deserts, mountains, forests, and even cities! Coyotes can smell food and enemies more than a mile away. They can see the small movements of a mouse in tall grass from across a field. They can run as fast as 40 miles per hour. And since they eat almost anything, they can usually find food wherever they go.…

When human babies are born, someone has to keep them warm, feed them, carry them, and protect them from danger. Some baby animals must take care of themselves when they are born. Mother sea turtles lay their eggs in nests on the beach, then return to the water. When the babies hatch, they crawl to the ocean all on their own. Butterfly moms fly away after they’ve laid their eggs. When a tiny caterpillar hatches, it knows to eat its egg—and then keep on eating leaves until it grows big enough to change into a butterfly. A seahorse dad carries and protects his babies in a pouch on his tummy until they’re ready to be born. But once he pushes the tiny babies out, he leaves and gives them no…

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Hundreds of kinds of octopuses live in the sea. Some are smaller than a baby’s hand. Some are as long as a big SUV. But they all have a rounded body and eight strong arms. And they’re smart. Here are eight amazing ways they protect themselves. 1. Octopuses have great eyesight. They watch for danger and stay away from enemies. 2. Octopuses have no bones. They can squeeze through narrow cracks and hide in tight spaces. Some even carry shells with them to hide in when needed. 3. An octopus can change color and make its skin smooth or bumpy or spiky to match its surroundings, so enemies can’t find it. 4. One kind of octopus pretends to be other, more dangerous animals. It twists its body and arms to…

I thought I heard ghosts crying outside in Tata’s orchard. Mama came in all sleepy and hugged me in my quilt. “It’s just coyotes, Ana.” Yip-yip yaooo, yap-yap! sang the quavery howls. “Are they dogs?” I asked. I felt safe, now that she was there. “Wild dogs. They live in the desert and the woods, but sometimes they come close to the house and sing.” Outside my window the apricot trees bloomed white in the dark. Two bushy-tailed shadows flicked out of sight. “Maybe they like apricots,” I said. “Like me.” “Then they’ll have to wait a month or two,” said Mama, kissing me back to bed. “Like you.” “Coyotes like Tata’s apricots,” I told Papa at breakfast. “I do too. And last year’s jam is almost gone.” He licked…