Do you like scavenger hunts? How can you tell if creek water is clean and healthy? Join Lucas and his sister as they act like scientists looking for certain kinds of stream bugs (aquatic macroinvertebrates) that need clean, unpolluted water to survive. What will they find as they turn over rocks, pick up leaves, and sort through the mud? Read Creek Critters to discover how stream bugs are the storytellers of our streams.
“Beautifully illustrated by the artwork of Phyllis Saroff, and deftly written by Jennifer Keats Curtis in collaboration with Stroud Water Research Center, Creek Critters is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to family, elementary school, and community library [STEM picturebook] collections.” – The Midwest Book Review
The adventures don’t end with storytime! Back-of-the-book activities, including a scavenger hunt, life cycle matching activity, and field notebook, make this picturebook a handy companion for exploring your home watershed! The reading level is appropriate for upper elementary school students. Adults may also find this book engaging when read to younger children.
eBook readings of Creek Critters are available in English and Spanish languages, including a Bilingual option for non-native speakers of either language to hear and see both languages side-by-side! Beginning readers will enjoy assistive technologies such as word highlighting and pronunciation at varying speeds.
Where to Purchase Creek Critters
You can preview the English and Spanish versions of the book before you buy. Part of the proceeds from sales of Creek Critters benefits boots-in-the-water education by the Stroud Center.
- A limited number of hardcover and paperback copies will be available for purchase at Stroud Center events.
- Hardcover, paperback, and eBook editions are available from Arbordale Publishing.
- Hardcover and paperback editions are also available from Amazon.
- Ask for Creek Critters at your favorite book store!
FREE Creek Critters Printables!
Enrich your Creek Critters storytime with printable resources, which will remain FREE indefinitely on the Stroud Center and Arbordale Publishing websites:
- For Creative Minds: This educational section at the back of each Creek Critters book can be downloaded in Spanish and English. Includes a scavenger hunt, scientific field notebook, life cycle matching activity, and aquatic macroinvertebrate sensitivity chart.
- Teaching Activity Guide: This 19-page supplement to Creek Critters includes important curricular extensions in Spanish and English for educators, teachers, homeschooling parents, and parents/caregivers. Includes pre-reading questions, reading comprehension activities, vocabulary, and more!
