How to Track a Black Bear

The Scatalog series has a clever pitch — teach real wildlife science through the one topic that makes kids immediately pay attention — and this volume on black bears delivers on it. Graubart covers paw prints, claw marks on trees, bear dens, and yes, bear scat, all with color photographs, track diagrams, maps, and charts that support visual learners well. Young nature enthusiasts get genuine field-observation skills alongside the fun. The caveat is that this is a narrow, short-format nonfiction title: once a child has absorbed the tracking basics, there isn't much reason to return to it. And the poop-forward premise, while effective for engagement, won't land with every parent. For a budding naturalist who needs a hook, though, this one works.