69 books like Reptiles

By Catriona Clarke, Connie McLennan (illustrator),

Here are 69 books that Reptiles fans have personally recommended if you like Reptiles. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Why Do Cats Meow?

Laura Hulbert Author Of Who Has These Feet?

From my list on animal adaptations for young readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a child, I saw a grasshopper doing the sidestroke in the ocean and it sparked my interest in animal behavior. Though I still don’t know if all grasshoppers do the sidestroke, I’ve learned a lot about animal adaptations since then. And I’ve learned a lot about what motivates young readers from my years as a reading specialist and a classroom teacher. I’ve put that knowledge to work in my two popular books: Who Has These Feet? and Who Has This Tail?

Laura's book list on animal adaptations for young readers

Laura Hulbert Why did Laura love this book?

Like my book, this one draws young readers into the topic of animal adaptations with a question. Although the book doesn’t have a table of contents for easy perusing, it does provide a model for picking and choosing the chapters of interest. It’s likely to be a young reader’s first experience with the scanning procedure we use in nonfiction materials--as opposed to the page after page reading necessary in fiction stories. The book consists of 20 chapters each addressing a question about cat behavior. The explanatory paragraph is from 3-10 sentences long, pitched at a late 1st-grade reader. The visuals are a combination of photographs and drawings.

By Joan Holub,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Why Do Cats Meow? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Many children love cats, and there is so much to know about America's most popular pet. Why do they meow, hiss, and purr? Why do they have whiskers, tails, and claws? Beginning readers can find out the answers to those questions and many more in this fun, fact-packed book filled with colorful feline photos and drawings.


Book cover of Scholastic True or False: Mammals

Laura Hulbert Author Of Who Has These Feet?

From my list on animal adaptations for young readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a child, I saw a grasshopper doing the sidestroke in the ocean and it sparked my interest in animal behavior. Though I still don’t know if all grasshoppers do the sidestroke, I’ve learned a lot about animal adaptations since then. And I’ve learned a lot about what motivates young readers from my years as a reading specialist and a classroom teacher. I’ve put that knowledge to work in my two popular books: Who Has These Feet? and Who Has This Tail?

Laura's book list on animal adaptations for young readers

Laura Hulbert Why did Laura love this book?

The “test your knowledge” format of this book is appealing to a wide age range of youngsters. A simple question like “All mammals eat meat. TRUE or FALSE?” is followed by a one word answer (FALSE) and then a one sentence answer in large font: Cows and many other mammals usually eat plants. The subsequent paragraph goes into more detail about the topic. In this case, it explains how the shape of an animal’s teeth provides a clue to its diet. Full disclosure: Many kids who peruse the book on their own skip over the paragraphs. Captivating photos of animals in nature abound.

By Melvin Berger, Gilda Berger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Scholastic True or False as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

Fun, photographic nonfiction at its best! True or False? You decide!

Let’s face it, kids love to ask and answer questions, which is why the Scholastic True or False series is packed full of fun questions like "Do all mammals live on land?" and "Is the mouse the smallest mammal?" Kids will read the question on the right-hand page and then flip it over to find out the answer. It’s the truth--the Scholastic True or False series is a hit!


Book cover of Building Beavers

Laura Hulbert Author Of Who Has These Feet?

From my list on animal adaptations for young readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a child, I saw a grasshopper doing the sidestroke in the ocean and it sparked my interest in animal behavior. Though I still don’t know if all grasshoppers do the sidestroke, I’ve learned a lot about animal adaptations since then. And I’ve learned a lot about what motivates young readers from my years as a reading specialist and a classroom teacher. I’ve put that knowledge to work in my two popular books: Who Has These Feet? and Who Has This Tail?

Laura's book list on animal adaptations for young readers

Laura Hulbert Why did Laura love this book?

What I love about the books in the Lerner’s Pull Ahead series is the natural language that’s used and the depth of information that’s provided. In an effort to be readable, many non-fiction books aimed at young elementary students are so concise as to wind up being superficial. But this series explores concepts in depth. In Building Beavers, 12 sentences are devoted to the construction of a beaver lodge. The books include 27 pages of text (two to three sentences per page.) At the end of the book, there is a map showing where in the world the animal is found and a diagram of the animal’s body parts as well as a glossary and an index. There are no headings or chapter titles, however. The detailed photographs provide an excellent complement to the text.

By Kathleen Martin-James,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Building Beavers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

Who built the first dam in North America? A beaver! Learn how beavers--much like humans--change the landscape to suit their needs. Stunning photos and engaging text show beavers eating, swimming, escaping from predators, and growing from playful kits into industrious adults.


Book cover of Animals and Where They Live

Laura Hulbert Author Of Who Has These Feet?

From my list on animal adaptations for young readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a child, I saw a grasshopper doing the sidestroke in the ocean and it sparked my interest in animal behavior. Though I still don’t know if all grasshoppers do the sidestroke, I’ve learned a lot about animal adaptations since then. And I’ve learned a lot about what motivates young readers from my years as a reading specialist and a classroom teacher. I’ve put that knowledge to work in my two popular books: Who Has These Feet? and Who Has This Tail?

Laura's book list on animal adaptations for young readers

Laura Hulbert Why did Laura love this book?

There are lots of animal encyclopedias out there, but none compares to this Dorling Kindersly book. Each double-page spread focuses on a particular biome. The illustration takes up most of the page and depicts the inhabitants assembled in naturalistic poses. Along the borders of the page are labels and short paragraphs about each of the animals. Topics related to a particular biome are included: Surviving the Cold, The Burrowers, etc. The Life in the Mountains and The Ocean Depths sections show the different levels in which animals live. This is a book to be gazed at long and luxuriously, preferably on a lap.

By John Feltwell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Animals and Where They Live as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

so cool HB children's book


Book cover of Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Most Challenging Days of Your Life

Lauren Peacock Author Of Female. Likes Cheese. Comes with Dog.: Stories About Divorce, Dating, and Saying “I Do”

From my list on if you’re going through a divorce.

Why am I passionate about this?

During my divorce, I became fascinated with the psychology behind divorce and the pathology behind personalities. I started doing a lot of research for my memoir that I was writing. Working professionally in the entertainment industry, I was fortunate enough to publish my book and get some publicity behind it. Because of my research and experience, I’ve been a guest on ABC, FOX, and have been in publications like HelloGiggles, Woman's Day, Authority Magazine, and more. I truly love understanding why a relationship works and why it doesn’t sometimes. Humor can’t cure a divorce, but I do believe it can help and if I can contribute to that, well then I think that’s fabulous. ☺ 

Lauren's book list on if you’re going through a divorce

Lauren Peacock Why did Lauren love this book?

One of my lines in my book was, “Dr. Phil, It’s Your Girl” when I was sarcastically calling out for help. And hey, it’s true, sometimes we just need to bask in some form of self-help. If you can’t afford therapy or reading is an addition, this book can help you address feelings you may have parallel to Dr. Phil and the specific days he talks about. Some you may have experienced (like divorce) and others may not have occurred yet. This was a mini therapeutic dive for me and helped me with perspective in various situations.

By Phil McGraw,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Real Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestselling advice guru, Dr. Phil McGraw, presents a practical and inspiring guide to overcoming life’s seven biggest crises.

Sooner or later, every adult faces a potentially devastating situation. Dealing with the stress of a traumatic event—whether it’s the loss of a loved one or a sudden illness—requires skills and insights very different to those used to manage day-to-day turbulence. And no author is as equipped as Dr. Phil to guide readers in navigating their most trying moments.

With his trademark calm and prescriptive approach, Dr. Phil divides these life-altering events into seven categories—including loss, fear,…


Book cover of The Anxiety Sisters' Survival Guide: How You Can Become More Hopeful, Connected, and Happy

Meredith Arthur Author Of Get Out of My Head: Inspiration for Overthinkers in an Anxious World

From my list on helping you manage stress, anxiety, and overthinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I first started building this site, and the Beautiful Voyager community, I had just turned 40 years old. I’d been fighting migraines all of my life and had tried every medication and natural approach possible. I'd given up hope for improvement when my neurologist surprised me by saying: You have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I searched but found nothing online that spoke to my physical experience of stress, overthinking, and anxiety. I decided that had to change, and that was when Beautiful Voyager was born. I hope you find the answers you’re looking for, or even just feel less alone on the journey. The first Beautiful Voyager book, Get Out of My Head, was released in May 2020.

Meredith's book list on helping you manage stress, anxiety, and overthinking

Meredith Arthur Why did Meredith love this book?

Could there have been a more natural and intuitive connection than mine with the Anxiety Sisters? I don't think so. Abbe Greenberg and Maggie Sarachek have built an online community of 200K people and host a popular podcast called The Spin Cycle. In their work, they blend their personal experience with their professional training as counselors, mental health advocates, researchers, and educators. Their book, The Anxiety Sisters’ Survival Guide: How You Can Become More Hopeful, Connected, and Happy is terrific. The down-to-earth, actionable advice that Abbe and Maggie share is dead on. Great work, sisters!

By Abbe Greenberg, Maggie Sarachek,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Anxiety Sisters' Survival Guide as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

* Does merely saying the word 'anxiety' make you anxious? [sorry]
* Is your head stuck in a constant spin cycle?
* Do you feel like your anxiety runs the show? [sorry, again]

Got anxiety? Join the club. More specifically, join the Anxiety Sisterhood. Abs and Mags, aka the Anxiety Sisters, have spent the past thirty years figuring out how to outsmart their anxiety-ridden brains, and the last five years sharing what they've learned with a growing online community of like-minded sufferers who are looking for ways to cope better every day.

Whether you're looking to better understand and manage…


Book cover of Bouncing Forward: The Art and Science of Cultivating Resilience

Linda Graham Author Of Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Well-Being

From my list on resilience and how to cope skillfully with life’s difficulties.

Why am I passionate about this?

Resilience - helping people recover their capacities to deal with any adversity, stress, loss or trauma – is the heart of my work as a licensed psychotherapist (25 years) and an international trainer of mental health professionals (more than a decade). Bouncing Back is the book I wanted to be able to hand my clients to help them learn to use the capacities of resilience innate in their brains to develop more effective patterns of response to life crises and catastrophes. No such book was available at the time, so I wrote my own. It has become a tremendous resource for people to learn to how to be more resilient, and to learn that they can learn.

Linda's book list on resilience and how to cope skillfully with life’s difficulties

Linda Graham Why did Linda love this book?

Beautifully written stories of survivors of trauma, many well-known to the public, revealing the strategies and inner resources they drew on to “transform bad breaks into breakthroughs.”

By Michaela Haas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bouncing Forward as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Engaging stories of modern survival with uplifting and often surprising takeaways." -Gay Hendricks, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of The Big Leap and Conscious Loving

"Bouncing Forward shows us how adversity can turn us toward our deepest inner resources of trust, wisdom, and love." -Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

"Discover the advantages of adversity and find meaning in the messiness...[Bouncing Forward] shows the reader how to cultivate the mindset of resilience that can catalyze healing and growth from catastrophe. Brilliant, inspiring, to be read, re-read, and treasured." -Linda Graham, MFT, author of Bouncing Back…


Book cover of The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease

Andrew H. Knoll Author Of A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters

From my list on fossils and the history of life.

Why am I passionate about this?

An acclaimed scientist, teacher, and writer, Andrew Knoll has travelled the world for decades, investigating ancient rocks to understand the intertwined histories of our planet and the life it supports. His boyhood thrill at discovering fossils has never deserted him. It continues to motivate him to explore topics that range from the earliest records of life and the emergence of an oxygen-rich atmosphere; the diversification of both plants and animals, and the intricacies of mass extinctions, past and present. He has also participated in NASA’s exploration of Mars.

Andrew's book list on fossils and the history of life

Andrew H. Knoll Why did Andrew love this book?

Of the many good books about human evolution, Dan Lieberman’s is my favorite. A biologist and paleoanthropologist, Lieberman describes in clear, accessible prose the fossils that document our own origins, stressing function as inferred from fossils. Having recounted the story of our evolutionary origins, he goes on to explain its consequences – some good, some bad – for human health in the 21st century.

By Daniel E. Lieberman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Story of the Human Body as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In The Story of the Human Body, Daniel Lieberman, Professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard, shows how we need to change our world to fit our hunter-gatherer bodies

This ground-breaking book of popular science explores how the way we use our bodies is all wrong. From an evolutionary perspective, if normal is defined as what most people have done for millions of years, then it's normal to walk and run 9 -15 kilometres a day to hunt and gather fresh food which is high in fibre, low in sugar, and barely processed. It's also normal to spend much of…


Book cover of Adaptation to Life

Bruce Grierson Author Of What Makes Olga Run? The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Happier Lives

From my list on actually living before you die.

Why am I passionate about this?

Writing the Olga book was a privilege in several senses. I got to hang out for five years with a remarkable human who kicked my butt (in the nicest possible way) and pulled me out of a midlife funk with the example of her indomitable spirit. Just as significantly, I got to delve deeply into the question of What makes some people almost … bulletproof? To what degree is healthy aging, well … a choice? This is really all a writer can ask for: to stumble on a subject that will never exhaust itself, that will just continue to open new angles. One way or another, I keep writing about Olga, and I suspect I always will.

Bruce's book list on actually living before you die

Bruce Grierson Why did Bruce love this book?

The retired Harvard psychiatrist shepherded the Grant Study of American men, one of the most robust longitudinal studies of humans ever done – basically examining the question: Why do some people live long and thrive? Here’s the science that confirms what everybody suspected, and I won’t tell you the answer but I think you can guess.

Vaillant is actually a pretty good writer too —which maybe isn’t surprising; literary chops are bred in the bone. George’s son, John Vaillant, is the mightly talented author of The Golden Spruce, among other books.

By George E. Vaillant,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Adaptation to Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Between 1939 and 1942, one of America's leading universities recruited 268 of its healthiest and most promising undergraduates to participate in a revolutionary new study of the human life cycle. The originators of the program, which came to be known as the Grant Study, felt that medical research was too heavily weighted in the direction of disease, and their intent was to chart the ways in which a group of promising individuals coped with their lives over the course of many years.

Nearly forty years later, George E. Vaillant, director of the Study, took the measure of the Grant Study…


Book cover of Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

Amanda Stern Author Of Little Panic: Dispatches from an Anxious Life

From my list on mental anguish from inside a body in distress.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the author of The Long Haul and Little Panic: Dispatches from an Anxious Life and eleven books for children written under the pseudonyms AJ Stern and Fiona Rosenbloom. I publish a newsletter called “How to Live” where I simplify complex theories from psychology and offer ideas for their practical applications. My work explores the complexities of emotion, addiction, neglect, and issues surrounding mental health. I am prone to write from inside the body, to capture the visceral resonance of the somatic experience and consciousness.

Amanda's book list on mental anguish from inside a body in distress

Amanda Stern Why did Amanda love this book?

Confession: as of this writing I am only ⅓ of the way through this book, but I like it immensely and find it immensely soothing and validating. A cursory search on Dr. Julie Smith, a therapist, tells me that she is “TikTok famous” and remains very popular on social media. This is not how I came across her work, or this book. This book is an excellent primer for how to survive being human in this world, with vital inside information from decades of therapeutic practice on how to face daily challenges and become attuned to our mental health. Filled with insights, strategies, and explanations that are both practice and relatable, this is a great book to gift to people of all ages.

By Julie Smith,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Sound wisdom, easy to gulp down. I'm sure this book is already helping lots of people. Great work, Dr Julie' MATT HAIG, bestselling author of REASONS TO STAY ALIVE

'Brilliant. Bite-size. Easy to understand. Easy to flick through. It's like a reference to how you feel' Phillip Schofield on ITV's THIS MORNING

THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'Julie Smith is the psychology teacher you wish you'd had at school' EVENING STANDARD
'This book is a goldmine. I truly treat it like a handbook now' STYLIST
'It's real, it's authentic . . . Very practical and very, very helpful' LORRAINE…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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