Released on: October 17, 2008, 12:06 pm

Press Release Author: Kathryn Duvall

Industry: Education

Press Release Summary: October 21 is Reptile Awareness Day!

Press Release Body: Mount Pleasant, S.C. (October 17, 2008) EUR" Scaly, slimy,
slippery, and smelly: if this is what comes to mind when you think of reptiles, you
need to learn more about this wonderful world of wigglers! Many people are grossed
out and freaked out about reptiles, but they are actually beneficial to our
environment. As with many animals, reptiles help regulate the food chainEUR"and many
people even like to keep them as pets! So if you already appreciate reptiles, or
even if you want to know a little bit more about them, celebrate Reptile Awareness
Day on October 21!

Little SkinkEUR(tm)s Tail (Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2007), by Janet Halfmann, and
illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein, is a tale of reptile tails! It just recently won
the 2009 Learning Magazine TeachersEUR(tm) Choice Award, the 2008 Florida PublisherEUR(tm)s
Association Best Picture Book Award, and the 2008 FPA Best Overall Book Award. When
Little Skink loses her bright blue tail to ward off an attacker, she suddenly finds
herself missing something to wiggle and wag. What would Little Skink look like with
the tail of a squirrel? What about a turtle or a deer? Readers will love this
imaginative tale detailed with bright and creative illustrations.

FUN FACTS from Little SkinkEUR(tm)s Tail:
EUR Many reptiles can detach their tails from their bodies in order to help them
escape a predatorEUR(tm)s attack.
EUR Cottontail rabbits and white-tailed deer both use their small, white tails as a
warning flag to alert other rabbits and deer to any approaching dangers, and they
are both named after their tails, too!
EUR Owls use their small tails to help balance and steer as they fly through the night
sky.
EUR Both porcupines and skunks use their tails as protection. A porcupine rubs its
spiky quills off on any threatening animal, and a skunk releases a smelly spray to
scare off predators.

ACTIVITIES from Little SkinkEUR(tm)s Tail:
EUR Find out what the purpose is of each animalEUR(tm)s tail and how it helps them survive
in the forest.
EUR Help Little Skink get from her log across the forest to where the other animals
are resting.
EUR Match each forest animal to their original tail.
EUR To learn more about these activities, lizards, or all forest dwellers, visit
http://www.SylvanDellPublishing.com.

# # #

About Sylvan Dell Publishing
Sylvan Dell Publishing in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., is on a mission to excite childrenEUR(tm)s
imaginations with artistically spectacular science, math, and nature themed stories.
Founded in November of 2004, Sylvan DellEUR(tm)s family has grown to include more than 55
authors and illustrators, in the U.S. and Canada, and 35 titles EUR" honored as
finalists or winners of more than 50 book awards. To buy Janet HalfmannEUR(tm)s
award-winning Little SkinkEUR(tm)s Tail, please visit http://www.SylvanDellPublishing.com.


Web Site: http://www.SylvanDellPublishing.com

Contact Details: 976 Houston Northcutt Blvd,
Mt. Pleasant, SC