Heres a pick thats perfect for nowand for later.

This beautifully illustrated lift-the-flap book lets children explore small habitats in nature up close.The smallest areas of the natural world can contain a diverse web of life. Peel back leaves on the forest floor, peer over a clifftop and into a desert canyon, travel to an oasis in the Sahara Desert, climb a towering Brazil nut tree in a rain forest, and visit four more land-based habitats. What creatures will you discover? In this richly illustrated lift-the-flap book, young nature enthusiasts can get up close and personal with the wonders found in eight very different terrestrial ecosystems.

Heres a pick thats both functional and full of heart.