Millicent E. Selsam
Personal Information
Description
Millicent Ellis Selsam was born in New York City on May 30, 1912. She became interested in biology during her high school years, and went on to study biology at Brooklyn College. She was then offered a fellowship teaching at Columbia University while completing an M.A. in botany. After she received her M.A., she taught high school science. In 1946 she left teaching to write science discovery books for children. Her first published book was Egg to Chick (1946), which started a science series of "I Can Read" books for Harper. Over the course of her career she wrote approximately 130 children’s books. Her books received many awards, including the Thomas Alva Edison Award for the best juvenile science book, ''Biography of an Atom'' (1965).
Books
Tyrannosaurus rex
Doubleday's First Guide to Wild Flowers
Identifies wild flowers, grouping them by colors, and notes the season in which they bloom and whether they are found in woods or field.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a 1996 novel by the British writer Ben Elton. It shares themes with a number of movies from the mid-1990s, most notably Natural Born Killers by Oliver Stone and Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino.
Como Crecen Los Gatitos (Mariposa)
(Gr. 2-5 Age 7-10) A photographic essay describing four kittens' first eight weeks of life. Look at this tiny kitten. You could hold it in one hand. It is too little to walk. But wait! It will grow.
Animal Mix Ups
Simple text discusses how different kinds of animals live in different places and reproduce their own kind.
A first look at bats
Describes the distinctive characteristics of bats and views several different species.
A first look at ducks, geese, and swans
Examines the differences and similarities of ducks, geese, and swans.
How Puppies Grow
Describes the first six weeks of six puppies' lives as they nurse, sleep, learn to walk, eat solid food, and interact with other dogs.
A first look at animals with horns
Introduces the horned animals, such as buffalo, sheep, cow, goat, and antelope.
A first look at animals that eat other animals
A beginner's guide to distinguishing between different carnivorous animals.
Keep looking!
As the reader turns the page, a new animal is added to an illustration of a country home in the winter.
A first look at seals, sea lions, and walruses
Compares and constrasts the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of seals, sea lions, and walruses.
A first look at poisonous snakes
Describes the physical characteristics and habitat of several different poisonous snakes and their benefits to man.
Egg to Chick
Easy-to-read science text traces the fertilization of the egg and the growth and hatching out of the chick.
Strange Creatures That Really Lived
Introduces some animals that lived long ago, such as the giant sloth, camelus, huge roaches, and uintatherium.
A first look at caterpillars
Briefly describes the life cycle and habitat of the caterpillar.
A first look at owls, eagles, and other hunters of the sky
Explains what a bird of prey is and describes some of the different kinds, through text and drawings.
A first look at kangaroos, koalas, and other animals with pouches
Describes the Kangaroo and other pouched animals and discusses why most of them are isolated in Australia.
Tree flowers
Text and drawings follow the growth cycle of twelve common flowering trees: pussywillow, white oak, sugar maple, elm, apple, horse chestnut, flowering dogwood, magnolia, witch hazel, black walnut, black locust, and tulip tree.