Book excerpt: A simple, fully-illustrated introduction to backyard nature comes packaged with a sturdy magnifying glass, a portable nature ID chart, and an activity poster. Armed with a magnifying glass and an innate sense of curiosity, any child can be a nature detective! PBS Kids Look and Learn Nature Detective is packed with pictures and simple information to encourage kids to go outside and explore—to look at leaves, nuts, seeds, bark, pine cones, mushrooms, animal tracks, and more. The kit encourages children not only to notice interesting items around them, but to inspect them up close—to touch and feel for texture and to compare and contrast their shapes, colors, and sizes. The book also encourages children to notice the amazing sounds, smells, and sights on any nature walk. This family-pleasing kit builds many skills in children ages 4 and up, including: *observation and exploration *sorting by size, shape, and color *identifying common properties and spotting differences and much more!