Bits of rock, plants, and living creatures—what are they all ingredients for? An award-winning nonfiction author offers the youngest explorers a closer look at nature’s wonders in action.

Rocks crumble, battered by ice, wind, and water. Plants wilt, trees fall, and old bones, fins, and feathers break apart. What then? Step by step, Sally M. Walker’s simple narration lets the youngest soil scientists learn how dirt is created, becoming home to animals as well as conduits for nutrients that help to continue the life-giving cycle. Kim Smith’s inviting landscapes capture a range of forest flora and fauna, from mushrooms to pinecones, foxes to chipmunks, birds to snails. A note to parents suggests bringing the learning to life by encouraging questions and observations of the natural world.