Most of the Better Natural Things in the World Read online

  To T.N. —D.E.

  To mountains and seas, thank you for bringing lives and wonders. —A.C.

  Text copyright © 2019 by Dave Eggers.

  Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Angel Chang.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

  Names: Eggers, Dave, author. | Chang, Angel, illustrator.

  Title: Most of the better natural things in the world / by Dave Eggers ; illustrated by Angel Chang.

  Description: San Francisco, California : Chronicle Books, [2019] |

  Summary: In this picture book with minimal text, a tiger with a chair on its back wanders across the different but beautiful landscapes of the Earth, from an Alpine lake to the tundra.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2018053883 | ISBN 9781452162829 (hc) } ISBN 9781452166957 (epub, mobi)

  Subjects: LCSH: Tiger—Juvenile fiction. | Landscapes—Juvenile fiction. | Picture books for children. | CYAC: Tiger—Fiction. | Landscapes—Fiction. | LCGFT: Picture books.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.1.E296 Mo 2019 | DDC [E]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018053883

  Design by Jennifer Tolo Pierce.

  Typeset in Cellini Pro.

  Handlettering by Dave Eggers.

  The illustrations in this book were created in mixed media on paper, rendered and composed in Photoshop.

  Chronicle Books LLC

  680 Second Street

  San Francisco, California 94107

  Chronicle Books—we see things differently. Become part of our community at www.chroniclekids.com.

  Glossary

  A wide plain usually covered with grass or other low growth. Steppes are found in places where there are hot, dry summers and short, rainy winters.

  A narrow valley in between steep rock formations or mountains. Gorges are often dramatic in their appearance, and at the bottom there is often a river or stream.

  A low range of land separating mountains or hills. Valleys often have a river flowing through.

  A flat piece of land with very few trees. Plains are often turned into farmland. The midwestern United States is largely plains.

  A moist, always-green forest constantly covered by clouds or fog. Most cloud forests are in Central America, but they can also be found in South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean.

  A long, narrow inlet of the sea in between frozen, icy cliffs. Norway is known for its beautiful and plentiful fjords.

  A circle-shaped coral reef or group of islands that surrounds a lagoon. Atolls are formed by underwater volcanoes.

  A group of islands. Usually these islands are relatively close together, like pebbles thrown into the sea.

  An area where a river or stream carrying fresh water meets the saltwater ocean. Many fish, birds, crabs, and other creatures live in or near estuaries.

  A green, moist area in the middle of the desert. Water is found in an oasis, so it’s sometimes called a watering hole. A thirsty traveler in the desert always hopes for an oasis.

  A large area of calm sea water. Lagoons are always close to or lead to bigger bodies of water, like oceans or bays, but are separated from them by things like barrier islands, low sandbanks, or coral reefs. A lot of times, people like to kayak or canoe on lagoons.

  A lake or reservoir high above sea level and surrounded by mountains. Alpine lakes tend to be very clear because of the cold mountain water that empties into them.

  A group of shrubby bushes that are fit for dry summers and moist winters. Chaparrals are home to many animals, like jackrabbits, coyotes, mule deer, and alligator lizards.

  A range of small hills at the foot of a mountain. Many mammals live on foothills, like mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, and skunks.

  A view that is usually dramatic in scope. Often a vista is an established viewing spot from atop a mountain, ridge, or mesa.

  A region with limited vegetation and uniquely formed, rough hills. Badlands are mostly found in the United States in southwestern South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska.

  A flat area without trees that consists mostly of mosses, lichens, herbs, and dwarf shrubs. Tundras exist in frozen subsoil parts of North America, Asia, Europe, and the Arctic.

  Wave-like sand formations that are created by wind. Most sand dunes are located near the sea or in a desert.

  A string of hills or mountains that form a continuous elevated range. The peaks of a ridge often have their own names. Altogether, the silhouette created by these mountains and hills is called the ridgeline.

  A narrow ravine with steep sides surrounding a fast-moving stream.

  A large mass of ice that moves very slowly, spreading out on a land surface. Glaciers leave behind valleys and unusual land formations.

  A long, narrow strip of land that connects two bigger land masses that are separated by water.

  A swampy forest usually found in the northern parts of the globe, between tundras and steppes. The taiga is home to billions of trees and makes up one of the world’s largest biomes.

  is the author of many books for adults and young people, including Her Right Foot and What Can A Citizen Do? He is co-founder of The International Congress of Youth Voices, an annual gathering of the world’s most accomplished teen writers and activists. A portion of this book’s proceeds supports YEP, the Young Editors Project, which connects children’s book authors with their young readers. Learn more at youngeditorsproject.org, internationalcongressofyouthvoices.com, and daveeggers.net.

  is an illustrator from Taiwan. Her work has always been inspired by nature and culture. This is her first picture book. She made it with the hope that this book will encourage people to see the world and to take care of our planet, so the beauty can be around for younger generations.

 

 

  Dave Eggers, Most of the Better Natural Things in the World

  Thanks for reading the books on GrayCity.Net