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THE MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG EXPLORERS

Lion

Cubs

2014
WINNER
OF A
PARENTS
CHOICE
GOLD
AWARD
March / April 2015
natgeo.com/littlekids

ANIMALS

Why?

Male deer grow

big antlers. They
use their antlers to
fight each other.
The winner gets
to spend more
time with the
female deer.
2

march / april 2015

WHITE-TAILED DEER

DONALD M. JONES / MINDEN PICTURES / CORBIS

Why do you
think deer
have antlers?

SORTING

What Is Different?

PIXELROBOT / DREAMSTIME (PAINT SET); ELENA ELISSEEVA /

DREAMSTIME (FLOWERS); SERGEY02 / DREAMSTIME (BOOTS)

Look at each picture in the top row.

Find the differences between it and the one below.

Find one
difference.

Find two
differences.

Find three
differences.

n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

NATURE

Thats Cool!
Meet the painted bunting.

MALE

A painted
bunting can use
spiderwebs to
hold her nest
together.
4

March / April 2015

Usually
buntings eat
mostly seeds.
But in the spring
they eat mostly
bugs.

ALAN MURPHY, BIA / MINDEN

PICTURES (MALE); BILL
COSTER / ARDEA (FEMALE)

The female
is not as
colorful as
the male.

TOP ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): SERGEY MOSTOVOY / DREAMSTIME; CAO HAI / DREAMSTIME; ANDI BERGER / DREAMSTIME.
MIDDLE ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): WATUNYOO SOPONTAMMARAK / DREAMSTIME; LEVENTEGYORI / SHUTTERSTOCK; DAVINCI / DREAMSTIME.
BOTTOM ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): SUZI NELSON / SHUTTERSTOCK; ISTOCK / KCLINE; SVETLANA FOOTE / DREAMSTIME.

NAMING

What in the World are These?

ALL
ISH
UPCAKE

LOWERS
IGGY BANK
OBOT

UITAR

PINK EMONADE

LAMINGO

NAME SOME OTHER PINK THINGS.

n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

ANIMALS

GROWING UP IN A

LION
FAMILY
Lions are the only wild cats that
live in family groups called prides.
6

march / april 2015

MANE

A father lion
has long hair,
called a mane,
around his face
and neck.

Lions roar
to tell other
lions where
they are.

ROBERT MUCKLEY / GETTY IMAGES (BIG PICTURE);

ANUP SHAH / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (MALE AND CUB)

n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

Lion cubs
have many
playmates in
their pride.
Playing is
great exercise
and helps cubs
grow strong.

They chase, leap,

and pounce on
each other.
8

march / april 2015

Cubs practice
hunting by
sneaking up
on each other.

DENIS-HUOT / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (BIG PICTURE, FOUR CUBS, CUB STALKING);
SUZI ESZTERHAS / MINDEN PICTURES (MOTHER AND CUB)

After lots of playing,

cubs enjoy snuggling
with Mom for a nap.
Lions rest for
about 20 hours
every day. A
whole day has
24 hours.

MATCHING

ANIMAL HOMES

Point to the scene in which each of these four animals lives.

10

MARCH / APRIL 2015

DAN SIPPLE

LION

ROBIN

DOLPHIN

HONEYBEE

What colors can you name in these pictures?

n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

11

ANIMALS

BAT-EARED

FOXES
What huge
ears these
foxes have!

12

March / April 2015

Many kinds
of bats have
big ears. That
is how the bateared fox got
its name.

A bat-eared fox
uses its big ears to
listen for insects
its favorite food.

CHARLIE SUMMERS / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (BIG PICTURE); CHRISTIAN HEINRICH /

IMAGEBROKER / PHOTOSHOT (LISTENING); TBKMEDIA.DE / ALAMY (DIGGING);
SOLVIN ZANKL / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (EATING)

LISTEN

When it hears
an insect, the
fox digs to
find it. The fox
catches its meal
and chews it up.

DIG

EAT
n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

13

Baby bat-eared
foxes are born
in a den that
their parents dig
in the ground.

SUZI ESZTERHAS / MINDEN PICTURES (TWO PUPS);

VINCENT GRAFHORST / MINDEN PICTURES (YAWNING)

Bat-eared
foxes are all
grown up by the
time they are
about one
year old.

 ROLF NUSSBAUMER / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (GRAY); KEVIN SCHAFER / GETTY IMAGES (KIT);
BRIAN BEVAN / ARDEA (RED); THOMAS RABEIL / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (FENNEC)

More

FENNEC FOX

EASTERN GRAY FOX

FOXES

SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOX

There are more

than 25 kinds of
foxes. Here are just
a few.

RED FOX

n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

15

Look!

FINDING

For more fun, find all the round objects.

Then find all the ones that are animals.
Which objects have wheels?
16

march / april 2015

REBECCA HALE / NGS STAFF (ALL)

Look at the pictures below. Find the same objects

in the photo at right. Circle them with your finger.

Nature

A DANDELION

2
1
A dandelion bud
grows at the top
of a stem.
18

March / April 2015

The bud opens

and a flower
with bright
yellow petals
blooms.

GROWS

3
After about two
weeks the petals
fall off. Now the
dandelion looks
like a round,
fluffy ball. It is a
ball of seeds.
JAMES OSMOND PHOTOGRAPHY / ALAMY (1, 2, 3); IMAGEBROKER /
ALAMY (4); JON FEINGERSH / BLEND IMAGES / CORBIS (GIRL)

4
The wind blows
the seeds away.
When they land
on the ground,
new dandelions
will grow.
n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

19

Paleontology

SPEEDY

Dinosaur
FOOD

Meat and plants

SIZE

This shows how big

Archaeornithomimus
was.

5-YEAR-OLD

Some kinds of dinosaurs

ate both meat and plants.
Animals that eat both are
called omnivores.
This speedy runner was an
omnivore. It ate fruit, leaves,
eggs, and small animals.

SAY MY NAME: AHR-kee-or-NI-thoh-MIME-us

20

march / april 2015

ART BY FRANCO TEMPESTA

FACTS

Archaeornithomimus had
long, strong legs. It could
run very fast.

FROM THE
PAGES OF

This
dinosaur
had no
teeth.

COUNTING

TRUCKS

on the Move

Count the number of wheels you see on each truck.

How many trucks do you count?

22

March / April 2015

Editor and Vice President Rachel Buchholz

Art Director Eileen OTousa-Crowson
Managing Editor Catherine D. Hughes
Editorial Andrea Silen, Kay Boatner, Associate Editors;
Nick Spagnoli, Copy Editor; Rose Davidson,
Special Projects Assistant
Photo Kelley Miller, Senior Editor; Lisa Jewell, Hillary
Leo, Editors; Bri Bertoia, Special Projects Assistant
Art Dawn McFadin, Contributing Designer; Kathryn
Robbins, Designer; Stephanie Rudig, Associate Digital
Designer; Rachel Kenny, Special Projects Assistant
Production Sean Philpotts, Manager
Administration Allyson Shaw, Editorial Assistant
and Social Media

ROB WILSON / SHUTTERSTOCK (FIRE TRUCK); BAMBUH / SHUTTERSTOCK (BLUE MIXING TRUCK); DARIO LO PRESTI / SHUTTERSTOCK
(BLACK TRUCK); IGOR MARX / SHUTTERSTOCK (ORANGE TRUCK); VERESHCHAGIN DMITRY / SHUTTERSTOCK (GREEN TRUCK)

Chief Education Officer

Melina Gerosa Bellows
Senior Management Team, Kids Publishing and Media
Nancy Laties Feresten, Senior Vice President; Julie
Vosburgh Agnone, Vice President, Editorial Operations;
Jennifer Emmett, Vice President, Editorial Director, Kids
Books; Michelle Sullivan, Vice President, Kids Digital;
Eva Absher-Schantz, Design Director; Jay Sumner, Photo
Director; Hannah August, Marketing Director

n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

23

Digital Anne McCormack, Director; Laura Goertzel,

Sara Zeglin, Producers; Jed Winer, Special Projects
Assistant; Emma Rigney, Creative Producer; Brian Ford,
Video Producer; Bianca Bowman, Assistant Producer;
Natalie Jones, Senior Product Manager
International Magazine Publishing Yulia Petrossian Boyle,
Senior Vice President; Jennifer Jones, Manager;
Cynthia Combs, Rights Manager
Manufacturing Phillip L. Schlosser, Senior Vice President,
Production Services; Gregory Storer, Director; Robert L. Barr,
Manager; Neal Edwards, Imaging
Finance Alison Benson, Finance Director;
Andrea Stahlmann, Finance Manager; Cindy Ramroop,
Contract Manager; Tammi Colleary,
Erin Knack, Financial Analysts
Consumer and Member Marketing
Elizabeth Safford, Senior Vice President;
John MacKethan, Vice President, Retail Sales and
Special Editions; Mark Viola, Circulation Director;
Richard J. Brown, New Business Director
Market Services Tracy Hamilton Stone,
Research Manager
Publicity Anna Irwin, Communications Director;
Beth Furtwangler, Publicist (202) 457-8223
PUBLISHED BY
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
President and CEO Gary E. Knell
Chairman of the Board John Fahey
Chief Media Officer Declan Moore
Executive Vice President and Worldwide Publisher
Claudia Malley
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS,
Issue 49, March / April 2015
(ISSN 1934-8363), is published bimonthly by the
National Geographic Society, 1145 17th Street N.W.,
Washington, DC 20036-4688.
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wild cards

EUROPEAN WILDCAT

COPYRIGHT 2015 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

European
wildcat
FUN FACTs
This kind of cat doesnt live with
people. Its wild. Wildcats are
born in spring. The moms usually
have three to six kittens at a time.

KONSTANTIN MIKHAILOV / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

wild cards

RING-TAILED LEMUR

ring-tailed
lemur
FUN FACTs
The ring-tailed lemur lives in
Madagascar, an island country in
Africa. These animals clean their
fur by combing it with their teeth.

NICK GARBUTT / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

wild cards

REGAL ANGELFISH

regal
angelfish
FUN FACTs
Regal angelfish swim in tropical
ocean waters. They often travel
in pairs. The fish snack on
sponges, a kind of sea animal.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

wild cards

BANDED DEMOISELLE

banded
demoiselle
FUN FACTs
The banded demoiselle is an
insect. It has a long, thin body.
Adults hunt other insects as
they fly through the air.

DANNY LAPS / MINDEN PICTURES

GENTOO PENGUIN

wild cards

gentoo
penguin
FUN FACTs
A gentoo penguin lives in and
around the ocean. The bird dives
into the water to find food. It can
dive 450 times in one day.

YVA MOMATIUK & JOHN EASTCOTT / MINDEN PICTURES

red-necked pademelon
DUCK-BILLED
PLATYPUS

wild cards

duck-billed
platypus
FUN FACTs
The platypus is a mammal.
Only two kinds of mammals
lay eggs. The platypus
is one of them.

DAVE WATTS / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

GAME

Hide-and-Seek

EMANUELE BIGGI / FLPA / MINDEN PICTURES (FROG); SUZI ESZTERHAS / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (COVER)

Can you find the mossy frog in this picture?

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