** A 2021 Skipping Stones Honor Awards "Outstanding Nature and Ecology Book"** What child doesn't want to know how things work? Introduce a young reader in your life to how nature works and inspires innovation to help solve some of our toughest engineering challenges. This kid-friendly, beautiful introduction to biomimicry is half playful rhymes and half nonfiction, perfect for ages 5 and up. Nature does it best ... and did it first! Explore the ways we have looked to nature for brilliant new designs and innovations to solve our own conundrums. Each example in nature is paired with a fun, rhyming description, an example of how it has been used by us, and a question to the reader―"what other problems can be solved?" Learn fascinating examples of biomimicry, like: How burrs inspired Velcro - How grooved gecko feet inspired adhesive - How bumpy whale flippers inspired windmill blades and surfboards - And more! Back matter includes: A glossary for words like echolocation and adhesive - A STEM Challenge activity perfect for your home or classroom  "The unique format of this book makes it both fun and educational." - Midwest Book Review An introduction to biomimicry and engineering for young readers learning to see connections. The format of the book follows a predictable pattern. One double-page spread with a rhyming poem describes something in nature ("The kingfisher sits upon a perch / And spies a silvery flash. / He swiftly dives to catch a fish / But barely makes a splash") and is followed by a second spread that examines the animal or plant in more depth, with an explanation about how engineers adapted what they observed to solve a problem: Changing the noses of Japanese bullet trains to match kingfishers' streamlined beaks meant they wouldn't boom loudly when exiting tunnels. After a walk with his dog, George de Mestral wondered how burrs stuck to fur. He saw their tiny, curved hooks under a microscope, and Velcro was born. Bats' echolocation led to the design of a cane with a vibrating handle to help blind people navigate. Other natural inspirations include geckos' sticky feet, whales' bumpy flippers, pitcher plants' slippery sides, and pill bugs' rolling up. DiRubbio's watercolors match the text. The first spread shows the animal or plant in its environment. The second uses vignettes to enhance the text's explanation as well as engineering drawings emphasizing the appropriate aspect. Backmatter includes a short glossary and a design challenge meant for teachers to use with students. Inspiring for all those kids who look at the world in wonder and ask, what if? (Informational picture book. 5-11) - Kirkus Reviews " Nature Did It First is the perfect introduction to nature inspired STEM engineering challenges. The author is a former classroom teacher and co-author of one of my favorite elementary science curriculum resources, Picture-Perfect Science Lessons . Ansberry is a master of combining science concepts, story and engaging STEM activities. We really enjoyed reading Nature Did It First: Engineering Through Biomimicry at our house. It is the perfect mix of fun little poems and really interesting information about how animals like geckos and kingfishers and plants like burrs have influenced engineers to solve human problems. I also really like that there are materials and additional resources available for teachers at the end of the book and online, including a free STEM lesson plan." - Sarah Benton Feitlinger, author of Share it! Science: Inspiring Curiosity with Science, STEM, and STEAM blog "A wonderful contribution to science literacy, particularly the underrepresented field of bioengineering." - Maksymowych, T. (2020). The Catholic Library World , 91(2), 149-150. "Some of our best inventions came from engineers who had studied nature. The unique format of this book makes it both fun and educational as each animal's unique feature is highlighted in a poem. Then the animal's attributes are discussed on the next two pages, showing what led to the invention. A glossary of terms, as well as a STEM Biomimicry Design Challenge are added at the end of the text." (Ages 5-11) - Christine Irvin, The Story Monsters Ink Shelf, Midwest Book Review, September 2021 Exciting News for Elementary Teachers! Nature Did It First : Engineering Through Biomimicry is featured in a lesson on biomimicry in the new Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons, First Grade, Expanded Edition: Using Children's Books for Three-Dimensional Learning (2022, available from NSTA Press). As a veteran classroom teacher, I know that teachers need resources that are easy to use and make the most of class time. With this new lesson, your students can explore ways to design solutions to problems after reading Nature Did It First , learning how burrs inspired the invention of Velcro, and reading Clothing Inspired by Nature . Ages 5 to 11Got a problem? More than likely, Nature has already solved it! Look outside and you will see a