Skip to Main Content

About The Book

In this wildly charming and fantastically imaginative story by the New York Times bestselling author of Creepy Carrots and Creepy Pair of Underwear, a young animal expert knows just what to do when she spots her teacher in the wild.

Miranda is an animal expert. Or at least, she watches a lot of Nature Joe. Nature Joe is incredible. He rescues animals, returning them to their natural habitat.

Mrs. Birdley is a teacher. The natural habitat of a teacher is a classroom.

So when Mrs. Birdley escapes school and ends up wild, loose, and confused at the local grocery store, Miranda knows just what to do: she must use her brain, her guts, and her extensive knowledge of Nature Joe to rescue Mrs. Birdley—at any cost!

This delightfully over-the-top picture book by newcomer Emma Reynolds explores the weirdness of seeing a teacher outside of school and will have young readers laughing out loud every time they read.

About The Author

Photo by Suzanne Plunkett

Aaron Reynolds is the New York Times bestselling author of many highly acclaimed books for kids, including Here Comes Destructosaurus!, Carnivores, and the Caldecott Honor–winning book Creepy Carrots!. He regularly makes time to visit schools where his hilarious hands-on presentations keep kids spellbound. Aaron lives in Chicago with his wife, two kids, four cats, and anywhere between zero and ten goldfish, depending on the day. Visit Aaron at Aaron-Reynolds.com.

About The Illustrator

Photograph © Emma Reynolds

Emma Reynolds is an illustrator and author based in Manchester, UK. Amara and the Bats is her author-illustrator debut. Passionate about storytelling and creating unique characters, Emma has been dreaming of making her own books since she was five. Emma started the #KidLit4Climate illustrated campaign, bringing together thousands of children’s illustrators and authors from more than fifty countries in solidarity with the youth climate strikes. She is inspired by nature, animals, adventure, and seeing the magic in the everyday. Visit her at EmmaReynoldsIllustration.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @EmmaIllustrate.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (July 16, 2020)
  • Length: 40 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781534427044
  • Ages: 4 - 8

Browse Related Books

Raves and Reviews

"Aaron Reynolds' tongue-in-cheek text cleverly exploits the trope that educators have no life beyond the school. Emma Reynolds' digital illustrations highlight jungle green predominately, accented with neon purples, oranges, and yellows...compositions are attractively varied, ranging from full-bleed spreads to single-page art and smaller, paneled illustrations. The text's use of terminology borrowed from nature videos (becoming "aggressive" and "natural habitat") adds to the fun." - Booklist

"A fun story for all the kids who think their teachers live at school, because where else would they live?" - Kirkus Reviews

* "Reynolds, award-winning author of Creepy Carrots!, has delivered another gem and children will relish Miranda’s outrageous traps and the poor unsuspecting adults who are snared in them. A definite purchase for all children’s collections and an easy choice for a read-aloud." School Library Journal starred review

Awards and Honors

  • Kansas NEA Reading Circle List PrimaryTitle
  • Volunteer State Book Award Nominee (TN)

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Aaron Reynolds

More books from this illustrator: Emma Reynolds