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"Why and Because"
- the book series about endangered animals
and vulnerable nature
A new kind of children’s book series
(ages 6–10) that combines stories, facts, experiments, and digital experiences.
Children are invited to wonder, laugh, and learn — while discovering how we can take care of animals and nature.
Extra
Each book includes stories, fact boxes, a glossary, and fun research projects children can try themselves.
Through QR codes, they can watch videos featuring real researchers and animals in their natural habitats.
WHY do tigers have stripes?
WHY do giraffes have such long necks?
WHY do blue whales sing?
WHY do sea turtles lay so many eggs?
WHY are lions dangerous?
The author:
Gro Elfrida Flaaten
Why I wrote this book series
As a mother, some of the finest moments I’ve shared with my sons have been reading for and with them — from the very first picture books to analyzing literature together in high school.
The strongest memories, however, are tied to their shared fascination with wild animals.
Stuffed animals like the polar bear, tiger, and penguin followed us through childhood, and their favorite books and films were always full of wildlife — The Jungle Book, The Lion King, and many more.
I’ve been fortunate to see many of these animals in their natural habitats —
on safari in Africa and on Svalbard, where I once watched a mother polar bear with her two cubs.
Those moments left a deep impression on me.
The polar bear is my favorite animal — big, strong, majestic, independent, and indescribably beautiful.
Global warming, poaching, and loss of habitat threaten many of these magnificent wild animals.
It hurts.
This book series is my small contribution — a gentle and inspiring way to raise awareness.
It doesn’t point a moralizing finger, but instead invites curiosity, meaningful conversations, and small discoveries at home.
Reading for and together with children creates a special and intimate atmosphere — a true gift for parents and adults.
Conversations about what we read are valuable and enriching — for both young and old.
As I’ve worked on the book series, the project has grown into something much larger than I first imagined.
It has become a concept that can be shared globally – because reading, animal welfare, and nature conservation are universal needs.
For children to understand why wild animals and a vulnerable nature need our help, we must lay the foundation early, in what is simple and close: good reading moments, good conversations, and genuine curiosity. Reading gives children language, confidence, and the ability to understand the world.
With strong reading skills, it also becomes easier to understand connections in nature – why animals are threatened, how climate change affects them, and why our choices matter. In this way, the books can help build the awareness needed for a sustainable future, where we as humans not only take, but also give back.
To nature. To the animals. And to one another.
I hope these books will give children and adults many joyful reading moments — and awaken an understanding that we all share a responsibility to care for nature and every living creature.
Happy reading!
Endangered wild animals
Children must learn that animals need protection
We can't let children grow up believing that all animals will be here into eternity.
It´s important that they learn about what is difficult, but in a simple and gentle way.
They are the ones who will carry our natural heritage into the future.
Reading together
Research shows that children develop a richer vocabulary and stronger reading skills when adults read to and with them.
The frame story in each book is designed specifically to encourage this kind of shared reading —
a reading moment that invites the child into the conversation
In this way, the series strengthens both reading joy and learning, in line with recommendations from national reading initiatives and literacy centres.
The book series uses children's curiosity to convey knowledge about nature and the environment in an engaging way.
The purpose of the series is to contribute to children’s understanding of nature and the environment through a combination of fact-based content and practical experiments.
This gives children both knowledge and hands-on experience with scientific ideas and connections in nature.
TOPICS - CONTENT in the books:
Books with a focus on learning and experience
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WILD ANIMALS
To make complex topics accessible to children, a simple dialogue is used between an adult and a child who asks questions.
This pedagogical approach creates recognition and curiosity, while all the information presented is based on documented facts.The project combines factual texts with suggestions for experiments children can try at home, in collaboration with organizations such as Forskerfabrikken (The Science Factory) and Miljøagentene (Eco Agents).
The goal is to strengthen children’s knowledge of nature and climate — and to inspire curiosity and meaningful conversations within the family.
Forskerfabrikken (a Norwegian science education initiative)
Miljøagentene (a national children’s environmental organization)
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Fact boxes and glossary
– explains concepts and ensures accuracy.
We place great emphasis on making sure that everything we write is fact-based.
All content is reviewed and edited by professionals.
For example, the material about polar bears is verified and reviewed by an expert and researcher specializing in polar bears.
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Experiments kids can do at home
We’ve got lots of fun activities waiting for you…
Experiments that everyone can do at home, using simple things you already have around the house —
like empty ice cream containers to freeze water in!
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The book is of course the most important part
but with a smartphone, tablet, or computer, the reading experience can be expanded and enriched through, for example, QR codes giving access to videos of researchers in the field and wild animals in their natural habitats — like polar bears on Svalbard.
Try it now – a QR code that takes you to a video:
WHY are polar bears white?
The first book in the series, "Why are polar bears white?", is a non-fiction book with a frame story. An inquisitive girl finds answers to difficult questions together with her mother, which shows how one can use books and modern tools to seek knowledge.
Facts about climate and nature can be challenging for children to understand, which is why the book weaves a documentary story into the framework narrative: a female polar bear with two cubs who start their lives in a snow cave and embark on the journey of a lifetime. This documentary material makes the material come alive and engaging. By combining the framework narrative and nature documentary, children and adults are invited to search for answers together.
A book on the bookshelf can spark curiosity and conversation, and when the answer is not there, one can search further, online or in other sources. In this way, the book becomes both an entrance to knowledge and a catalyst for dialogue. The series is built on this dynamic: that books can initiate thoughts, conversations and wonder. The goal is to engage both children and adults in the big questions about climate and endangered species.
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Endangered wild animals
Unfortunately, many animal species are in danger of extinction within a short time.
We write about some of the most well-known and beloved ones.
The existence of these animals is threatened because, for example, their habitats are changing due to global warming, human interference in nature (such as deforestation of rainforests), and other man-made causes.
It is important that both children and parents learn about this, so they can become engaged and consider better future possibilities for animals and nature.
The book titles in the series are shown under each image (to the right).
WHY are hippos so angry?
WHY are zebras never alone?
WHY do tigers have stripes?
WHY do elephants have trunks?
WHY are polar bears white?
WHY do giraffes have such long necks?
WHY are gorillas so strong?
WHY do penguins waddle when they walk?
WHY do rhinos have a horns on their nose?
WHY are lions dangerous?
WHY do pandas eat only bamboo?
WHY do koalas sleep so much?
WHY do blue whales sing?
WHY do sea turtles bury their eggs?
WHY do brown bears have such short tails?
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