Heather L. Montgomery - Whats in Your Pocket?: Collecting Natures Treasures

Dedicated to all who find strange and wonderful things
as we explore together H. L. M.
To all curious people M. L.

Text copyright 2021 by Heather L. Montgomery
Illustrations copyright 2021 by Maribel Lechuga
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction
in whole or in part in any form. Charlesbridge and
colophon are registered trademarks of Charlesbridge
Publishing, Inc.
At the time of publication, all URLs printed in this book
were accurate and active. Charlesbridge, the author,
and the illustrator are not responsible for the content or
accessibility of any website.
Published by Charlesbridge
9 Galen Street
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 926-0329
www.charlesbridge.com

Printed in China
(hc) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Illustrations done in digital media
Display type set in Liam by Laura Worthington
Text type set in Grenadine by Mark van Bronkhorst
Color separations and printing by 1010 Printing
International Limited in Huizhou, Guangdong, China
Production supervision by Jennifer Most Delaney
Designed by Jon Simeon

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Montgomery, Heather L., author. |
Lechuga, Maribel, illustrator.
Title: Whats in your pocket?: discovering treasures in nature /
Heather L. Montgomery; illustrated by Maribel Lechuga.
Description: Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing, [2021] | Includes
bibliographical references. | Audience: Ages 48 | Audience: Grades 23 |
Summary: A science educator honors childrens curiosity and pockets full of
stuff by introducing nine scientists who collected natural treasures when
they were young. Collecting, sorting, and playing with shells, stones, and
other objects taught these young people how to observe, classify, and
discover.Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020028058 (print) | LCCN 2020028059 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781623541224 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781632898975 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Life scientistsBiographyJuvenile literature. |
NaturalistsBiographyJuvenile literature.
Classification: LCC QH26 .M65 2021 (print) | LCC QH26 (ebook) |
DDC 508.092/2dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020028058
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020028059

The author would like to thank Shirley Baxter (park ranger, Tuskegee Institute
National Historic Site), Diego Cisneros-Heredia (research professor, Universidad
San Francisco de Quito), Larry Davis (professor emeritus, College of Saint Benedict
and Saint Johns University), Kay Etheridge (professor, Gettysburg College, and
Maria Merian scholar), Bonnie Lei (Head of Global Strategic Partnerships, AI for
Earth, Microsoft), Meg Lowman (Executive Director, TREE Foundation, and Director
of Global Initiatives, California Academy of Sciences), and Dale Peterson (author of
Jane Goodall: The Woman Who Redefined Man and friend of Jane Goodall) for
their invaluable advice and expertise.

When you explore the great outdoors
and find something strange and wonderful,
do you put it in your pocket?

Scientists collect specimens so they can
observe the details of natural artifacts.

Seeds exploded all over the room.
After that, George had to empty out
his pockets on the porch.

Nobody knew that George would grow up to be
the famous scientist George Washington Carver.

He helped farmers grow peanuts and other seeds in poor soil.
He discovered almost three hundred new uses for the peanut,
including soap, glue, fuel, and a new version of peanut butter.

Will crashed to the ground.
He swallowed the eggs!

Nobody knew Will would become
the famous naturalist William Beebe.

As an adult, he set a world record by dropping
half a mile down under the ocean waves in a steel
ball called a bathysphere. Will was the first
person to see glowing fish and other deep-sea
animals alive in their natural habitats.

under her pillow!

Her mother persuaded her to put
the worms back in the garden.

Nobody knew Valerie Jane would become
the famous primatologist Jane Goodall.

As an adult, Jane slept in the rain forest with animals
all around her. She studied chimpanzees, learned their
ways, and watched them use toolsa discovery that
changed how people thought about animals.

When you explore the great outdors
and find strange and wonderful things,
do you put them in your pocket?
Do you add them to your collection?

As scientists sort, compare, and categorize specimens,
they learn to see patterns within their collections.

Charles!

His sister convinced him that killing
so many creatures was wrong.
So Charles let the living beetles be.

Charles didnt know that he would
keep collecting throughout his life.

When Charles Darwin grew up, he sailed across
oceans to collect beetles and birds and other
creatures. He noticed that animals well suited to a
place survived and passed their traits to their young,
while animals not well suited died off. Over time, this
could lead to changes in a whole group of animals.

Meg wasnt the only one
who liked the collection.

Meg didnt know she would keep
climbing trees as an adult.

She didnt know she would develop new methods
for getting into trees safely using slingshots and
hot-air balloons. Those methods helped Meg
Lowman and other biologists discover an entire
world of treasures in the treetops.

una lagartijaa lizard!

She loved it!
Together they marveled at the lizard,
then returned it to the wild.

Diego didnt know he would become a
herpetologist who studies lizards and frogs.

He never guessed that he would get to name a
new type of frog after his mother! Diego
Cisneros-Heredia has devoted his life to helping
people connect to wildlife.

When you explore the great outdoors
and find strange and wonderful things
do you put them in your pocket?
Do you add them to your collection?
Do you make amazing discovering?

Young collectors make significant
discoveries, too. Trained to see details
and seek patterns, collectors of any age
can surprise us with their finds.

Mary found lots and lots of fossils.
Her whole family collected them.

When her brother spotted something
sticking out of a cliff,
Mary dug and dug until she discovered...

an entire skeleton!

Young Marys discovery helped people
realize that animals can go extinct.

Mary Anning lived in a time before people
knew much about fossils or extinction.

When she was just twelve years old, she discovered