Whether your day is rushed or relaxed, full or free, you are not alone. A story told from midnight to midday to tomorrow, and across hemispheres, each short book of the Earth Day series offers twenty-four chapters, corresponding to twenty-four hour-long windows to witness the diversity of life. Each hour and each chapter offers a glimpse of our remarkable planet and its fascinating inhabitants. Join us for a guide to the series so far–and stay tuned for a hint of what’s to come!

It’s midnight in a dark, quiet forest. Suddenly something scurries across the forest floor. Moments later, a barn owl emerges from the darkness to catch its prey. So begins Bird Day, the first book in our Earth Day series. A story told from midnight to midday and back again, these books offer twenty-four short chapters, each corresponding to a single hour and a single fascinating species.

Each chapter of Bird Day follows a different bird from around the world, explaining how these animals spend their time: how they eat, mate, and stay safe from predators. Ornithologist Mark E. Hauber narrates these moments in time, offering short vignettes that bring the wonders of bird behavior to life.

Making these books even more special are the illustrations accompanying each chapter. Seattle-based artist Tony Angell masterfully depicted the animals in the first two books in stunning pen and ink drawings. Hauber’s fascinating and engaging descriptions, paired with Angell’s beautiful illustrations, help readers imagine a moment with each animal, serving as loving and lively tributes to an incredible variety of species.

In Frog Day, the second book in the series, herpetologist Marty Crump–author of beloved Chicago titles likeEye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Adder’s Fork and Lizard’s Leg–joins us to lead a worldwide field trip in search of frogs. Through her eyes, we spy Wallace’s flying frog whizzing through palm trees, and meet a corpulent, invasive cane toad slurping insects—and sometimes snakes, lizards, turtles, birds, and mice. Once again, Tony Angell’s illustrations help bring our frog friends to life.

Next, we turn our attention to the plant kingdom: In Flower Day, celebrated botanist Sandra Knapp walks us through a day in a global garden, highlighting flowers as they attract pollinators, resist predators, and survive on our changing planet. As day breaks, dandelions and chicory open their heads—actually made up of many individual flowers tightly packed together—and flies and bees visit to get the energy they need to lay eggs and raise their young. In her beautiful book, Knapp has teamed up with botanical illustrator Katie Scott to show us moonflowers, water lilies, corpse flowers, and more.

This September, we’ll climb into the treetops with “arbornaut” Meg Lowman, author of the forthcoming Tree Day. From the Pacific Northwest’s magnificent redwood to the Amazon’s great kapok, we learn that trees are the strong, silent caretakers of our planet. We meet mangroves, ginkgo trees, cocoa trees, and the dragon’s blood tree–named for its distinctive red sap. French illustrator Thibaud Hérem lovingly depicts these trees in incredible, hand-drawn detail.

We can’t forget the kingdom of fungi! Who better to guide us than ecologist Alison Pouliot, author of Meetings with Remarkable Mushrooms and the forthcoming Funga Obscura? With this September’s release of Mushroom Day, Pouliot introduces us to diverse species like the world’s largest mushroom, chi-ngulu-ngulu, raised by termite farmers. We also meet the ghost fungus, a bioluminescent specimen with a pale-green glow, and stumble across a fairy ring of mushrooms that has appeared overnight like something out of folklore. For each hour, London-based illustrator Stuart Patience brings the scene to life with whimsical, evocative illustrations.

How did the Earth Day series dawn? “Credit goes to Bird Day author Mark Hauber,” says Joe Calamia, editor of the Earth Day series. “Mark first suggested that readers follow each bird for twenty-four hours, but he included fewer species. Mark’s pitch was too good—I wanted more birds! So we decided to spend only an hour with each, meeting them at particularly interesting times in their day.” He adds, “Mark did such a great job that I then wanted more books!”

More books are coming. In fact, we will soon have a full week’s worth of Earth Day books. In Spring 2026, we’ll team up with herpetologist Marty Crump again for Snake Day, a celebration of twenty-four serpentine lives illustrated by Stuart Patience. Award-winning author and marine biologist Helen Scales will lead us through Shell Dayto meet mollusks from around the world, with art by Aaron John Gregory. Stay tuned for these official announcements, coming soon!

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Books in the Earth Day series are available now from our website or your favorite bookseller. Use the code UCPNEW to take 30% off when you order from us directly.