Ask Scarlett is an easy-to-understand look at various nature-related questions for kids. It breaks complicated subjects down by theory or "what people say about it" to the science at work, often proving or debunking different claims. Topics range from animal communication, the weather, how nature can help your mental health, and more. Each topic is bite-sized, while still giving thorough answers. I think this would be an excellent book to have for any curious kiddos!

Scarlett the fox is here to educate and answer kids' most pressing questions about nature and the environment. From whether certain weather is healthy all the way to how to take the most satisfying vacation, Scarlett offers tips and educational factoids to help kids grow healthy and smart.

I'm consistently surprised at how good Ranger Rick is at taking big concepts and making them bite-sized for kids. without dumbing them down. The facts in this book are not unlike some of the topics I studied in college, but they're easy to read and approachable for elementary readers. There are a ton of terms, from parts of the brain to the scientific name for the way dirt smells after rain. Most are identified briefly in the text without being distracting, but there's also a helpful glossary in the back with vocab and additional resources. I enjoyed the idea of the craft projects and activities, but I mostly came for the Q and A, and I wasn't disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I usually do not read children's/middle school books, but this one attracted me when it compared itself to Ranger Rick, which I read when I was younger. I highly enjoyed the pictures and content of the book. I enjoyed how Scarlett told about nature and how it can impact humans. To me, this made the book a little more user friendly with an relatable understanding.

The only negative I have is that the ebook kindle version was little more difficult to follow sometimes due to the layout/transfer of the story.

Overall, I think this is a great book for children to read and understand more about nature.

Ask Scarlett is a fact filled informational book geared towards elementary school children. It conveys facts about nature and wellness through a question and answer format in easy to read multicolored text boxes. The photos are bright and engaging as well as Scarlett’s lighthearted narration. I can see this book being of very high interest for the children who visit my school library. This would definitely be a book that would be constantly checked out and enjoyed.

This is a really cute nonfiction book for kids all about life and health! I took off a star because there is a section about full moons and the author claims there is no connection between full moons and humans acting crazy or babies being born- as a nurse- I have witnessed this crazy phenomenon countless times. The fact that it has no connection just can’t possibly be true!

Great advice for kids and adults. I loved all the pictures and illustrations - it looks way better on a phone or ipad than on a kindle.

Ask Scarlett is a fabulous book for children (elementary school age) on how nature can affect us, question and answers, and things to do. The book touches on weather, animals, science and lots of fun topics. There are pictures and it is interesting and easy to read. It is like National Geographic for Kjds. #AskScarlett #MagjnationPress#CampNetGalley #CampNetGalley2025

Cute book about being outside and healthy. I managed to enjoy it despite all of the formatting issues.

This book is delightful. The conversational tone makes it feel easy and approachable, and who doesn't love a cute little fox? Anything that makes science and the outdoors more accessible to children is a win in my book.

Sometimes I read kids' books to relax. I also want to learn more about the environment lately, so with that combination, this book seemed like a no-brainer.

It's a short but very informative book that talks all about nature and the positive (and sometimes negative) effects it can have on your mood or your health. It definitely had a couple of things that were new to me as an adult, but still explains them in a kid-friendly way. Among other things, it talks about popular "health crazes" like crystals, grounding and healing places, and whether there is any scientific proof behind them working. (Sometimes yes, sometimes no.)

One fun fact I learned is that there are certain winds that can make you feel bad - possibly because they have positively charged particles that affect your mood and wellbeing. You also can't tickle yourself, because you can't surprise your own brain.

Full of fascinating tidbits and information.While designed for younger readers, I feel we older ones might just as easily enjoy and learn from it. Not only is the information, which ranges from weather, both normal and extreme, to animals (even the mole rat gets space), houseplants, how pets may help out health, as well as headaches, foods, and more. Seriously, it's all tied neatly to the outdoors. I liked that though they frequently pointed out that there was scientific info to back up their statements that they didn't go into minute details in the text. The kept it simple and easy to digest and understand. There is a resource list at the end for those desiring to do a deeper dive, plus a glossary of terms and a quite extensive index to make it easier to find particular topics of interest.

The book is illustrated with both cartoon like images, ie Scarlett, and photos which are credited at the end. Young readers should find them interesting and even charming, at least I did. There are even some crafty projects suggested with instructions at some points which will add to the fun. Bottom line, quite informative in a fun, easily read manner, and full of fun, colorful pictures. Thanks #AmericanPhychologicalAssociation and #NetGalley for sharing this early look at a book that I highly recommend to both teachers and adults with curious, inquisitive children. Another plus is that while I ultimately read straight through, one can browse randomly or use the various guides to find desired info. Seriously, teacher friends and outdoor lovers, add this one to your bookshelves to share.

Interesting non-fiction book for kids 8-12 curious about their connection to nature. Written in easy to read chapters with Scarlett the fox asking questions and providing the answers all about different aspects of the environment. The first chapter focuses on how nature can help you destress and heal. The second chapter is about what we can learn from animals and how we are connected. The third chapter is focused on the senses of nature and how they can calm and heal. The fourth chapter describes the wild weather and how it impacts humans. The last chapter describes beautiful locations around the world. Each chapter has good information for kids from how animals can help destress you to how weather phobias doesn't make you weird to a fun sensory scavenger hunt. There is a glossary, an index, and some extra resources at the end of the book.
This book doesn't have to be read cover to cover. Kids and families can jump in a read the parts that are needed. For example, if a child is feeling angry, there are answers about how anger is normal, but there are ways to calm it like petting an animal or listening to nature sounds. This book can also help develop empathy because of all we can learn from animals and nature.
As a retired elementary school science teacher, I would definitely recommend this book for your classroom or home. It could be a great read aloud or helper with socio-emotional learning.
#AskScarlett #NetGalley
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Would post to other sites but not listed in Book Bub, Goodreads, or Storygraph.

What a great book for kids that answers questions about nature. It covers so many interesting questions about how weather and nature can impact us. Each section has questions that gets answered. I really like that there's a small section that tells kids that some dogs like space and how it's important to ask before petting a dog. I enjoyed the chapter about wild weather! It had a paragraph about why some people get headaches when it storms. I also liked the staycation section that gave advice on how to make a fun vacation at home. It's definitely a great fact/information book for kids ages 8 and up. It has a few activities for kids to do and will get them excited to go outdoors.

What a great book for curious kids! Chock full of information and photos about the benefits of heading outdoors geared towards young readers, my grandkids would love this book.

A cute science book for kids. It was great for my 8 year old who asked no less then 500 questions a day. She really liked the Q&A format. It’s great for curious kids.

Fun, and I learned things. The cheerleader tone of voice got a little annoying after a while, reading the entire book in one session, so I recommend dipping in and out. I was also disappointed to see, when talking about smelling nature, no mention of allergies, as I thought that would have been informative to include. But overall, some great reminders of the importance of getting outdoors.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Fun, Informative, and Kid-Friendly

Ask Scarlett by Rebecca Baines is a cute and informative read packed with fascinating facts that are perfect for curious kids. One of my favorite parts was the way the book organized information by the five senses—it’s a clever and engaging format that helps make the facts more relatable and memorable for young readers.

Scarlett’s personality shines through, and the illustrations are vibrant and fun. My only complaint is that some of the text on the darker pages can be a little hard to read in the ebook version.

Overall, it’s a great pick for classrooms, libraries, or bedtime learning. I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’m so glad the American Psychological Association, through Magination Press, made this book available to for review on NetGalley. Though obviously geared towards children, I enjoyed reading Scarlett’s responses to the questions posed about nature.

The format of the book is excellent - visually pleasant with beautiful photos and eye-catching graphics that children will love.

There is a glossary (which I think could have been a bit more robust) and resources page at the back of the book, and instructions on how to make a rainstick within (this brought back some memories!).

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

My kids had a gifted Ranger Rick subscription that they enjoyed when they were younger, so I was curious to check out Ask Scarlet. That and being an avid nature lover myself, I was hopeful that would be full of stuff to draw kids in. I wasn't disappointed and I'd definitely recommend this.

I found it to be wonderfully accessible and a great resource for the kinds of questions kids would ask. The science presented is easily digestible for children and there are a variety of "hands on" activities to make the world around us become more alive. I especially loved the sensory scavenger hunt that invites you to go nature or forest bathing. Beautiful, full color photography also helps.

The only downside was that this ARC copy was poorly formatted in several spots (for example--sentences/paragraphs were strangely split and ran into each other), making the text hard to read. I assume this is just an early copy issue that will be worked out in the final published version, so I didn't do a star rating based on this.

Thanks to Magination Press/The American Psychological Association for making this available to read and review through NetGalley.

Ask Scarlett: Can Being Outside Help Me De-stress? is a well written, science-based collection of facts about nature for kids curated by Becky Baines. Due out 5th Aug 2025 from the APA on their Magination Press imprint, it's 80 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents.

It's got colorful punchy graphics and photos, and nature related questions and answers in highlighted text boxes throughout, about 4 per page. Common sense questions (can crystals really heal you, is there any science behind "grounding", how can less screen time lower stress and help focus, what are blue spaces, and lots more) are answered simply and truthfully in age appropriate language.

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home library, or gift giving. Very high "cool" factor, and full of information.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.