• Age: 4 to 7
• Grade: p to 2

Scout and Daisy are on a picnic and Daisy remembers that she's forgotten to water her bird feeders! But what kind of bird feeders need to be watered? Join Daisy as she helps Scout find clues to solve the Case of the Growing Bird Feeder.

Titles in The Gumboot Kids series:

INTRODUCING THE GUMBOOT KIDS

A celebration of nature, curiosity, discovery and mindfulness!

Adapted from the award-winning TV show The Gumboot Kids comes this outstanding new series of nature mystery books that celebrate the joy and wonder of mindfully exploring the natural world.

Perfect for inquisitive young minds, The Gumboot Kids' nature mysteries feature beloved characters, Scout and Daisy, working through a series of clues in order to crack the case. In each mystery Scout and Daisy affirm their findings with a trip to the library where they verify the evidence they've gathered in nature and solve the mystery before having a mindful moment to reflect on their journey.

With beautifully rendered and painstakingly detailed art, Scout and Daisy's adventures are also a visual feast that will have kids poring over the pages time and time again.

Each book concludes with two pages of field notes on the mystery subject, as well as a nature craft inspired by the mystery, for kids to try at home.

About the Show
Winner of numerous awards and an award finalist for the two most prestigious awards for kid's entertainment -- the Japan Prize (2018) and the Prix Jeunesse International (2018) -- The Gumboot Kids (120 episodes across three time formats) is seen widely across Canada, Australia, South Korea and the United States ... and its viewership is growing. The Gumboot Kids won a Parents' Choice Award, and the show is also approved by the Dove Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage and promote the creation, production, distribution and consumption of wholesome family entertainment.

"The Gumboot Kids is creating a 'new normal' for an entire generation. This pioneering series transports young children into the practice of mindfulness and the magic of nature. The values of gratitude, appreciation and respect will stay with young viewers throughout a lifetime, creating a world we all want to live in."
--Sandra de Castro Buffington, Founding Director, Global Media Center for Social Impact, UCLA

Eric Hogan's profile page

Tara Hungerford's profile page

Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford are a husband-and-wife team who run Imagine Create Media and are the creators of The Gumboot Kids. They live and create with their two children in Vancouver, British Columbia.

(starred review) Adapted from the TV show The Gumboot Kids, this series of books celebrates the joy and wonder of mindfully exploring the natural world. Scout and Daisy are on a picnic when Daisy remembers that she's forgotten to water her bird feeders! But what kind of bird feeders need to be watered? Join Daisy as she helps Scout find clues to solve the mystery.

Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens 2020

The stories feature two adorable mice... The amazing depictions are full of life-like detail.

City Parent Magazine

It is impossible to not adore the felted characters and artistic backdrops in The Case of the Growing Bird Feeder. Such work and beautiful thought went into the layout of this young reader "nature mystery," written by Eric Hogan and Tara Hungerford... The story is sweet. As an educator I appreciate the field notes section with some more science/nature details. The added nature craft activity is also a nice touch.

Green Teacher Magazine

I'm always advocating the importance of fostering a love of nature in the very young, so welcome this series which clearly aims to get young children outdoors and eager to discover more about the world around them; these stories are certainly engaging and contain just the right amount of information in the narrative to spark their curiosity.

Red Reading Hub

A most charming and instructive collection of nature mystery books which encourages children to head outside and discover their natural world... Extensive educational curriculum guides have also been assembled to accompany each of the titles... Scout and Daisy act as motivating nature guides as they introduce readers to memorable learning encounters via conversations, questions and research. A meticulously created miniature community consisting of a village, forests, gardens, hills and valleys serve as a rich environment in which they explore... Outstanding new series.

Canadian Childrens Book News

We give these books two enthusiastic thumbs up! The stories are entertaining and heartwarming, but also easy enough for a younger child to read. Each story is an engaging mystery and has a little lesson inside about nature and animals. Educational and fun! We really enjoy the "life like" images in these books depicting the characters (which are super cute making them younger kid friendly). The visuals make those characters almost come to life while we read the stories! Amazing art both literally and visually. You and your family will genuinely love this book series! These books are geared for ages 3-7; however, they are an excellent source for any young reader under the age of 10.

Ottawa Mommy Club Blog

Nice, educational nature series for children.

Hamilton Spectator

An excellent early primary story to engage young readers in solving a nature mystery... This book lends itself well to prediction, allowing readers to make guesses after each clue. Young readers will also be able to make strong connection to the story with their own experiences. The field notes at the back of the book provide the reader with information about sunflowers and provide an excellent example of labelling, teaching students how they can label their own diagrams. Detailed facts at an appropriate student level are included in the field notes as well. A step-by-step nature craft is also included at the end of the story. This allows children the opportunity to make their own treats for birds to eat.

Canadian Teacher Magazine

A fun book about nature and being mindful of the environment.

Kids Bookshelf Blog

The perfect union of systematic knowledge of our material world through observation, and the excitement of discovery that makes science fun! Truly a fun way to educate and stimulate learning beyond a formal classroom. Each book encourages research and productivity with facts and projects. Another great Gumboot adventure to discover is The Case of the Vanishing Caterpillar! Your kids will want to collect them all. Whether as a family time adventure with your young ones or as a peer-based experience among older children, these are great books to have on hand!

Midwest Book Review

These books are beautiful, with full page artwork that captures the eye and attention... There is so much within the pages to inspire creativity and learning... Scout and the Gumboot Kids and the series, both on television and the books by Firefly Books are such a great resource for kids to learn, and entertaining and cute to boot!

Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs Blog

Winner, 2019 Best Canadian Picture Books

CBC Kids Books

The illustrations are full of details to be examined, and the posed rodent friends do have a real appearance of life to them... Instead of just passively providing youngsters with science facts, the books in "A Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery" actively engage readers in their learning. Overall, this series is an excellent age-appropriate introduction to a number of science-related topics. Highly Recommended.

Canadian Review of Materials

With field notes, and crafts, these books are perfect for young outdoor enthusiasts.

Calgary Herald

Charming and informative picture books that will help young children discover nature.

School Library Journal