Picture books are often children's first exposure to art. As galleries of artists' work—all within the pages of books—they reflect the vast variety of art mediums we find in museums. Some artists create with real-world materials like paint and pencils; others make collage or etchings. Some even work in virtual media like computer graphics, and, of course, some use a combination of tools and methods.

When my children were younger, I would check out piles of picture books to read with them—and for the pleasure of viewing the artwork. And even though my children have moved beyond picture books, I still enjoy opening these miniature exhibitions, browsing through old favorites or finding new artists.

In honor of National Picture Book Month this November, I recommend these resources: Read more about Picture Books: Extraordinary Art, Conveniently Portable

Long before humans created written records of life on Earth, the fossil record told its own fascinating story. The National Park Service celebrates those stories with National Fossil Day each year on the Wednesday of Earth Science Week.

Fossils found in Indiana were mostly deposited in the Paleozoic Era, about 250 to 542 million years ago. Since Indiana was periodically covered with shallow seas during that time, our fossils are generally small marine creatures like brachiopods, bryozoans, crinoids, bivalves and corals. Read more about Read the Fossil Record for Stories of Earth's History