This book was created and published on StoryJumper™

©2010 StoryJumper, Inc.   All rights reserved.

Publish your own children's book: 

www.storyjumper.com

     The illustrations in this book are examples of the fourth grade 

lesson on the art and life of Georgia O’Keeffe.   She is revered as 

one of America’s greatest painters, and a very important female 

artist.   Her work became famous for its bright and beautiful 

colors. Her subjects came from the natural environment around 

her.   This included animal bones, flowers, shells, and desert 

landscapes.   She presented her subjects with a cropped and 

enlarged view, which resulted in her unique abstract style of 

painting.

     The fourth grade students have been researching Indiana 

animals in the computer lab, library, and classroom. Each student 

created an original artwork inspired by their animal.   Then using 

chalk pastels and analogous colors, (colors that are next to each 

other on the color wheel), they created a work of art inspired by 

O’Keeffe’s style.

     Each example shows a view of what the student chose as the 

most unique part of their animal.   Can you guess what their 

animal is?

Bobcats

By Gabby S.

     Bobcats are very unique animals.   The Bobcat’s fur is usually reddish brown or 

white.   They also have spots or streaks that are black or white.   They have a short 

stubby tail that is about 4 or 5 inches long.   They are about 30-50 inches long and 

stand about 2 feet high.

     Bobcats are carnivorous. They usually eat rabbits, rats, mice, moles, squirrels, 

and birds.   Sometimes they even eat porcupines or small deer.   They are usually 

killed on the road or by traps.   But they are still good hunters.  

     The bobcat lives in several places.   They live in forest, cliffs, bluffs, logs, 

riverbanks, thickets, swamps, desserts, and mountains.   They live in northwest or 

south central parts of Indiana.   They sometimes even live in rocky outcrops, hollow 

trees, or even limestone caves.   But sometimes people destroy their homes.

     The bobcat has different names such as the Felix Rufus or Lynx Rufus.   They are 

called bobcats because of their short stubby tail. They are bigger than house cats, 

but are still part of the cat family.    The bobcat also purrs.   Bobcats have sharp 

teeth, rough tongues, and sharp claws.   They are very good hiders, but sometimes 

they mark their territory by spraying urine.   Bobcats are also   endangered.   Did you 

know bobcats are captured for their valuable fur?

Bluegill

By Gabe 

     The Bluegill is a fish with a small mouth and has sides that are 

long and flat. It is 8 inches in length and weighs about 6 ounces. A 

Bluegill has 5 to 9 dark vertical bars on each side. It is a dark olive 

green on its back and lighter on the sides. It also has a jagged fin 

on its back. 

     The Bluegill will eat zooplankton.    Zooplankton is a kind of 

plankton that is smaller than dust. Bluegill will even eat other fish 

eggs. It also eats crayfish, insects, and snails. 

     The Bluegill will thrive in warm, clear waters and also lives in 

the great lakes. It can live in the coastal area to the Carolinas. 

Bluegills live in northern Mexico and Florida and southern Ontario.

     The Bluegill is a member of the sunfish family. Some people 

may call it a bream, brim, or pond perch. Sometimes color will vary 

with age and water color. Schools of Bluegill travel with 10 to 20 

other fish. Bluegills are prized by many anglers. 

Blanding’s Turtle

By Mitchell

     Did you know the Blanding’s turtle has a yellow chin, 

and black all over? This turtle has a smooth dark shell. 

It can grow to 6 to 8 inches long. 

     Did you know the Blanding’s turtle eats crayfish, 

insects, snails, and tadpoles? The things that eat it are 

foxes, raccoons and snakes. This turtle is an endangered 

species.

     The Blanding’s turtle lives in shallow water, swamps, 

and back waters of lakes it can be seen in southern 

western Indiana. 

     Fun and Interesting facts about the Blanding’s turtle 

are it can float on water, and it lays eggs around June.

 Striped Skunk

By: Dominic

     Skunks have stripes and spots. All skunks have 

bushy tails. The adult may weigh up to 4 to 6 pounds. 

Skunks have small ears.    

    Skunks eat vegetables. Skunks may eat insects, 

fruits, plants, and small animals. 

     Skunks live around lakes, forest, wetland, and 

agricultural edge. Skunks sleep during the day. They live 

in Indiana by wetlands.

     They can spray up to 6 times in a row. During the 

winter the male will search for food. The young skunk 

will follow his or her mother for the first few mouths. 

Massasauga Rattlesnake

By: Michael 

     The Massasauga rattlesnake is 18 to 30 inches long 

and it has brown spots. It also has a pointy face and its 

body is black and grey.

     The rattle snake likes to eat mice, lizards, crawfish, 

voles, and small insects for its diet.

     Their habitat is lakes, swamps, and dry land. It also 

lives in the northern half of Indiana.

     Some interesting facts about the rattlesnake are that 

its tail makes it different from other snakes. It is an 

endangered species in Indiana. 

The Ruffed Grouse

By Jessica 

     The grouse is three times the size of a quail; the grouse’s tale 

is 5 7/8 in. The male grouse is 21 ounces! The female grouse is 

smaller than the male. The grouse is different colors such as red 

and gray.

     Did you know the grouse is eaten by people? They say it 

tastes like quail. The baby grouse fills its tummy 30 times a day! 

It eats tree bugs and other insects. It eats wild grapes, dogwood 

berries, acorns, seeds. It also eats green leaves and tree bugs.

     The grouse lives in the largest forests in North America.   They 

are mostly located in South central and in North America. The 

grouse has a distribution in 41 different countries! WOW!

     Now it is time for interesting facts. White eggs are laid in April 

and hatch in 24 days.   It takes 12 weeks for them to grow up. 

WOW!

Bald Eagle

By Steffani

     A Bald Eagle has white tail feathers with dark brown feathering. A 

male and a female are identical in the color. The males weighs 10 to 14 

pounds. The adults are 3 to 3 ½   feet in length. Their wingspan is 6 to 7 

½ feet. The young ones are dark brown with some blotches of white 

under the wings and on the body. The bill for young ones is brownish.

     The Bald Eagle makes loud chirping sounds to tell their mom and dad 

when they're hungry. They eat fish that are carried to a tree. Both males 

and females dives for prey at 100 miles an hour. They also eat wild ducks 

and rabbits, and squirrels and other rodents.

     The Bald Eagle lives in nests in trees made out of twigs, moss, pine 

needles, and feathers. The Bald Eagle lives in Indiana from November 

through March.

     The Bald Eagle adult is named for its white or bald head. Bald is an 

old English word meaning white. The young Bald Eagle ones leave the 

nest at only 11 to 12 weeks of age. Their lifespan is 48 years in captivity. 

And most of all the lifespan is 21 years in the wild.

Bull Frog

By Brandon

     Have you ever seen a huge frog in your pond?   The Bull Frog is 

one of the biggest frogs in Indiana. It is 8 inches long. A Bull Frog 

is dark brown. The Bull Frog can also be greenish gray or yellowish 

green. They also have a yellow throat. The eye of the Bull Frog 

curves around its ear. The Bull Frogs stomach is green and can 

also be white.

     The Bull Frog eats crayfish, worms, ants, flies, and snails. The 

huge Bull Frog eats mice, small snakes, and birds.

     The Bull Frog lives in ponds and lakes. The Bull Frog also lives 

in backwaters of larger streams. The Bull Frog lives statewide in 

Indiana. 

     The interesting facts about Bull Frogs are that Bull Frogs can 

lay up to 10,000 eggs and the eggs hatch in 2-5 days. Another 

fact about Bull Frogs is that the Bull Frog tadpoles are similar to 

green frog tadpoles. The Bull Frog tadpoles overwinter and 

transform the next summer.

Green Salamander

By Max

     Green salamanders are a very cool amphibian.   It has a flat 

head and a flat body.   A green salamander has green marks on the 

back of its body.   Adult green salamanders can be up to four to 

five inches long.   A green salamander has a grayish colored belly.  

A green salamander has square tipped toes.

     Green salamanders eat cool stuff including invertebrates. Some 

of them are beetles, spiders, mites, and ants.   Green salamanders 

are in the lower part of the food chain.  

     Green salamanders mostly live in forests.   In the forest, they 

would live under a forest rock.   Green salamanders might live in 

rocky outcrops too.   Green salamanders are rare in Indiana.   They 

could live in trees or in a cliff.

     Did you know they are an endangered species?   If they get too 

hot, they will die.   If they get too cold, their bodies don’t work.  

Some species only have two legs.   Green salamanders have 

smooth skin.   I love green salamanders!!!!

Ospreys

By Natalie

      How do ospreys look? Osprey’s feathers are blackish – brown, 

and white below. It also has a stiff black beak. Their under parts 

are white and fluffy too. They grow from 21-25 inches, and its 

wingspan is 59-67 centimeters!

     What do they eat and what eats them? An osprey most often 

eats fish. The osprey will hover 30-100 feet over the water in the 

air when they hunt for fish. Once it spots a fish it dives feet first to 

get the fish. The osprey’s predator is hawks. Yum for the hawks 

but boo for the poor ospreys.

     Where do ospreys live? The osprey is widely found in Indiana 

near lakes, rivers, and cliffs. Two lakes they have been found at 

are, Worster Lake, and Brookville Lake. There is one park where 

the osprey was found: Potato Creek Park!

     Interesting Facts about the Ospreys! Did you know that the 

ospreys have a reversible toe! This bird is on the Indiana state 

endangered species list.

Alligator snapping turtle

by Jacob

     The Alligator snapping turtle can weigh up to 175 

pounds. It can also hunt with a worm like tongue and it 

has rough shell, and powerful jaws and claws.

Plain’s Leopard Frog

Averie

     The Plain's leopard Frog is 5.1-9 in tall and 5 cm wide. It has 

a yellow grown and dark spots. The noise is chuck, chuck and 

the belly is white. Its main colors are gray and black.

     The Plain’s Leopard Frog usually eats grasshoppers, beetles, 

snails, crickets and earth worms. It does not like fruit, veggies 

and plants.

     The Plain’s Leopard Frog usually lives in mashes, creeks, 

ponds, wet meadows and streams. It is very hard to find.

     Did you know the Plains Leopard frog makes kissie noises.  

This is amazing! Did you know the female can have up to 3,000 

– 5,000 eggs?            

Cotton Tail Rabbits

By Laurel

     Cotton Tail rabbits are reddish brown to grey on the back and 

sides. Its tail is white and fluffy like snow. A Cotton Tail rabbit 

weighs 2 ½ to 3 pounds. When it is born the rabbit stays close to 

his mother. A Cotton Tail rabbit has long ears and strong legs. His 

front legs help keep its balance. When a Cotton Tail rabbit is a 

baby the mom gives it milk from her body. 

     Cotton Tail rabbits have many predators which are foxes, owls, 

coyotes, weasels, bobcats and lynx. Cotton Tail rabbits eat plants, 

fresh greens, apple, willow, dog wood, hickory, sumac, clover, corn 

and soybeans. Spring comes early for a Cotton Tail rabbit. It may 

be seen in January. Cotton Tail rabbits make nests out of leaves 

and grass, or it can find a hole in the ground and dig with its front 

and back feet. 

     Cotton Tail rabbits can hop very high. When a Cotton Tail rabbit 

is born it must fight hard to survive because it has many 

predators. 

Cardinals

By Kyle

     Have you ever seen a red flash in your trees? The answer is a 

Cardinal! Cardinals are smaller than a robin. Cardinals are known 

for the red "hat and robes".   The male Cardinal is red and the 

female is brownish reddish. 

     Cardinals eat lots of food from outside. Cardinals eat 

sunflower seeds in the summer. Cardinals eat insects such as 

flies. Cardinals eat fruit such as apple, orange, and poke berry. 

     Cardinals are located across the entire Hoosier State. The 

Cardinals have largest population in central Indiana. Cardinals 

are usually found in shrubs, tree branches, and red leaf trees.

Green Frog

By: Danielle

     The green frog is a dark olive green with small 

warts.   It has a blunt snout and a yellow throat. It has 

long legs and webbing on its toes.   It is 3-4 inches long. 

     It eats caterpillars, millipedes, crayfish, 

grasshoppers, spiders, slugs, and snails.

     It lives in a body of water.   It likes ponds and 

streams.   It avoids warm muddy places.   It lives in 

Indiana, all over the state.     

     Frogs have to lay eggs in fresh water.   They lay from 

1,000 throw 5,000 eggs.        

The Barn Owl

By Gabby M.

     How to identify the barn owl is not too hard. With white heart shaped faces, 

dark eyes, tan and white feathers, long legs, and height of 16 inches, this owl is 

actually hard to find. They are strictly night hunters. And by the heart shaped face 

and dark eyes it’s called the monkey faced owl.

     The barn owl's diet is very big. Voles, shrews, mice, some birds, and other 

animals smaller than it make up the owls diet. When does the hunter become 

hunted? When Barn Owls meet a Great Horned Owl, Great Horned owl over power 

them and kill them. Barn Owls may be great hunters, but Great Horned owls are 

better. Being nocturnal has its ups and downs too.

     Barn Owls obviously get their name from where they live. Mostly Barns, old 

buildings, and tree hollows make up their homes. Old barns usually get cut down to 

make pole barns, which has less access to a barn owl, forcing them to live in the 

other two different homes. Even finding any of these is hard for this owl because 

trees are cut down to make pastures for animals and old buildings are usually 

destroyed. But when they do find a home, you can be sure of it finding a mate later. 

Where you can find them is in southern Indiana for all the trees they have.

     What so interesting about these owls? They are rare birds, night birds. Shy birds 

and hard to find as finding real gold.

You've previewed 35 of 54 pages.

To read more: