Listen to or read these 3 bat stories

In this book by Ginger Butcher, a young big brown bat named Echo learns how to use his strong sense of hearing and echolocation to find and catch bugs for food. When a storm separates Echo from his mother, he has to find his own path to the safe cave where they plan to hibernate for the winter.

Using satellite images, the online version of ‘Echo the Bat’ lets readers track Echo’s path through Arizona, flying past tall buildings, over squiggly rivers, and near wrinkly mountains. More activities about Echo are available at go.usa.gov/xsBFX.

2. Nightsong

(Ari Berk)

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In this Ari Berk book, a little bat learns more about echolocation — “the song you sing out into the world, and the song the world sings back to you.”

As the bat sings into the darkness, he realizes he can use his song to navigate the dark forest, find his way to a tasty dinner, and even all the way to the sea.

3. Stellaluna

(Harper Collins)

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When an owl attacks her and her mother, Stellaluna is knocked out of the sky. The baby fruit bat finds herself in a bird’s nest, where she learns to act just like the baby birds — eating bugs, sleeping at night, and absolutely no hanging upside-down by her feet!

When Stellaluna and the birds go out flying, Stellaluna meets other bats and learns about all the special gifts she has as a bat. In this Janell Cannon story, Stellaluna and the birds agree that even though they are quite different, they can still be good friends.