0
    • Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads
    0 0
    Download high-resolution image

    Where Is Puerto Rico?

    Part of Who HQ: The 50 States

    Author Tracy Vonder Brink, Who HQ
    Illustrated by Ted Hammond
    Paperback
    $5.99 US
    Penguin Young Readers | Penguin Workshop
    5-5/16"W x 7-5/8"H
    On sale Jun 02, 2026 | 56 Pages | 9798217244249
    Grades 3-7
    Reading Level: Lexile 980L
    Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

    See Additional Formats
    Dive into the history, geography, and culture of Puerto Rico in this installment of the 50 States series. From major cities to historic events, Where Is Puerto Rico? introduces you to the place in a whole new way, whether you’re proud to call it home or learning about a distant destination.

    Visit famous landmarks like El Morro. Meet important people like Roberto Clemente. Explore the history of those who first called the islands home, the Taíno people. Fans of sports, nature, and weird facts will all find something to love about the home of bomba music and the glowing waters of Mosquito Bay. Not to mention the plants and animals of the stunning El Yunque National Forest!

    Including timelines, black-and-white illustrations, and a fact-filled “At a Glance” section, this book has everything you need to know about the heritage, development, and present day of Puerto Rico.
    Tracy Vonder Brink View titles by Tracy Vonder Brink
    Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ
    Ted Hammond View titles by Ted Hammond
    Where Is Puerto Rico?

    You slide a kayak into the water with a guide’s help. Coqui frogs chirp their name as they call to each other in the trees, “Coh-KEY. Coh-KEY.” You climb in the kayak and float into the bay. With each dip of your paddle, the dark water flashes blue. Soon, the water around your kayak sparkles with a soft blue glow. It seems like magic, but it’s nature: You’re taking a night tour in one of Puerto Rico’s bioluminescent (say: buy-oh-loo-muh-NESS-ent) bays!

    A bioluminescent bay (also called a bio bay) is a body of water partly surrounded by land that’s filled with tiny living things called dinoflagellates (say: dye-noh-FLAJ-uh-layts). Bioluminescent means light created naturally by living things—fireflies are bioluminescent.

    Some kinds of dinoflagellates flash with blue light when disturbed—like when a kayak paddle stirs the water. It’s thought that these small creatures light up to scare away predators, but nobody knows for sure. There are only five famous bio bays in the world, and Puerto Rico has three of them: Laguna Grande, La Parguera, and Mosquito Bay. The brightest is Mosquito Bay, by the island of Vieques (say: vee-EH-kays). This bay holds up to seven hundred thousand dinoflagellates per gallon of water! Bio bays are an amazing part of Puerto Rico, but they’re not the only thing that makes these islands unique.
    Copyright © 2026 by Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

    About

    Dive into the history, geography, and culture of Puerto Rico in this installment of the 50 States series. From major cities to historic events, Where Is Puerto Rico? introduces you to the place in a whole new way, whether you’re proud to call it home or learning about a distant destination.

    Visit famous landmarks like El Morro. Meet important people like Roberto Clemente. Explore the history of those who first called the islands home, the Taíno people. Fans of sports, nature, and weird facts will all find something to love about the home of bomba music and the glowing waters of Mosquito Bay. Not to mention the plants and animals of the stunning El Yunque National Forest!

    Including timelines, black-and-white illustrations, and a fact-filled “At a Glance” section, this book has everything you need to know about the heritage, development, and present day of Puerto Rico.

    Author

    Tracy Vonder Brink View titles by Tracy Vonder Brink
    Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ
    Ted Hammond View titles by Ted Hammond

    Excerpt

    Where Is Puerto Rico?

    You slide a kayak into the water with a guide’s help. Coqui frogs chirp their name as they call to each other in the trees, “Coh-KEY. Coh-KEY.” You climb in the kayak and float into the bay. With each dip of your paddle, the dark water flashes blue. Soon, the water around your kayak sparkles with a soft blue glow. It seems like magic, but it’s nature: You’re taking a night tour in one of Puerto Rico’s bioluminescent (say: buy-oh-loo-muh-NESS-ent) bays!

    A bioluminescent bay (also called a bio bay) is a body of water partly surrounded by land that’s filled with tiny living things called dinoflagellates (say: dye-noh-FLAJ-uh-layts). Bioluminescent means light created naturally by living things—fireflies are bioluminescent.

    Some kinds of dinoflagellates flash with blue light when disturbed—like when a kayak paddle stirs the water. It’s thought that these small creatures light up to scare away predators, but nobody knows for sure. There are only five famous bio bays in the world, and Puerto Rico has three of them: Laguna Grande, La Parguera, and Mosquito Bay. The brightest is Mosquito Bay, by the island of Vieques (say: vee-EH-kays). This bay holds up to seven hundred thousand dinoflagellates per gallon of water! Bio bays are an amazing part of Puerto Rico, but they’re not the only thing that makes these islands unique.
    Copyright © 2026 by Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

    Additional formats

    Other books in this series

    Other Books by this Author

    Related Articles

    Penguin Random House Elementary Education

    © 2026 Penguin Random House

    Back to Top
    0
    Wish List (0)