In the warm, shimmering waters of Thailand swims Atlas the whale shark, a gentle giant who likes things just the way they are: quiet, calm, and solitary.

With a body the size of a school bus, a mouth wide enough to scoop up clouds of tiny food, and a slow, steady way of moving through the sea, Atlas spends his days drifting and thinking big thoughts.

But everything changes when a tiny, cheerful hitchhiker named Renea shows up … and refuses to leave.

At first, Atlas just wants his space back. But as he tries (and fails!) to shake his new companion, he begins to discover something surprising: sometimes the friend you didn’t ask for might be exactly the one you need.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they dive into the calm, curious, and captivating world of the ocean’s largest fish: the whale shark.

Kids will discover:

• How whale sharks eat using filter feeding (even with giant mouths!)
• Why these slow swimmers travel thousands of miles across the ocean
• What makes each whale shark’s spot pattern unique
• How animals can help each other through special relationships in nature

Keep exploring:

• Download a whale shark coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• Secrets of Whale Shark Migration Revealed (National Geographic)
• Whale Sharks Have Tiny Teeth on Their Eyeballs (Smithsonian Magazine)
• The Whale Shark (National Geographic Kids)
• 5 Interesting Facts About Whale Sharks (The World Wildlife Foundation)

On the sunlit savanna near Arusha, Tanzania, a troop of baboons is on the move … headed straight for a breakfast of juicy mangoes. But when they arrive, something is wrong. The mangoes are gone!

All eyes turn to Bunky, the troop’s most mischievous member. But did he really take them? Or is there more to the story? With the help of an unlikely detective, Bunky sets out to clear his name and the entire troop learns an important lesson about teamwork, trust, and paying attention before jumping to conclusions.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they explore the social, chatty world of baboons, where communication, cooperation, and community are everything.

Kids will discover:

• How baboons communicate using sounds, faces, and body language
• Why baboons live in large groups called troops
• How baboons are built for survival, from super big cheek pouches to bottoms that help them sit and patrol for hours

Keep exploring:

• Download a baboon coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• These animals have the biggest, weirdest cheek pouches (National Geographic)
• Baboons (National Geographic)
• Baboon (African Wildlife Foundation)

Among the waving eelgrass and shifting waters of Elkhorn Slough in California floats one very happy sea otter named Mixy.

Mixy has the perfect collection of treasures tucked into her pocket: a just-right rock, a smiling shell, even an extra snack. But when another otter swims close and asks to borrow something, Mixy isn’t so sure. After all, it’s her perfect tool.

Soon, she discovers that the perfect tool isn’t just for helping yourself; it might be even more powerful when it’s shared.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they dive into the playful, splashy world of sea otters, where tools, teamwork, and tiny pockets make a big difference.

Kids will discover:

• How sea otters use tools (yes—real tools!)
• What makes sea otter fur the thickest in the animal kingdom
• How sea otters are made for a life in the water
• Why sea otters are a keystone species in their ecosystem

Keep exploring:

• Download a sea otter coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• The Sea Otter (National Geographic Kids)
• Sea Otter (Monterey Bay Aquarium)
• 10 facts you otter know about sea otters (WWF)
• Watch: Sea otters have pockets (Oceana)