Unique and Thoughtful Gift Ideas

December 12, 2024

The holidays are fast approaching. If you’re searching for that special gift, let the federal government help with popular, practical, and unique gift ideas. This year, consider gifts that spark curiosity, inspire learning, and celebrate our beautiful planet. From space enthusiasts to nature lovers and young learners, we’ve covered you with these out-of-this-world gift ideas.

Here are popular gift ideas from the U.S. Government Bookstore that will delight everyone on your list.

The 2025 NASA Science Calendar is a must-have for the space enthusiast in your life. This calendar features stunning images of planets, galaxies, and astronauts and is a daily reminder of the universe’s wonders. It’s a great way to stay organized and get inspired.

Outdoor lovers can bring the beauty of nature into their homes with beautiful National Park posters. With choices ranging from the iconic Rocky Mountains to Canyon Country National Park and more, these posters are perfect for framing and displaying in any room. They’re a great conversation starter and a reminder of the importance of preserving our natural heritage.

For the little ones in your life, the Discover MyPlate activity booklets are a fun and educational way to learn about healthy eating. These booklets help build literacy and teach kids about different food groups and portion sizes. They’re a great way to encourage healthy habits while having fun.

These gifts will surely be a hit with people of all ages. They’re perfect for anyone who loves learning, exploring, and appreciating the beauty of our planet.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.  Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publications and Information Sales Office.

Images and additional content provided by Government Book Talk Editor Trudy Hawkins. Trudy is the Senior Marketing & Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Office supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (https://bookstore.gpo.gov).

4 Comments | Art, Calendars, Consumers, Family, Gifts, National Park Service, Science & Technology, Teachers and teaching | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

NEW! 2024 NASA Science Calendar

February 21, 2024

Rho Ophiuchi

The National Aeronautics Space Administration’s (NASA) much anticipated 2024 NASA Science Calendar is now available from the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) Online Bookstore. The NASA Science Calendar is a yearly publication that features stunning imagery of the cosmos, informative articles about NASA’s missions, and important dates to remember. It’s a great way to stay current on what’s happening in space exploration and learn more about the universe around us.

Here are some of the highlights of the 2024 NASA Science Calendar:

January: Rho Ophiuchi. The first anniversary image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope displays star birth like it’s never been seen before, full of detailed, impressionistic texture. The subject is the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth.

Sun Emits X1.2 Flare

February: Sun Emits X1.2 Flare. An X1.2-class solar flare flashes on the left edge of this image of the Sun, captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on January 5, 2023. The image shows a blend of light from the 171- and 131-angstrom wavelengths, which highlight the Sun’s corona and flaring regions. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy.

Bloomin’ Atlantic

March: Bloomin’ Atlantic. Vibrant swirls of green and turquoise appeared in the North Atlantic for several weeks in April 2023. Some of the color is due to an abundance of phytoplankton, floating plant-like organisms. Although they are microscopic, large groups of phytoplankton are visible from space, as revealed in this image captured by the NASA  –U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat 9 Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) instrument.

There is more amazing imagery, “From fire to water to ice and beyond, NASA Science is exploring the universe,” in the new 2024 NASA Science Calendar.

The NASA Science Calendar remains one of our best sellers. Grab your copy while supplies last!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger Trudy Hawkins is the Senior Marketing & Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Office supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (https://bookstore.gpo.gov).

2 Comments | Art, Calendars, Gifts, NASA, Science & Technology, Teachers and teaching | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

2022 Explore Science Calendar

January 12, 2022

Want to take a trip to outer-space? Here’s a great (and inexpensive) way to experience the beauty of a world beyond Earth’s atmosphere. NASA’s new 2022 Explore Science planner features spectacular photography of NASA’s exploration of our planet.

Here are a few excerpts from the calendar:

January — Return to the Veil Nebula. “The Veil Nebula is the visible portion of the nearby Cygnus Loop, a supernova remnant formed roughly 10,000 years ago by the death of a massive star. The Veil Nebula’s progenitor star—which was 20 times the mass of our Sun—lived fast and died young, ending its life in a cataclysmic release of energy. Despite this stellar explosion, the shock waves and debris from the supernova sculpted the Veil Nebula’s delicate tracery of ionized gas, creating a scene of surprising astronomical beauty.”

April — GOES West Captures Two Hurricanes and the Smoke of California Wildfires. “On August 25, 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) West captured this dynamic GeoColor image of North America, where wildfires ravaged the drought-plagued West and Southwest United States. The resulting hazy gray shroud of smoke spread over much of the country. Over the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Laura can be seen heading toward Louisiana and eastern Texas while the remnants of Hurricane Marco swirl over the Southeast. In the image, smoke can be seen filling California’s Central Valley.”

October— Something Out There Is Watching You. “Do you ever look up at the night sky and feel like someone, or something, may be looking back at you? This Halloween image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope may convince you that you are right! But don’t expect to see these cosmic eyes without a face if you search the night sky with your own binoculars or telescope, as they are completely cloaked from view in visible light. They can only be found by telescopes that can see infrared light.”

Hurry and purchase this popular calendar at the GPO U.S. Government Online Bookstore while supplies last!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.  Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

3 Comments | Calendars, Gifts, NASA, Science & Technology | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

The out-of-this-world NASA calendar

April 8, 2019

2019 Explore Science. The selected images from outer space in the calendar are nature’s art. Each is a moment in space and time that represents the efforts of many individuals committed to the scientific pursuit of knowledge and advancement of humankind.

Close your eyes and visualize the fantastic photography that characterizes the 2019 NASA Calendar. Here’s are brief descriptions of images featured in this year’s calendar to “just imagine.”

May: Tracking Landslide Potential in the Americas. Thanks to a new landslide model and detailed satellite measurements of precipitation made by NASA, scientists can look at landslide threats anywhere in the world in real time.

July: Celebrating 50 Years Since America Landed on the Moon. Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969, carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.

October: The Bluest Blue. The part of this iceberg in Antarctica’s McMurdo Sound that is below the water surface appears vibrant blue primarily due to the blue light from the water in the sound.

To adventure into outer space you can purchase one of the now limited editions of NASA 2019 calendars still available.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THE 2019 EXPLORE SCIENCE NASA CALENDAR?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Visit our Retail Store: To buy or order a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up(s).

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.  Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Calendars, NASA, Science & Technology | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins