Title: Strange, Unusual, Gross & Cool Animals
Author: Charles Ghigna, Animal Planet
Publisher: Liberty Street, an imprint of Time Inc. Books
Ages: 7-12
Nonfiction, 128 pages
Themes: animals, creepy, gross, unusual
Opening:
The world is full of incredible creatures, each one a wonderful oddity.
Some are weird. Some are scary. And some are just disgusting!
Synopsis:
This book contains gory vivid photos and fun factoids about some of the world’s most unusual animals from the eight eyed jumping-spider in Asia, the Kapapo- the world’s only non flying parrot in New Zealand to the Rhombig egg eater. The book is divided into four animal sections: strange, unusual, gross and cool. It is also divided into four types of pages: Gallery spreads that explore a theme looking at animals form different parts of the world but which are adapted in similar ways to their environment. Double paged Feature Creature spreads highlighting one critter in particular with extra details and stats. Creature Collection spreads allow you to contrast and compare a group of animals, and Macroview pages focus on teeny critters with some amazing macrophotography.
Why I like this book:
Some of these animals I already knew (Because I am an animal enthusiast especially those that are endangered) such as the blue footed booby, the Madagascan aye-aye, English longhorn cattle, or the maned wolf but 75% of these critters were new to me. I think 90% will be new to kids.
They should all know the naked mole rate made famous by Mo Willems but they won’t know that they have tweezer-like front teeth to crush tiny invertebrates or they have fleshy appendages that are five times more sensitive than a human hand but smaller than the tip of a thumb!
A book for kids who delight in the gross, which is most, right? And for those who can’t get enough animal facts. I put this out with our new books on the first day of school and there is a huge wait list for it.
Activities/resources:
At the back of the book, seven groups of scientists and conservationists from around the world are highlighted as well as the links to their websites.
- Iucnredlist.org
- Worldwildlife.org
- Montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide
- National.si.edu/animals
- Nature.org
- Amnh.org/explore
- Nmfs.noaa.gov
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
Thank you so much for this beautiful review!