Awards

• Children’s Book Committee at the Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature Best Children’s Books of the Year Outstanding Merit

Overview

A fish that walks on land a frog that makes its own sunscreen and an insect that can become invisible - these are just a few incredible animals that have adapted to survive in their unique environments.

Full Product Details

9781512429992

Table of Contents

Reviews

Profiles of 24 curious creatures, from the waxy monkey tree frog to Vampyroteuthis infernalis (literally, 'vampire squid from hell'). In introducing his diverse menagerie, Rosen focuses particularly on how each creature uses one or more of its distinctive physical features, such as the claws that give mole crickets 'major mining mojo' or the jaws of the Tasmanian devil, which can deliver a bite over 15 times as powerful as the average dog's. Along with covering basic adaptations to various habitats or niches, he also points to examples of convergent evolution and highlights intriguing recent discoveries--notably a type of fish that can begin altering its body to cope with a drier environment in only a few months, thus hinting at how quickly life might have first moved from the sea. Full taxonomic classifications for each animal accompany side notes on other features and behaviors worthy of mention, and at the end, the author adds generous lists of print and web resources for readers with a yen to dig deeper. The stock photos are a weak point, being too small to have much impact, but Rosen's narrative ('Finally, the camel spider sprays digestive juices onto the victim, which quickly dissolves into a protein shake that the spider can slurp down with a satisfied ahh!') offers imagery that's vivid enough to compensate. Both budding zoologists and children with even just a mild interest in the natural world will slurp this down. --Kirkus Reviews --Journal From the Camel spider's giant jaw to the vegetarian diet of the manatee, Rosen explores the peculiar and unique adaptations that have allowed a number of species to survive and thrive in their sometimes harsh ecosystems. Vibrant photos, helpful call-outs (including basic species information, adaptation highlights, and curious facts), and longer summaries fill the book. Covering a wealth of phylums and classes in the animal kingdom, Rosen's text is bound to pique the interest of readers as he skillfully covers each animal. The bold color palette of red and lime green give the book an eye-catching look, while cross sections and diagrams explain geoducks and more. Whether exploring the book as a resource for a science project or to satiate curiosity, readers will have trouble looking away from the occasionally gross-out photos and lively text. Both public and school libraries should consider adding this to their collections. --School Library Journal --Journal Twenty-four different animals are highlighted in this book about animals who have physically adapted to their environments. Some of the animals include: Geoduck, Vampire Squid, Waxy Monkey Tree Frog and Naked Mole Rat. Each animal has their picture, a classification, their adaptation and some interesting facts about them. At the end there is a glossary as well as references for videos and other books to find more information. This book is very visually appealing with bright photographs of weird looking animals. I was fascinated and sometimes repulsed by the different animals and enjoyed reading about lesser known species. The information is text heavy with higher level vocabulary so it is geared towards older readers-maybe middle school or high school. Also, sometimes the author tries to be funny but it's such a factual book that the jokes seem random and aren't consistent throughout all the animals. --Blog

Profiles of 24 curious creatures, from the waxy monkey tree frog to Vampyroteuthis infernalis (literally, 'vampire squid from hell'). In introducing his diverse menagerie, Rosen focuses particularly on how each creature uses one or more of its distinctive physical features, such as the claws that give mole crickets 'major mining mojo' or the jaws of the Tasmanian devil, which can deliver a bite over 15 times as powerful as the average dog's. Along with covering basic adaptations to various habitats or niches, he also points to examples of convergent evolution and highlights intriguing recent discoveries--notably a type of fish that can begin altering its body to cope with a drier environment in only a few months, thus hinting at how quickly life might have first moved from the sea. Full taxonomic classifications for each animal accompany side notes on other features and behaviors worthy of mention, and at the end, the author adds generous lists of print and web resources for readers with a yen to dig deeper. The stock photos are a weak point, being too small to have much impact, but Rosen's narrative ('Finally, the camel spider sprays digestive juices onto the victim, which quickly dissolves into a protein shake that the spider can slurp down with a satisfied ahh!') offers imagery that's vivid enough to compensate. Both budding zoologists and children with even just a mild interest in the natural world will slurp this down. --Kirkus Reviews --Journal Twenty-four different animals are highlighted in this book about animals who have physically adapted to their environments. Some of the animals include: Geoduck, Vampire Squid, Waxy Monkey Tree Frog and Naked Mole Rat. Each animal has their picture, a classification, their adaptation and some interesting facts about them. At the end there is a glossary as well as references for videos and other books to find more information. This book is very visually appealing with bright photographs of weird looking animals. I was fascinated and sometimes repulsed by the different animals and enjoyed reading about lesser known species. The information is text heavy with higher level vocabulary so it is geared towards older readers-maybe middle school or high school. Also, sometimes the author tries to be funny but it's such a factual book that the jokes seem random and aren't consistent throughout all the animals. --Blog From the Camel spider's giant jaw to the vegetarian diet of the manatee, Rosen explores the peculiar and unique adaptations that have allowed a number of species to survive and thrive in their sometimes harsh ecosystems. Vibrant photos, helpful call-outs (including basic species information, adaptation highlights, and curious facts), and longer summaries fill the book. Covering a wealth of phylums and classes in the animal kingdom, Rosen's text is bound to pique the interest of readers as he skillfully covers each animal. The bold color palette of red and lime green give the book an eye-catching look, while cross sections and diagrams explain geoducks and more. Whether exploring the book as a resource for a science project or to satiate curiosity, readers will have trouble looking away from the occasionally gross-out photos and lively text. Both public and school libraries should consider adding this to their collections. --School Library Journal --Journal

Author Information

Michael J. Rosen is the acclaimed author of some three dozen books for children of all ages (and even more for grown-ups!), including The Cuckoo’s Haiku and Other Poems for Birders; Our Farm: Four Seasons with Five Kids on One Famiy’s Farm (which he both wrote and illustrated with some 400 photographs); A Drive in the Country; Don’t Shoot!; A School for Pompey Walker; and Elijah’s Angel. For over 35 years, ever since working as a counselor, water-safety instructor, and art teacher at local community centers, Michael has been engaged with young children, their parents, and teachers. As a visiting author, in-service speaker, and workshop leader, he frequently travels to schools and conferences around the nation, sharing his stories, poems, creativity, and humor. As a talented editor and illustrator, Michael has enlisted hundreds of other authors and artists to create 15 philanthropic books that aid in the fight to end childhood hunger through Share Our Strength’s national efforts, or that offer care to less fortunate companion animals through The Company of Animals Fund, a granting program he began in 1990. For the last four years, working with the Ohio Children’s Foundation, Michael created a early literacy activity book, particularly designed for kids who are likely to start school without knowing the alphabet: You, Me, and the ABCs: 100 Ready-for-Reading Activities for Kids and Their Favorite Grown-ups.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available