Synopses & Reviews
The leading media brand for all things animal, this is an exciting and innovative book program that continues to deliver engaging, high-quality information about the animal kingdom. Launched in 1997, Animal Planet today has a unique global reach. It is broadcast in more than 96 million US households and 165 other countries, in 24 languages. In Weird and Wonderful: Show-Offs by Animal Planet, come face to face with the record breakers of the animal kingdom. Each title in the lavishly illustrated Weird and Wonderful series features more than 200 of the world's most extraordinary animals and their sometimes-bizarre behavior. Marvel at the amazing strategies animals deploy to track, catch and kill their prey; how they defend themselves from attack; how they rear their young, survive in extreme temperatures, and adapt to life in the ocean's depths.
Review
BooklistFestooned with blindingly bright animal photographs and photo-realistic images, this entry in the Animal Planet: Weird and Wonderful series surveys ways in which animals use body language, colors, patterns, sounds, shells, spikes, lights, gestures, and wings for attack, defense, concealment, and courtship. On each single-topic spread, text is distributed in bite-size comments, and captions surround images trimmed into various shapes, with sheets of background color to ensure that every square inch offers at least some visual stimulation.
Review
Archimedes NotebookAnother book brimming with bold, bright photos, and perfect for browsing. There are three main sections: colorful creatures; animals of the land, air and sea; and courtship and mating. Each spread focuses on a specific "show-off" adaptation, with an introductory paragraph and extended captions that accompany the photos.
NSTA RecommendsPacked into its 64 pages, this book treats the elementary school reader to hundreds of pictures rich with detail, charming facts about animal behavior or display, and plenty of close-ups that will make boys and girls in the classroom gasp in awe and squirm. . . . This is a first-rate children's book that features highly engaging photos on every page. . . images and descriptive text work together in this book to teach about these astonishing animals. Although this may not be the text that drives a lesson, it is a book that even the most reluctant reader will have a hard time putting down.
Booklist
Festooned with blindingly bright animal photographs and photo-realistic images, this entry in the Animal Planet: Weird and Wonderful series surveys ways in which animals use body language, colors, patterns, sounds, shells, spikes, lights, gestures, and wings for attack, defense, concealment, and courtship. On each single-topic spread, text is distributed in bite-size comments, and captions surround images trimmed into various shapes, with sheets of background color to ensure that every square inch offers at least some visual stimulation.
About the Author
Professor Phil Whitfield is a lecturer in zoology, biology, and parasitology at King's College, University of London. He is also an author and consultant, producing books on science, technology, and especially the life sciences. His past works have been shortlisted for the Rhone-Poulence Prize for sceince writing. He lives in London, UK.