Meet Some Bizarre Animals
By Dawn Cusick
Imagine! Publishing, $14.95, 80 pages
There is nothing funnier than an animal with a cool name. Does a kitten moth purr? Does a parrot snake talk? Does a mosquitofish sting? In Dawn Cusick’s book Cool Animal Names, science education becomes fun as readers meet over 250 animals with awesome names and fantastic traits. When kids are old enough to know the differences between a tiger, a monkey and a frog, the idea of a tiger-legged monkey tree frog is very funny. Does it look like a tiger or a frog? Does it prowl or hop? Does it have big teeth or a long tongue? Find out the answers to these questions while learning about camouflage and scientific names.
Some weird animals are named for their behavior, but others are named for their unique physical traits. Tigers have stripes that help them blend in with their environment, so it makes sense that tiger snakes, tiger leeches and tiger-legged monkey tree frogs have similar markings. Elephants are known for their long trunks. Did you know that elephant shrews and elephant seals have large noses that look like trunks, too? Along with a cool picture, the authors include a paragraph filled with fun trivia bits about each animal. When you are done getting to know the animals, play Names Games. Young readers will also benefit from learning how to use a Table of Contents and an Index.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin
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