Outrageous Animal Adaptations: From Big-Eared Bats to Frill-Necked Lizards by Michael Rosen
Published by Twenty-First Century Books (Tm) on January 1st 2018
ISBN: 1512429996
Pages: 96
Goodreads

This book includes everything a nonfiction book for young readers should have: an engaging topic, excellent research and well-documented sources, a gorgeous design, and great writing. Rosen’s chatty style and sense of humor adds readability to this book of animals who have adapted to their environments in unique, odd, funny, and/or fascinating ways. Twenty-four animals are included in the book in 3-4 page chapters with a beautiful, clean lay-out of photograph with an interesting fact in a red circle, “Adaptation” in a dark green square, “Classification” in a lime green rectangle, and “Curious Fact” in a black circle. The color scheme carries throughout the book with most of the easy-to-read text on white or lime green pages.  It would have been nice to have even more photographs, but some of these animals are outside of the normal sphere of the NatGeo photographer, so it is understandable.

It is evident that Rosen is passionate about the topic and any reader lucky enough to pick up this book will be enthralled with the quirky creatures captured in its pages. Recommend for readers in grades 5-8.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth