Summer is a perfect time to learn at your leisure. With no pressure or requirements, pouring over nonfiction can be edifying as you learn and gain more information about the many types of animals on earth. All books are in a picture-book hardback format and are good for all ages unless otherwise indicated.
Animal Portraits, by Lucie Brunelliere, is a large, oversized book of over a foot wide and a foot and a half in length. Each side features one animal that fills the page and color. There is also only one large word on each page defining the type of animal. For instance, there is a pig, a seal and a bear making this perfect for learning sight words for new readers and best for ages three to six.
Nature’s Treasures of North America, by Alison Limentani and perfectly drawn and beautifully painted with watercolor by Katie Putt, has a kid-friendly layout with just a few drawings of animals and their descriptions on every page. This type of book makes reading through it much more inviting. Some of these animals include the tufted puffin, river otter and the small kit fox. Be sure to check out the cool end-pages.
Birds Everywhere, by Brittany Teckentrup, is an astounding yet simplistic look into the many kinds of birds in our world. The book describes the makeup and history of birds. But it mostly covers the basic types of birds found throughout the world such as barn owls, water birds and long-distance birds. The layout is colorful and made digitally.
Funny Bugs: Nature’s Most Hilarious Adaptations!, by Paul Mason and cleverly illustrated in a funny comic strip style by Tony De Saulles, is a most interesting book filled with some weird insects and spiders. The book begins with defining the make-up of a bug and the goes into bug noise, bug eyes and bugs in disguise and much more. There’s an interesting glossary and fun bug quiz found at the back. There’s also Funny Beasts: Nature’s Most Hilarious Adaptations! by the same author and illustrator, which is just as entertaining and informative.
My First Pop-Up Endangered Animals, by Owen Davey, is a smallish-size book made just for younger children ages two through six. Most often pop-up books are delicate and tear easily making it difficult for younger kids to be able to touch and enjoy. But Davey has created several robust animal pop-up books for this age to enjoy. The pages are sturdy, and the pop-ups are simple helping to ensure tearing unlikely. Another book, (bigger in size), with a similar format for younger kids with sturdy pages and pop-ups is Animal Atlas: a Pop-Up Book, by Ingela P. Arrhenius.
Maps for Penguins and Other Traveling Animals, by Tracey Turner and brightly illustrated by Hui Skipp, is a colorful journey that takes kids through the network of animals who travel far and wide around the world. The amazing way they navigate and locate their far-away destination is impresseive. Each animal featured showcases a map of where they venture, intricately displayed on the open-page. The next open-page shows the extent of the specific animals. Some of these animals include the humpback whale and the green sea turtle. Check out the glossary at the back.
Amazing Animals Around the World, by DGPH Studio, exhibits interesting animals and how they adapt to their environment. Some of sections include animals that live in trees, animals with armor and scales and animals with long and sticky tongues. There is a section on the back about conservation as well as a glossary. The colors are limited helping to focus on the animals featured on each open-page. Check out the other new book in this series: Amazing Insects Around the World.
Mother of Sharks, by Melissa Cristina Marquez and beautifully painted by Devin Elle Kurtz, takes young Meli on a magical underwater adventure. As she swims through gorgeous fragile coral, she sees a mako shark stuck in fishnet at the bottom of the ocean. The story of Meli and her encounters with animal life in the ocean integrates with the importance of a healthy marine ecosystem. This book is good for ages five through eight.
Shall We Dance, by Robin Page, exhibits thirty different animal movements, some that appear to be dancing. For many reasons, depending on the animal, these movements occur due to mating purposes or expelling predators or just for fun. Some of these animals include crabs that wave, eagles who twirl and cartwheel and cranes that perform a pirouette. The vibrant color is rendered with Adobe Photoshop creating these stunning animals practically jump off the page.
How do Meerkats Order Pizza?: Wild Facts About Animals and the Scientists Who Study Them, by Brooke Barker, is a most interesting, educational and humorous book that is full of comedic comic-panel layout. The way this book is presented creates a very fun and fascinating experience for all. Ms. Barker has written and illustrated a science book about some very interesting animals, which includes the rusty patched bumble bee and the western gorilla and also showcases where they live. The presentation of this book will surely magnify our living world and perhaps draw out a budding scientist!
