Illustrations – Paul Daviz
A few years ago I became mildly obsessed with a documentary series called Weird Creatures with Nick Baker. It sparked an interest in wonderfully weird animals I’d never heard of before or knew very little about, so this book essentially jumped out at me.
From the Pacific barreleye with its see-through head to the leafy sea dragon that looks like seaweed, this book provides an introduction to some of the world’s most unusual animals. It even includes a couple of my favourites, the star-nosed mole and the three-toed sloth.
I enjoyed the down to earth, conversational tone of the writing and the focus on conservation and how each animals’ differences help them, e.g., for camouflage or protection. I discovered some animals within the pages that were new to me and learned some interesting facts about some I was already familiar with.
The illustrations were colourful and fun with a dash of quirkiness. I would have liked to have seen a photo gallery accompanying them though (perhaps at the end of the book) as I found myself searching for photos of the animals that were new to me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures for the opportunity to read this book.
Once Upon a Blurb
Celebrate the weird, wonderful, and the downright bizarre in this compelling compendium of unusual animals. From the green fur of a three-toed sloth, to the pink and wiggly appendage of the star-nosed mole, there’s something new to marvel at on every page.
Delve into the forests, burrow under the ground, and dive into the deep to discover nature’s most peculiar creatures and learn about their behaviour, diet, and habitat, as well as folk beliefs about each animal.
Hidden away in Earth’s forests, caves, and oceans, these creatures might look or behave in peculiar ways but, as you will soon find out, every oddity serves a purpose:
- The long, skeletal finger of an aye-aye, used by this lemur to tap on trees to locate hollow tunnels where delicious insects hide
- The barrel-shaped eyes of a Pacific barreleye fish that turn upward to watch for prey above through its transparent head
- The big, bulbous nose of a proboscis monkey designed to attract mates
- The armour-like scales of a pangolin that are so tough that even lions and tigers can’t bite through them.
Come face-to-face with the most curious creatures from across the globe, and decide for yourself who’s the weirdest of them all.
Schizanthus Nerd 