Critter Chat: World Wild Web

by Jason Viola

Overview

What if animals had the internet? Find out in this hilarious Critter Chat spin-off with animal group chats, social media parodies, dance trends—and MORE.

Critter chat is BACK with all-new imagined digital animal encounters—and it's all based on 100% true animal info.

Inside you'll find a group chat for bears that is oddly lacking in real bear members. (No, the koala bear does NOT count.) Meanwhile, a group of stinky animals commiserates about how no one appreciates their unique fragrance, and a rooster greets the day with exuberant ALL CAPS.

Among these silly conversations, you'll find tons of parody social media posts from all your favorite animals—and some you probably haven't heard of—including Instagram-style selfies (#WildStyle), meal reviews on animal Yelp, and profiles of critters looking for love on BeeHarmony. Plus, sprinkled throughout are fascinating nonfiction features that give you the scoop on the absolutely real ways that animals communicate, as well as bios of real-life animal influencers making a name for themselves online today.

This pun-packed nugget of fun will have readers learning all about the animal kingdom—without even realizing it.

It's the perfect book for internet-savvy animal lovers, reluctant readers, and comedians young and old.

For more fun and fact-filled animal books from National Geographic Kids, don’t miss out on Critter Chat; Weird But True! Animals; Just Joking: Funny Animals; and Nerdlet: Animals!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426373718
Publisher:	Disney - RHCB
Publication date:	08/08/2023
Series:	Critter Chat
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 6.52(h) x 0.49(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

JASON VIOLA grew up in a small farm town in Massachusetts, where he spent idle hours drawing comic strips about birds and cats. While his father's affinity for woodworking and storytelling encouraged his creativity, his mother managed a menagerie of pets, spurring an interest in animals that continues today. Continuing to find inspiration from biology and through the lens of pop culture, he has written about manatees, amoebas, and flowers with a modern, satiric twist.

Editorial Reviews

2023-08-26
A second collection of animal facts presented as online exchanges and posts.

FastClass the cheetah welcomes readers and pops in occasionally as the book progresses. Through repeated segments mimicking real-world internet sites and online conversations, readers learn about the diets, behaviors, habitats, ranges, and physiology of a wide range of animals, from purple frogs (first spotted by scientists in India in 2003) to the mountain viscacha (a type of chinchilla found in the Andes) to the splendid fairy-wren of Australia. Critter Chat sections gather groups of animals to discuss a shared theme via text messages. Llamazon and YiPadvisor pages show animals sharing reviews that incorporate information about their features and behaviors. Dolphinstagram and bharmony segments put the spotlight on a specific species. The Animal Influencer profiles—many of them on animals who have gained attention thanks to social media accounts run by people in their lives, such as Starfish, the New Orleans opossum cared for by an animal rehabilitator after losing her tail—give a personal face to the data, although their social media platforms and usernames are not provided. A light tone and plenty of puns punctuate the text, keeping the book both entertaining and educational. Color photographs on nearly every page, along with bright graphics and a balance of data and humor, paired with just enough snark, will sustain readers’ interest.

Amusing and informative. (index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews