Lesser Spotted Animals

by Martin Brown, Martin Brown (Illustrator)

Overview

A hilarious, fact-tastic picture book about the coolest creatures you've never heard of, from the illustrator of the internationally bestselling Horrible Histories.

Bison? They're banned! Tigers? Taboo! Say good-bye to the gnu, cheerio to the cheetah, and peace to the panda.The world of Lesser Spotted Animals STARTS HERE!Find out all about the amazing animals you need to know but never get to see, from the numbat to the zorilla, and everything in between. A non-fiction picture book with attitude, Martin Brown's Lesser Spotted Animals combines the humor and verve of books like Dragons Love Tacos and Please Mr. Panda with the informative breadth and gorgeous presentation of non-fiction from Steve Jenkins, Diana Aston, and Jenny Broom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338089349
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	12/27/2016
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Martin Brown moved from Australia to the United Kingdom in 1982 as a back-packing antipodean and never left. He is the illustrator of the hugely successful Horrible Histories series, which have sold over twenty-five million copies worldwide. Lesser Spotted Animals is the first book he has both written and illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

11/21/2016
In a richly entertaining and informative animal guide, Brown introduces 21 creatures that aren’t often in the limelight, including the Cuban solenodon, a rare venomous mammal not immune to its own poison; the lesser fairy armadillo (“the big ones are like small armored pigs”); and the Russian desman, “a sort of large, long-tailed underwater mole.” Brown’s cartooned creatures often stare at readers with expressions of skepticism or even boredom, complemented by dry-witted speech and thought balloons, and the descriptions of the animals are equally droll. “Let’s face it,” he writes, “the main reason this bat is in this book is because of its name: the dagger-toothed flower bat.” Beneath the humor, Brown shows a clear appreciation for biodiversity and a concern for environmental threats threatening many of these animals and their habitats. Ages 7–10. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Lesser Spotted Animals: "With a compulsively engaging tone, lighthearted artwork, and a meaningful kernel of education at its heart, this excellent book will entrance a wide variety of readers, who will surely be eager for more." — Booklist, starred review "This ambitious nonfiction picture book . . . is both informative and funny-quite a feat." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

12/01/2016
Gr 3–6—What are a numbat, a zorilla, an onager, a gaur, and a hirola? Readers learn about these unusual animals in this playfully written and witty guide to creatures unknown. Each of the subjects receives approximately two pages of treatment. Page layout is consistent and well organized, with blocks of color drawing attention to the humorous but informative text. Brown offers vivid analogies rather than precise measurements when describing animal sizes; for example, the zebra duiker is "medium dog-size—with skinny legs," while the crabeater seal is "as big as a very tall, fat man—lying down." The subjects inhabit different regions, and tiny maps, occasionally too small to distinguish, identify where they can be found. Among other details are diet and conservation status, derived from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. The light, cartoonish artwork matches the tone of the writing. Vocabulary chosen for the glossary continues the fun. Among the terms are more familiar words such as male and female and even the definition of glossary. VERDICT This romp through the lesser-known animal kingdom will inspire appreciation in readers. Highly recommended as an alternative to more traditional works.—Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH

School Library Journal

★ 2016-10-19
Meet the numbat, fairy armadillo, zorilla, banded linsang, hirola, and a world of lesser-known animals. Martin takes on his first written and illustrated project in an experimental, factual study of unfamiliar animals that offers a cheekily entertaining collection of fascinating creatures. Each double-page spread features one animal and related data: its size, what it eats, where it lives, a general description of the beast, comparisons to other animals, and, crucially, the animal's status—ranging from endangered to "least concern," with a couple who are "data deficient." Sharing space with the (mostly) realistic depictions of these animals are cartoons, many of them with quips or other remarks young readers will appreciate. Martin creatively offers as thumbnails often humorous illustrations of other animals as comparison, and he depicts their ranges on unlabeled but recognizable maps. The solid background colors vary from blue ocean depths to sandy African and Middle Eastern desert lands. Young readers will chuckle multiple times or simply ask questions; the word "ass" or "asses" is used eight times in the onager entry, and there's a tidbit about British explorer John Speke, who suffered "the unhelpful setback of dying." What is perhaps the most important feature is the book's not-at-all-subtle mission to encourage the protection of status-threatened creatures. This ambitious nonfiction picture book uncovering extraordinary, rarely spotlighted creatures is both informative and funny—quite a feat. (glossary, key) (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews