Review Detail

Amazing Animals Around the World

Kids Nonfiction 618

Can you find the pangopups?

February 03, 2023

Overall rating

4.3

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Learning Value

5.0

Tired of going through all the traditional farm and neighborhood animals with your young child? Pick up this overview of animals that showcases different animals from around the world and organizes them in to fun categories like "Long, Sticky Tongues", "They Fly, But They Are Not Birds", and "Now You See Me, Now You Don't"!

Starting with a brief description of the planet and some statistics on how many animals there are (which is illustrated by some lovely green, blue-gray, and orange depictions of a banded linsang, Visayan warty pig, and Fennec fox), this book goes on to describe the different ecosystems in the world. We get a good look at animals that live in trees in Africa and Asia, as well as South America, and then delve into different fun traits that group animals together. I really didn't need to know that there are flying snakes, but I can at least rest easy that they live primarily in Southeast Asia!

Good Points

The facial expressions of the animals in the almost wood block print style renderings are delightul; I'm not sure I want to meet a gerenuk in the wild, because he looks a little bit annoyed. I must have had a similar book when I was growing up, because I can still remember some information about the platypus. I did not, however, know that their fur glowed green under ultraviolet light.

Animals are constantly fascinating, and the wide variety of unusual and interesting animals in Amazing Animals Around the World is a good reason include this book on your child's shelves along with other animal related titles like Poulain's Pop-Up Guide: Animals, Rahwan's Incredible Animals, Janska's Whose Home is This?