Outrageous Animal Adaptations by Michael J. Rosen - OPTIONAL

Rosen, Michael J. Outrageous Animal Adaptations, 96 pages.  NON-FICTION  Twenty-First Century Books (Lerner), 2018.  $37  Content: G. 

Twenty-four different animals are highlighted in this book about animals who have physically adapted to their environments.  Some of the animals include: Geoduck, Vampire Squid, Waxy Monkey Tree Frog and Naked Mole Rat.  Each animal has their picture, a classification, their adaptation and some interesting facts about them.  At the end there is a glossary as well as references for videos and other books to find more information. 

This book is very visually appealing with bright photographs of weird looking animals.  I was fascinated and sometimes repulsed by the different animals and enjoyed reading about lesser known species.  The information is text heavy with higher level vocabulary so it is geared towards older readers-maybe middle school or high school.  Also, sometimes the author tries to be funny but it’s such a factual book that the jokes seem random and aren’t consistent throughout all the animals. 

MS, HS – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.