1001+ Fantastic Facts about Animals — Review & Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

 “There is no doubt that I have lots of words inside me; but at moments, like rush-hour traffic at the mouth of a tunnel, they jam.” 

~John Updike~ 

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Going to a conference? Need to write an elevator pitch? HERE is a post that can help you write a good one.

And as long as you are going to that conference, HERE is an article to help you get the most out of it.

Janice Hardy at Fiction University has some reasons to quit writing a novel HERE, but it also has reason not to quit. Worth your time.

When last we met, I promised an ARC of Al Capone Throws Me a Curve by Gennifer Choldenko to one of you. This week’s winner is Tudy. Congratulations, Tudy! I will get your book out to you soon. Thanks for reading and commenting. I appreciate it. For the rest of you, please keep reading. I have a really fun book to give away this week.

Please remember, in order to win, you need to be a follower or subscriber, and you need to leave a comment at the end of the post. Otherwise, you don’t have a chance to win. Please, please, please go to the upper right and sign up. Thanks.

I am somewhat obsessed with books that are compendiums of facts. Next on my list of books I want to own is Atlas Obscura. I just love a book I can stick in the car and it will keep us all entertained for hours or that I can keep next to my bed and turn to any page and find something fun and interesting to read. I always search for these on the review books lists, and when I see them I grab them. So when I came across 1001+ Fantastic Facts about Animals by Clare Hibbert on the list, I snapped it up. Here is the review I wrote for them with some added lines. I sometimes get frustrated with the word limit at the review and I have a little more I want to highlight.

If you have kids who love animals, (and what kid doesn’t love animals?), this will be a fun book to add to your personal library. And if your kids happen to be reluctant readers who love animals, this book is a must have. Every page is chock full of little factoids that are pleasingly arranged with bright graphics and cute pictures of animals and show three to six interesting facts about one or two animals. For instance, “The bombardier beetle sprays explosive chemicals at any attacker.” or “The vampire squid feeds on so-called ‘marine snow’ — all the flakes of dead stuff that float down toward the seabed.” There are animals who use slime, horrible odors, prickly skin, poison, changing colors, and other fascinating devices to protect themselves. “The small-headed flies lays her eggs on a tarantula. When the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the spider from the inside out.” Only

one animal has the male of the species becoming pregnant. There is a list with several animals who eat their own poop. A fruit by the name of durian is quite popular with orangutans, elephants, tigers, and more that smells like a mix of pig poop, vomit, and sweat socks. (Poop comes up a lot in this book. Remember, it’s written for middle-graders.) This little book is about six inches square and nearly an inch thick, so it will fit nicely into a backpack, purse, or seat pocket. Every page has very colorful photos, illustrations, and great graphics. No boring moments in this book. It is the perfect book to take on a long car ride to keep kids entertained (and learning!) the whole way. And not just kids will like this book. Anyone with natural curiosity will love it. This is a real winner. 

I have a gently-read paperback for one of you. All you need do is be a follower or subscriber (it’s free!), have a U.S. address, and leave a comment below. If you would like extra chances, please share the link to this post on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet and let me know you have done that. If you are reading this in your email, please click HERE to get to my blog, then click on the title of the post, and leave a comment. And don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at the Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.