We're Not Weird

October 15, 2022
Twenty wild creatures strut distinctive horns, tongues, feet, scales, and other prominent features. From the hummingbird hawk-moth to the blue-footed booby, the aptly named blobfish to the narwhal and the babirusa, land and sea creatures from various parts of the world pose with strong, boldly textured presence in natural settings in Garland's digitally colored woodcuts--mostly as single subjects, many chasing or chowing down on favored prey, and two (a male frigatebird and the aforementioned booby) posturing before prospective mates. But if the pictures reward attention, the accompanying commentary generally just singles out one physical feature for each and offers, at best, sketchy explanations of its function. "My large nose keeps out dust and helps me breathe," says the saiga antelope. (Don't most noses do that?) "I have large tusks, but I don't use them for fighting," says a babirusa, leaving readers in the dark about what they are used for. Similarly unenlightening are opaque follow-up notes, which mention that the Sunda flying lemur "is a cobego and not a lemur" and that jellyfish "are not fish; they are Scyphozoa," plus a mistaken implication that only male narwhals have tusks. (This book was reviewed digitally.) The art is something to see, but the perfunctory text reads like an afterthought. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Informational picture book. 6-8)

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January 16, 2023
Spotlighting unique adaptive features, Garland profiles fish, fowl, insects, and mammals whose “special body parts” help them “survive and thrive” just like any other animal that needs “food, air, and water to live.” Fact-filled first-person accounts begin with each animal’s characteristic before the owner reveals itself: “I hope to attract a mate. That’s why I dance and show off my bright blue webbed feet. I am a blue-footed booby.” Realistic earth-toned art with scratchboard textures highlights the attribute described: a star-nosed mole nudges out a worm; a platypus appears with food in its “electro-sensitive” bill. Creatures such as the desert tortoise and narwhal are well-known; others, however, including the tusked babirusa and the crocodilian gharial, make for delightfully atypical picture book fodder. The impressive utility of the features on display reinforces the group’s opening and closing declaration: “We’re not weird.” Facts and a glossary conclude. Ages 4–8.

January 1, 2023
Grades K-2 In this handsomely illustrated picture book, animals with unique physical qualities speak directly to readers, explaining how their special attributes help them survive. The text is straightforward and follows a pleasing format, using simple statements to identify seemingly strange characteristics and to explain what they do and why they're helpful, followed by the animal's name. Each critter gets either a full-page or a facing spread to themselves, which not only emphasizes the relatively minimal text (""My large nose keeps out dust and helps me breathe. I am a saiga antelope"") but also lets the striking digital-woodblock illustrations take center stage. Subjects range from familiar species (blobfish, narwhal, blue-footed booby) to more exotic choices (babirusa, hummingbird hawk-moth). The book ends with additional information on the range, habitat, and diet of all 20 featured animals, a glossary, and a brief bibliography. There's no such thing as too many books about animals, and this offering works equally well as a supplementary animal diversity resource or as a read-aloud. Animal enthusiasts will be enthralled.

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