BEN ROTHERY'S WEIRD AND WONDERFUL ANIMALS

Wonder is immediately evoked by the astounding photorealism of the illustrations (comparable to other Rothery books). Readers of all ages will eagerly pore over these images. Numerous types of animals are covered, grouped by air, earth, and water; all vividly leap, fly, or swim from the page. Several will likely be familiar (elephant, octopus, jellyfish), but many may be new to readers (binturong, coelacanth, echidna, tardigrade). Except for the two monotreme species and the amphibians, every animal’s basic stats (location, length, wingspan, weight) appear in metric and imperial measurements. Some, such as the magnificent bearded vulture, enjoy two double-page spreads, while airborne reptiles and one amphibian share a single spread, but all subjects are rendered with the same meticulous care and skill, in rich and precise colors. Wonder is deepened by the concise descriptions of the selected animals’ special features, such as shape, color, or behavior: the fascinating facts that make them “weird.” Words in bold are defined in a glossary. The brief text will leave questions unanswered (Is that flying snake venomous?), and even the magnificent pictures have limits (as in showing the mechanism of the woodpecker’s tongue, where YouTube is superior). Both the main text and the afterword note human threats to these animals’ continued existence.