World’s Wackiest Animals; Lonely Planet Kids & Anna Poon

The world is full of funky-looking, funny-looking and fantastic-looking animals. In this highly engaging read, children are introduced to one-hundred of the ‘World’s Wackiest Animals’. Meet shape-shifting jellyfish, laughing birds, glamorous dragons, amphibians from dinosaur times, lizards that looks like Spiderman, armour-plated mammals, see through frogs, very old tortoises, actual monsters and ninety-one other amazing animals.

Split into the the different continents and oceans of the world, animals are introduced alphabetically. A star system identifies if the animal is endangered or critically endangered. Each animal is presented over a double page with a short paragraph of text on one side and a stunning glossy photograph on the opposite page. The short text is informative and reveals a plethora of fascinating facts. Expect to learn about abilities to stay hidden from predators, defence mechanisms, size, special talents, feeding habits, speed, movement and mating rituals. The photographs are detailed and children of all ages will be fascinated by the vibrant and colourful images.

At first glance it appears that many of the featured animals look just plain weird but a quick read of the accompanying text reveals that many of the strange looking features are special adaptations that allow animals to survive and thrive in the wild. The very noticeable wrinkled neck of the Helmeted Hornbill is a pouch for carrying food, Californian Condors have a bald head so that food doesn’t get stuck in their feathers when they dive to eat, the Star-Nosed Mole uses its strange nose for sniffing out food, the Sword-Billed Humming Bird has an impressively long beak that it uses for feeding and the Rhinoceros Hornbill’s second beak helps amplify its call.

I loved learning about the Tiny Etruscan Shrew that weighs in at just two grams, the Indian Purple Frog that was only discovered in 2003 and Tardigrades that are pretty much indestructible. I’m sure children will find their own favourites that they will be keen to learn more about.

A lovely book that is great for developing curiosity about the natural world and a love for the animals that we share the planet with.

Recommended for 6+.