Curious Critters

by David FitzSimmons

Enjoy amazing close-up images of twenty-one common yet often overlooked North American animals. Photographed against white backgrounds, their colors, shapes, textures, and seeming personalities shine. Whimsical but educational narratives accompanying each animal highlight fascinating natural history information: a bush katydid explains her bubblegum-pink color, a poetic opossum opines upon her often-shortened name, and a far-from-modest black swallowtail butterfly lets readers in on her secret for avoiding predators. Back matter includes a visual index, additional animal facts, a two-page life-size spread of silhouettes, and a full glossary. With such stunning photography, you’ll never see nature the same way again!

Genres: Animals, Picture Books, Science, Nonfiction, Childrens, Poetry, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2011

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s cute. It’s like the animals are talking to you and being friends if and it’s interesting! I 💚 this 📖!

[babyhippoface · Rating 5 out of 5]

The close-up photographs of the animals in this book are stunning in their detail. The text is kind of extraordinary, as well. Each page features a large, sharp photo of an animal with a curious distinction, acccompanied by a brief, first-person description of that distinction, "spoken" by the animal itself. The American toad, for example, explains how his bumpy skin is more appealing than the slimy skin of the American toad on the facing page. This is exceedingly well done, and would be ideal to use in teaching personification.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of critters introduce themselves with some fun little random information.

Really gorgeous photography with a very up close and personal look at each of these critters! What I didn't understand was the collection, there didn't really seem to be any reason for these critters to be chosen. Some are rare, some are not, some are bugs, some are birds, some are amphibians, some are mammals, some live on land, some live in water... It just seemed very random. I think I would like Mr. FitzSimmons other books better that focus on a place and the creatures found there, this just felt a little chaotic for me.

No content issues.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

One paragraph introductions to 21 different creatures as if written by each one themselves with vibrant photos too.

FitzSimmons gets kudos for the stunning photography and the creative way to introduce each critter. I think this would have been more impressive if I had read it before reading many of Joel Sartore’s PhotoArk books, which make the stunning photography of animals seem much more common (though it is not).

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cool - amazing close-up photos of all sorts of critters. From bats to spiders to opossums to birds and frogs and snakes, just about every kid's interest is covered. Spiffy, first-person poems accompany each picture.

[James Biser · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is a zoology professor and photographer who shares information and beautiful photos of a number of unusual subjects. It is an excellent collection of information about animals that live near the author's home in Ohio.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible close-ups or gorgeous Critters. I loved the light-hearted commentary from the little ones. This would be a great book to read aloud.

[Kimberlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cool book!!! The details you can see on these photographs of various animals are amazing! A must-read for any animal lover!

[Robin Raines-Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent information and photographs of these unique animals.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serendipitous discovery at the Central PA Arts Fest!!

[Meredith Nichols]

I think this is a good book for students who like animals. This book is very factual but would be better for older students.

[Michele Millington · Rating 5 out of 5]

W o w. Gorgeous photography

[Chanchamp23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written informational book with beautiful photography

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review via at Cracking the Cover

t is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Such is the case with David FitzSimmons‘ “Curious Critters,” a photographic collection of everyday animals and insects that will knock your socks off.

The 21 Curious Critters included in this book range from an American bullfrog and southern flying squirrel to a bubble-gum pink bush katydid and a spotted salamander.

Each subject appears against a white backdrop, which helps showcase colors, textures and shapes without any distractions. “Curious Critters” is a visual showcase, but it’s also meant to be educational, too. Along with each image is a vignette, told from the critter’s perspective.

David, a former high school English teacher, reviewed national science education standards prior to writing these vignettes, which he says address all the National Research Council’s life science standards for grades K-4.

A natural history section at the end of the book offers additional information on each of the critters, and a two-page spread shows how the animals relate to each other size wise.

Though the text in “Curious Critters” isn’t overly detailed, it’s perfect for this setting, and the additional blurbs about each critter toward the end helps to fill any apparent holes earlier on. The photographs are clear and incredibly detailed, making the critters appear as if they’re literally sitting across from you.

“Curious Critters” is a conversation starter. Children and adults will look at these images with wonder and giggle over the animals’ “thoughts.” It’s a great way of introducing children to the world around them.

[Denise Krebs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the photographs in Curious Critters, and as I read it I thought about a child listening to my words as they studied the photos. I imagined they would be lost in the photo and not want me to turn the page because they weren't finished. As David FitzSimmons said, "I hope that the white backgrounds [on the photos], which eliminate distractions, help you notice clues about the animals' behaviors, diets, life cycles, and habitats." They did. The images are amazing! Actually on a second pass through, I just studied the photos without reading. I enjoyed the second "reading" more. Most of the animals look right into your eyes off the page.

However, the animals talked in first person, and this trite anthropomorphism that took away from the book. I don't think in a non-fiction book I want to have a caterpillar telling me he watched one of his caterpillar friends form a protective covering around himself and then say, "He said it was a chrysalis." Or a salamander sing, "Rain, rain, won't you stay?"

The best prose in the book are the last few pages where David shares some natural history about each animal, life-size silhouettes, color coding of classification of the animals, and more.

[Maria Shuffit · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was still working in a bookstore, my store received a copy of this and my fellow manager, another adult woman, and myself read it together. And we could not stop giggling and smiling!

This book is a collection of VERY up-close and personal pictures of local (NY/PA/OH area) wildlife, from toads to opossums to bluejays and more. The pictures themselves would be enough to recommend this book to families with curious little ones, as they show all the great details of the different animals that are hard to make out in a typical wild encounter. But they pictures are bolstered by short, fun, sometimes funny, but overall educational first-person narratives by each critter. I got a copy of this book for myself and even though I don't have kids yet, I really look forward to reading it to them one day! I think children will find this a very enchanting, exciting read, and will enjoy trying to make the animal sounds phonetically described within. I was very excited to learn that this is just one book in a series that the author has done, and I look forward to adding more to my collection.

As the author wrote in the signed copy he sent the store - STAY CURIOUS!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs and fun blurbs written from the animal's perspective.

[Jen Kahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers such beautiful, up-close photographs of different animals. Each photograph includes a description of the animal (some in poems), some offer the sounds that the animal makes, address the myths about the animal (such as toads give you warts), different facts about the animal written in first person (instead of saying an owl is nocturnal, the text says, as if the owl is talking "I was up hunting all night"). At the end of the book, each animal's picture is presented with even more in-depth interesting facts! There is also a silhouette puzzle to identify the animals, and some questions are posed to make the "hunt" even more fun! Also included is a glossary containing the many words used throughout the book that children may not know yet. There is also an answer key provided for the "silhouette page". This book is absolutely wonderful! I would recommend this for all children, as a classroom book to teach children about animals, or as a book for home which children can enjoy over and over again!

[Allison Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! These photos are mesmerizing. The extremely detailed photographic techniques allow readers to feel quite intimate with these various critters (whether or not you'd want to!). I certainly lost myself gazing a the shiny, scaled patterns of a coiled fox snake; the blue jay's perfectly defined, individual feathers; and the expressive gesture of the monarch caterpillar's antennae. Many two-page spreads feature two animals in surprising and poignant couplings, for instance, the Southern flying squirrel and the big brown bat, united by their mammalian take on flight. Fitzsimmon's text further illuminates the expressions of these animals, with first-person accounts that blend noteworthy facts about each little one with a distinct personality sure to engage eager readers. Which begs the question: are the title's "curious critters" on the pages, or turning them?

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids need to know about critters. They need to see the insanely intricate detail in a Gray Treefrog's eye and the sheen of the Spotted Salamander's skin. They need to see how incredibly awesome and (holy wow) pink a bush katydid is. The photography in this picture book is nothing short of amazing, and is sure to get your child fascinated by unusual creatures. What's also important about this book is that it doesn't just show you the pretty feathers of a Blue Jay, but also includes the creepy crawly legs of the red flat bark beetle. Hopefully you can get the little ones thinking that all things are beautiful in some way. Classrooms can easily incorporate this into an Earth Day lesson, or any unit involving animals.

[Sarah Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The use of the word “critters” coupled with a picture of a very contemplative looking frog on the cover made me unable to resist this lovely non-fiction book. The author also photographed the animals. The white background not only makes the animals stand out, but also allows readers to really take a closer look at each of these amazing critters. Curious Critters is the first book in what is to become a series, and lucky us, it features animals found in North America. Because I am always looking for ways to incorporate standards from other disciplines in Literacy to get more bang for my buck, I loved that Curious Critters could be a jumping off point for a science/literacy assignment.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great idea, reasonably executed: both photos and text felt hit or miss. The blue jay photo was stunningly crisp, revealing textures in the feathers that this childhood-rescuer-of-critters did not know; the salamander photo of shallow depth of field, foreshortened, black-on-black facial features obscured more than it revealed. The first person narration from the animals' points of view works beautifully as a read-aloud, revealing characterization (the spastic sentence fragments of the flying squirrel) that is missing when read silently. This book is worth a look, at least.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A stunning photo of a colorful or otherwise visually intriguing creature graces each page of this book. The accompanying text is an imagined monologue by the animal about what it is like to be them. Last spread provides a few informational sentences about each animal. May make an interesting text to use to talk about voice, point of view, inference, and main ideas. I didn't think it worked very well reading it straight through from front to back. I would have liked the appendix text on the same page with the photo and imagined words in the animal's voice

[Karen Arendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids will love the photographs of these unusual animals up close and in detail. Each page is one animal and includes text as if the animal is talking directly to the reader about the animal's eating habits, habitat, learning to fly, etc. Some animals even compose poems and songs! The back pages shows each animal and provide additional facts about them. A few activities are also included. Includes glossary

[Sue Pak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book of poems of animals that are found in the states.
The photography is very nice.

Use this book to teach classification of animals.
Recommended to use for grades 3+.

I think this book is pretty interesting especially for the children, because children find interest in animals! The photos in this book is phenomenal. It will really give children a good idea of identifying certain animals.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING photographs that worked perfectly against the stark white background. Found myself really looking at each interesting creature, sort of mesmerized! Not sure what I think about the animals telling their "story" so to say, but it's an interesting concept for presenting to younger students. Glossary, more "real" creature information included. I will check out the photographers website resources for sure! WOW!

[Kristin Traina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book because I love photography. Even if students can't read yet these pictures are amazing and they can explore animals and science. It also includes some facts and would be great to pair with a lesson on animals and their diversity.
Grade: K- animal characteristics, 5th- grouping organisms

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author: David Fitzsimmons
Grade level: 2nd and up
Content: Sorting of animals.

The book has amazing pictures of animals found in the GA surroundings. Book is beautifully written into different literature approaches. Poetry and song rhythms are used to describe characteristics of animal. Book is organized by groups of animals for easy sorting of animals lesson.

[Lauren Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photography in this book is remarkable. It looks like you can stick you hands out and actually feel the texture of the different animals on the pages. Each page has facts and/or poems about that animal. A game to play with this book could be matching the animals to their classifications or Old Maid with pictures of the animals on the cards.
Recommended grade level: P-5

[Kelli Dana]

Science-Fiction
I love this book!! I think this is a wonderful book to use when teaching students about different animal classifications. This book provides a good variety of animals. I love the way that the images and the writing it presented so uniquely.
This book would best be used on 3-5th graders.