Stop výmyslom: Pravda o zvieratách

by Sophie Corrigan, Veronika Maťúšová (Translator)

Odhaľte skutočnú pravdu o zvieratách vďaka milým ilustráciám a vtipným textom Sophie Corriganovej! Netopier, ktorý sa rád zamotáva do vlasov. Čierna mačka, ktorá prináša smolu. Prefíkaná líška, slizká žaba, útočiaca osa... A takto by sa dalo pokračovať donekonečna. Každému z nás nejaké zviera naháňa strach, spôsobuje nevôľu či vyvoláva túžbu vziať nohy na plecia a utekať. Je to však PRAVDA? V knihe Stop výmyslom: pravda o zvieratách vám zvieratá ukážu svoj pohľad na vec. Predstavia vám fakty o tom, čo robia, čo jedia, ako komunikujú. Jednoducho, vysvetlia vám, že v skutočnosti vôbec nie sú zlé, a dokonca nám ľuďom pomáhajú! Len sme im doteraz nerozumeli.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens, Picture Books, Juvenile, Science, Environment

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2020

About the author

Sophie Corrigan is an illustrator and author from Lancashire, UK. She graduated from University of Central Lancashire in 2013 with a first class degree in Illustration, and received a Distinction in her Masters degree in Children's Book Illustration from the same university.

When not illustrating and maintaining her online art shops, Sophie spends the spare time she has going to shows, watching nature programmes, eating vegetarian food, hanging out with her pet cockatiels, and occasionally crafting cute things from wool and clay.

Reviews

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun way to teach kids about some of the misunderstood critters of our world.
Each critter gets two pages.
One filled with old wives tales and the second with the facts.

I think it's a bit wordy to be read all in one sitting, but would be great to read one animal each day.
Thanks to NetGalley & Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens for my DRC.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8 year-old daughter and I both loved this darling and educational children's book that allows all kinds of so called creepy, scary and icky animals to redeem themselves and tell kids all the ways they're awesome.

The first two-page spread for each animal lists all the myths about them with artwork that makes them look scary or gross. Turn the page and the animals are redrawn to look darling and it's filled with facts where they tell you why they actually are innocent, wonderful, or excused for whatever small detraction they might have.

My daughter was initially a little scared by the book at the very first page, because it showed a scary looking spider and said it did things like "At night time, I crawl on your face and you may swallow me. In fact, you swallow about eight of us EVERY YEAR!"). She didn't like it at all and asked to read something else, but she was happy and relieved at the next page when the friendly looking spider said how ridiculous that was and gave actually factual information and lots of interesting true facts.

There are a huge variety of animals covered, and there's lots of great information. This would be especially good for kids with phobias about some of these, or who just think of all animals, bugs, etc. as scary or gross. It's a great read that does a fantastic job advocating for animals and educating kids.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! Every animals has two, full two pages (so four). The first two present myths and stuff people think about this animals (the bad), an the second two present the real stuff, the facts and how this animals is «useful» (the good). The concept is good and very well executed. The illustrations are also fun and help presenting the change of perspective between the bad and the good. Good job!!

[Nata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Această carte vine în ajutorul unor animale care, cel puțin eu, până la o anumită vârstă, am știut despre ele numai lucruri rele.

Spre exemplu, vulpea e o hoață, ne omoară și mănâncă găinile. Liliacul dacă ni se bagă în păr nu avem cum să-l scoatem de acolo decât dacă ne tundem cheli 😁

Mai departe, hienele sunt intens mediatizate precum haine, odioase și urâte și așa cu toate animalele din carte.

Povestea fiecărui animal are două fețe, cea rea și cea obișnuită, cu bune și rele. Cu rolul fiecărui animal pe care îl are în natură.

Autoarea este și ilustratoare, ilustrațiile din carte sunt frumoase și atrăgătoare. Vă îndemn să o aveți în biblioteca copiilor voștri, e informativă și foarte frumos ilustrată. Cu ajutorul ei ajutați copiii și pe voi înșivă, de ce nu, să cunoașteți mai multe detalii despre aceste animale.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. The pictures are so cute and I like the layout of the myths on the page and the facts on the next page. I highly recommend this book. There is a good variety of "bad" animals.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a smart book for children.
Lots of animals get a bad press; whether in idioms or blockbusters. Jaws nearly ended anyone swimming in the sea and jellyfish put me off for a while.
Many incorrect facts are out there, assumed and building up fear that wouldn’t naturally exist in our kids’ minds. How often have we heard than someone’s child took on their parent’s fear of dogs or spiders?
So, here is a book to put the record straight. Not in a gung-ho way so we all start picking up snakes and kissing toads. By presenting the rumour and stereotype mud and then producing facts and great knowledge. I especially liked the details of how long some of these creatures have been around. Then I shudder when I think of all the wildlife that needs to be afraid of humanity as we destroy habitats or hunt to extinction.
From spiders to sharks. Snakes to scorpions. I read of many of the things that scare me and give me the creeps. Surprisingly, earwigs were not mentioned.
I thought scary dogs was a good addition as were some of the facts I learned about seagulls. Moth get a bad rep, but I enjoyed reading about their importance and do wonder why they get labelled and butterflies embraced. Guess it’s the difference between night and day.
A great education book; full of interesting facts which will teach both a respect towards the animal kingdom and the wider environment. I was close to weeping when I read that an animal who delights to feed on jellyfish is going to be vulnerable to our stupidity in discharging rubbish, especially plastic bags.
Loved it, I’m thinking kids will too.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is fantastic! I love how it's been put together - the book consists of 2 pages on each animal/insect/reptile and tells you myths and misconceptions about that animal, then on the next 2 pages it explains how these things are untrue and tells you facts about the animal and the positive things about it.
I love how this book has bern done, and especially love the balance of myth and misconceptions against facts and positivity about each animal.
This book will keep your child entertained for a long time and the illustrations are fantastic too!

[Jenny Houle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. It takes the animals we often hear referred to as “bad” and/or “creepy” and sets the record straight on so many details. For each animal, there is one page with all the incorrect facts we do often hear about them, as well as places they appear negatively in folklore and in superstition. Then, there is a page with all the correct information, giving facts about what makes these animals important to the circle of life. I would buy this book for just about every kid in my life (though I’d definitely like to also get it just for some key animals — poor spiders, I’m thinking of you — for a few adults in my life).

[Penelope Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect blend of educational and fun. Great for kids who are scared or creeped out by spiders, sharks, bees and other creatures who are just living their best life. My kids love it.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Loved this book about animals that people are often scared of and the amazing things that they do for humans. Such great messages with fun illustrations make this a great read for readers of all ages.

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book which I want in my classroom as I can see it being very popular. The book takes animals that have a bad reputation for whatever reason e.g. rats, bats, spiders, etc and then presents an alternative view. Each animal gets two double-page spreads, the first in which the animal is drawn as almost a comic book baddie, with exaggerated teeth, stench, etc, surrounded by the reasons why people don't like them. Then, in the second spread, the animals are drawn in a cutesy, anime-like style with some facts that go against or balance the myths e.g people are scared of wasps because they're aggressive, but they are also important pollinators.
Fantastic idea for a book and sure to be a hit with any young readers interested in nature. IT might also be worth it to help littlies who are scared of certain bugs!

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

Fake news is nothing new, and not only human suffer from it. This is a collection of animals who have bad reputations, which is often based on untrue or highly exaggerated superstitions. To help overcome the stigmas, an overview of all the bad stuff per animal is given, followed by information to put it all in perspective.

Lovely book with nice and cute drawings that might teach children that there are always two sides to each story.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Aanandika · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to love about this book! In her book, Sophie Corrigan, not only brings to light some fantastic facts about various creatures, read Spiders, Cats, Bats, Sharks and Scorpions and many many others, that are hugely hugely misunderstood and dreaded but also shares some very interesting myths and old wives' tales associated with them. The book is full of illustrations that add a lot of light (in both ways) to the animal covered.

There is also a segment dedicated to FACTS related with the particular animal on the spread devoted to it like did you know that Skunks have a poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell and hearing to make up for that? Or that when a Vulture is annoyed, its whole head turns red, as if it is blushing?

The book is a complete hoot and everyone, from the 39 year old me to my 5 and 12 year olds loved going through this one. Also this is one of those gems that you would keep going back to over and over again.

[Jane Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

#TheNotBADAnimals #NetGalley
Are they misunderstood? Do they deserve to be labeled by all the bad things that are said about them? Sophie Corrigan takes up the cause of more than 35 bugs and animals known for the fear they induce and the trouble they cause. She introduces each bug/animal with a 2 page spread of the myths that have circulated for years. Do spiders love to crawl on your face at night and cause you to eat more than 8 of them each year.? Are hyenas lazy, sly and sneaky thiefs? Do wrasps want to sting you? Can a snake hypnotize you with his eyes? Are camel humps filled with water so that they can spit as much as they like? The next 2 page spread share truths about the wonders of these bugs/animals. In bite size text spaced out on the pages children can easily learn that the spotted hyenas are led by a female, rats are actually squeaky clean animals that groom several times a day, killer whales are really dolphins, skunks keep gardens free of lizards, snakes, mice and creepy, crawling bugs. Children will devour these pages that they can browse through and read little bits of at a time. They will laugh at some of the illustrations and preposterous claims. Children ages kindergarten through grade 3 will love learning these little known facts about ants, komodo dragons, pigs, wolfs, scorpions, dung beetles, tasmanian devils, pit bulls, weasels, toads, crocodiles, centipedes, slugs, angler fish, etc.

This book would be a great addition to any elementary or public library.

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

These animals are tired of us talking bad about them. One at a time, each animal shows us the negative stereotypes about them in a colorful two-page spread, then shows us their true colors on the following pages.

I am so excited about this book. It's bright, funny, and unique. Readers of all ages can benefit from it, but it would do best with grades 3-6. I will be purchasing a copy for my public library.

I received an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful children's book - perfect for any child who loves animals or even those who are afraid. I absolutely plan to purchase several copies to gift to my favorite little people! Sweet illustrations and interesting fun facts!

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for a digital ARC!

[Teresa Grabs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corrigan's book is a fabulous exploration of some of my favorite animals. The "bad" animals (bats, skunks, spiders, etc.) are not so bad after you learn a little about them while looking at cute illustrations. This book will certainly make an ally out of some children.

Thank you NetGalley and Frances Lincoln for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

[Joy (Books with Joy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book that is both educational and great for reducing certain animal stigma. There is a large variety of animals known to have a bad rep (such as spiders, black cats, wolves, etc.) and on the first two-page spread the pages comprise of the myth and misconception with darker, heavier tones. The following spread uncovers the truth and the whole atmosphere changes dramatically with light and friendlier tones. I found the illustration effective, cute and engaging.

However, I feel like this is best for bite-sized moments as it can be a little overwhelming with many little facts regarding numerous animals. Despite that, I really enjoyed the book. The illustration and execution were exceptional. A great read. I’d recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw this book I knew that I had to read it since it is about animals, which I do love, but also about those animals who find themselves portrayed in human eyes as villainous creatures. The book promises to its reader to take them into a world of misunderstanding and stereotypes to unravel the real creature underneath the stories.

And this book definitely delivers on that. There is a nice introduction that is brief and to the point before leading to the stories of the animals themselves. Each discussed animal is given two two page-spreads with the first two pages exploring different told stories and misunderstandings applied to the subject animal and then the last two pages producing facts that either mostly disprove those misunderstandings, explains the reason behind them or just tries to help the reader understand the importance of the animal in its environment or features of the animal that might make us wince.

The illustrations are adorably colorful and expressive while helping to provide the two sides. The animals on the first spread are made to look cruel, spiteful and menacing whether it is with red eyes or just a sinister look. Then on the flip side they are made to resemble happily adorable cute animals that you just want to squeeze and hug on. At the same time some of the information is given to mimic speech bubbles thus allowing the thought of the animals speaking for themselves.

As a result of this double-sidedness the animals are for the majority part allowed to speak for themselves so the majority is written in first person while this is turned off only for the fact box. Some other characters do appear occasionally such as a snail for a squid cousin, plants or even others animals to help emphasize points but their speaking parts are usually just a word or a few words. The writing itself although nonfictional is given in such a way that it is easy-to-read and doesn't drown out young readers but instead encourages them to be creative to come up with voices to match the animals' stand while they are learning about them.

There are a few reasons why I didn't give the book a full five stars. First there are some parts that still carry on a bit of misunderstanding such as it states cats are affected by catnip when it isn't all cats that do respond or cow flatulence is part of the methane problem when really it is their belches. Otherwise I did find the majority of the stories to be informative.

Another reason is the book seems to enjoy its young audience by bringing up the fascination with the derriere and puts a strong emphasis on it. This has been part of the new comedic bodily humor routine, which I don't get but again with the rest of the presentation I can more or less overlook it.

And finally I wish the book would have ended at least on a note to remind the reader again not to judge based on what you hear but more on what you experience as well as the whole beauty is on the inside for the book doesn't quite feel completed. With it just ending of on the last animal it just felt like the book didn't quite end as it should have but was let open.

Otherwise this book is one I would highly recommend and it doesn't have to be read from cover-to-cover unless you want to. Instead caregivers or other adults can share one animal species with their children if they want a read-along study or if a young reader may want to take their time getting to know the animals instead of rushing through the book.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, The Not BAD Animals by Sophie Corrigan, is one of my favorite new reads this year. Corrigan gives each of the animals she discusses two double page spreads. The first spread is about the myths and erroneous beliefs that people hold about the animal and is done in a way that makes the species seem slightly scary or disagreeable. Turning the page, the illustration style changes a bit - lighter colors, cuter animals with big eyes - and the animals explain the things they do that small humans might find gross or scary (having big teeth, eating dung or roadkill.) It's a lovely way of tackling the misinformation and reframing animal behavior to make them less frightening. Just a really fun, terrific book. I learned a few things myself!

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very successful book for the school library or home tutor. Every animal that could be deemed 'bad' in some way (that's 'bad' in the bad way, not 'bad' in the good way) gets four pages – two where all the urban myths abound, such as how we eat spiders in our sleep, we're always getting bumped off in return by sharks, etc, and then two where the reality is conveyed, and we learn that these animals are actually, on the whole, good – and that's 'good' in the good way. The design of the page does look rather busy, with a moderately successful artwork peppered with copious arrows and captions and swirling bits of info, but generally the book conveys its information very well, and the distinctive approach to teaching us respect for nature is very welcome. Yes, it's highly anthropomorphised (we're told jellyfish have no eyes, then see a full face on our one in the picture), but the way the true trivia is in a firm box as opposed to all the pull-quotes elsewhere really points out quite nicely what we should be taking on board. You never know, appreciation for wasps and the way pigeons walk is asked for here, and it might just get it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute book which takes all the myths about animals and turns them around. First you get the myths about animals, such as black cats, and then you get the real version, with what black cats actually do.

It is a good list, not sure why, as some I hadn't even thought about being bad, such as a seagull, or a camel.



Fun book for kids to learn about animals, and perhaps get more curious and looking to find out more.

Some of the animals included
*Camel
*Scorpion
* Creepy Birds
* Jellyfish
* Centipede
* Slug
* Anglerfish
* Opossum

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I loved this! There are so many animals that get a bad rap and this book debunks all of the negative aspects about so many "scary" creatures. It's fun and made in such a cute format.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is really informative about a lot of animals that we consider "bad," but in reality they do what they were created to do and a lot of them are not harmful at all. The illustrations are wonderful and even though I wouldn't use this book for a storytime since there are so many word bubbles on each page, it is a really good book if you want to learn more about these animals.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains many of the creatures that make my skin crawl – from spiders and ants, to mice and slugs and centipedes! The book examines common misconceptions of those animals that have gained an undeserved bad reputation and why they are really good.

There were quite a few animals that I expected to see on their list but quite a few I didn’t think of like pigeons, pigs and snapping turtles. I loved the tone of this book – it is written as though the animals were telling the story (which is super cute). They tell their tale, the common misconceptions about them and tell you why you shouldn’t believe those rumours.

Each animal has four pages devoted to it – the first two explore the common misconceptions people have about them and the second two pages give the animal viewpoint about why none of that is true. I was actually surprised at how many of the misconceptions I had heard before but maybe did not pay too much attention to or assumed it was true. I was even more surprised as we turned the page to see the truth. One that I was not aware of was that hyenas actually catch 50% of their own meals! I had no idea, I thought they only scavenged for their food.

The illustrations are spot on, I loved how the first two pages show the animals how we picture them (creepy, mean, and scary) and in the next two the animals are kind, sweet and show a truer representation of them. I could almost feel bad for the mouse (okay I did, they made them look so cute!).

The (Not) Bad Animals is a fun book to read with your child as you work through some common misconceptions and maybe talk about your own fears with your child. The book is a bit longer so we would read about a few animals at a time and then talked about how we felt about those animals and our own fears.

I received a copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[FOLIO · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that gives you thrills, makes you laugh, and contains just the right dose of grossness to make your toes curl with delight (at least if you’re 7 years old) is a pretty fine thing. Add in the fact it can sneakily offer opportunities to talk about empathy, discuss emotions and even explore fake news, and you’ve got quite a package.

Such is The Not Bad Animals by Sophie Corrigan, a richly illustrated panoply of animals who though they often get a bad rep from us humans turn out to be pretty amazing and helpful creatures when you delve a little deeper.

38 animals get to introduce themselves, first playing up to all the bad things said about them - whether that’s them being stinky or dangerous, sneaky or just plain icky. These pages may be a little bit frightening to start with, but they are quickly followed by pages of myth busting where each animal explains the truth about what they do, what they eat, how they communicate, and how they actually help us humans.

The fact checking is funny and illuminating, helping readers see creatures they might be frightened of (such as wasps or spiders) in a new light. The illustrations are dynamic, funny and very clever; a challenge for slightly older readers could be spotting what Corrigan does to make the animals which looked mean and nasty on one page all cute and cuddly on the next.

Humorous and substantial (the book is over 150 pages long, and also includes a glossary), it would delight many a 5-10 year old animal lover, at the same time as helping parents/teachers talk with children about prejudice, fears and setting the record straight.

Find out more about the author/illustrator:
http://sophiecorrigan.com/

[Reviewed by Zoe for FOLIO]

[Jade Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book!! A simple review yes but it's true. I left this book open on my MAC constantly because I would look forward to reading about a few different animals and insects each day whilst working and I then found myself going around the house telling everyone the new interesting facts I had just learnt!

The author has created this book in such a fun and easy to read way that makes it seem like you are not even reading that much and there are cute interesting images to see throughout. I also loved the added humour on every page. The way the book is presented is also pretty neat. There is an animal introduced with images of itself in the wild and many scary facts that are the general facts people think they know or have heard about the animals and insects but then the next page shows the animal or insect in a better light and presents that actual true facts that make them seem a lot less scary.

This is the only book I have come across that has made sharks seem cuddly and cute!

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Not BAD Animals,' written by Sophie Corrigan, is EXACTLY what every child needs to read to dispel those silly (and incorrect!) facts about "Scary" and "Bad" animals.

I love that when we are first introduced to the animals, we see the "scary" side that everyone talks about...
-Spiders crawl on your face at night and you swallow them.
-Vampire bats feed on blood.
-Crocodiles eat any & everything with their chomp-chomp-chomping mouths.

Did you know that NONE of that is true? Corrigan is quick to correct all of those rumors on the follow-up page for each animal. What a wonderful way to help kids push away those pesky fears that linger in their imaginative brains.

(Though, I don't care what she says about centipedes...they are still creepy! *shudder*)

A HUGE Thank You to NetGalley & Quarto Publishing Group/Francis Lincoln Children's Books for this digital copy to read and review. I cannot wait to get my own physical copy!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! Each two-page spread first detailed all of the negative aspects of certain animals that we’ve all heard - some things that are true but many that are not (bats flying in your hair, tick-in feasted possums, etc.). Then on the next two-page spread it detailed all of the awesome things about that animal and dispelled any of the myths from the previous page. It’s a great way for kids to learn about animals they otherwise might not study, as well as help kids learn that not everything they hear is true, plus it might help dispel any fears one might have about some of these animals. Plus, I loved the illustrations - they did a great job making the animals look menacing on the ‘bad’ page and super cute on the ‘good’ page :-)

[Amit Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is wonderful and informative children's picture book. It is collection of nice trivia and very good art.
It has many animals who live on periphery of human intimacy.
They don't mingle with humans as they don't like humans and vice versa.
Interesting facts about them are explained in an entertaining format.
Colorful art has depictedeach animal as a childish and cute creature.
I found details about squid, seagull, turtles and bats.
Few animals are repeated like rats and few marsupials.
It was astonishing to know that spiders are so many and so close to humans.
Thanks netgalley and Quarto publishers for review copy.