Weird & Wild Animal Facts

by Jessica Loy

There are lots of fascinating animals throughout the world with unusual characteristics. But you may be surprised to learn that many common animals may also have some uncommon characteristics! For example, did you know that:

A giraffe can clean its own ears with its tongue?

Or that a hippo has teeth as long as a child’s arm?

So come read facts about fourteen special animals who are less "normal" than we may think at first look.

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

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2015

Reviews

[Laura McLoughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly lived up to the title. Did you know that a giraffe can decapitate a lion with a kick? Because I did not.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

4/6/2018 ~~ I loved sharing this book with my students. Anytime they hear an adult talk about
- sloths digging toilet holes,
- naked mole rats (yes - I said naked) digging toilet chambers,
- explain that defecate means poop,
- and talk about giraffes kicking off the heads of lions
you know the kids will laugh hysterically and clamor to check the book out from the library.

Mild quibble: I wish there had been a bubble/box with key info to give context to readers about the animal. We wondered where the animals lived, how big they actually were, and a few other details. On the flip side, I did have kids asking about other books that would give them more info about the animals they'd just read about in Weird & Wild Animal Facts.

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this one while my daughter was having breakfast today, a busy Monday morning. We like looking at books to keep the stress of the morning rush down.

It is hard to categorize these animals books as children's. We learned that the giraffe can kick so hard that it can decapitate a lion; a kangaroo baby is called a joey; some weird rats live in borrows that form mazes that can be as large as 20 football fields; jelly fish predate dinosaurs by some 400 million years; seahorses swim upright, etc.

Awesome. Really awesome.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for lovers of non-fiction and animals of all kinds. There are facts about the typical animals - giraffes, hippos, kangaroos - but also some not-so-typical animals - naked mole rat, two-toed sloth, warthog, panamanian golden frog. While it may not be great for a typical read aloud, it would be good to teach text features like using a table of contents, resource list, etc.

[Carolanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this and kids will eat it up!

[Theresa Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice non-fiction animal book. Just enough info on the page to keep kids interested and not bored. Had a lot of cool info that I never know about some of the animals mentioned. Beautiful and colorful illustrations. I'm not usually a non-fic fan but I really enjoyed this book.

[Clare Rossetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has as its focus unusual facts about animals we know, but are not aware of things about them. Did you know that a mother octopus will lay up to 90,000 eggs at a time, she will stay with them until they hatch. While she is with them she does not eat and once the eggs are hatched she dies. The book is filled with interesting facts like these. The pages are laid out with each two page spread about one animal with numerous pictures and text scattered on the page. The illustrations are actual photographs of each animal and each illustrates in some way the fact that is represented. Kids will like this book both for the pictures and some of the rather bizarre facts. Good way to peak interest before they begin researching a particular animals.
Not all the facts are totally unusual some are well known but for many students this will be new knowledge.
At the back of the book is a page called more fun facts and it is just that facts about 6 other animals that kids will find interesting. There is also a great list of resources to support learning and research.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Large, color photographs and captions highlight some of the unique aspects of fourteen animals that I would already consider to be fairly unusual. But the book reveals even more interesting facts such as the fact that octopi have excellent memories, hippos can hold their breath for up to five minutes when they are below the surface of the water, and naked mole rats can move backward and forward just as fast. Other animals featured in the book include the Panamanian golden frog, the seahorse, the vulture, and the warthog. Even the endpapers have nifty bite-size facts perfect for sharing with others or enticing youngsters to read this book. The wild world is clearly full of fascinating weird and wonderful facts.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Jessica Loy presents fun, interesting, and sometimes surprising facts about 14 animals. Some of the animals included are the hippo, giraffe, octopus, vulture, and sea horse. Each animal is depicted in a variety of eye-catching photographs on a colorful full-page spread with 5 to 6 factoids provided. Readers will learn that warthogs eat and drink while kneeling, vultures urinate on their own legs as a means of cleansing themselves of germs, and tarantulas have claws that retract like a cats. This entertaining read will appeal to young readers, while providing some beginning information about the animal world.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the fun facts in this book, which include: "an adult giraffe's kick ... can decapitate a lion," "Kangaroos can balance on their strong tails," and it's totally reasonable to be terrified of jellyfish (the last one is not a direct quote).

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that a hippo secretes a thick red substance called blood sweat to protect itself from sunburns? Or that a penny is heavier than a humming bird? This book is a fantastically fun and informative read about 14 exotic and not so exotic animals, their characteristics and adaptations.

[Betty Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children enjoy this book with great photos and interesting facts on each page. Some animals we are familiar with but you will learn new facts and some animals we have not heard of and will find very interesting. Children will read this book many times.

[Ampersand Inc. · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Ali:
***

From Dot:
***

From Saffron:
****

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big fun pictures and legitimately interesting facts. :)

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great photographs and interesting facts! A great choice for nonfiction lovers in grades 1 - 3.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attractive, informative introduction to fourteen critters.