The World's Most Pointless Animals: Or are they?

Quirky Creatures #1

by Philip Bunting

The World’s Most Pointless Animals is a witty, quirky, colorfully-illustrated book featuring fascinating facts about some very silly animals…who we find are perhaps not so pointless after all.

From familiar animals like giraffes (who don’t have any vocal cords) through to those that surely should not even exist, such as the pink fairy armadillo (absurdly huge front claws, super tough protective shell in baby pink, particularly susceptible to stress), our planet is full of some pretty weird and wonderful animals . For
With hilarious text throughout and bright, contemporary illustrations , this guide to absurdly awesome animals contains funny labelled diagrams and some excellent made-up Latin names (n.b. the jellyfish’s scientific name is not actually wibblious wobblious ouchii).

Carrying an important message of celebrating diversity and differences , The World’s Most Pointless Animals inspires a drive to conserve our amazing planet and the creatures we’re lucky enough to share it with.

Quirky Creatures is a series dedicated to seeking out the weird and wonderful denizens of the natural world and explaining why they are so strange, from the ridiculous to the truly terrifying. Also available in this series is  The World's Most Ridiculous Animals  and The World's Most Atrocious Animals.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens, Science, Nature, Humor, Middle Grade

80 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Philip Bunting's work deliberately encourages playful interaction between the reader and child, allowing his books to create a platform for genuine intergenerational engagement, and fun.
Philip's books have been translated into multiple languages, and published in over 25 countries around the world. Since his first title was published in 2017, Philip has received multiple accolades, including Honours from the Children's Book Council of Australia, and making the list for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2018. His titles include Mopoke and How Did I Get Here?

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ Fun, Engaging and Informative. Would make a Beautiful Gift.

The World's Most Pointless Animals Or are they? Is a fun, engaging and informative book all about a variety of different Animals, some I hadn't even heard of before.

The book is beautifully illustrated, has fun easy to read facts and information on each animal, has some humour which will have you giggling, which in turn will help children and adults to relate.
Whether you're an animal lover or keen to learn new facts there is something for everyone.

I definitely learnt some new things and was introduced to some Animals I had never heard of before like,....Gloster Canary, The Naked Mole-Rat, Silkie Chicken, Giraffe Weevil, Pink Fairy Armadillo, Tree Hooper, Axolotl, Elephant Shrew, to name a few!
Have you heard of any of these before?
But don't worry there's plenty of familiar Animals too like a Sugar Glider, Goldfish, Chinchilla, Giant Panda.

This is one book I will definitely be reading more than once!
I love learning new things and I think this beautiful book would make a fantastic gift.



Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and Netgalley  for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.





You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2021/0...

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s no secret how much I love books that tell me a whole bunch of fun facts about animals. My favourite facts in this book are:

* Leeches have 32 brains.

* Elephant shrews “are typically 15cm long, but can jump almost a metre in the air”.

* An axolotl can regenerate its body parts when it’s injured.

I’m not sure how well this book will work with its target audience (one website says 4+, others say 5 to 8 years). I didn’t find the humour funny, although kids may. I think some references will go straight over the heads of many kids. Have kids that age even heard of The Beatles?

[image error]

Terms that adults would understand could confuse younger readers, especially without a glossary to refer to. A quokka is said to be a “pseudo-roo”. About the myotonic goat: “Somebody should teach them about the fight or flight response.” Do you want to explain to your 5 year old what it means for a stick insect to be “amorous”?

The illustrations are colourful and the animals are cute. I particularly liked the platypus and sloth.

[image error]

[image error]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Happy Yak, and imprint of Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, for the opportunity to read this book.

Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com

[madame Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

contient des infos super intéressantes et curieuses et se lit/découvre très bien! génial pour en savoir plus sur plusieurs animaux qui nous entourent et sur d’autres par rapport auxquels nous en savons beaucoup moins 🙂.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an adult, I LOVED this. So funny and educational. I even laughed out loud a couple times and sent photos of some pages to my friends because it was just too good not to share. I'll definitely be checking out the other books in this series. Loved the simplistic illustrations and the humorous 'handwritten' notes next to them.

It took me a bit longer to read than I expected, because I kept looking up extra information on each animal and wanted to see photos of what the animal looked like in real life. I learned a lot and ended up in some strange internet rabbit holes...

I'm not sure about the intended audience... some of the language seems like it would be hard to understand for young children, even at age 8 (which is listed on the back of the Dutch edition as the audience — age 8 and older). There are some jokes hidden inside the book that only adults would understand or find funny, which I appreciated, but overall I'm not sure how this book will land with actual children. 😅

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently had a week’s holiday and when we were away I read a lot of “fact” books and they were really good! This one was funny as well as informative and I loved the way that the author changed the Latin names to ones more apt for a giggle!

As an adult I really enjoyed this book and I always wanted to read this kind of book when I was younger too. I loved the punchy style of the different facts and trivia that you learn as the book progressed, I love the natural world and I can see this being a massive hit with children!

It is 5 stars from me for this one, I loved it and can easily see it being a firm favourite!

Very highly recommended!

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had somuch fun reading this with my nieces, it covers animals that are lesser and more well known too, it was informative and fun, full of jokes and facts that are fit for both child ad adult. The illustrations are excellent abs suited the tone well. We will definitely be purchasing this to go on their shelves

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Petra | LooneyCZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tahle kniha je strašně ňuňu a člověk v ní navíc najde i dost zajímavostí. Původně jsem ji půjčila pro dítě, ale četla jsem si ji hlavně já 😂

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


When I saw the title I knew I had to press the Read Now button. I had to read this book. I love books about animals and lately I have been moving towards the more silly books about animals to still my hunger for animal facts. This one seemed to fit the bill and I can say after reading it, yes it did. It was all I wanted and more.

In this book we meet all sorts of silly, weird, strange, and at the first glance pointless animals. But are they really pointless is the biggest question. Because as we find out each animal has something that is pretty cool and not so pointless. The book is written full of humour and I laughed plenty while reading this one. I loved that each page had one animal highlighted. Well, some animals just got a bit more attention with TWO pages! But most had one.

Each animal gets a big picture (featuring some funny and good art) of said animal with all kinds of little arrows pointing to parts of the animal’s body and listing something about it. And no, not the boring stuff you may get with biology books. Oh no. No bones this or eyeball that. No we get facts like: “Word of advice, never throw a surprise party for a myotonic goat.” or for the Dung Beetle: “Eats poop!” and “Some live in poop.” and “Loves poop.”. It really made me laugh and I loved that they added this. I also like the fake Latin name each animal got. Some favourites: Scaredius Stiffus (Goat), Wibblious Wobblious Ouchii (Jellyfish), Waitiae Waitiea Longus Timus Flappi Flappi Buzz Buzz Flappi Flappi Buzz Buzz Deadus (Cicada), and lastly Dracularis Barkus Bambi (Tufted Deer).

Next to the funny parts we also get some information about the animal, what it does, how it lives, and what kind of special things they can do. I loved the combination of silly/funny and (mostly) serious. That is how I like my non-fiction books these days!

OH, and I even met some animals I didn’t know about (like Pink Fairy Armadillo (which I had to look up as I couldn’t believe something like this existed) or the Giraffe Weevil).

All in all, HIGHLY recommended. This was just so much fun and definitely one of my favourite books of June! I will be buying this book for my collection when it releases~

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm... You see what this book is trying to do from the outset, and it carries that through on the one same note, rightly or wrongly. It's designed to be a nature book, where we meet some superlative animals, only for every page to have hand-scrawled interjections, and derogatory comments about each critter as new captions to every illustration here. All the subjects also suffer a made-up Latin name that aims to be more truthful than the real one. But I was forced to wonder if it judged its target audience well enough. Take just the second subject, the quokka. If you're aiming to get liked by readers still young enough to be fascinated about the animal's habit of regurgitating its food for a second chew, why deign to call it a "pseudo-roo"? Is that, or the "mini macropod" alternative from the scientific voice, primary school book stuff?

Berating a snake because it has "no arms. Or legs" certainly is, but it's quite tiresome in the finish. I'm quite sure we're supposed to want the science voice with its staid, firm font to 'win' here, and to get our attention. But the poor sense of humour of the scrawl, far beyond the potential copycat behaviour it might inspire, didn't win a friend in my mind. What could have been a decent look at some regular (and most irregular) animals, with a good bit of biology and a fine eye for trivia, didn't need the failed comedy to deliver its lessons.

[Daphnee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong, this book is full of interesting and funny facts and beautiful illustrations, BUT at first, I thought it was for children aged from 8 to 12... turns out it's advertised for 5 year-olds... not sure about it. The language seem to be a bit too hard to understand for a young kid. I have an almost 3 year old daughter and I'm pretty sure she would love the illustrations but would not really get anything else from it. So, I would definitely get this book but for an older audience than what it seems to be for.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook copy in exchange of a honest review.

[Stef (Noveltea Corner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review copy from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Philip Bunting's books are known for two things - the incredibly adorable illustrations and the humour that he injects into all of them, regardless of whether they're fiction or non-fiction. The World's Most Pointless Animals (Or Are They?) is the latest in his non-fiction book collection and features around 50 weird and wacky animals and the things that make them unique.

Laid out exactly like an information book for kids, =most pages feature one animal per page (although a lucky few get a double-page spread) with a large, clear illustration with labels and a scientific name. If, by scientific name, you mean a cute joke-ish scientific name that will make kids laugh when you say it out loud. Bunting's humour shines through as he highlights the kind of animal facts kids would love - the weird, the wacky and the downright silly.

Obviously, the word 'pointless' in the title is more to draw in audiences than to suggest that the animals themselves are pointless in the grand scheme of the animal kingdom. Bunting's draw has always been to find the humour in a situation, and to engage readers (even the most reluctant ones) by catching their attention. This is definitely a great way to ease readers into non-fiction books in a fun and accessible way - although there should probably be a conversation in there for younger readers who might need help unpacking some of the humour.

Ultimately, this non-fiction picture book is geared slightly older - think middle-grade age range (unless with support) - and is a delightful feast for the eyes and for anyone who wants to learn some funny facts about animals.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from Quarto Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this collection of seemingly pointless animals, Philip Bunting does a great job with teaching kids about each animal in addition to demonstrating that they are each important in their own way. Each animal is featured across 1-2 pages with cute drawings that are usually accompanied by some trivia or something that will make its readers laugh. Some references will fly over the heads of the target audience, but their parents or guardians will understand those references while reading, so it’s perfect for people of all ages.

If you, your kids, or someone you know are animal lovers, I think it’s a perfect book to read as a family. The drawings are cute, and it will introduce children and adults alike to animals and facts that are news to them while getting everyone to laugh. I know I learned about a few animals I had never heard of in addition to learning some facts about animals I had previously not known. Personally, I can’t believe I never noticed that Narwhal’s tusks grow straight through their top lip. I did think it was interesting that it is actually their single tooth as well!

All in all, I enjoyed this book and think it’s a great read for all ages. It’s a book I would’ve enjoyed even more as a kid than I did as an adult. I found myself looking up the few animals I didn’t know about. I think my favorite search was about an animal I did know about, the Gentoo Penguin, just so I could see what they look like while molting.

[Andrea Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need this book! I would like to take this book apart and frame all the animals! This would make a great gift for almost any age of person interested in strange animals and has a sense of humor. I can't wait to get a copy at the library and check it out to all the people I know will love it!

I just reviewed The World's Most Pointless Animals by Philip Bunting. #TheWorldsMostPointlessAnimals #NetGalley

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives you facts about many odd (and not so odd) creatures. I loved the humor in the book. You could see the real taxonomic name for each creature but there was also a humorous name. For instance the guinea pig (cavia porcellus) is also called squeakius fuzzballi.

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok.
The jellyfish says, "Jello, sailor."
*snicker*

[Siro Álvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

É moi interesante e gracioso e esos animais son rarííííísimos.O animal que mais me interesou foi a cabra miotónica.

[Salla (Booksonal) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The World’s Most Pointless Animals is a witty, quirky, colorfully-illustrated book featuring fascinating facts about some very silly animals…who we find are perhaps not so pointless after all."

With beautifully odd illustrations of quite peculiar animals, this book goes through different pointless aspects of each. All different with unique aspects, this book highlights the fact that there is a place for everyone in the world.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I can see where kids would love this book.
I had some issue with the puns/jokes, only because they were mixed in with the factual information. So this isn't a book I would give a young reader to explore on their own. If I was reading aloud or alongside it would be fantastic.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the first "cheeky" approach to picture books I've read, and they are often loads of fun and definitely kid-magnets. The shocking idea of having text crossed out, with sassy/snarky remarks inserted, RIGHT THERE ON THE PAGES OF THE BOOK, is a very successful hook, regardless of the content, both fiction and nonfiction.

In this case, the oversized, traditionally designed format suggests some giggly kid with a marker, sprawled in the stacks of a library, adding page after page of editorial commentary to a seldom-read resource book. Well, the hook and approach pulled me into a chair immediately, compelling me to at least take an initial browse.

A full hour later I closed the back cover and began this post. There are so many ways in which this book earns its place in my heart, in classrooms for many ages, on library shelves, and as mentor text for the countless teachers/students who complete animal research projects while learning to write expository/informational text. Often, illustrating their subject information along the way.

So, step up, young and old, to learn from Bunting. Using all the traditional patterns of an encyclopedic/scientific treatment of a subject, the author has included seventy-five animals, both familiar and lesser known, organized with a table of contents, and illustrated with cartoonish images that are both humorous and informatively accurate. The standard (seemingly original) text incorporates valuable details about each species, including both common and scientific names. That last detail is consistently crossed out, replaced with a pseudo-Latin descriptive tag. Some examples: MAYFLY (Ephemeroptera) Hereus Todayus Gonus Tomorrus, and CAPUCHIN MONKEY (Cobus imitator) Peepee stinkipaws.

Come on... Can't you just see the cluster of kids leaning in around this open book?

Throughout the pages, the illustrations manage to reinforce actual science content while providing that giggly kid with opportunities for more short phrases pointing out various qualities and species details. These include scientific content but in that handwritten style and winking humor that will make the facts unforgettable. Within the style and language of traditional expository text used in the main passages, humor and surprises are sprinkled throughout to engage readers with the full text for fear they might miss something. For example, the MYOTONIC GOAT (the ones that fall over "dead" when startled) is described thus:

"When startled-- say by an unruly dog or a breakdancing farmer-- ...will tense up, causing the goat to fall to the ground as if it has fainted." One of the inserted/handwritten comments on the illustration above text is this: "Somebody should teach them about the flight or fight response."

As I said... COME ON...! That reference to "flight or fight" will either resonate for those with background knowledge or might generate an entire side exploration for some readers.

I could go on, but I won't. Kids will.

With the benefit of readability from cover to cover (ask me about my unintended hour in a chair) or ready access for "dip and sample" reading, this unexpected offering from a very small press is a perfect example of an undiscovered nugget of immeasurable value. I highly recommend it as a gift for anyone. Some would be particularly suited audiences ("I don't like to read"-kids, "I read everything already"-kids, "Reading is boring"-kids, "I'm too busy to read"-kids, etc.) but also for every classroom, library, and individual teachers and kids. If you give it to a kid, please ask them to share it with you.

Animals are irresistible anyway, and books about them often generate smiles This approach, though, will amplify those smiles exponentially. Seriously.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The World's Most Pointless Animals: Or are They? by Philip Bunting is a children's non fiction book currently scheduled for release on July 202021. From familiar animals like giraffes (who don’t have any vocal cords) through to those that surely should not even exist, such as the pink fairy armadillo (absurdly huge front claws, super tough protective shell in baby pink, particularly susceptible to stress), our planet is full of some pretty weird and wonderful animals. For example: Koalas spend up to 18 hours a day asleep!Pandas are born bright pink, deaf, and blind.Dumbo octopuses flap their big fin-like ears to move around.A Narwhal’s tusk grows through its upper lip—ouch!

The World's Most Pointless Animals is a fun and informative book that will keep readers engaged as they learn about some of the less common animals that we share the planet with. The illustrations are fun, and give some accurate scale and detail of each animal while also being cute and silly. A good number of the animals were ones I already knew about, because this are my favorite kind of animals, but some were new or less well known to me. The made up latin names were fun, although I think tossing in the correct names would not have been a bad move, since some of the real latin names (and translation) are pretty amusing in their own right. I like that each animal each got a page (or two) dedicated to it, and that some of the value of each as part of the larger ecosystem is covered. I also like that the book celebrates the things that make the animals different, the things that might have us wondering why they are like that, and points out that we all have our differences and that is what makes the world interesting and so much fun. I a book that balances fun, learning, and a good message. This book has that in spades.

[April Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is silly and fun, and talks about poo a lot, so you know kids will enjoy it. The illustrations are cute, with lots of funny asides (admittedly some of the humor might be over some kids' heads, but their adults will get a chuckle too). While I think most kids will be able to tell fact from fiction in this book, reading this with your child/children/students/whatever kids are around might keep misunderstandings from happening, and honestly, this is a fun read for adults too. To be fair, the book does not present fiction as fact, and I really don't think kids will get confused, but it's been quite a while since I was the age this book is intended for. I learned a lot of interesting things- platypus don't have stomachs! koala finger prints are so close to humans, they've been confused at crime scenes! -and giggled a lot; after all, poo jokes are timeless!

#TheWorldsMostPointlessAnimals #NetGalley

[Novel Obsession]

I love novel books which get kids interested in STEAM, and because of that, I had high expectations of Philip Bunting’s The World’s Most Pointless Animals. And let’s just say, the illustrations and layout are on point. Visually, this is an appealing book for kids. It also has some great science facts included, and the majority of kids out there are drawn to cool science facts about animals. Two scores for Bunting! However, beyond that, the entire book just has a disparaging tone. Rather than celebrating the diversity of life on the planet and all of the cool adaptations animals have evolved with, the author make derogatory comments. Add in the intended target age range, and you aren’t setting kids up to enjoy STEAM. Read this book with a cup of salt.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was provided by Quarto Publishing Group. Originally posted at Novel Obsession.

[Lottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this as I thought it would be a fun read to dip into when I was feeling overwhelmed but I ended up loving it and finishing it in one sitting! The author included animals that are both well known and rarer, some I had never heard of, and gave an additional insight into the wacky and wonderful world of animals. I found the book to be really informative and enjoyable even as an adult and liked that there were jokes tailored to the grown ups and to the children. I definitely laughed out loud at both. The author managed to excellently weave facts and humour, this is certainly a read for all ages, even if it’s technically tailored towards children or early readers. The illustrations were excellent and I thought they matched the vibes of the book really well so it all tied together to make a nice cohesive book. I can’t wait to share this with my niece when she’s older.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very educational and interesting look at some of the world's most peculiar insects and animals, written from an evolutionist standpoint versus a creationist standpoint. It had some animals I've never even heard of, such as a primate called an Aye-Aye! And I'm shocked that a daddy longlegs is not a spider!

I did feel that some words were a little advanced for little ones (ex: synthesize, malodorous, remunerate) who might need some adult guidance, or a good dictionary. I really enjoyed the humorous fake latin root words for each animal; an example being Myotonic Goat = scaredius stiffus. Cute illustrations of each animal presented to help kids visualize what each one looks like, which I appreciate.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book highlighting the diversity of creatures in our world! Interesting and humorous facts about 56 well-known (panda) and unknown (giraffe weevil) animals are presented in a child friendly way.
A particularly fun feature of the book: The scientific name of each animal is scratched through and replaced to relate something about the animal. For example, the three-toed sloth (bradypus variegatus) is renamed "slowcus pokeus." The mosquito (culicidae) is changed to "annoyus maxiumus."
Middle to upper elementary readers will learn a great deal about animals while chuckling to themselves or giggling with a partner.
Due to the sensitivities of our constituency, staff should be aware of the reference to Darwinian evolution in the book's introduction.

[MookNana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a good one to keep on a classroom bookshelf for independent reading. The illustrations are fun and colorful and the prose is casual and irreverent.

Each animal would be a manageable “bite” for a new or reluctant reader and the occasional bits of slightly gross humor may help early elementary students to engage.

Animal facts and jokes are presented side-by-side without any obvious distinction which would make an effective critical-thinking exercise for kids working on comprehension.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Lellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books shows kids that even the most seemingly pointless animals have a place in the ecosystem. The book has an illustration of each animal, their scientific name and then all around it the "pointless" facts (such as haha snails are slimy and gross) and then under it shows that while that may be true, they are also very important to the food chain and breaking down vegetation and waste.

I think this book would be successful among the middle grade age range (8-12). It has a sarcastic tone while still being informative that I think that age group would appreciate. Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kate Keaveny · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I love the title and the front cover. This book has the appeal of humour mixed with interesting facts about a range of animals. The illustrations are appealing and add to the humorous descriptions and captions.
This book is packed with all kinds of different animals from around the world. The captions followed by more information make if a great book for children to pick up and flick through finding out about different animals and some little known but amusing facts.
I would recommend this book for the primary classroom or library as it is definitely one that children will keep returning to.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book for family (or librarians) to read WITH children! It focuses on living creatures that seem to have no usefulness, like worms (unless you are a gardener of enjoy fishing) and other beings that are rarely heard of (like the Pink Fairy Armadillo). This delightfully illustrated mini-compendium is designed to show that even very unusual beings have a purpose (just like people). I want a copy!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books/Happy Yak via NetGalley. THANK YOU!

[Michelle Castaneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World's Most Pointless Animals Or are they? by Philip Bunting is a beautiful picture book for kids. The beautiful illustrations are cartoonish and fun. They will make this book appealing to many ages. The book is filled with fun and interesting facts that show that seemingly pointless animals are not always what they seem. Overall, this is a nice book and I think it is perfect, especially for young readers. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.