Children will truly delight in this unusual collection of engaging encounters with remarkable and exotic creatures.
Each animal vividly springs to life in:
⢠Captivating photographs
⢠A memorable poem that playfully highlights authentic characteristics and
behaviors
⢠Illuminating additional information
Brimming with special appeal for children aged 5 â 11 years, the contents will undoubtedly stimulate discussion and spark enthusiasm for further discovery. Younger children, too, will be instantly drawn to the images and derive considerable listening pleasure from the jaunty rhythm and surprising revelations when the books are read to them by older siblings, parents, grandparents, and caregivers etc.
This unique compilation is enhanced by enjoyable activity pages, which extend learning and encourage creativity.
Although listed on Kindle, a paperback edition is available for the interactive fun activity pages.
Children will truly delight in this unusual collection of engaging encounters with remarkable and exotic creatures.
Each animal vividly springs to life in:
⢠Captivating photographs
⢠A memorable poem that playfully highlights authentic characteristics and
behaviors
⢠Illuminating additional information
Brimming with special appeal for children aged 5 â 11 years, the contents will undoubtedly stimulate discussion and spark enthusiasm for further discovery. Younger children, too, will be instantly drawn to the images and derive considerable listening pleasure from the jaunty rhythm and surprising revelations when the books are read to them by older siblings, parents, grandparents, and caregivers etc.
This unique compilation is enhanced by enjoyable activity pages, which extend learning and encourage creativity.
Although listed on Kindle, a paperback edition is available for the interactive fun activity pages.
Please note that this text is completely devoid of the interesting formatting and captivating photographs, obtained from having had a subscription to Getty Images. It appears that because I've uploaded a non-fiction eBook, the default for this section is text with small illlustrations only. Every page in the eBook is full-color with attractive embellishments to enhance the descriptions. What's presented here is the "skeleton" - merely the rhymes and descriptive text for the first five creatures. Without the elements described above, it's difficult to provide an accurate representation of the true content of the book since it was not possible to copy and paste any images into this space. The book contains 96 pages, twenty-seven of them being associated with fun learning activities which are optimally accessed in the paperback edition.
Adriana Aardvark
finds tasty termites in the dark!
She eats thousands, digging deep,
and in the daytime falls asleep.
Aardvarks are burrowing mammals, native to Africa. As they have a pig-like snout, their name means "earth-pig" in Afrikaans, a South African language. They track termites and ants by smell and then lick them up with their sticky tongues, which are 12-inches long.
Page 1
Busy Barney Bandicoot
delights in fungus, worm, and root.
Insects add some extra crunch
to his exciting, nighttime munch!
Bandicoots are marsupials found in Australia and New Guinea. They are nocturnal, which means that they are active at night. A marsupial's baby is tiny and not fully developed at birth, yet it can make its way into the motherâs pouch to feed and grow.
Page 2
Carefree Cora Currawong
chants a loud Australian song.
The woods are where she likes to dwell,
but leafy suburbs suit her well.
Currawongs are adaptable birds that live in Australia. Their name comes from the sound of the pied currawongâs call. In addition to eating various small creatures, they enjoy a wide range of fruit and sometimes become a nuisance to farmers. They are intelligent and crafty.
Page 3
Darting Darren Dragonfly
views the world with a complex eye.
All around him at one time,
he sees in countless shades sublime!
Dragonflies are found almost worldwide. They possess two huge compound eyes, each with up to 30,000 tiny lenses! Their vision for detail and color is astonishing. They are also expert fliers, able to change direction quickly and easily flip over from upside down.
Page 4
Edison Electric Eel
emits a shock to snare his meal!
Nearly blind, he navigates
by weaker currents he creates.
Electric Eels live in the muddy waters of the Amazon in South America. They are not true eels but knifefish, which can grow to 8 feet in length! They produce a strong electric current to stun smaller fish, which they eat. They live alongside pink river dolphins!
Page 5
Can you name a mammal that lays eggs? The smallest bird in the world? How about a woolly member of the camel family that lives in the Andes? Youâll be able to do all of the above and more after reading this delightful non-fiction childrenâs book by Olga De Sousa.
This charming book features a fresh and original approach to the alphabet and to the animal world. In this pages young readers will explore the habitat, habits, physical characteristics and many other informational tidbits related to a wide range of creatures in alphabetical order from A (angelfish) to Z (Zebra sharks.) Along the way they'll discover fascinating facts about various mammals (bongo, dugong, fox, echidna, guanaco), birds (cockatoo, hummingbirds, macaws), amphibians, marsupials and fish. Plenty more! (Youâve probably heard of some of these creatures. But I bet there are plenty of others that will be brand new.) Adding to the fun, each creature has a playful alliterative name such as Desdemona Dugong, Eric Echidna, and Fenuka Fenner Fox.
In terms of formatting, a brief description of each animal is highlighted in bold. Creatures are introduced in four brief lines of spirited rhyme. This is followed by a photo and additional information about each animal. Itâs fascinating, engaging, and quite effective.
And the cover art? It visually invites readers to open the book and dive in. While the version I read is text with small illustrations only, these were eye-catching and unique. My favorite photos are Ian Indri, Josefina Jaguar, and Lalelani Lioness. Bonus points: Many of the names associated with the various animals come from words of First Peopleâs origin. For example, âWanguâ warthog is an East African name. âTalaâ Tarsier is a named used in the Philippines. "Xola" Xerus is an African ground squirrel with a South African name, and so on. Brilliant! Creatures in a variety of poses and activities are featured, which makes the photos lively and dynamic.
Speaking of lively, the gentle rhyming scheme is engaging and entertaining. Noteworthy facts about each animal are delivered in bite-sized pieces that are easy to swallow and digest. The writing style radiates passion and panache. The clever combination of photos, graphics, and rhyme makes this book educational without feeling like a classroom lecture or homework.
Recommended for children ages five to eleven years old, A Rhyming Book of Creatures includes an Introduction to Parents and Teachers. This explains the goal of the series, which is to provide listeners and readers âwith an entertaining yet informative snapshot of a few familiar and many exotic creaturesâ and fuel further discussion and learning. It succeeds. In spades.
And thatâs not all! Activity pages are included at the end. Designed to enhance learning, exploration, and discovery, readers can choose from a wide range of options. Pages include everything from crossword puzzles to writing a poem or a short story about a specific animal to word search puzzles.
Finally, if you or someone you know is looking for an absorbing, fun-filled journey into a world of discovery and exploration for young readers, then grab a copy of the Rhyming Book of Creatures today! Youâll know exactly what member of the camel family lives in the Andes - and much more!
My Rating: 4.5