"TOOTHY TOOLS
I built this sturdy lodge
Without cement or brick.
No chain saw, drill or chisel -
My incisors did the trick:
stripping
felling
gnawing
towing.
Luckily, my teeth keep growing."
If you guessed BEST Engineer - the North American Beaver, you would be right. With the turn of the page from the poem presented, the answer is made clear with the animal's best feature and a chatty paragraph that further informs the reader.
A challenge opens the book. Creatures are invited to provide clues for readers to help them identify what makes each one of them a winner. Then, in two-page entries, a descriptive poem leads to the 'best' in a certain category, allowing readers to see if they guessed the right animal. That welcome design is followed through to the added back matter.
Readers will enjoy the guessing, and the learning. Some animals described will be familiar, while others may not be. The realistic digital illustrations add details and hints that may help, and certainly up the enjoyment for the reading.
As the book comes to an end, the author has another message for the animals who took up the challenge and proved themselves to be something special.
"We celebrate your blazing speed,
Your pole-to-pole migrations,
Your fine design and building skills,
Your undersea creations!
Hats off to your endurance,
Your strength and grit as well.
Your appetite, your fearsome bite,
Your overwhelming smell."
So much fun, and lots to learn. Back matter includes ways to help protect endangered animals along with websites for further research, a note about measurements, and another about mask poems. The book finishes with a list for recommended reading and a glossary. This is nonfiction of the best kind!
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