Capybaras can all asleep
in the water.
ZZZzzzz ZZZzzz
We're clever!
Only our noses
stick out!"
Did you know that the capybara is the biggest rodent in the world? If you did, you might want to know even more than that. Melanie Watt shares 10 things you may or may not have known. Each one is of interest to those readers who want to know more about these cutie pies. Some of what is learned will be a surprise ... or a shock!
They really are quite big; their presence is much more imposing than their cousins, the guinea pig. In fact, they can weight up to 174 pounds. The second thing to know about them is that their teeth never stop growing; they make good use of that fact by chewing all day to help keep teeth at a normal length. They need to live near water; that is why their scientific name means 'water hog'.
The list goes on covering all ten facts on double-page spreads with cartoon-like illustrations that offer context for the information provided. They are cute and chill communicators, until the fact is shared that they eat plants and grass that are hard to digest. At this point, the capybara narrator does its best to avoid the final shocking bit of info. Final numbered and unexpected extra facts add a dose of humor that will have young readers guffawing at the animal's reticence to share anything else.
They do not eat pizza; they cannot order pizza; they do not talk on the phone to place an order for pizza; their webbed feet prevent them from texting. There is only one reason for the capybara not wanting readers to know what they do eat to help their digestion. An inquisitive monkey finds a nonfiction book that exposes the truth.
This final discovery is truly shocking ... and now we all know!
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