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Thursday, October 6, 2022

Rock? Plant? Animal? How Nature Keeps Us Guessing, written by Etta Kaner and illustrated by Brittany Lane. Owlkids, 2022. $19.95 ages 7 and up

 


"ANIMAL! 
This is a leafy sea dragon.

Unlike most fish, the leafy sea dragon is a poor
swimmer. How does it stay safe from predators
if it can't get away quickly? It uses its leafy 
camouflage to hide. By living among seaweed 
and seagrass, and swaying its body back and forth
like a water plant, a leafy sea dragon makes itself 
hard to spot. It can even change color to match
its seaweed habitat.
"

Beginning with clues to help readers determine the differences that define rocks from plants from animals, Ms. Kaner then establishes the pattern for this informative and interactive book. She asks readers to be sure to look closely before moving on to answering pages. 

"Look closely at this picture. Do you think this is 
a rock, a plant, or an animal? 

Turn the page to find out the answer!

The question is asked and answered fourteen times. Many of those answers were a total surprise to me. I was not best at recognizing many of the images, or at guessing what they might be. That is sure to be the allure of this book for kids who love learning. The first of each question/answer pair shows the  image; the second offers pertinent written information about it, as well as an accompanying spread that provides a clear look at its habitat. The illustrations are very appealing and quite detailed. 

A final statement invites children to look more closely at their world.

"Now that you know that there's often more than meets the eye, it's time to explore your world more closely!"

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