401 Amazing Animals Facts by Marianne Taylor | New Holland | September 2010 | £7.99 | 240 Pages & 100 Illustrations | ISBN 1847737153 Did you know that water bears (tardigrades) can survive in space? That woodpeckers stab their prey with their tongues? That the world’s smallest antelope is smaller than the largest frog? Or that platypuses can detect electrical fields?
This book is a light-hearted and accessible, non-jargony yet richly informative compendium of surprising, amusing and intriguing facts about the animal world. It is arranged thematically and delivered in snappy, bite-size sections, making this the perfect ‘dip in and out’ book for the nature-lover.
Ranging from the obscure to the surreal and the myth-busting to the almost unbelievable, the wealth of information gathered here will appeal to anyone who loves animals, everyone who likes amassing knowledge for its own sake, and all who enjoy being a smartypants – in fact I intend to pass this book on to my 7-yearold grandson who will, no doubt, diest it whole and use it to correct his all too fallible grandfather in future.
The book is illustrated throughout with cartoon line drawings provided by the author. Chapters include sensory sensations (remarkable animal senses), marvellous migrations (animal journeys), peculiar passions (oddities of courtship) and harassing humanity (people and animals).
Marianne Taylor lives in Sevenoaks, Kent, and has written and illustrated many books and articles on wildlife, including Photographing Garden Wildlife for New Holland. She has also written material for the RSPB’s Learn Birds project.
Fatbirder