• Age: 7 to 10
• Grade: 2 to 5
• Reading age: 7 to 10

From popping off a tail to rolling around in dung to farting to send a message, this funny and informative nonfiction picture book shows the many unusual ways animals adapt to their surroundings!

Animals survive and thrive in astounding ways: they trick, trap, and fry predators; feed on other animals’ poop and skin; and use electric zaps, slime, and other unexpected methods to communicate.

Featuring animals like Komodo dragons, bombardier beetles, and capuchin monkeys, this fact-filled book explores the surprising, exciting, and sometimes hilarious ways that animals adapt.

Dr. Joanne Settel is an award-winning writer of science books for children, including Your Amazing Skin from Outside In and Your Amazing Digestion from Mouth Through Intestine. Dr. Settel’s book Exploding Ants: Amazing Facts About How Animals Adapt was listed as one of the Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 by the Children’s Book Council. Dr. Settel has a PhD in biology. She is a professor emeritus at Baltimore City Community College, where she taught courses in biology, anatomy, and physiology. She lives with her husband in Maryland, where she enjoys hiking, playing bridge, and gardening. Visit her online at JoanneSettel.com.

Joanne Settel's profile page

Natasha Donovan is the illustrator of the award-winning Mothers of Xsan series (written by Brett Huson). She illustrated the graphic novel Surviving the City (written by Tasha Spillett), which won a Manitoba Book Award and received an American Indian Youth Literature Award (AIYLA) honor. She also illustrated Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer which won an Orbis Pictus Honor Book and an American Indian Youth Literature Award (AIYLA). Natasha is Métis, and spent her early life in Vancouver, British Columbia. Although she moved to the United States to marry a mathematician, she prefers to keep her own calculations to the world of color and line. She lives in Washington. www.natashadonovan.com

Natasha Donovan's profile page

"Welcome to the wonderful world of animal slime, poop, gas, vomit, and gross parenting practices. . . . [Settel] shows a knack for slipping in facts as likely to intrigue as revolt . . . . Donovan tones down the gross in her brightly hued animal portraits enough to elicit more cooing than spewing. . . . A crowd-pleasing way to deliver some substantial (info) dumps."

5/1/24

"Donovan's digital art is brightly colored and does a good job depicting important points from the text, such as a giraffe's blue tongue (which acts as a sunscreen) wrapped around a branch. The gross-out factor is prominent throughout. . . . Appended with a glossary, this should intrigue borrowers and lead to further investigation."

5/15/24

"Settel’s engaging writing makes complex concepts accessible and entertaining, while Donovan’s vibrant digital illustrations bring the gross and amazing facts to life. . . . With its unique blend of science, humor, and visual appeal, this is a must-read for anyone curious about the natural world."

10/4/24