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Marsupials by Nic Bishop β€” book cover
Mammals - General & Miscellaneous, Mammals - Miscellaneous, Rodents & Small Mammals, Exotic Animals, Mammals - General

Marsupials

by Nic Bishop
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Overview

Another fascinating close-up look at the wonders of the natural world from Sibert Honor photographer Nic Bishop.

Most people know about lions, zebras, monkeys, and bears, but what about bettongs and bilbies? Or quolls and quokkas? And potoroos and pademelons? These animals live on the continent of Australia, along with kangaroos, koalas, and many other marsupials. With breathtaking full-page images, including a double-gatefold spread, Sibert-Honor photographer Nic Bishop introduces the beauty and diversity of these amazing animals. The simple, engaging text presents both basic information and fun, quirky facts about marsupials' appearance, habits, and life cycle. An index and glossary are included.

Synopsis

Most people know about lions, zebras, monkeys, and bears, but what about bettongs and bilbies? Or quolls and quokkas? And potoroos and pademelons? These animals live on the continent of Australia, along with kangaroos, koalas, and many other marsupials. With breathtaking full-page images, including a double-gatefold spread, Sibert-Honor photographer Nic Bishop introduces the beauty and diversity of these amazing animals. The simple, engaging text presents both basic information and fun, quirky facts about marsupials' appearance, habits, and life cycle. An index and glossary are included.

Children's Literature

Bettings, bilbies, fat-tailed dunnerts, Matschie's tree kangaroos, noolbengers, quolls, sugar gliders, feathertail gliders, trioks, yopaks, and woylies are just some of the marsupials packed into this nicely designed book. Fact follows fact follows fact. Who knew the Virginia opossum is the U.S.'s sole native marsupial, or that kangaroos the size of rabbits, rufous bettongs and potoroos, are nocturnal truffle foragers? Did you know that a singular digestive quirk enables koalas to digest eucalyptus trees that would poison any other creature? The author uses, at times dynamic, age-appropriate prose. Introducing the kangaroo generic, he explains their hopping thus: "They (hop) with the help of special stretchy tendons, like bungee cords, in their legs. These pull tight when the kangaroo lands and then twang back to help it in its next hop." The information provided here would well serve youngsters in search of lore for science or nature reports. Moreover, though, young readers may find inspiration at the book's close. Nic Bishop spent six months in Australia, gently, even reverently, stalking his subjects in the wild. Concluding the book, he shares behind-the-scenes secrets engaging enough to perhaps inspire a new "pride" of nature photographers. Reviewer: Barbara Hall

About the Author, Nic Bishop

Nic Bishop is the author and photographer of many award-winning books for children, including RED-EYED TREE FROG; CHAMELEON, CHAMELEON; NIC BISHOP SPIDERS; and most recently, NIC BISHOP LIZARDS. He has a doctorate in biological sciences and a passionate interest in many of the smaller animals on our planet. Originally from New Zealand, Nic lives in Michigan. Visit him online at www.nicbishop.com.

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Editorials

Children's Literature - Barbara Hall

Bettings, bilbies, fat-tailed dunnerts, Matschie's tree kangaroos, noolbengers, quolls, sugar gliders, feathertail gliders, trioks, yopaks, and woylies are just some of the marsupials packed into this nicely designed book. Fact follows fact follows fact. Who knew the Virginia opossum is the U.S.'s sole native marsupial, or that kangaroos the size of rabbits, rufous bettongs and potoroos, are nocturnal truffle foragers? Did you know that a singular digestive quirk enables koalas to digest eucalyptus trees that would poison any other creature? The author uses, at times dynamic, age-appropriate prose. Introducing the kangaroo generic, he explains their hopping thus: "They (hop) with the help of special stretchy tendons, like bungee cords, in their legs. These pull tight when the kangaroo lands and then twang back to help it in its next hop." The information provided here would well serve youngsters in search of lore for science or nature reports. Moreover, though, young readers may find inspiration at the book's close. Nic Bishop spent six months in Australia, gently, even reverently, stalking his subjects in the wild. Concluding the book, he shares behind-the-scenes secrets engaging enough to perhaps inspire a new "pride" of nature photographers. Reviewer: Barbara Hall

School Library Journal

Gr 2–5β€”This book is full of the exceptional-quality photographs and enticing facts that readers have come to expect from Bishop. His endnotes explain how he captured the images using trip wires and bait for many of these nocturnal mammals. In addition to captions, an informative sentence is highlighted in a contrasting color and larger type within explanatory paragraphs that accompany each stunning image. Readers learn that baby koalas eat "pap," a mushy, green baby food that is actually their mother's "poop," that some marsupials don't have pouches, and that all start out the size of a bean or smaller. Details like these are accompanied by tangible analogies that enhance the facts. The center spread opens out into four pages that reveal a dramatic multiple exposure of a sugar glider leaping across an expanse in a sequence that captures its flight. This is a book to wow young audiences.β€”Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library

Book Details

Published
September 1, 2009
Publisher
Scholastic, Inc.
Pages
48
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780439877589

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