Why Are Animals Purple?

Children's Literature - Kathy Leggett

Why do animals come in every color of the rainbow—even purple? This book is part of a series written by a science author who has managed to find a creative way to state simply, yet scientifically the facts about the use of color in the animal kingdom. The purple cover builds interest and appeal for readers before they even take the book from the shelf. A short table of contents and an introductory glossary aid readers in preparing for what they are going to read. All the animals are depicted in close-up, full-page photographs, and multiple shades of purple seem to flow from page to page. The soft purple feathers of the heron protect it from predators and help it to blend into its grasslands environment, while the bright purple wings of the emperor butterfly signal "stay away from me." A few sentences on each double-page spread explain how the color purple helps each creature to survive. A guessing game about the purpose of the colors keeps listeners intent on hearing what comes next. A world map and lists of additional resources make this a perfect high-interest resource for even the youngest learners. Older special needs students at the middle and high school levels would find it equally appealing. Additional titles in the "Rainbow of Animals" series are: Why Are Animals Blue?, Why Are Animal Green?, Why Are Animals Orange?, Why Are Animals Red? and Why Are Animals Yellow? Overall, this is a perfect series to use as a read-aloud to supplement an animal unit or for teaching the process of research. A delightful addition to any library, this is a smaller book designed for smaller hands. All the information in each book supports the standards setby the National Science Foundation for K-4 students and has been reviewed to ensure proper vocabulary and science content. Reviewer: Kathy Leggett