Creative partnerships are magical things when they work out well. In the case of these companion nonfiction titles, it's a match made in publishing heaven. Debra Kempf Shumaker writes concise, informative text in crisply rhymed phrases while Claire Powell's illustrations offer comically creative impressions of the wide array of creatures described. Along with the joyful fun conveyed, each critter-image reveals key scientific facts about each species.
RUNNING PRESS KIDS, 2022 
RUNNING PRESS KIDS, 2021
Their two titles I'm excited to share are FREAKY, FUNKY FISH: Odd Facts About Fascinating Fish and PECULIAR PRIMATES: Fun Facts About These Curious Creatures. These are both valuable additions to any home, classroom, library, or school collection. They will leap off the nonfiction shelves, inviting the lucky finder to dive deeply into the rich details embedded in each and every page. Details and curiosity-sparking facts are included in the endpapers and title pages. Back matter in both books invite further learning with author notes, category listings, maps, resources, and links and charts. Those expressive characters spark curiosity and convey complexity beyond simply naming and showing any particular species. The flow of main text makes reading front-to-back a wonderful experience, especially reading aloud. The secondary text surrounding critters might be added details, or speech/sound effects, and more. All in all these stand up well in repeated visits and are useful as reference sources for exploring specific animals or groups of animals further.
This post is an intentionally short and enthusiastic one about two books that deserve plenty of time to examine, share, and tell your friends about. Do it soon, okay?
I love both of these!! A couple of my favorite informational NF books!
ReplyDeleteLove both of these!
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