Children’s Library: ‘Amazing Animals’

November 3, 2011, Epoch Times

Presenting a wide overview of animals, ‘one and all’

A child’s bookshelf often contains numerous titles centering on animals in one way or another—books of fiction that creatively utilize the diverse traits and personalities animals seem to possess and works of nonfiction that open a child’s eyes to the wonder of nature.

One recently published picture book blends the entertainment of a traditional storybook with factual details about how many (many!) different species there are, attempting to cover seemingly all of them in one sitting. “Amazing Animals” by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert presents through soft, but finely detailed illustrations a menagerie of the world’s animals to young readers.

“Animals both large and small, Amazing animals, one and all, are gathered here to say hello. So turn the page and off we go!” And off it goes.

“Amazing Animals” celebrates the diverse array of the animals in our world, looking at the ways in which they are covered (scales, feathers, quills, fur), the manner in which they move (swimming, flying, digging underground), the sounds they make, the homes they create, the way they protect themselves, they ways they eat, and more.

“There are those who bask in the heat of the sun, while for others the day starts at night. There are those who are made to leap and to run, while for others to dawdle is right!”

Each page features rich illustrations that lend themselves to pointing and discussion. How many animals do you see in the forest? Can you find the animals disguising themselves in the trees?

At its heart, “Amazing Animals” aims to open one’s eye to how simply “amazing” it is that there exists this huge multitude of animals in our world, existing in harmony in so many diverse environments and habitats, in so very many shapes and sizes.

Presenting in such an enjoyable and concise way this wide overview of creatures, “Amazing Animals” provides a sense of true appreciation for this wonder of nature, and so earns its spot on the top shelf.