Nonfiction Monday

Blobfish, Star-nosed Mole, Vampire Squid, Thorny Dragon, Ghost Octopus! Yes, these are just a few of the remarkable animals you’ll find in Animal Planet’s Strange,Unusual, Gross & Cool Animals by Charles Ghigna.

Ghigna does an outstanding job of putting fun in the “ICK” factor and sharing startling facts with readers in this spectacular collection. Playing off the title, the book is divided into four main sections with subheadings that focus on individual animals as well as related traits such as Creatures of the Deep - Mimics - Marvelous Mammals - Fabulous Feet - Squirters and Spitters - Blobby, Slimy, Stretchy Creatures - and Fantastic Frogs – to name a few.

Information is well-organized and accessible thanks to elements such as the Gallery spreads that explore specific themes, Feature Creature which provides details about individual animals, the Creature Collection which gives readers opportunities to compare and contrast, and Macrophotographs to highlight the smallest details.

Stunning color photographs fill every page in this large format, 128 page book, with the exception of the Glossary, Index, and Additional Reading.

Maps and charts offer additional perspectives on the information for animal lovers and budding scientific minds.