The Screaming Hairy Armadillo and 76 Other Animals with Weird, Wild Names

Starred review from May 15, 2020
Grades 2-6 *Starred Review* This book is irresistible. A tasseled wobbegong? A bone-eating snot flower worm? Despite their outlandishly implausible names, every one of these 70-plus critters is absolutely real. Two- and three-page spreads introduce each of these creatively named animals, fill in details about their life cycles and habitats, and explain how they got their crazy names. Physical characteristics are important (for example, the headless chicken monster is a sea cucumber that looks like a pink, plucked turkey), and some terms have evolved over time (sarcastic, when first applied to the sarcastic fringehead, meant flesh-tearing). The book also highlights the unusual sense of humor of some scientists who have discovered new species (think of the agra cadabra beetle). The entries cover a surprising amount of information, including introductions to taxonomy and binomial nomenclature, and the back matter includes a glossary, further reading suggestions, notes on conservation, and suggestions for discovering new species, as well as a helpful animal-name generator (the authors suggest bedazzled spitting volcano cow). The plentiful full-color illustrations and photos are especially compelling, and, in addition to giggling and snorting (blue-footed booby! monkeyface prickleback!) readers will learn a great deal. This fun romp will delight animal-lovers and liven up STEM collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

June 1, 2020
Would a rose by any other name taste as delicious as a chocolate dip damselfish sounds? The sparklemuffin peacock spider, the headless chicken monster, the fried egg jellyfish, and the bone-eating snot flower worm are just a few of the distinctively named creatures explored in this informative, fun, and funny look at animal names. Through the lens of how and why animal species get their names--whether funny, fierce, magical, delicious-sounding, or just plain weird--it highlights the features leading to these names while explaining the common and scientific naming process and exploring animal taxonomy. In catalog style, each featured animal's description ties its defining features to its common name with illustrations and photos. Text sidebars include scientific name, habitat, and a particular fact for each creature. Knowing what will likely fascinate their audience, like yeti crabs eating the bacteria that grows on their hairlike spines or unicorn fish eating other animals' poop (not as magical a behavior as the name sounds), the authors adopt an engaging and casual tone, filled with humor that matches the book's focus, but never sacrifice information for a joke. Included are extension activities on how readers might go about discovering a new animal species, a name generator that could keep one busy for hours, and resources focused on conservation. Like its title, this is sure to be a scream. (glossary, further reading) (Nonfiction. 9-13)

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September 1, 2020

Gr 3-6-As the title implies, this compendium of critters with wacky names provides information about more than 70 animals, representing all walks of the animal kingdom. The introduction discusses the importance of names, both for identification purposes and accuracy. It also covers the difference between scientific names and common ones. The book is organized thematically by name; chapters include "Funny Names," "Delicious Names," and "Magical Names." A single chapter might examine insects, mammals, and reptiles. Entries are two or three pages, include drawings and occasional photographs, and share details about habitat, lifespan, and how the creatures got their unusual names. The writing is accessible, funny, and scientific but never excessively silly. Each entry uses a different color background. The eye-catching layouts make the book a great choice for casual browsing and cover-to-cover reading. End matter includes an extensive glossary, a name generator for readers to create their own amusing names, and notes about animal conservation. VERDICT An engaging resource for animal-loving kids and a strong purchase for most libraries. This one will circulate.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill Sch., Cambridge, MA

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