Spit Nests, Puke Power, and Other Brilliant Bird Adaptations

Reviews

Booklist Series Nonfiction Showcase
“Through layered, mischievous illustrations and detailed back matter, the Picture Book Science series plies young readers with a ton of useful facts about how all sorts of animals have evolved to survive in their environments. Antifreeze includes fish that use suction cups to climb rocks (the Hawaiian goby) and fish that can breathe air (the lungfish, of course!). In Spit Nests, readers will observe the complex mating rituals of bowerbirds and blue-footed boobies and learn the gross-but-useful reason for a vulture’s bald head (and their even grosser defense mechanism). Stink Fights delves into the weird, wide world of mammal adaptations, which includes whale earwax plugs, star-nosed mole sniffer sensitivity, and everything in between. Sunscreen showcases primarily frogs, which are capable of some of the most bizarre things of all in the name of self-defense—some cover themselves in slime and others can even use their own poisonous bones as weapons after pushing them out through their skin. Each book contains a hands-on activity that will get kids involved; the mammal volume even points out that human beings are mammals, too, and encourages students to consider their own place in their ecosystems. Classroom-friendly and fun, too.”

Archimedes Notebook Blog
Fun New Series on Animal Adaptations

Let’s face it: animals are cool! And most kids I know love to read about animals. What’s even better than a book about animals is a whole series of books about strange and wonderful animal adaptations.

Laura Perdew has written a whole bunch of books – well, at least five – about animals and their unique adaptations. They are fun and breezy, and a perfect way to introduce young children to the different classes of vertebrate animals: reptiles, birds, mammals, amphibians, and fish.

Did you know that some fish have antifreeze and that archerfish shoot their prey? That water-holding frogs can stay buried for two years? Perdew introduces readers to unsung heroes of the animal world: star-nose moles, blue-footed boobies, and thorny devil lizards. She sings the praises of salamander slime and whale earwax. Click here to read the complete  review online.

School Library Journal- June 2020
K-Gr 3–Perdew captures readers’ interest right away, starting with the title. Throughout the text, fascinating bird adaptations are highlighted, including special body features, unique mating rituals, and other seemingly bizarre behaviors. The bird world favorites are covered (owls, penguins, hummingbirds), but some unusual species make appearances as well. The book’s layout includes beautiful illustrations of the birds in action and at rest. The artwork portrays other animals that could be found in some of the birds’ habitats. An activity page in the back, a glossary, and a connection page that mentions other facts are included. On these appendix pages, readers can see photographs of the birds spotlighted in the book. VERDICT A cool science title for younger readers to learn about bird adaptation. Educators can use this text in the classroom; many STEAM lessons could be inspired by these funky adaptations.

CLEAR Reviews
"Science teachers will discover much to share in their classrooms, while students in grades 1-4 will find these texts entertaining enough for independent reading."

Praise for other books in the Picture Book Science series

Forces - Booklist Starred Review March 15, 2018
“Forces, despite its down-to-earth scientific grounding, manages to do the nearly impossible. Diehn brings gravity, magnetism, push-pull forces, and friction to life in everyday contexts, without a hint of schoolroom jargon. Children, parents, and teachers alike can enjoy learning the charming, often funny, relatable, and accessible science within this Picture Book Science series (4 titles) offering.”