How Animals Work

How Animals Work – Why and how animals do the things they do
Published at DK Canada

About the book

Have you ever wondered how fish breathe underwater, how caterpillars transform into butterflies, why deer grow cumbersome antlers every year, or how snakes slither? How Animals Work explains the structures and systems of animal bodies, using photographs and diagrams to show how animals use their anatomy to move, communicate, hunt, and feed, and how their bodies enhance their chances in the struggle for survival.

My Thoughts

Are you still looking for the one gift for a child who adores animals?  Well I have a great book for you – How Animals Work.  This book will give you the why and how animals do the things they do like for example defense or hunting.  There are nine sections in the book:

• Body basics – Soft bodies,shells, exoskeletons, bony skeletons, skin, fur, feathers and scales are covered here.
• Animals on the move – This section will highlights every way an animal can move whether it is creeping, sliding, on legs, jumping, climbing, gliding, flying, swimming, diving or more.
• Life support – How does an animal live?  Discover the secrets in the breathing, circulation, nerves, brain, temperature control,rhythms, migration and survival skills.
• Animal diet – Food to fuel their bodies from grazing to scavengers and let’s not forget the omnivores either.
• Hunters and hunted – Learn about the tips and tricks of the hunters and how other animals will survived by camouflage, mimicry or other emergency escapes.
• Senses – Eye, ear,taste, smell, and touch faculties of the animals.
• Keeping in contact – How do animals communicate between each other.
• Animal families – Everything you want to know about the families in the animal kingdom.
• The animal world – Learn more about the various species in the animal kingdom.

This book is packed with interesting information and facts about the animals we might encounter when travelling or exploring your own backyard.   The photos are stunning and you also learn quite a bit while reading the pages.

For example,one year we went fishing as a family and I was able to taken a fabulous picture of dragonflies.  I discovered in this book that these dragonflies were mating and it is a perfect example of how their exoskeleton can be flexible. Their abdomens are made up of many jointed section that enable the male to arch its body and clasp the female behind the head during mating.

Another thing I have learned while reading the book is that many animals will feast on berries during the winter months.   Well I knew about that as I have caught some birds on my street having a late afternoon snacks recently.  What I have not realized is that they help to scatter the seeds when – well  you get the picture…    These berry bushes/trees are not just good for flying birds but we also spotted two wild turkeys feasting on such a bush near the retirement residence close to a busy street in our area.   

I find animals are full of wonder.   Our family enjoy observing them whether in the wild or at the zoo.   My daughter’s favourite bird is the flamingo and my third son’s is the bald eagle.   Totally different birds but there is so much we can learn from them.   Did you know that flamingos are the only birds that eat entirely by filter-feeding?   Their tongue works like a pump, pushing water through the edges of its beak, which in turn is lined with fibrous plates that trap its food.   I find this fascinating to learn this kind of information.   When you are homeschooling and your child has a specific interest on an animal, you can dig and discover about that animal anytime you want.

How Animals Work is a wonderful book to own and discover while studying animals.   It has beautiful pictures, graphs, as well as charts to help you understand how and why certain things happens in the animal kingdom.    It is definitively a great book to offer as a gift to the child who is passionate about animals.

How Animals Work is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

    

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.