Like No Other

May 1, 2024
Every animal may be unique, but some species are truly one of a kind. A baker's dozen of very different creatures star in this visually impressive and informative book. Each has no close relatives in the animal kingdom and is distinguished by unusual traits or behaviors, clearly and succinctly described here. Australia's platypuses split off from other mammals 166 million years ago and are among the only mammals to lay eggs. The tuatara, found in New Zealand, is part of an order of reptiles that evolved 200 million years ago, when Earth consisted of the supercontinent Pangea. The aye-aye, a type of lemur that's native to Madagascar, has incisors that never stop growing, while the leatherback sea turtle, which lives in oceans all over the world, is far larger than other turtles and can swim up to a mile below the surface. Finally, there's Homo sapiens, distinguished by our big brains and capacity for language. (Chimps, orangutans, and gorillas, our closest living relatives, belong to a different scientific family.) Each entry also lists the creature's height, weight, and lifespan and features a large, stunningly detailed, close-up color illustration. Excellent backmatter offers would-be scientists more information on classifying animals, along with a glossary, relevant websites, notes on researching and taxonomy, and a map with the 13 animals and more one of a kinds. A striking book that celebrates the astonishing diversity of the animal world. (Informational picture book. 6-9)

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May 15, 2024
Grades 2-5 Collard introduces readers to 13 one-of-a-kind animals with no close living relatives. His examples range from the familiar (walruses, leatherback sea turtles, platypuses) to the little known (aye-ayes, primates from Madagascar; oilbirds, South American cave-dwellers; monito del monte, Argentinean and Chilean marsupials; and tuataras, New Zealand reptiles). For each species he provides an introduction explaining unique qualities (secretary birds trample their prey), information about their taxonomic status (pronghorns look like antelope but are more closely related to giraffes and okapis), and several factoids about the creature (whale-shark eggs hatch inside the mother's body). Neal's digitally enhanced mixed-media illustrations provide clear depictions of each animal in its natural habitat (adult purple frogs live underground). His naturalistic style will help readers identify salient features mentioned in the text (the aye-aye's very long third finger, used to detect food), while background details convey additional information. A full-color palette is used, but purples and reds predominate. Generous back matter and activities round out what will be a browser's delight.

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