Armor & Animals

Gr 2-5–As manager of family programs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Baill leads “Days of Knights” family tours. This role allowed her to discover the fascination kids have with armor. In this illustrated title, she discusses animal defenses and compares armored animals, such as rhinos and turtles, to knights. For example, armadillos have bony bands on their back. This same concept was used to protect horses; their armor is connected by small nails and leather straps on the inside. The quills on porcupines are compared to the pole arms that guards used to protect their castles. Bright spreads feature photos of animals and a variety of fonts in different sizes and colors, offering a pleasing visual design. The spare text helps young readers enjoy and understand the book. End pages include additional information about each of the armored pieces. Kids will be fascinated by this unique look at animal adaptations.