FICTION

Super Animal Powers: The Amazing Abilities of Animals

by Ryan JACOBSON
photos by Stan Tekiela. 32p. illus. Adventure. Oct. 2016. Tr $12.95. ISBN 9781591936480.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1–3—This imaginative confidence builder celebrates the brain power of children and the amazing abilities of various creatures. Kids are asked to imagine what it would be like to have certain animal traits (to be fast like a falcon, armored like an armadillo, etc.), and the text gives additional information. Brightly colored backgrounds and a comic book—style font make for a splashy presentation. There is a good amount of original photography here mixed with stock. A tiny cartoon superhero appears in each spread, dressed up to resemble the topic animal. The lack of documentation or source material is a drawback, but the text and illustrations are well designed, and the uplifting tone is sure to hook readers.
VERDICT A fast read just right for superhero aficionados looking to dip into animal science.
Reviewed by Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA
Presented through comics-style fonts and panel layouts, this sampling of animal adaptations depicts them as "superpowers" and explains what (often underwhelming) proportional human abilities would be: e.g., "if you were stealthy like an owl...You would be a hide-and-seek champion!" The flashy design, fast facts, and superhero angle may attract reluctant readers, but with no clear organization or back matter, the book undermines its potential.
 , Nov 01, 2016

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