30 Animals That Share Our World: Fascinating Bite-Sized Essays from Award-Winning Writers—Intriguing Creatures That Crawl, Creep, Hop, Run, Swim, and Fly

Gr 4–7—This entertaining volume is filled with 30 short essays about weird and wacky facts of the animal world, from the wonders of vultures to daddy longlegs with toxic armpits. In addition to scientific information, this book also features profiles on historical animals such as Sergeant Stubby, a terrier hero of World War I, and Ham, the first U.S. primate in space. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, Laurence Pringle, and Cheryl Harness contribute to the collection. Some authors write in an informal tone, while others are more straightforward and factual. However, the organization of the topics is all over the place. Several passages will be strictly informational about certain animal species, followed by a piece covering a historical subject, and then either focus on a scientific phenomenon or a profile of a specific creature. Each chapter includes "Find out More" content, such as websites, books, or YouTube videos to seek out.