Hidden Wildlife: How Animals Hide in Plain Sight

Gr 1–4—Arnosky adds to his acclaimed oeuvre with this title on animal camouflage. The work features striking paintings that demonstrate how predators and prey use their abilities to blend into their surroundings. Foldout pages create panoramas that illustrate topics such as birds' feather patterns and snakes' colors and shapes that help them "disappear" into their habitats. The conversational text combines personal accounts of where Arnosky encountered various animals with basic scientific information about how camouflage works with mammals, insects, birds, aquatic life, and reptiles. He encourages readers to prop the book open to view his paintings from a distance—a perfect suggestion for educators using this title in a classroom or small group setting—so readers can appreciate the effectiveness of featured camouflage techniques. This volume joins the author's other titles, such as Shimmer & Splash: The Sparkling World of Sea Life and Thunder Birds: Nature's Flying Predators in opening readers' eyes to the wonders of the natural world. Older kids wanting to learn more about the science behind camouflage and mimicry might also consult Rebecca L. Johnson's Masters of Disguise: Amazing Animal Tricksters.