Review by Booklist Review
This third Curious Critters book reveals that marine animals are just as or even more unusual than land dwellers. In vibrant hues from the yellow lined seahorse to the pink roseate spoonbill to the translucent candy stripe shrimp, stunning large-scale photographs set against a white background dramatically depict a sampling of 20 such marine animals. Short first-person narration from the animal's perspective, rhyming poems, a joke, and even a song (about the cushion sea star, sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star), all written in a conversational style, offer surprising information about the animals' physical characteristics, food-gathering techniques, adaptations, protection, and quirky traits. Concluding thumbnails are accompanied by even more facts about the animals' habitats, diets, and classifications in the animal kingdom. A double-page spread of life-size silhouettes adds more fun to the visual experience. While there is little information on where the animals live, this book is not meant for research but to pique curiosity and it succeeds wildly.--Leeper, Angela Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In his third Curious Critters book, FitzSimmons pairs breathtakingly detailed photographs of 20 aquatic creatures with offbeat accounts of the animals' lives, which take the form of poems, songs, and first-person monologues. A translucent hooded nudibranch looks more mushroom than mollusk as the sea slug raves about its fashion sense ("From my sheer dress to my eye-catching hat, I'm nothing but flair and finesse"); a starfish describes itself to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" ("Tough and bendy is my skin./ That's my exoskeleton"). From a wisecracking sea cucumber to a frogfish trying to hide its predatory nature, FitzSimmons offers a cheeky guide to the sea's odder denizens. Ages 3-up. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3 Up-This eye-catching collection of 20 unusual marine dwellers will amaze readers. The photographs are vivid and striking, while the text is incredibly witty and accessible, penned mostly in the first person from the perspectives of these creatures (the Hawaiian reef hermit crab greets readers, "Aloha! I'm so glad you could come to my housewarming luau."). The entries on the California sea cucumber, featuring text that evokes a comedy routine, and the cushion sea star, which is accompanied by an enchanting poem, will likely be among the most visited pages. These brief descriptions provide just enough information to whet readers' appetites and may inspire them to seek out more in-depth materials. The back matter includes more details on each animal, along with a game that asks children to identify the animals from the book based on silhouette images. VERDICT A definite purchase, especially for fans of FitzSimmons's previous work.-Martha Rico, El Paso ISD, TX © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
