The weird and wonderful world of bats Demystifying these often-misunderstood creatures

In 14 concisely titled chapters, from "Origin" to "Conserve," Brokaw, a bat geologist, explores the way bats live and adapt to the world, including how they fly, their unique senses, their complex relationships, and their importance as seed dispersers, pollinators, pest hunters, and ecological keystone species. The writing is detailed and includes fascinating facts (some bats hibernate in the snow and others make their own little castles out of termite mounds). The highly visual layout features an abundance of eye-catching, well-annotated, color images illustrating the vast diversity of the bat species. As the author notes in one annotation, "Showing people the cute, curious, and fluffy faces of bats instead of menacing, teeth-bared images can go a long way in changing their perceptions of bats as ugly, scary, or evil." A final chapter encourages readers to explore the ways they can support efforts to protect bats from the effects of the various challenges they encounter including climate change, urban and agricultural development, and human population expansion. A striking layout and a wealth of information make this an appealing text.