Who Are You Calling Weird?
A Celebration of Weird & Wonderful Animals
by Marilyn Singer
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Pub Date Oct 23 2018 | Archive Date Feb 01 2019
Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures | words & pictures
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Description
Delve into the forests, burrow under the ground, and dive into the deep to discover nature's most peculiar creatures and learn about their behavior, diet, and habitat, as well as folk beliefs about each animal.
Hidden away in Earth’s forests, caves, and oceans, these creatures might look or behave in peculiar ways but, as you will soon find out, every oddity serves a purpose:
- the long, skeletal finger of an aye-aye, used by this lemur to tap on trees to locate hollow tunnels where delicious insects hide
- the barrel-shaped eyes of a Pacific barreleye fish that turn upward to watch for prey above through its transparent head
- the big, bulbous nose of a proboscis monkey designed to attract mates
- the armor-like scales of a pangolin that are so tough that even lions and tigers can’t bite through them
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9780760363393 |
PRICE | $17.95 (USD) |
PAGES | 48 |
Featured Reviews
Friendly, engaging descriptions of “weird” animals and eye-catching illustrations introduce a number of animals by telling about their unique features and habits. This is a wonderful book for launching further investigations into the behavior of these animals or for simply enjoying the variety of animal life. I would have liked to see an author’s note explanning how the author gathered this information and an illustrator’s note explaining the how the illustrations were created.
This is a fabulous book, especially for children who love strange animals. As an adult, it's a fabulous look at animals we don't get a ton of videos online for. Whether it's checking out a proboscis monkey or are really into some strange underwater creatures this super fun book is great to give to a child or even an adult who likes their animals on the weird side.
An adorable read for children of a wide age range. The littles will live the amazing illustrations and the older kids will love being read to transgressing into reading it to themselves. A keeper for sure, can’t wait to buy a finished copy.
This was a treasure trove of joyful illustration and rewarding information about weirdoes among the animal world. I'm quite well read about the natural world, and especially about oddball critters, but this book held some surprises for me. Some of these animals I had never heard of before; some I am quite familiar with, such as the narwhal, and the pangolin, but I'd never heard, for example, of the Pacific barreleye which is a startling creature to say the least. If someone had invented that for a sci-fi story you would never have believed it.
The book covers over twenty animals, including humans who are in some ways the weirdest of all. The illustrations were colorful and amusing, and the book very educational and eye-opening (barreleye-opening in my case!). I thought it was wonderful and a great way to fascinate a child with the wonders of our natural world, and how delicate and rare they are, and how much they need our love and protection. I commend it unreservedly.
Get to know these animals in an entirely different light!
Are you an animal lover? Do you enjoy learning about different species and what sets them apart from others? Then you re going to love this book! The pictures are amazing, and the information given is enough to satisfy even the most curious child.
We loved reading this book!
This book is just beautifully illustrated and brilliantly written. It looks in quite a bit of detail at many weird and wonderful creatures. There’s a lot of information included more than I was expecting and I was very impressed.
I’d recommend this for any child aged 6-11 and will be using it in a educational setting.
Good addition to libraries and classroom book collections on animals! Kids are going to be amazed by the strange and unique animals in this book. Hoatzin, a bird which has claws when its young for climbing and can swim underwater?! A relatively new discovery, the Dumbo Octopus will delight them. So many unusual animals to read about in this book. I loved the illustrations of the creatures, it would have been nice to see photos, but anyone can find photos and more info online. Great read!
Who are you calling weird? Is a wonderful written and illustrated book about fun and unique animals such as the aye-aye which is a lemur that many thought was a rat or a dumbo octopus which has big round fins and lives near the bottom of the ocean. The book also has hammer-headed bats, a platypus, flat-headed agamas lizards, hairy frogs, helmeted hornbills, three-toed sloths, and many more. Each animal has a colorfully illustrated picture, explaination, how the animal is unique, and describes their environment. At the end of the book it also lists websites for further information on the animals and other animals you can research such as the National Geographic site and the World Wildlife Fund.
This delightful nonfiction book is factual, without being boring. The illustrations that accompany the text are perfect--whimsical and fun. Some of these creatures were completely new to me, and others I was familiar with. But each of them were interesting to read about. I especially like how the last "creature" featured in the book is "human". This book would make a nice edition to an elementary classroom.
The title draws you in to the weird world of odd looking animals. The pictures are very colorful but the text is a little on the wordy side, for a picture book.
<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Screen-Shot-2018-12-19-at-8.22.50-PM.png" alt="Who areyou calling weird" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4847" />
<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Screen-Shot-2018-12-19-at-8.23.16-PM.png" alt="Who are you calling weird" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4846" />
But it is an interesting collection of animals, and informative to boot. A good introduction to animals that kids might never have heard of, including a joke at the end of how humans are the weirdest animal of all.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
My classroom loves weird animal non-fiction books and Who Are You Calling Weird hits the mark. The illustrations are engaging and wild and the facts are laid out in an easy to read format. My classroom will love this book! It is a great addition to a non-fiction collection.
Our kids are both animals lover and also very curious about the world around them. They were fascinated by not only the beautiful illustrations in this book but also the ample about of detailed information about each animal. We learned so many new things and they loved reading about some animals they had previously heard of and some that were entirely new to us. Our kids are 6 and 8 and found this super engaging and I would think most grade school children would find this a super fun book to read as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I'm always a little bit thrown when a children's book has a <i>lot</i> of text in it. And I think it's more that I don't expect it than that I have any issues with extensive writing, but at the same time I can tell instantaneously that books like this really just don't work well for the young children I typically picture when I pick up a children's book. I'll be honest, I could <i>never in a million years</i> see my four-year-old niece sitting long enough for me to read this to her, let alone to care enough about the rather advanced language in it.
<i>Who Are You Calling Weird? </i>by Marilyn Singer has a really important message about things we find strange within the world, one that tells young kids that there is always something wonderful about each creature regardless of how subjectively strange they may seem. And I think that's a great thing to learn at a young age, especially in the context of comparing ourselves and understanding that a little weirdness in ourselves is still a good thing and we can appreciate it in everyone.
The artwork in this book is phenomenal and definitely eye-catching. I do think the age range for this book is hard to pin down because it's not for young kids but it's also not for older ones. I think I'd cut it off at puberty years, to be honest, and perhaps give this sort of book to an eight-year-old. Which, depending on the eight-year-old, this book could be perfect for them. It's a good book in the long run, just not what I expected.
<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>
What a gorgeous book - Was my first thoughts upon reading the first few pages about the Aye-Aye.
The illustrations are simply amazing, the information is provided in an easy to read way that almost presents as fiction.
This book can be devoured in one sitting and you or your child will never tire of it.
Foreste e campi, abissi marini e deserti nascondono creature strane... no, scusate: creature meravigliose, capaci di sfruttare curiose caratteristiche fisiche per compiere le azioni più peculiari e utili alla loro sopravvivenza.
Scoprirne ventuno è solo un inizio, offerto da questo libricino che affianca coloratissime illustrazioni a testi chiari e precisi, che ben descrivono le eccezionali capacità e le spettacolari caratteristiche di queste creature.
Un bestiario che sembra fantastico, ma non lo è.
Da avere e regalare, per ogni vero amante degli animali.
This is an awesome children’s nonfiction book with colorful pictures and descriptions of some very unique animals from around the world. Want to learn some fun facts about a three-toed sloth, a narwhal, or maybe learn about something completely different about a hairy frogfish or a leafy sea dragon, then this is the book for you!
My favorite animal in the book was the pangolin! I’d never even heard of one before, and apparently it’s the most hunted animal in the world! It is covered in scales similar to armor and when it is under attack it can roll up into a ball for protection! Wow!
Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the chance to read this e-copy in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
I will feature this book on my blog on Monday December 31, 2018.
www.colecampfireblog.com
LanaLcole@yahoo.com
The first thing you see is that this is dedicated to David Attenborough, which makes sense, as this book tackles the strangest animals. The artwork fits the theme, almost in art deco style.
The platypus has gotten enough publicity, kinda normalizing it, that it seems out of place here. Same with the sea unicorn (aka narwhal). Kiwis and sloths too, especially the latter for kids who’ve seen Zootopia a thousand times. But thankfully most of those included are indeed completely strange. A couple are compared to superheroes, though when Wolverine was mentioned I first assumed it was the animal, which is weird in its own right but not enough to make it in here.
The leafy sea dragon gets my vote for most deserving entry; seeing it moving in a video is even more so. That smelly Amazon bird sure has a good defense against humans, especially in that they taste bad. . . though by the time the humans figure that out, it’s too late.
And speaking of, so glad you stinky humans made the list! The artwork that goes with this entry is the scariest of all. . .
3.5 pushed up to 4/5
Another great book from Quarto publications. While this can be read to young children, you may want to only do a chapter or two at a time. This book works well with at home lessons.
I received a digital copy via Netgalley to review. It does not present well on a kindle but does much better on a regular computer or tablet.
This book mentioned animals I was not aware of, but encouraged me to learn more about them.
This is a great book to start discussions about observation, differences and perception.
It encourages curiosity and acceptance, figuring out why and how differences are valuable.
Children with a passion for zoology will enjoy Who Are You Calling Weird? Featuring interesting descriptions of unique animals, with full color illustrations. A bit verbose at times, but definitely an animal reference guide that won't gather dust on your shelf!
What a beautiful and interesting little book about some unique inhabitants of this wild world we call home! I read this with my capricious 8 year old and she LOVED it! It features animals from all over the globe with vastly different phenotypic and behavioral adaptations that help them live (and thrive) in their particular piece of the planet. The illustrations are gorgeous though the artistry is not only with the graphics but with the plethora of accompanying information about each creature as well. Together they form a one-two punch that was an instant hit in our house! Some of the descriptions are a bit long winded, especially for younger readers, BUT if you have a Little that has a voracious appetite for knowledge (especially for all things zoological and unique) then this book is a wonderful addition to any budding bibliophile's library. My daughter enjoyed making a game out of guessing the animals' identity based on the least amount of description as possible. I truly believe that you too will enjoy learning all about how wonderous, and super powered, these animals are. Who are those furless, bipedal, mammals making all that racket? Why, it's us. We Humans happen to make it onto the strikingly vivid illustrated pages along with some lesser known creatures. I won't ruin which others appear within, you'll just have to check out the book to find out but I highly reccomend you do so.
*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
A few years ago I became mildly obsessed with a documentary series called ‘Weird Creatures with Nick Baker’. It sparked an interest in wonderfully weird animals I’d never heard of before or knew very little about, so this book essentially jumped out at me.
From the Pacific barreleye with its see-through head to the leafy sea dragon that looks like seaweed, this book provides an introduction to some of the world’s most unusual animals. It even includes a couple of my favourites, the star-nosed mole and the three-toed sloth.
I enjoyed the down to earth, conversational tone of the writing and the focus on conservation and how each animals’ differences help them, e.g., for camouflage or protection. I discovered some animals within the pages that were new to me and learned some interesting facts about some I was already familiar with.
The illustrations were colourful and fun with a dash of quirkiness. I would have liked to have seen a photo gallery accompanying them though (perhaps at the end of the book) as I found myself searching for photos of the animals that were new to me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures for the opportunity to read this book.
This book was confusing to read on my Kindle as it was out of order and shown in sections rather than full pages.
The illustrations are engaging. The facts about the animals are interesting. The animals chosen are bizarre, including their names. Young readers will enjoy.
Super adorable information text for young children. The illustrations are gorgeous. I liked the details about each animal, the fun way that each animal's uniqueness is shown. When this was read to a class of Yr 2's (aged 6-7), they found the entire thing entertaining and asked so many questions, which is exactly what you want from this kind of book.
Who Are You Calling Weird? Is a book celebrating strange and wonderful animals. There are 21 featured in the book and it focuses on their unique features or behavior. There are no real photos of the animals, just illustrations, but from what I know of some of these animals, the illustrations are a pretty good representation of them. In the end, there is nothing wrong with being weird and we all have our unique features that we need in order to be us. An interesting book with a great message.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated. This book was released in October 2018 from Quarto Publishing Group.
Who Are You Calling Weird: A Celebration of Weird & Wonderful Animals by Marilyn Singer is a wonderful children's book that celebrates the weird but wonderful creatures that are hidden away in Earth’s forests, caves, and oceans. These animals might look or behave in peculiar ways but, every oddity serves a purpose. From the green fur of a three-toed sloth, to the pink and wiggly appendage of the star-nosed mole, there’s something new to marvel at on every page. As well as finding out about each animal’s behavior, diet, and habitat, readers will also discover the folk beliefs about the creature.
Who Are You Calling Weird is a delightful book, both visually and intellectually. My favorite bits of history and science have always centered on the weird and wonderful, and this book covered most of my favorite delightfully add creatures, and some that I had somehow missed. I think the combination of narrative fact sharing and lovely images come together in a way that will capture the interest and imagination of most readers, as it certainly captured mine. I love that fairly well know odd animals were covered, such as the aye-aye and three toed sloth. However, my favorite (the pangolin) and some less know creatures were given their due as well. I was extremely glad to see some sea creatures I had never known about before explored, and information that was new to me on some creatures that I thought I knew well.
Who Are You Calling Weird is an engaging book that can capture the reader's imagination. It inspired me to look a bit closer at some animals I thought I knew, and hopefully it will inspire young readers to explore the natural world a bit closer, and with a bit of wonder and urge to research more.
I love the illustrations in this book, and it's always fun to read and learn more about the "weirder" animals! I think many students will enjoy reading this and can't wait to add it to my library!
Who are you Calling Weird by Marilyn Singer is an examination of unusual if not "weird" animals. Each animal's spread includes information about them including bright and colorful, eye-catching art. The need for more animal books and books that focus on lesser-known animals is great at my public library and this attractive collection of animals (including the super-popular Aye-Aye and Narwhal) will be in demand. One criticism - the maturity level of the illustrations reads young but the text is a little more advanced. A bigger font would match the illustrations better.
This is one of those non-fiction books that reluctant readers (especially boys) will love. The weirder the better, and this book shows some. There are animals that I had never heard of and some that I had seen in zoos and aquariums, but I still learned something about most of the animals highlighted. My grandson absolutely loved this book. He kept asking about the pictures and as I read he would point to the illustrations and make comments about what he was hearing. My granddaughter (2.5 yrs. old) thought some of them were "cute" but most she kept saying "Yucky".
From the Pacific barreleye with its see-through head to the Hairy Frogfish that's spine has added tentacle that look like worms, this book provides an introduction to some of the world’s most unusual animals. Some are a little more well known such as a platypus, three-toed sloth or kiwi, but there was still information about those animals that I did not know. We learn that each odd behaviour or peculiar visual characteristic has a purpose such as for hunting, camouflage, protection etc. Learning about each animal’s behaviour, diet, habitat, and some human beliefs about the creature is punctuated by a large illustration of the animal. My one big disappointment is that there are no actual photographs of any of the animals, a sure 5 star is that had been present. Of course I would be remiss not to mention the focus on conservation and how each animals’ survival may be endangered and the reasons why. This is a fun and interesting book to introduce kids to some of the weird animals in the world and pique their interest in learning more about adaptations, environmental awareness and animal protection. A sure winner in a school or class library.
I learned so much from this book! I didn't know that farmers really fear Aye-Aye's, a sort of lemur that taps his middle finger on trees to catch his prey using echolocation. So somewhere an Aye-Aye must have flipped the bird on a farmer!
The images are just amazing. Great attention to the drawings and the backgrounds, and very unique. I've never seen the animals depicted like this, but they're still recognisable. My favourite ones are the Boxer Crab and the Leafy Sea Dragon, so cute and fascinating. The bits of information are just right, not too long or too difficult.
One of my new favourites!
I found myself looking at the Internet images of these animals- just couldn't get enough of their wonderful weirdness. My top 5 are: Lemurs, Dumbo Octopus, Boxer Crab, Hoatzin, and the animal I am particularly partial to- three-toed Sloth! You are really spoilt for choice with this marvellous book.
You learn about the behaviour, diet, and habitat of 21 unusual creatures. They are all unique, but their oddities serve their purpose. Take the 21st creature described in this book- it walks upright, lacks feathers or fur, and makes most peculiar sounds. Yes, it's Human.
Beautiful quirky illustrations, informative text. I would have loved a book like this when I was a child. It would make a great addition to any school library.
Thank you to Net Galley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
I received this arc from NetGalley for an honest review. This book is an excellent j nonfiction book for kids who are curious about animals and love weird animal facts. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and the information is minimal so that readers won't lose interest.
Interesting book with fun fact son some weird animals in this planet. Illustrations are colourful and wonderful
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC
Who Are You Calling Weird?: A Celebration of Weird & Wonderful Animals was a fun books to read with my kids. We enjoyed it. I give it four stars.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's non fiction book. I loved the unique animals! The facts were interesting. The graphics were delightful. I have 2 issues. One the verbage seems a little overwhelming for a small child, but can be made to work. Not really sure what age group they were shooting for. My second issue was the pagination/spacing, I looked at a few reviews and no one else seemed to have this issue. My pages were completely mixed up! Maybe it was because I was reading it on my kindle. Regardless the book was good. I give it a 4. I think most kids and parents would enjoy.
This is an amazing educational book that kid's will love, especially boys and reluctant readers, and it's non-fiction. The book is a celebration of strange weird animals that actually exist on our enchanting planet today.
The book highlights 21 unique and interesting creatures from all over the globe and delves into their behaviour, diet, habitats and even some folklore that has been handed down about them for generations. Here's the featured guest list of these incredible animals:
* Aye-Aye
* Pacific Barreleye
* Dumbo Octopus
* Star-nosed Mole
* Proboscis Monkey
* Hammer-headed Bat
* Platypus
* Mwanza Flat-headed Agama
* Hairy Frog
* Boxer Crab
* Pangolin
* Lowland Streaked Tenrec
* Helmeted Hornbill
* Narwhal
* Naked Mole-rat
* Hoatzin
* Kiwi
* Leafy Sea Dragon
* Hairy Frogfish
* Three-toed Sloth
* Human
Kids will love learning about these oddities in nature. The illustrations are beautiful and so enrich the biography of each animal splendidly. "Who Are You Calling Weird?" should be in every classroom and elementary school library and I guarantee it will fly off the shelf. It would be a fantastic research book also. This fun, very interesting book, will pique interests and have kids flipping through the pages to learn more and more about these marvellous creatures. I highly, highly recommend this book.
A very interesting story that was not able to sustain my attention for the totality of the narrative. An admirable attempt.
Wonderful book! Loads of information about unusual animals. Students are always asking me for information about strange animals. This book will be well used and will probably prompt even more questions! The cover also attracts the eye and will help students gravitate towards this book.
This book was so fun and amazing. The illustrations just make it one of the best animal books around. It would be nice if a real picture of each animal was added. This reader had Google open to see the real images compared to the beautifully illustrated one. Animals chosen were unique, and not found in most other books, the writing approachable for any age, and the progression set at a nice pace. Very well done and sure to be loved by lots of library goers.
Who Are You Calling Weird? A Celebration of Weird and Wonderful Animals by Marilyn Singer does celebrate things that are different as well as showing being different is a wonderful thing and special. This book is beautifully illustrated as well as educational talking about a few animals that are wonderfully weird helping us learn what makes them special. Just because something is unusual or different doesn’t really mean we should call it weird, but we should realize it is special in the way it is different. We learn to celebrate such animals as the green fur of a three-toed sloth and the Pacific barreleye fish which has eyes that are upward allowing it to watch for prey in a special way. This book goes in to great detail perfect for young readers with illustrations they will enjoy.
A very cute book about some of the strangest (or unique, I should say) creatures living on our planet earth. Colorful and adorable illustrations are realistic enough to recognize the animals' true forms. The information about the animals only point out their most distinctive features (i.e. appearance, adaptions to the environment, or their habits) which is not sufficient or conclusive enough for some readers. But for the purpose of reading about unique animals, this is definitely a fun book to pick up for readers of all age. The author added how human, being unique and intelligent, could help to preserve these animals and their habitats. Educational, entertaining, and interesting, I truly enjoyed reading "Who Are You Calling Weird."
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