Kaleidoscope of Creatures

By Author / Illustrator

Greer Stothers, Cath Ard

Genre

Non Fiction

Age range(s)

Publisher

Wide Eyed Editions

ISBN

9780711258730

Format

Hardback

Published

02-02-2021

Synopsis

Why are animals so amazingly colourful?

Find out in this kaleidoscopic look at the technicolour world of animals. Meet animals of every colour of the rainbow and find out why they are the colours and patterns they are. Discover the reason why some animals are stripy and others are spotty. Why do some creatures deliberately pop out while others strive to blend in? Why are some bright to warn off others while others only pretend to look toxic? Why are some male animals so much more flamboyant than their female counterparts? Why do some babies look so different from the grown-ups in their families?

The animal kingdom is explored like never before in this richly detailed natural history book, bursting with life and colour. This is a beautifully illustrated first look at the colourful and kaleidoscopic world of animals for young children.

Reviews

The animal kingdom is a kaleidoscope of colour. But what do animal's colours say about them? Why do some stand out and other blend in? What jobs do spots and stripes do? Together, Cath Ard and Greer Stothers have created a beautiful book complete with a rainbow of natural history colours.

The front cover of Kaleidoscope of Creatures, with its vibrant illustrations on a black background, certainly presents the reader with an invitation to pick it up and explore. As you delve into the book you are greeted with wonderful layouts. Each page is linked to a different colour and new animals are introduced with small, understandable captions of information placed around the illustration.

Cath Ard has written this book in a wonderful, informative way for all ages to enjoy with high quality, engaging language. The scientific nature of this book is prominent but it has been defined in a clear, appropriate way, making it accessible for children and adults alike, and the text is brought to life by Greer Stother's fantastic illustrations. The vibrant, bold colours make it stand out from any others and are certainly key to the books appeal. The great thing about this book is that it doesn't need to be read in one go, you can dip in and out and each time you pick it up you can be sure more wonderful information will be revealed.

This is certainly a book which can be utilized and enjoyed within the classroom and used to support the curriculum. It links perfectly to the science topics Animals and their Habitats, and Lifecycles. Within English it would be a fabulous book to support with descriptive vocabulary and to explore the features of non-fiction texts. Within art, it could be used to show colour and textures and would certainly make a great whole school art project. The final pages of the book are all about what we can do to protect the animals in the world and would link nicely to PSHE and the importance of conservation and being eco-friendly. This is definitely a book that you need to delve into and enjoy the colours of nature.

64 pages / Reviewed by Sian Hopkins, teacher