Lesser Spotted Animals: The Coolest Creatures You’ve Never Heard Of

In a richly entertaining and informative animal guide, Brown introduces 21 creatures that aren’t often in the limelight, including the Cuban solenodon, a rare venomous mammal not immune to its own poison; the lesser fairy armadillo (“the big ones are like small armored pigs”); and the Russian desman, “a sort of large, long-tailed underwater mole.” Brown’s cartooned creatures often stare at readers with expressions of skepticism or even boredom, complemented by dry-witted speech and thought balloons, and the descriptions of the animals are equally droll. “Let’s face it,” he writes, “the main reason this bat is in this book is because of its name: the dagger-toothed flower bat.” Beneath the humor, Brown shows a clear appreciation for biodiversity and a concern for environmental threats threatening many of these animals and their habitats. Ages 7–10. (Jan.)