cover image Wow! I Didn’t Know That: Surprising Facts About Animals

Wow! I Didn’t Know That: Surprising Facts About Animals

Emma Dods, illus. by Marc Aspinall. ; $8.99 paper , $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7534-7166-1

Dods doesn’t miss an opportunity to share animal trivia in this first book in a science-themed series—in the front matter alone, readers learn that “Goats have rectangular pupils!” and “Gorillas can catch human colds!” More exclamatory facts follow as Dods and Aspinall introduce a menagerie of cartoon animals (“Chameleons can change color, depending on how they feel. Excited chameleons have bright patters, but scared ones turn pale with fear!”), displayed on playful, active spreads. As the book moves among sea, sky, and land, readers will discover that octopuses have blue blood, cheetahs don’t roar (they purr), and dogs sweat only through their feet. A boon for trivia-loving animal buffs. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)