cover image Perfectly Peculiar Plants

Perfectly Peculiar Plants

Chris Thorogood, illus. by Catell Ronca. Words & Pictures, $17.95 (64p) ISBN 978-1-78603-286-7

Thorogood introduces 28 species of extraordinary plants. Many of the colorful names match their unique attributes, including the tree shew toilet pitcher, which obtains nutrients from tree shrew droppings, and the dead horse arum, which has hair-covered blooms and “smells like a rotten animal!” Less stinky plants include the queen of the night cactus, with “very beautiful flowers which open only at night.” Informative sections address plant communication, plant and animal coexistence, and protecting plants, among other topics, while Ronca’s textural collage-style art provides flashy colors and up-close perspectives on the subjects. From coconuts to vampire plants, readers will be struck by the range of biodiversity—and strangeness—within the botanical world. Ages 5–8. [em](Sept.) [/em]