Animal Eyes: How Creatures See and How Their Eyes Have Adapted to Their World
Francoise Vulpe
Firefly Books
2023, 72 pages
ISBN: 9780228104216
Ages 8+
Animal Eyes is a fascinating look at the incredible and diverse eyes found in the animal kingdom. You will learn a lot about the interesting eyes of 40 animals.
Did you know that a honey bee has five eyes and that they can detect ultraviolet radiation? Or that the purple sea urchin does not have eyes, but is able to navigate using “special features called tube feet”?
Bald eagles have great vision, being able to spot a vole running through grass two miles (3.4 kilometres) away. Lantern fish live in darkness in the deep areas of the ocean where they can create their own light (bioluminescence) to see prey, disorient predators and communicate. Caribou can see UV light, Giraffes have almost full-circle view of their surroundings, while horned lizards can shoot blood from their eyes.
Some of the other remarkable animals included in the book are: monarch butterfly, lobster, cuttlefish, red-eyed tree frog, barn owl, goldfish, hammerhead shark, horse and humpback whale. The animals — and their eyes — featured in the book are divided into sections on: arthropods, marine invertebrates, amphibians, birds, fishes, mammals and reptiles.
The beginning of the book has a section on “An Intro to Animal Eyes” and there is also an informative glossary at the back of the book which also features colour photographs throughout.
Animal Eyes is an educational and fascinating look at the eyesight of numerous incredible species and will appeal to those interested in nature and/or animals. It would also make a good resource for teachers to share with their students.
Middle School and other Disasters: Worst Broommate Ever!
Wanda Coven, illustrated by Anna Abramskaya
Simon & Schuster
2023, 349 pages
ISBN: 9781665925280
Ages 8+
Heidi Heckelbeck is about to start her first year of middle school at Broomsfield Academy. Odd name, right? Well, Broomsfield Academy has secret magic classes to train young witches.
Heidi is excited to learn more about magic and even more excited to see an old friend. The downside is that her broommate is her worst enemy — Melanie Maplethorpe. Heidi and Melanie keep getting on each others' nerves and are ruining their first week of boarding school. Can Heidi and Melanie work things out or will their whole year be ruined?
Worst Broommate Ever! is the first book in the “Middle School and Other Disasters” series. Included in the appendix is a sneak peak of the next book in the series, Worst Love Spell Ever! Each book is filled with creative illustrations and fun witch adventures. Enjoy the tales of Heidi as she explores her special gift, magic and experiences young adulthood.
– Reviewed by Gleannan Perrett
I’m Not (Very) Afraid of the Dark
Anna Milbourne, illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Usborne Publishing
2023, 24 pages
ISBN: 9781805312024
Ages 4+
I'm Not (Very) Afraid of the Dark is a fun book about a young boy trying to overcome his fear of the dark. He is not overly scared of the dark but there are times, like when his light is turned off at bedtime, when he is a little frightened. Sometimes this has to do with his imagination when he sees “Monster-y shapes on the wall” or “something creeping across the floor.”
When his father takes him camping, everything is very dark at night so the boy keeps his flashlight on. But when he turns it off, he sees the magical display put on by the stars “when it’s REALLY DARK.”
Does the discovery of watching stars when it is dark stop the boy’s fear? No, but he realizes the importance of the dark and the beauty of the stars and it makes him happy — and a little braver.