I received an interesting nf book in the mail recently: The Secret Lives of Burrowing Beasts by Sarah Swan Miller. The book is part of a new series by educational publisher, Marshall Cavendish, (who have really stepped up the appeal of their books to a more general audience, by the way--their books used to be the equivalent of taking medicine--it was unpleasant but you knew they were good for you).
While the vast majority of animals spend their time aboveground, there are some pretty amazing creatures that rarely venture into the open air. Known as burrowers, these animals have special adaptations that allow them to live and thrive underground. The Secret Lives of Burrowing Beasts, as its name implies, presents a wide variety of burrowing mammals, amphibians, and reptiles from around the world, ranging from African aadvarks to worm lizards. The text is lively and engaging, focusing on presenting a general overview of the animal's habitat, its adaptations for life underground, and how they find food and grow. Boxed sidebars scattered throughout the book offer little factoids about particular animals, and four-color close up photos of many of the animals provide some great, "eww" moments. Apparently, attractiveness isn't a big asset to a creature that no one ever sees. The star-nosed mole is particularly unfortunate-looking, I think.
I've only read this book in the series, but this is exactly the kind of lively introduction to creatures living in unusual habitats that elementary school libraries and classrooms need. Thumbs up, Sarah Miller, and Marshall Cavendish!
The Secret Lives of Burrowing Beasts
ISBN: 978-0-7614-4221-9
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