Of Kinkajous, Capybaras, Horned Beetles, Seldangs: And More of the Oddest and Most Wonderful. ..

This one was published back in 1991 and I have had it around since that time. It is one of those books that are simply interesting to pickup at odd times, read a few pages and think. The authors, Jeanne K. Hanson and Deane Morrison have created a wonderful and fascinating work concerning the biodiversity of our planet. This book covers odd animals, insects, plants, birds, fungi, and well, just critters from around our world, on land, in the water and in the air. Some are spectacular, some you never even know are there, but all are quite unique and all play their part in the big scheme of things. The text is not overly technical, and in fact, as another reviewer has pointed out, almost done in a conversational mode. Do not be fooled by this though. There is an absolute wealth of information in these 283 pages. I have been what the Victorians would have called an "Amateur Naturalist" since I was about the age of six. Needless to say my book collection in this area has grown quite extensive over the years with field guides, personal recollections of other nature lovers, text books, etc. I must say though, that for pure reading pleasure, you can hardly go wrong with a copy of this one on your shelf. The entire book is simply loaded with little known facts and I have yet to read about one of the things these two authors have addressed, that I have not learned something new; this, mind you, is after repeated readings! There is just so much information here that it is difficult to take it in all at once. This is a wonderful book to read to your children or grandchildren until they get a bit older and can read it for themselves. I also appreciate the many black and white illustrations. These are done using a method similar to the old woodblock cut method and are little bits of art within themselves. I promise you, that if you give this one a read, you will learn a great deal of the animal and plant life all around us that you simply did not know before. Highly recommend this one! Don Blankenship The Ozarks

This book takes a simple approach to nature reporting.It tells anecdotes about interesting animals, both little known and well known. Each animal or animal trait gets roughly a page or a page and a half. The tone is light, enjoyable, and in favor of conservation rather tha strident rhetoric. This is a very good read.