Odd Beasts - by Laura Gehl (Board Book)

About the Book

Discover which animals have armor like a knight, fishing poles attached to their heads, and see-through skin, among other interesting facts.

Book Synopsis

Meet nature's oddballs in this charming board book from author Laura Gehl and illustrator Gareth Lucas about some of the strangest animals in the world.

Barnyard animals--move over! Odd Beasts introduces babies and toddlers to more unusual species, including the glass frog with transparent skin and the pangolin--the only mammal with scales! Gentle rhyming verses provide the comforting repetition that little ones crave, even as their minds are opened to new and fascinating creatures from around the world.

At the end of the book, readers will find photographs of each animal, along with more detailed factual information. The eight animals featured are the pangolin, ocean sunfish, glass frog, anglerfish, long-horned orb-weaver spider, eastern snake-necked turtle, bush baby, and giant jumping stick.

About the Author

Laura Gehl is the author of 20 books for young readers, including One Big Pair of Underwear (Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title, International Literacy Association Honor Book, Booklist Books for Youth Editors' Choice); the Peep and Egg series (Parents' Choice Recommendation, Children's Choice Book Award Finalist); My Pillow Keeps Moving (Junior Library Guild selection, New York Public Library Best Books of 2018 selection); and I Got a Chicken for My Birthday (Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2018 selection). Her recent picture book, Except When They Don't, received a starred review from School Library Journal, and the fourth title in her Baby Scientist board book series, Baby Paleontologist, received a starred review from Kirkus. Gehl lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband and four children.

Gareth Lucas is an illustrator and designer living in Essex, England, with his wife and five children. After studying at Brighton and Central Saint Martins art schools, he has worked on a variety of projects but enjoys nothing more than illustrating animals, birds, and the natural world. When he is not working, he can be heard indulging his other love--the banjo!