Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Stripes of All Types
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Peachtree Publishers, 2013 ISBN: 978-1561456956
When you see a zebra in a zoo enclosure its bright obvious black and white stripes make it stand out. How can such an animal survive in the wild looking like that? The truth of the matter is that those black and white stripes allow wild zebras to blend with the tall grasses and scrub that grows in their African homeland. Zebras are only one of many animals that have stripes. In nature there are animals living in a wide variety of environments whose bodies are decorated with striped patterns.
In the oceans, purple-striped jellyfish with striped pulsing bells move in open water, and zebra moray eels with stripes that disguise what they are slide between blades of sea grass. On land a Florida tree snail trundles along a branch with its striped home on its back, and striped cactus bees pollinate cactus flowers. Some striped animals, such as the American Bittern, are shy and retiring, whiles others, like the striped skunk, advertise their stripes.
Throughout this book, readers will find bold bright artwork paired with a lyrical rhyming text that is rich with expressive words. At the back of the book the author provides her readers with further information about the nineteen animal species mentioned in the book. She also has created an activity that challenges children to match the stripe patterns seen in the book with the animals they belong to.
This is one in a collection of books about animals that Susan Stockdale has created.
