Who Are You Calling Weird: A Celebration of Weird & Wonderful Animals by Marilyn Singer is a wonderful children's book that celebrates the weird but wonderful creatures that are hidden away in Earth’s forests, caves, and oceans. These animals might look or behave in peculiar ways but, every oddity serves a purpose. From the green fur of a three-toed sloth, to the pink and wiggly appendage of the star-nosed mole, there’s something new to marvel at on every page. As well as finding out about each animal’s behavior, diet, and habitat, readers will also discover the folk beliefs about the creature.

Who Are You Calling Weird is a delightful book, both visually and intellectually. My favorite bits of history and science have always centered on the weird and wonderful, and this book covered most of my favorite delightfully add creatures, and some that I had somehow missed. I think the combination of narrative fact sharing and lovely images come together in a way that will capture the interest and imagination of most readers, as it certainly captured mine. I love that fairly well know odd animals were covered, such as the aye-aye and three toed sloth. However, my favorite (the pangolin) and some less know creatures were given their due as well. I was extremely glad to see some sea creatures I had never known about before explored, and information that was new to me on some creatures that I thought I knew well.

Who Are You Calling Weird is an engaging book that can capture the reader's imagination. It inspired me to look a bit closer at some animals I thought I knew, and hopefully it will inspire young readers to explore the natural world a bit closer, and with a bit of wonder and urge to research more.

I love the illustrations in this book, and it's always fun to read and learn more about the "weirder" animals! I think many students will enjoy reading this and can't wait to add it to my library!

This book is all kinds of wonderful.. Actually, everything about it is pretty much spot on – starting with the expression of the aye-aye on the cover! Who Are You Calling Weird does exactly what it promises to do – it celebrates some of the most fascinating animals on this planet in an ultra-stylish way. At first glance, these creatures may seem peculiar, but the book reveals (and beautifully so) the purpose of these peculiarities, while serving up intriguing details about each animal.
While the primary target audience for the book may be children, I feel like this is a book that even adults are going to be wonderstruck by. I discovered animals that I had absolutely no idea about – a fish with a transparent head, a Wolverine-like frog, a crab with boxing gloves … creatures that seem like they exist only in legends. And the illustrations are mesmerizing – each spread is a lavish burst of light and colour. The writing is snappy but also substantial so it’s not like you’re just gathering information or reading facts; you’re actually getting a proper peek into each animal’s world. All in all, this book is a great introduction to the marvels we share our earth with.

This book was confusing to read on my Kindle as it was out of order and shown in sections rather than full pages.

The illustrations are engaging. The facts about the animals are interesting. The animals chosen are bizarre, including their names. Young readers will enjoy.

What a beautiful and interesting little book about some unique inhabitants of this wild world we call home! I read this with my capricious 8 year old and she LOVED it! It features animals from all over the globe with vastly different phenotypic and behavioral adaptations that help them live (and thrive) in their particular piece of the planet. The illustrations are gorgeous though the artistry is not only with the graphics but with the plethora of accompanying information about each creature as well. Together they form a one-two punch that was an instant hit in our house! Some of the descriptions are a bit long winded, especially for younger readers, BUT if you have a Little that has a voracious appetite for knowledge (especially for all things zoological and unique) then this book is a wonderful addition to any budding bibliophile's library. My daughter enjoyed making a game out of guessing the animals' identity based on the least amount of description as possible. I truly believe that you too will enjoy learning all about how wonderous, and super powered, these animals are. Who are those furless, bipedal, mammals making all that racket? Why, it's us. We Humans happen to make it onto the strikingly vivid illustrated pages along with some lesser known creatures. I won't ruin which others appear within, you'll just have to check out the book to find out but I highly reccomend you do so.


*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

A look at 21 weird animals, with one spread per animal containing information about their habitats, unique characteristics, diet, and life expectancy, as well as an illustration of them.

I was totally expecting this to be a book of poetry about these animals since that is Singer’s most common genre, but this is just normal prose. It’s very readable, and she did a good job of writing the information in such a way that one animal flows to the next animal. The creatures chosen range from weird but popular (naked mole rats and sloths) to quite obscure (Pacific barreleye and Mwanza flat-headed agawa). There’s a good variety of creatures and global locations where they are found. The book ends with an encouragement to do what we humans can to conserve and preserve. If this book had come out a few years ago it would have been more novel than it is now. Weird animals has been a popular topic of late and this joins a host of similar books. Not that it is bad that it has been published. No, it does include some unique animals and even some of the information on more commonly talked about animals was new to me. It’s just I’m afraid it won’t get as much recognition because there are several similar books out there. Recommended for animal lovers and elementary kids seeking out info on more obscure animals.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A few years ago I became mildly obsessed with a documentary series called ‘Weird Creatures with Nick Baker’. It sparked an interest in wonderfully weird animals I’d never heard of before or knew very little about, so this book essentially jumped out at me.

From the Pacific barreleye with its see-through head to the leafy sea dragon that looks like seaweed, this book provides an introduction to some of the world’s most unusual animals. It even includes a couple of my favourites, the star-nosed mole and the three-toed sloth.

I enjoyed the down to earth, conversational tone of the writing and the focus on conservation and how each animals’ differences help them, e.g., for camouflage or protection. I discovered some animals within the pages that were new to me and learned some interesting facts about some I was already familiar with.

The illustrations were colourful and fun with a dash of quirkiness. I would have liked to have seen a photo gallery accompanying them though (perhaps at the end of the book) as I found myself searching for photos of the animals that were new to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a very good look at the extremes that evolution has taken certain animals to. You get head-butting birds, stinky birds, hairy fish, hairy frogs and dragons, and even the adult reader will probably come across something they've never heard of. Because there are only three or four paragraphs for each creature on their own double-page spread you don't really get a full sense of the biology that leads to such specialisation, but you certainly can learn what each unique attribute does for each animal. My only problem with the book is the artwork. It being in such a rarefied, colourful and cartoonish style doesn't make any of the animals attractive, which kind of defeats the issue. Much more realism was called for, in my mind. Still, the script is fine, guiding us gently (and with suitable child-friendly comparisons, such as a superhero shtick) around the world's peculiar lifeforms. Clever closing touch, too.

Three and a half stars – it would be higher but for the visuals.

A selection of some of the remarkable creatures on our planet with colourful illustrations. And an important reminder about the diversity of nature and animals - including the place of the weird, imperfect, two legged creature known as a human.

I read #WhoAreYouCallingWeird via #Netgalley.

Another great book from Quarto publications. While this can be read to young children, you may want to only do a chapter or two at a time. This book works well with at home lessons.
I received a digital copy via Netgalley to review. It does not present well on a kindle but does much better on a regular computer or tablet.
This book mentioned animals I was not aware of, but encouraged me to learn more about them.

This is a great book to start discussions about observation, differences and perception.
It encourages curiosity and acceptance, figuring out why and how differences are valuable.

Children with a passion for zoology will enjoy Who Are You Calling Weird? Featuring interesting descriptions of unique animals, with full color illustrations. A bit verbose at times, but definitely an animal reference guide that won't gather dust on your shelf!

The first thing you see is that this is dedicated to David Attenborough, which makes sense, as this book tackles the strangest animals. The artwork fits the theme, almost in art deco style.
The platypus has gotten enough publicity, kinda normalizing it, that it seems out of place here. Same with the sea unicorn (aka narwhal). Kiwis and sloths too, especially the latter for kids who’ve seen Zootopia a thousand times. But thankfully most of those included are indeed completely strange. A couple are compared to superheroes, though when Wolverine was mentioned I first assumed it was the animal, which is weird in its own right but not enough to make it in here.
The leafy sea dragon gets my vote for most deserving entry; seeing it moving in a video is even more so. That smelly Amazon bird sure has a good defense against humans, especially in that they taste bad. . . though by the time the humans figure that out, it’s too late.
And speaking of, so glad you stinky humans made the list! The artwork that goes with this entry is the scariest of all. . .
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

This is an awesome children’s nonfiction book with colorful pictures and descriptions of some very unique animals from around the world. Want to learn some fun facts about a three-toed sloth, a narwhal, or maybe learn about something completely different about a hairy frogfish or a leafy sea dragon, then this is the book for you!
My favorite animal in the book was the pangolin! I’d never even heard of one before, and apparently it’s the most hunted animal in the world! It is covered in scales similar to armor and when it is under attack it can roll up into a ball for protection! Wow!
Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the chance to read this e-copy in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
I will feature this book on my blog on Monday December 31, 2018.
www.colecampfireblog.com
LanaLcole@yahoo.com

Marilyn Singer has created some amazing poetry books on a plethora of topics. The artwork paired with her text is always superb. These facts are true with this title as well. Paul Daviz paints beautiful animals that accompany Singer’s information on highly unusual adaptions of animals from across the globe. But some of them are so imaginative that I am left wondering what the very real animal truly looks like, i.e., the star-nosed mole with his nose and claws featured so prominently that I only have an inkling about his true appearance because I have seen one in zoos or in non-fiction books with more life-like illustrations or actual photographs. Students in grades 3-5 who couple love of art with love of animals may appreciate this one, but non-fiction for most of my students needs to be more realistic.

The title draws you in to the weird world of odd looking animals. The pictures are very colorful but the text is a little on the wordy side, for a picture book.

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Screen-Shot-2018-12-19-at-8.22.50-PM.png" alt="Who areyou calling weird" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4847" />

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Screen-Shot-2018-12-19-at-8.23.16-PM.png" alt="Who are you calling weird" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4846" />

But it is an interesting collection of animals, and informative to boot. A good introduction to animals that kids might never have heard of, including a joke at the end of how humans are the weirdest animal of all.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

My classroom loves weird animal non-fiction books and Who Are You Calling Weird hits the mark. The illustrations are engaging and wild and the facts are laid out in an easy to read format. My classroom will love this book! It is a great addition to a non-fiction collection.

Our kids are both animals lover and also very curious about the world around them. They were fascinated by not only the beautiful illustrations in this book but also the ample about of detailed information about each animal. We learned so many new things and they loved reading about some animals they had previously heard of and some that were entirely new to us. Our kids are 6 and 8 and found this super engaging and I would think most grade school children would find this a super fun book to read as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a gorgeous book - Was my first thoughts upon reading the first few pages about the Aye-Aye.

The illustrations are simply amazing, the information is provided in an easy to read way that almost presents as fiction.
This book can be devoured in one sitting and you or your child will never tire of it.

I'm always a little bit thrown when a children's book has a <i>lot</i> of text in it. And I think it's more that I don't expect it than that I have any issues with extensive writing, but at the same time I can tell instantaneously that books like this really just don't work well for the young children I typically picture when I pick up a children's book. I'll be honest, I could <i>never in a million years</i> see my four-year-old niece sitting long enough for me to read this to her, let alone to care enough about the rather advanced language in it.

<i>Who Are You Calling Weird? </i>by Marilyn Singer has a really important message about things we find strange within the world, one that tells young kids that there is always something wonderful about each creature regardless of how subjectively strange they may seem. And I think that's a great thing to learn at a young age, especially in the context of comparing ourselves and understanding that a little weirdness in ourselves is still a good thing and we can appreciate it in everyone.

The artwork in this book is phenomenal and definitely eye-catching. I do think the age range for this book is hard to pin down because it's not for young kids but it's also not for older ones. I think I'd cut it off at puberty years, to be honest, and perhaps give this sort of book to an eight-year-old. Which, depending on the eight-year-old, this book could be perfect for them. It's a good book in the long run, just not what I expected.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>

Foreste e campi, abissi marini e deserti nascondono creature strane... no, scusate: creature meravigliose, capaci di sfruttare curiose caratteristiche fisiche per compiere le azioni più peculiari e utili alla loro sopravvivenza.

Scoprirne ventuno è solo un inizio, offerto da questo libricino che affianca coloratissime illustrazioni a testi chiari e precisi, che ben descrivono le eccezionali capacità e le spettacolari caratteristiche di queste creature.

Un bestiario che sembra fantastico, ma non lo è.

Da avere e regalare, per ogni vero amante degli animali.