1,001 Creatures
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
From the dung-beetle to the blue whale, no creature is too humble or huge for Finnish author and illustrator duo Laura Merz and Aino Järvinen in 1,001 Creatures, a gorgeously illustrated, interactive exploration of the natural world.
Under the sun, the moon, and the stars
all the creatures of the world, big and small,
carry out their own tasks
as part of nature’s great balance.
Have you ever wondered how a crocodile keeps its teeth clean? Or why herons like to sit on the backs of water buffalo? What exactly does a giant blue whale eat to get so big? In 1,001 Creatures, Aino Järvinen and Laura Merz playfully investigate the complex and awe-inspiring world of twenty-six fascinating insects, reptiles, and mammals.
With fun facts and captivating illustrations, 1,001 Creatures explores the diversity of the animal world and its ecosystems. Interactive questions allow readers to take their curiosity and imagination off the page and into the real world with prompts to create their own artwork, imitate a camel’s unique walk, and discover the ways in which all creatures are connected in the world. Järvinen’s humorous style and Merz’s unique watercolor illustrations painted from memory using non-traditional materials, enhance the central message that we’re all in this together—human, squid, and penguin alike.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In twisty free verse peppered with questions and startling facts, J rvinen and Merz ponder the qualities of 26 assorted creatures: "A blue-whale's tongue weighs as much as an elephant!" A childlike wonder imbues each exploration, creating a shared sense of discovery ("Inside a squid beats three hearts./ What a special creature!") as open-ended questions ("Can you use the squid's tricks when you're playing hide-and-seek?") invite engagement. The inky menagerie, conjured from spots, smears, splotches, lines, and brushstrokes a pooping rhinoceros with a windmilling tail, a wide-eyed whale surfacing for air, and sharp-toothed wolves lolling in packs is a humorous visual delight. Together, they offer a joyous celebration of "the funny little miracle" of nature, and the curiosity and creativity of one particular creature: "Its name is human.' " Ages 3 6.
