by Erin Kirkland
Any book that offers “tidbits, oddities, and amazing facts” is bound to be a winner with kids. I mean, really, who wouldn’t want to learn about a salamander that shoots poison from behind its eyes? Or, maybe, the reason for horns versus antlers??The answers are surprising, enlightening, and downright incredible.
Outdoor authors Stacy Tornio and Ken Keffer have released The Secret Lives of Animals: 1,001 Tidbits, Oddities, & Amazing Facts About North America’s Coolest Animals,?their second outdoor-themed book for Falcon Guides, and in this comprehensive but extremely engaging read, kids and parents may find themselves yanking it away from each other in an effort to ?finish first.
Geared toward kids age 4-12 (that’s preschool through middle school, folks), The Secret Lives of Animals presents long-term staying power for families like mine who want books that will last beyond one school year. Full of colorful images, breakout boxes of amazing facts, and (my favorite part) “Go Outside” suggestions to encourage further pursuit and knowledge in the outdoors, the book is not just an encyclopedic-style presentation kids can use for reports. It’s real-deal, cooler-than-cool stuff to make friends say “No WAY, ewwwww!” or “COOL!” as kids show off their favorite animal, and perhaps a few new ones.
If it swims, flies, crawls, slithers, walks, runs, or even dashes through the snow in North America, Tornio and Keffer have found it, and an important message for everyone: Big or small, everything matters.
Find The Secret Lives of Animals at your favorite bookstore, or online at Tornio and Keffer’s website, DestinationNature. Currently the book retails for $19.95.
By the way, on the DestinationNature website, kids and parents can find a wealth of information, projects, and guidelines for nature-loving families, and access to other books written by Tornio and Keffer.
Still looking for the perfect gift? This might be it.
Erin Kirkland is managing editor of Outdoor Families Magazine, and author of Alaska On the Go: Exploring the 49th state with children. She lives in Anchorage, Alaska, where she publishes the website AKontheGO, the state’s only family travel and outdoor recreation resource.?
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