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Hidden Hibernators
Discusses the different ways animals prepare for hibernation, the changes in a hibernator's body as it sleeps, and the phenomenon of summer hibernation.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published January 10, 2003
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October 18, 2019
Truth be told, I do not all that often rate books with five stars, and this is especially the case with non fiction picture books, as I far too often do feel that I must lower my general ranking of a very good and educationally informative four or five star narrative to but three stars maximum in general, primarily because such academic essentials (at least in my humble opinion) as glossaries or much more importantly a selection of suggested books for further reading (in other words an included bibliography) are not present.
But indeed, Hidden Hibernators most definitely has been a five star book for me, with a wonderful combination of Malcolm Penny’s educational text and accompanying photographs which although not spectacular, do show a visually enlightening mirror to and for Penny’s words without also never distracting from them or appearing as aesthetically overwhelming. And yes, in addition to Malcolm Penny’s featured text showing a both engagingly simple (in other words very much readable and easily understood) enlightening general (but always with more than sufficient information) introduction to animal hibernation in all of its many different forms (from true hibernators such as dormice and many species of ground squirrels where animals are in a barely alive state of torpor during the winter months, animals such as bears, raccoons and European hedgehogs that do sleep in the winter but not in a state of full hibernation to also showing how non mammalians such as snakes, insects etc. overwinter and that some animals in southern climes or in desert conditions actually also hibernate during the summer using a process called estivation), at the back of Hidden Hibernators, there is also a detailed glossary and yes, a bibliography with titles for further study and reading, a very short list to be sure, but definitely a good start (and indeed very much personally appreciated since as already mentioned above, in oh so many non fiction picture books, bibliographic information often seems to be lacking and unimportant).
But indeed, Hidden Hibernators most definitely has been a five star book for me, with a wonderful combination of Malcolm Penny’s educational text and accompanying photographs which although not spectacular, do show a visually enlightening mirror to and for Penny’s words without also never distracting from them or appearing as aesthetically overwhelming. And yes, in addition to Malcolm Penny’s featured text showing a both engagingly simple (in other words very much readable and easily understood) enlightening general (but always with more than sufficient information) introduction to animal hibernation in all of its many different forms (from true hibernators such as dormice and many species of ground squirrels where animals are in a barely alive state of torpor during the winter months, animals such as bears, raccoons and European hedgehogs that do sleep in the winter but not in a state of full hibernation to also showing how non mammalians such as snakes, insects etc. overwinter and that some animals in southern climes or in desert conditions actually also hibernate during the summer using a process called estivation), at the back of Hidden Hibernators, there is also a detailed glossary and yes, a bibliography with titles for further study and reading, a very short list to be sure, but definitely a good start (and indeed very much personally appreciated since as already mentioned above, in oh so many non fiction picture books, bibliographic information often seems to be lacking and unimportant).
Displaying 1 of 1 review