Very many books for children fill their pages with animals known to all - some cute, some wild, some bloodthirsty. Far less common are books which present animals at first sight ugly, strange, or bizarre. Amazing Animals of the World leaves the beaten track to provide a unique survey of the most weird and wonderful creatures that inhabit the land and waters of our planet. The fun text is complemented by equally fun illustrations by talented youngster Zuzka Dreadka Krutá.
The competition: What is the competition, and how does this book better it?
Although set in the 'freak show' environment, rather than presenting a scary spectacle the illustrations in this book are cute in their ugliness. In the style of a moderator, the book's narrator provides a humorous commentary on the animals.
News tie-in/current relevance: The author works at a university, which explains how the text comes to be based on the latest scientific findings. The book contains some figures whose like is uncommon in nonfiction. It helps child readers develop empathy with animals few of us know about, so helping them to be more empathetic with others in general.
