A fascinating compendium featuring over 70 unusual animal species. What's in a name? This lively, illustrated celebration is jam-packed with creatures notable for their bizarre, baffling, and just-plain-funny names. Meet the White-Bellied Go-Away Bird, whose cry sounds like someone screaming, "Go away!" Or the Aye-Aye, whose name means "I don't know" in Malagasy because no one wants anything to do with this bad-luck creature. Some are obvious, if still weird--guess what the Fried Egg Jellyfish looks like. Others sound like an inside joke: It's easy to figure out what was on the taxonomist's mind when he christened a fly he discovered Pieza Pie. Along the way you'll learn all about these curiously named animals' just-as-curious habits, appearances, and abilities. An illustrated compendium of animals with funny, fascinating, or just-plain-weird names (like the sparklemuffin peacock spider or the fried egg jellyfish) teaches kids about unusual animals as well as scientific taxonomy. Genuinely fun reference! Matthew Murrie is a former public school teacher, curriculum writer, and private academy instructor. His father, Steve Murrie, is a retired science teacher with 40 years teaching experience. Matthew and Steve are the coauthors of Every Minute on Earth and Guide to the Planet. "This book is irresistible...The plentiful full-color illustrations and photos are especially compelling, and, in addition to giggling and snorting (bluefooted booby! monkeyface prickleback!) readers will learn a great deal. This fun romp will delight animal-lovers and liven up STEM collections." -Booklist, starred review "Like its title, this is sure to be a scream." -Kirkus Reviews "... a fun choice for supplementing science lessons at home or at school." -Foreword Reviews

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