Do penguins' feet freeze?: Wild answers to wacky questions from nature by Natural History Museum London

Do Penguins' Feet Freeze? is a delightful glossy non-fiction book which answers some interesting questions about all sorts of creatures and aspects of nature. Beginning with the contents spread across a double page and ending with an index and picture credits, this book will provide young readers (and adults) with the answers to what may be some perplexing questions. There are over 65 questions and include subjects such as:

Do octopuses dream? According to scientists, the octopus goes through two phases of sleep, similar to humans, a slow phase and a more active phase where their skin changes colour and pattern. In humans more active stage REM, we tend to dream so maybe the octopus is doing the same thing.

Do vampire bats really suck blood? Apparently not! They use heat sensors to detect where blood is near to the surface of the skin and cut through the skin with sharp teeth. They then lap up the blood. Do birds have local dialects? It appears that town birds have a slightly higher pitch than birds from the countryside and the yellowhammer living in NZ has a completely different song from those living in the UK.

Each page in this book is brightly coloured with segmented information easily accessible for middle primary readers, large headings and introductory comments, as well as stunning photographs that are clearly labelled. This book definitely has a place in a home, school or public library.

Themes: Animals, Facts, Questions, Nature.

Kathryn Beilby