ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
SCIENCE
Cushman, Abi

Flamingos Are Pretty Funky: A (Not So) Serious Guide

40 pp. | Greenwillow | June, 2024 | Trade ISBN 9780063234444 $19.99
(2) K-3 Cushman, with a little help from the chatty green snake introduced in Wombats Are Pretty Weird (rev. 7/23), once again treats young readers to the wonders of the animal world. This time the discussion is about flamingo features, such as their habitats, coloration, nests, and skeletons. Cushman's conversational, often jokey tone and direct address invite reader engagement. The initial pink double-page spread directs youngsters to "back up a little." Turn the page, and they encounter two pink joints (later identified as ankles, not knees), with further directions to back up a little more. Turn the page and "behold the flamingo." A particularly helpful map pinpoints habitats of the six flamingo species, with the following spread introducing each. Further explanations include why they are pink (the carotenoids they eat) and how and why that color intensifies. Other information includes why they stand on one leg; what protects them from toxic water; and how they eat, a process shown through a clear, uncomplicated diagram. The digital illustrations with a sunny palette humorously amplify the text through both facial expressions and exaggerated antics such as attracting a mate. Back matter consists of scientific information (such as size, weight, and conservation status), a glossary, and suggestions for further reading.
Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

RELATED 

SCIENCE

How to Build an Insect
by Gibson, Roberta
SCIENCE

A Quick History of Math
by Gifford, Clive
SCIENCE

Butterflies Are Pretty...Gross!
by Mosco, Rosemary
SCIENCE

Summertime Sleepers
by Stewart, Melissa
SCIENCE

Birds
by Krestovnikoff, Miranda
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?