Nonfiction Monday: Glow-in-the-dark Animals by Natalie Lunis

This book is from Bearport's new series, Animals with Super Powers and showcases animals with bioluminescence. After a brief introduction to the concept of bioluminescence, there is a section on fireflies, who use their lights to attract mates, New Zealand glowworms, railroad worms (in this section we learn what makes bioluminescence), the cucujo, a kind of beetle which is used as a lamp, dinoflagellates, which light up the sea, fireworms, anglerfish, and deep-sea jellyfish.

There is a brief section on other animals that glow, a glossary, and a brief index, bibliography, and section of further resources.

I usually really like Bearport's series, but this one didn't work well for me. I realize it's difficult to make night photography attractive, but many of the photos appeared to be pasted onto odd backgrounds, like the cover, and looked very strange. I would have liked to see the explanation of bioluminescence at the beginning of the book, instead of hidden in the middle. The different insects and sea animals were interesting, with different facts about each, but the book felt scattered and disorganized.

Verdict: An interesting topic and idea for a series, but too disorganized for my taste and the photographs were not attractive. Some of the other titles in this series might be a good addition, but I don't recommend this specific title.

ISBN: 9781617721199; Published January 2011 by Bearport; Review copy provided by the publisher