Nonfiction Monday: Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating, illustrated by David DeGrand

I finally got my hands on a copy of this unique new nonfiction title. It's a concept book, an animal book, a fact book - it's just fun! It's also, hopefully, the beginning of a new nonfiction series - The World of Weird Animals.

Keating, author of quirky middle grade novels like How to outrun a crocodile when your shoes are untied, uses her zoology background to introduce readers to pink like they've never seen it before. From blobfish to pink fairy armadillos to pink land iguanas, pink is everywhere in the natural world. But there's more to these animals than just their color. Interesting history and quirky facts are included as well as basic stats about each animal. So, for the spread featuring roseate spoonbills we not only get a lovely photograph of this stunning bird, we also see some silly cartoons, learn what makes their feathers pink, and their history of near extinction and conservation. There's also a column of facts from their species name, size and physical description, to habitat and predators and threats. Back matter includes a map showing pink animals around the world, a glossary, and further information.

Verdict: This is a great gateway title to get kids who are past the typical "animal fact" fare but not ready for more challenging series like Scientists in the Field engaged in nonfiction. I'm looking forward to more titles in the series. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780553512274; Published 2016 by Alfred A. Knopf; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library