This beautifully illustrated, oversized book takes readers into the wonderful world of skeletons. It starts with an introduction, using a human skeleton, and explaining basic terms like cartilage and what bones are made of. It also discusses how fossils are used to discover the past. The rest of the book, examining the skeletons of various animals, is divided into types of movement. The jaws and biting power of a sperm whale, tiger, and rattlesnake are explained and compared, illustrating how different skeletal structures perform different functions. Further chapters explore digging (European mole, pink fairy armadillos, and the greater bilby), grasping and claws, holding weight, jumping, gliding and flight, running, and swimming. Back matter consists of a glossary.
The pictures have a classic feeling, which reminds me of the animal fact encyclopedias of my childhood of the 80s. The skeletons are carefully articulated, placed over silhouette illustrations of the animals, and showing the way different parts work together. The text is fairly dense and often placed against dark backgrounds, which can make it difficult to read.
Verdict: This is really a browsing book, something to purchase as a gift or an additional purchase. With the lack of sources and illustrations instead of photographs, it's not something to use for a research report, but will please strong readers who enjoy learning different facts about animals and are interested in biology. It is a little difficult to source, being originally published in the UK and the US edition must be purchased direct.
ISBN: 9781536210415; This edition published April 2020 by Big Picture Press; Purchased via Amazon by me and donated to the library
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