At the Edge: Curious Creatures of Planet Earth

Description: "A lively and inventive collection celebrating unusual animals from across the globe" --School Library Journal (starred review)

Poet David Elliott brings us to the edge of the animal world to explore the weirdest and rarest creatures on the planet.

Why does the axolotl salamander always seem to be smiling? Is it true that the wild goat known as a markhor is excellent at parkour? What happens when the peacock spider's dance, complete with its rumble-rumps, doesn't please the object of its affection? Providing a peek at everything from scaly pangolins to duck-billed platypuses, from the lemur known as an aye-aye to the perpetually grumpy (and adorable) black rain frog, David Elliott's poetic vignettes deliver a witty and informative take on some of the world's oddest animals. Brought to life in striking illustrations by collage artist Clover Robin, this roundup of unique creatures will delight animal lovers of all stripes.

Review Quotes: A lively and inventive collection celebrating unusual animals from across the globe. . . . Librarians and educators will find this section particularly useful for introducing research, inquiry, and animal science units. A delightful, curious, and engaging collection; if there is only one poetry book to add this year, this is it.
--School Library Journal (starred review)

A light and breezy, around-the-world look at an array of unusual species.
--Kirkus Reviews

A surefire delight for young readers and listeners who enjoy their natural history delivered with generous doses of wordplay.
--Booklist

[T]he poetry has considerable child appeal.
--The Horn Book