Spectacular Spots

Book excerpt: You’ll be amazed to discover all the different reasons why animals have spots! What kinds of animals have spots and why do they have them? With engaging rhymes and bright, bold images, award-winning author-illustrator Susan Stockdale introduces readers to a range of spotted animals, familiar and exotic, and some of the benefits of their patterns. In addition to providing beauty and inspiration, spots can help a creature masquerade as a different, more threatening species, provide camouflage for hunting or hiding, or scare off predators. From the ladybug to the blue poison dart frog, the green anaconda to the white-tailed deer fawn, these spectacularly spotted creatures will delight and fascinate budding naturalists. This entrancing companion to Stripes of All Types (130,000 copies sold in a variety of formats) features energetic rhyming text and beautifully detailed paintings that pop off the page. An afterword tells a little bit more about each animal and where it lives, and readers can test their knowledge of animal spots with a fun matching game at the end.