Pigs Aren't Dirty, Bears Aren't Slow: And Other Truths About Misunderstood Animals

Boutilier, Joanna

ISBN 10: 155037849X ISBN 13: 9781550378498

Publisher: Annick Press, 2005

Synopsis

The facts on beasts with bad raps.

Lifelike illustrations and fascinating text invite the reader to explore and discover the truth about ten animals whose true selves are often quite surprising.

Ben Hodson's beautiful, lifelike illustrations depict the true nature of each featured creature, while his hilarious cartoons exaggerate the behavioral misconceptions.

Pigs are indeed clean creatures. They prefer sleeping on the highest ground in a pen -- away from where any waste might drain. And don't let the size of a bear fool you. Over short distances some bears can run as fast as a horse.

Did you know that spiders drink their food? They inject prey with digestive fluid then suck out the dissolved goo. And don't think sharks always swim in warm oceans; bull sharks have been found in the freshwater of the Mississippi, while blue sharks prefer the chilly waters of the Arctic Circle.

Pigs Aren't Dirty, Bears Aren't Slow is crawling with myth-busting facts about:

• Wolves
• Spiders
• Pigs
• Snakes
• Bears
• Owls
• Bats
• Sharks
• Toads
• Lions

Pigs Aren't Dirty, Bears Aren't Slow is a fun way to learn the facts about beasts with bad raps.

About this title

About the Author:

Joanna Boutilier is a teacher, writer, and editor who is also active in environmental groups such as the Sierra Club. This is her first book for children. Joanna lives in Evanston, Illinois.

Ben Hodson is a self-taught artist and nature lover who has been around animals all his life, and even once cared for lions in an animal hospice. He now lives just outside Ottawa, by a lake where his neighbors are snakes, toads, spiders, and bats.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Introduction

Have you ever met the "big, bad wolf" in a story? Did you ever see a "wise old owl" in a poem or a move? Have you ever heard the sayings "blind as a bat," "dirty pig," or "lazy lion"? Would you be surprised to learn that many of our ideas about animals are outdated, only half-right, or just plain wrong?

The earth, seas, and sky are full of amazing creatures. Most of them seem very different from us. They may be hairy scaly, slippery or slimy Some of them eat things that seem weird to us, such as insects, mice, garbage, dead animals, or sometimes even people. They may have a venomous sting or bite. Some have sharp, scary-looking teeth or claws. They may behave in ways that seem strange to us, such as rolling in the mud, shedding their skin all at once, or howling. We can easily misunderstand creatures that seem different from us, especially if we fear that they could harm us.

A wrong idea about something is called a misconception. Making mistakes and having misconceptions are natural parts of learning about the world. We frequently start with a wrong idea and then gradually improve our understanding as we learn more. As people study animals and their place in the world more closely, we are learning many exciting new things about animals, humans, and the special balance of nature on earth. We are discovering the fantastic diversity of animal life and the interdependence of all living things.

In this book you will learn about some of the common, weird, and wacky misconceptions people have about animals. We will uncover some of the amazing facts behind these misunderstandings.

About this edition

• Publisher: Annick Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 155037849X
• ISBN 13: 9781550378498
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Hodson Ben