"If there's an animal enthusiast on your holiday list, have a look at Ben Rothery's books about the natural world. These are beautiful works of nonfiction, large in size--always nice in a gift--and rich with illustrations that are so finely executed that you may mistake them for photographs. In "Hidden Planet," "Ocean Planet" and "Sensational Butterflies," Mr. Rothery writes as engagingly as he draws. "Who would think, to look at them, that the elephant's closest relatives are the manatee, the dugong, and the rock hyrax?" he asks. "Or that seals, sea lions and walruses are not related to whales, dolphins or manatees, but rather to bears and weasels?" Children ages 7-13 (and their parents) won't merely enjoy themselves with these books; they'll also learn something." - Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal "Kirkus Starred Review -- A detail-obsessed illustrator's "love letter" to Earth's wild fauna. " - Kirkus Reviews "Exploring hidden aspects of the animal kingdom, this oversized picture book brims with photo-realistic illustrations and descriptions of some of Earth's most interesting creatures and their unique abilities.
Most useful for fostering a budding interest in animals with older children, the book examines hidden elements of nature in both a literal sense--such as the camouflage of the chameleon--and the figurative, like the process of convergent evolution. Younger children will enjoy the illustrations, which bring them face-to-face with everything from toads to lions." - Danielle Ballantyne, Forward Reviews.